Chapter Ten #3
Landon had never been to Vegas, but he’d heard that those casinos were full of smoke, so he was certain that it wouldn’t be good for Hattie’s health.
“If you weren’t doing so much work on that holiday line for next year, I would invite you to come along with us. But I don’t want to distract you from your deadline.”
Landon breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing he wanted to do was take a risky trip to Las Vegas with his ill grandmother. The thought of it was enough to make him break out in hives.
“What a shame,” he murmured. “But on the bright side, we’re making really great progress with the holiday line. I know we’re going to make a presentation soon, but, hint hint, there are a lot of great flavors in the mix.”
Hattie had begun to eat small bites of the scrambled eggs. She was taking small sips of the tea. “I can’t wait to hear what flavor profiles you’ve come up with. I have a feeling that this is going to be our best holiday line ever. Do you know why?”
“Not a clue,” Landon said. “I just hope you’re not disappointed in my work.”
“Impossible,” she said in a robust voice. “You and Bailey are pure magic together, and I know this line is going to follow suit. I have a really good feeling about it.” Her voice softened. “I just wish that I was going to be around to see it roll out.”
“Maybe you will be,” Landon said. A part of him truly believed that Hattie, a woman who had moved mountains in her lifetime, could outlast her diagnosis.
But a part of him wasn’t so sure anymore.
According to Jacques, Hattie had been holding on for her grandsons.
Did that mean she was living on borrowed time?
Hattie shook her head. “Don’t you do that, Landon.
We need to be realistic. Holding out hope like that is a surefire way to get your heart broken.
” She reached for his hand and held it as tightly as she could muster.
Landon could tell that she was using all her strength to appear strong. “I don’t want to break your heart.”
“Well, if you don’t finish that breakfast, that’s exactly what’s going to happen,” Landon told her.
He wasn’t ready to have this conversation with Hattie.
Even though he knew that he couldn’t cure Hattie with a magic wand, he didn’t want to face it at the moment.
When he, Xavier, and Caleb had first come to Moose Falls, their grandmother had been nothing more than a faded memory.
But she had quickly nestled her way into all their lives and hearts. Losing her would be devastating.
Hattie made a big point of eating everything on her plate. “Done,” she announced, pushing the tray to the side of her bed. “So any plans with Bailey today?” Hattie asked. “A walk down Main Street or a movie date?”
“We don’t have anything planned. I wanted to give her a little space after last night.”
Hattie’s jaw dropped. “Oh no, did something happen? You looked like a couple of lovebirds last night at the party.”
“No, nothing bad, but I don’t want her to get sick of me,” he told her. Hattie asked so many questions he always needed to have an answer at the ready.
“That would be impossible, Landon,” Hattie said, shock registering in her tone. “You’re the total package, as they say. Smart as all get-out, handsome as the day is long, and achingly kind. Anyone who gets sick of all that isn’t a good judge of character.”
He had to admit that he loved moments like this when Hattie showered him with compliments.
Landon wondered what his life would’ve been like if Hattie had always been in it.
Everyone needed a loving grandmother to fawn all over them and lift them up to the stratosphere.
He knew he should be grateful that he’d experienced these moments with her, but he still couldn’t help but feel as if he’d been cheated.
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, but everything is really new between us, so I don’t want to overwhelm her.”
Hattie let out a cackle. “You young people are always finding the strangest things to worry about. Don’t complicate things.
When I first met your grandfather, he would show up at my father’s house every day, bringing me flowers and candies, taking me out sledding.
I fell madly in love with him because he wasn’t shy about courting me. ”
The difference was that he and Bailey weren’t really together, not in the truest sense of the word.
This was an arrangement that had nothing to do with romance.
Yet the kisses they’d shared had felt romantic.
Wasn’t that what Bailey had alluded to on her way out?
Or had she simply been bantering with him?
Maybe if he had more experience with women, he might know the answer, but he was clueless.
How would things play out if he let Bailey know that he didn’t want their relationship to be pretend anymore?
Maybe Hattie could give him some tips on how to woo Bailey.
Sure, she was from another generation, but she knew a thing or two about being in love.
He could ask Xavier or Caleb, but he was curious about a woman’s point of view.
“So flowers and candy seem universally appealing. Am I right?” he asked Hattie.
“Flowers, yes. Candy is an individual choice.” She tapped her chin.
“Her tastes may have changed, but when she was little, that girl loved M&M’s.
She used to inhale whole bags on a regular basis.
” Hattie chuckled. Landon could picture a pint-size Bailey stuffing the candies in her mouth.
He was making mental notes. Flowers. M&M’s.
Hattie snapped her fingers. “Oh, and she adores wildflowers in particular. She used to pick them all the time in the spring and bring me bunches.”
“Maybe I can invite her over for dinner,” Landon said. “I can make her favorite meal, shower her with wildflowers, and bake some M&M cookies for dessert.” He was using his grandmother as a sounding board and hoping for some positive reinforcement.
She clapped her hands together. “Oh, Landon, now you’re talking! You’re going to sweep Bailey off her feet.”
Landon grinned. The very idea of doing so made him feel a bit giddy.
“I know the two of you are just starting out, but if you discover the things she loves and lean in to them, she’ll fall as fast as I did.” Hattie winked at him. “Unless of course she already has.”
“Who knows?” Landon asked. “Stranger things have happened.”
Once he left Hattie, Landon decided to take a drive into town to do some more brainstorming about ways to get out of the friend zone with Bailey.
He had the feeling that there would be a lot of dedications to his grandmother after she was gone.
It was only fitting, since she had built Yukon Cider from the ground up and had revolutionized the concept of hard cider in Alaska.
She was a boss and a legend all wrapped up in one dynamic package.
She was also a pretty awesome wingwoman.
On his ride, Landon got a chance to truly absorb the Alaskan scenery.
This time of year the ground was covered in snow.
Sitka and spruce trees were in abundance, all blanketed with the fluffy white stuff.
He remembered getting postcards as a kid from his dad, and they all looked a little bit like this—picturesque and pristine.
As a scientist, he loved looking at the bold and majestic mountains looming in the distance.
Having studied geology, Landon knew that the formation of these mountains had been made by the shifting of tectonic plates.
A process called orogeny. It was all incredibly fascinating to him.
Landon decided to pop into the Caribou Café for a coffee.
He figured that he could find a table and sit with his thoughts for a bit.
So much was whirling around in his mind.
Between issues with Hattie’s illness, the bucket list trip to Vegas, his faux relationship with Bailey, and his desire to reestablish his good name in the science community, his brain was fried.
As soon as he stepped into line, a familiar voice called out to him.
When he turned around, Bailey was sitting at a nearby table.
Dressed casually in a sweater and jeans, she had her hair pulled away from her face in a top bun.
There was a notebook sitting on the table, and it seemed as if she had been jotting down notes.
“Hey there. Fancy meeting you here,” Bailey said, waving at him.
“Hi, Bailey,” he said, leaving the line to speak to her.
“I didn’t mean to stop you from ordering,” she said.
“No worries. I just came here to get some java and think over some stuff.” He made a face, feeling a bit overwhelmed at the pace of life these days.
“Anything you want to talk about?” Bailey asked. “I’ve got nowhere to go, and I’m totally down with drinking another coffee if you want to join me.”
“I was hoping you would say that,” he told her, grinning. “What’ll you have?”
“My drink of choice. A chai latte with oat milk and sugar. I’ll be buzzing all afternoon, but it’s worth it.”
“Coming right up,” he said, feeling a burst of euphoria that was directly tied to Bailey. He’d been feeling overwhelmed until he’d seen her sitting here.
Landon placed the order and waited a few minutes at the counter until they called his name. He returned to the table with their two coffees and a bowl of sourdough biscuits.
“I figured we could munch on these while we talk. I’ve become addicted to sourdough bread since I’ve been here.”
Bailey said, “Those are nice and hot from the oven.” She rubbed her hands together. “These are gonna be good!”
He watched as Bailey reached for a sourdough knot and immediately took a huge bite. “Ouch,” she said, fanning her mouth with her hand. “That’s what I get for rushing things.”
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Oh, I’m fine,” she said. “Death by sourdough bread.” She let out a little giggle.
“It’s a pretty epic way to go,” he said, pausing to take a sip of his caramel frappé.