Chapter Six #2
“Red is in love with her. Did you know that?” Landon asked. Finding that out had blown his mind. After all these years, he would’ve thought that his dad’s feelings would have shifted.
Xavier shrugged. “Caleb told me that Red admitted it, but it’s pretty obvious when you see the two of them together that he hasn’t moved past their relationship.”
“Maybe she hasn’t either,” Landon said. “I mean, she really hasn’t dated too much or had a partner in all these years.”
“I’m glad she came back for my engagement party. I think returning after all these years has given her a little bit of closure and a new perspective. That’s important.”
Landon believed that was true, but he also wondered whether perhaps seeing Daisy again had only served to heighten his father’s feelings for her.
At times he had acted like a nervous teenager in her presence.
He just hoped his father wasn’t dreaming of any kind of romantic future with Daisy, because as far as he could see, it wasn’t happening.
He wouldn’t be opposed to them rekindling their relationship, but twenty years seemed like a huge divide to cross.
But, if it did happen, Landon imagined it would help heal old hurts, not only for himself, but for his brothers as well.
“Things seem to be progressing with Hattie’s illness,” Xavier said. “I’m sure you’ve noticed since you’re still living in the house. She’s slowed down quite a bit.”
Landon nodded. “I have seen some alarming signs that tell me the disease has worsened. Her appetite seems diminished, and she’s lost a bit of weight in the past few weeks. When I compare that to how she was back when we first arrived, there’s a big difference.”
“Has Jacques said anything? He watches over her like a hawk.”
“Not really,” Landon said. “He’s a bit worried about this holiday party, though, thinks it’s too much for her.”
Xavier took a bite of his meal, then washed it down with his bottled water.
“I think a party will be good for her. She lives for that stuff. What better opportunity will people have to celebrate her? We don’t know what tomorrow’s going to bring, so it’s important to live your life in the moment.
That’s what Hattie’s always done. Why stop now? ”
“That’s a good way to think about it,” Landon said. “I just want her to be happy. After all the good she’s done for others and for us, it’s what she deserves.”
“Cheers to that,” Xavier said, holding up his water bottle. “Whether she has ten days left or ten weeks, let’s make a vow to celebrate Hattie. While we can.”
“I love that,” Landon said. “More than anything, Hattie deserves to be celebrated.”
His brother’s words were inspiring, yet also a bit sobering. Landon knew that time wasn’t on their side. Ever since their return, they had been racing to cram moments into a fleeting number of days. And now they were constantly being reminded that time was running out.
Sometimes Bailey just liked to watch Landon at work.
With his brow furrowed and his features creased as he studied the orchard management chart he radiated intensity.
Something had been off with one of the last batches of apples they’d received, which had slowed down production of their apple-based hard ciders.
This was a rare problem in the lab, but if the test batches didn’t taste right, it needed to be addressed at the source.
Landon was trying to figure out which supplier had delivered those specific batches.
She had to stop staring before he caught her in the act. Bailey painfully dragged her gaze away from him.
“Oh, girl, you’ve got it bad,” Fritz whispered in her ear, startling her so much she jumped in her seat. She turned around to see him standing right behind her chair, grinning like a wild man.
“Fritz,” she said, pressing her palm to her chest. “Has anyone ever told you not to creep around and watch people?” she asked, keeping her tone low so Landon couldn’t overhear her.
“Ha! Pot meet kettle. Judging by the way you were watching Clark Kent over there, you might just be heading into creeper territory yourself,” Fritz said. “Seriously, babe, are you okay?”
“I’m more than okay. And I was admiring him, not objectifying or stalking him. There’s a difference.”
He gently patted her shoulder. “Please take this in the spirit in which it’s being offered, but maybe it’s time for you to get a real man in your life.”
“I do have a man,” she snapped. The words flew out of her mouth before she could rein them in. Fritz was really working overtime to annoy her.
Her co-worker’s eyes widened. “What? Spill it, Bailey. Who? What? When?”
“You’re going to have to lower your voice, Fritz. We’re still in a professional setting.”
Fritz put a finger up to his lips and nodded. “Who is he?”
One could have heard a pin drop in that moment as Fritz awaited her response.
Bailey leaned in toward Fritz. She was relishing this moment, knowing she was about to shock and awe him.
“He’s sitting ten feet away from you,” Bailey said, casting a quick glance in Landon’s direction. He was still focused on his work and oblivious to the fact that he was the topic of their conversation.
Fritz’s mouth hung open so wide that she reached out and closed it for him. “Don’t look so surprised,” she said. “It makes total sense.”
“H-how did this happen? Does Joann know?” His eyes were about to bulge out of their sockets. His mind seemed to be racing.
“We haven’t said anything yet to her, but Hattie has a very clear policy about employees dating. She has no objection to it, unless of course there’s any kind of drama attached to it. And Landon and I are existing in a no-drama world.”
“You’re right,” Fritz said, nodding. “Her other grandson, the model TV star with the chiseled features—”
“That’s Caleb,” she said in a low voice.
“Yes, Caleb. He worked with his wife, Sophia, at Yukon Cider, right?”
Caleb had worked as an executive and then starred in a major cider campaign while Sophia had been brought on as a photographer.
“Yes, they did and there were no issues. I don’t expect there to be any with us either.
And in case you’re wondering, this is all very new and casual.
” A slight feeling of guilt tugged at her as the words slid out of her mouth.
Fritz was a close friend. She trusted him, but she couldn’t run the risk of telling him about her and Landon’s ruse.
Fritz wouldn’t mean to blab, but every instinct told her that he would.
And, in the end, this was all about making Hattie happy in her final days.
“Am I sworn to secrecy?” he asked, making a lock-turning motion on his lips.
“It’s not a secret. Hattie knows and so do his brothers,” she told him. It was best to lay the groundwork so that folks wouldn’t be shocked to see them out and about together.
Fritz continued to press her for answers. “What about your family?”
Bailey’s heart sank. She hadn’t said a word yet due to her sister’s broken engagement.
Hearing about her and Landon might be like rubbing salt in the wound.
“I haven’t said anything yet. Things have been rough for Lynn lately, so I’m trying to be sensitive.
Kai pretty much ended things with her,” she said, wrinkling her nose.
“No big surprise there,” he said. “Kai was always one foot in and one foot out.”
Fritz wasn’t wrong. Her sister had devoted her life to someone who had always seemed iffy about their relationship.
He had taken things way too far by proposing to Lynn and planning a future with her.
Obviously, she didn’t think he should have gone forward with the marriage if he couldn’t make it work, but she would die on the hill that he never should have proposed in the first place.
“I’m going to tell them. I just haven’t figured out a way to break it to Lynn.
As it is, there’s been a lot of tension between us lately,” she admitted.
Maybe there always had been, if she was being honest with herself.
They were so different. Bailey had always been an opinionated rule breaker, while Lynn had been way more obedient and reserved.
Bailey really wanted to find a way to bridge the gap between them.
“That’s really sweet of you, but in a small town like Moose Falls word is bound to get out quickly.
Especially when we’re talking about one of Hattie’s grandsons.
” Fritz playfully fanned his face. “There’s going to be a lot of disappointment when folks hear that he’s taken.
” Fritz made a growling sound and pretended as if he was about to claw her.
Bailey laughed and shooed Fritz back to his workstation.
For a moment Bailey battled feelings of discomfort.
Landon wasn’t actually taken and certainly not by her.
Things were quickly spiraling out of control.
She hadn’t really thought about the ripples.
For the first time it crossed her mind that they were wading into complicated waters.
What would happen if he did meet someone in town that he was interested in?
Their little arrangement would hold him back, and she would never want to see that happen.
Maybe it was best that she made it clear that neither one of them should feel bound to their agreement if love came calling.
There was a little hitch in her heart at the idea of Landon falling for someone other than her.
Even though she was trying to play it cool, she had feelings for him.
And they weren’t going away anytime soon.
A few moments later, Landon came over, holding some paperwork in his hand. He held it up and said, “I think I figured out where the problem came from—Duggan Orchards in Washington State.”
“That’s great,” Bailey said. “Joann will want to reach out to them and report the problem. In the meantime, we’ll have to figure out what to do for the shortfall. Apple is such a popular cider flavor.”
“I was actually preparing a batch of pear-flavored cider earlier with Fritz. He was showing me the ropes. He also pointed out how important the integrity of the fruit is to this whole process.”
“We’re nothing without the fruit. As Fritz probably explained, fruit provides the sugars that are needed for fermentation. It’s also pretty important for the flavor profile.”
“I’m learning a lot about each step of the process. Fermentation has always been intriguing to me, as well as learning about the flavor profiles.”
Bailey smiled at him. “Sounds like you’re a natural.”
“My grandmother knows me well.”
“Apparently,” Bailey said. She twiddled her fingers for a moment, expending some nervous energy. She then leaned toward him and spoke in a low voice. “I think we need to talk so we can get a few things straight. If we’re going to pull this off, we need to be on the same page.”
“Absolutely,” Landon said, nodding. “A few things have come up that I need to tell you about.”
“Same here,” she said. “By the way, I just told Fritz that we’re, umm… together. I figured that it might be kind of strange if he found out later on and then wondered why neither one of us had said anything.”
“No, that makes sense.” He drew in a deep breath. “You haven’t changed your mind, have you? I won’t be upset if you’ve decided to back out.” He made a face. “I know it’s a lot. There are a lot of moving pieces. Especially since we work together.”
“Not at all,” she said. “I owe Hattie, and this is my chance to pay her back.” If she had a dozen lifetimes, she didn’t think she would ever be able to repay Hattie for saving her family.
Landon seemed puzzled by her comment. “What do you owe her for?”
“It’s a long story, one that I’ll happily tell you at a later time, but not right now.
” In order to tell Landon, she would have to talk about her father’s death, and that usually took more strength than she had at the moment.
“Suffice it to say that your grandmother is one of the best people I’ve ever known. And I’m proud to call her my friend.”
“You won’t get any arguments from me about that,” he said. “How about we grab dinner later at Northern Exposure? I’m a big fan of the food. The chef, Laurie Ito, is phenomenal.”
“Sounds good. I’m a big fan of hers,” Bailey said. “How about six o’clock? I can swing by after work.”
“See you then,” Landon said. He tapped his paperwork.
“I need to get back to these charts.” She watched as he headed over to his workstation.
He really was yummy, she thought. All six-foot-whatever inches of warm brown skin and the deepest, most soulful brown eyes she’d ever seen.
It was truly a miracle that she could get any work done with Landon in the vicinity.
Stop thinking about him. Stop. Cease and desist.
And, of course, because she’d told herself to stop thinking about Landon, he was all she could think about now. She needed to be working at her desk instead of daydreaming. She prided herself on being hardworking and disciplined, yet now she was all googly-eyed over a man who she was working with.
This type of magnetic attraction didn’t happen to her.
Not ever! She had to admit it was a blessing and a curse at the same time.
It was exciting to feel so many emotions all at once crashing over her.
This rush of feeling had been absent in her life for quite some time.
She couldn’t even adequately put it into words.
On the downside, it was a little overwhelming to feel like this when she had no idea whether Landon felt anything remotely similar.
Being in his presence and pretending to be his girlfriend would entail lots of moments where they were acting like a couple.
Holding hands. Flirting. Romantic tension.
The whole objective was to make their faux relationship believable.
If she knew Moose Falls like she thought she did, all eyes would be on them tonight at Northern Exposure.
Now she was asking herself some really hard questions. Could she handle this? Would everyone believe their act? And, most importantly, how in the world was she going to pull this off without Landon noticing that she had eyes only for him?