Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
JACE
Shortening my strides, I fall into step with Willow as we head down the brick sidewalk.
There’s a comfortable silence between us, although there’s almost a buzz lingering in the air.
Something dancing in the spaces between the atoms bouncing around.
I can’t quite put my finger on it and when I glance at her from the corner of my eye, she appears unaffected.
Her gaze is trained ahead and she tightens her grip around the brown paper bag, as if it will float away if she loosens her hold on it. We reach the cross-walk, both of us pausing to wait for the light to change.
“Can I carry that for you?”
Willow turns her head to look at me. “I got it, but thank you.”
“Sure,” I reply, adjusting my arm around the box I’m holding.
“What are your plans now that you’re back home?”
Absentmindedly, I chew on the inside of my cheek, releasing it as I pull open the door for her. “I’m not really sure. I didn’t plan on coming home this soon, so I guess I’ll just have to figure it out.” I pause as hints of jasmine, vanilla, and maple invade my senses.
Willow walks over to the counter across the room and I follow her, letting the door fall shut behind me. She sets down her bag, throwing glances my way as she takes the supplies out. “How is your ankle?”
“Oh, it’s fine,” I reply with a shrug and shake of my head as I set the box down, then slide it over to Willow. The last thing I want to do is talk about what happened, but I know Willow Alder. I have to give her something to stop her from digging.
“It feels sore sometimes, depending on what I’ve done all day, but normally it feels fine. It’s just on the ice that it doesn’t hold up well.”
She rolls her lips between her teeth, sympathy filling her eyes as they linger on mine. “I’m sorry, Jace. I’m sure having to retire early couldn’t have been easy for you.”
I drop my gaze down to the counter as Willow slips her hand beneath one of the box flaps. She gives it a pull, attempting to tear through the tape that secures it closed.
The tape doesn’t budge. Her eyebrows draw downward in determination as she gives the cardboard another tug. Nothing happens. She tries once more, her jaw clenched, muscles in her arms tightening as she uses all her strength to no avail. “Damn, what kind of tape did they use?”
Willow lets out a frustrated huff as she drops the box back down onto the counter.
“Here,” I offer, reaching for it. “Let me get it.”
Willow pushes it in my direction, rubbing her thumbs over the indents left in her pointer fingers from where the edge of the cardboard was digging in. “Thanks,” she whispers, shifting her weight on her feet as she half turns her body to watch.
I don’t have a knife, but I angle the box just right and jerk hard on it. As if it took no effort at all, the tape tears. A smirk lifts the corner of my lips as I lift my gaze to hers.
“What the heck!” she says, her eyes widening as she gives me an incredulous look.
Her lips roll inward again and she bites down on them like she’s holding back more than she wants to say.
I push the flaps open and slide it back over to her.
She slips her hands past the cardboard sides and removes the space heater. “I swear I’m not that weak.”
“I know,” I say, with a low chuckle. Willow shakes her head at herself as she walks around the back of the checkout counter and sets the space heater up on the floor. “All right, boss. I’m here at your disposal. Tell me what you want me to do.”
Willow stands back upright, her hands planting on her hips as she surveys the space.
Her eyes find mine for a single heartbeat before she looks past me.
I study her features while she scans the room, her high cheekbones and the soft dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose.
The tip of her nose has a slight curve to it.
She doesn’t seem to notice me staring at her, creating a checklist inside her mind. My gaze catches on her full lips with their deep pinkish tint, before moving along her jaw line.
She’s so beautiful.
“Since I’m a little vertically challenged, how would you feel about getting all the cobwebs up high? I think I just want to clean the floors and windows for today.”
Her eyes travel back to mine and I quickly divert my gaze, tipping my head back to look up at the ceiling. There’s one lone cobweb in the far left corner. “I’ll get everything up high if you want to get everything down low.”
“Okay,” she agrees, tipping her chin as she comes back to the counter and starts to get the cleaning supplies together. She pulls out a duster from under the counter and hands it to me. “I think there’s a step ladder in the back closet.”
“I’ll go check.”
Willow grabs a roll of paper towels and makes her way to the front of the store, where the wall is made of only glass.
In the back closet, I find the ladder tucked away in the corner and drag it out to the main floor.
I start with the cobweb first, running the duster along the top perimeter of the walls as Willow sprays some glass cleaner on the windows.
Dusting doesn’t take me long and I grab the ladder before moving on to the front of the store. The metal hinges groan as I pull it open and slowly climb up to reach the top of the windows. Willow sprays her area and hands me the bottle, along with a few paper towels.
“So, do you have any ideas of what you want to do with the space here?”
Willow doesn’t turn to me, keeping her focus on the window, her hand slowing while she contemplates her response before she continues to clean the dirt from the glass.
“I want to keep some of the original items my grandma had here, like the syrup and maple candies. She had always talked about doing infused syrups, so I think that would be a cool addition.”
“That sounds really good.” I spray and wipe, my actions mimicking hers. “Tell me more.”
“Well, I don’t know that I have more than that,” she says with a soft laugh, ducking her head as she takes a step to the right and washes that area.
“I know it needs a serious update, to make it more trendy and modernized. I think I’ll need to come up with a new name and some fresh branding.
I’m hoping that if we do the grand opening during Harvest Fest, it will draw in new people. ”
I slowly nod, even though she isn’t looking at me. “You should talk to Miss Maggie and see if she’ll make some maple cookies or something.”
Willow is silent for a moment. “That’s a really good idea.” She pauses, turning to look at me on the ladder. “What else do you have?”
A chuckle rumbles in my chest. “I don’t know. You have these resources with some of the other stores here, so it might be beneficial to utilize them.”
“I’m sure Maggie is making her own things for Harvest Fest. Same with Sweet Grounds.”
My shoulders lift before I relax them and turn back to the front of the store. “It doesn’t hurt to ask.”
“You’re right,” she says quietly, her eyes lingering on the side of my face for two heartbeats before she turns back to the glass. “I need to sit down and draw up some kind of plan or something.”
“I’m surprised you haven’t already.”
Willow huffs out a little laugh, moving to the next pane.
“I haven’t gotten that far yet. This whole thing just happened a few days ago.
” She blows out a breath, spraying the glass again.
“Honestly, it didn’t feel like such a big task when I decided to take it on.
Now, I feel a bit overwhelmed, considering the fact that my brothers decided to clean the whole place out. ”
“Try and think of it like a fresh canvas. You can do whatever you want with it.” I climb down from the ladder and shift it over to clean the area above her. “Let me help you.”
Willow’s head immediately shakes but she doesn’t tear her gaze away from the window as she wipes the same spot over and over. “I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You’re not asking.”
Her throat bobs and she shakes her head, her eyes slicing to mine as she hands me the spray bottle once more. “I don’t know, Jace.”
“I promise I won’t get in your way,” I say, winking as a smirk tugs on my lips.
“Come on, it’s perfect. I have the time and I know how to use my hands.
” Her eyes widen slightly and my breath catches in my throat.
“From helping my dad on some of the construction sites.” I clear my throat, heat creeping up my neck. “I have experience with those things.”
A smile breaks out across Willow’s face and her quiet laughter drifts through the air like a soft melody. “I think I just got second hand embarrassment from that.”
“Screw you.” I laugh, rolling my eyes at her. “Do you want my help or not?”
She lifts a perfectly arched brow. “You’re the one who offered.”
I smile. “You’re right, I did.”
“I can’t let you do it for free.”
My lips press into a flat line. Willow has always been stubborn and independent. I swear, she’s borderline allergic to accepting any kind of help from someone else. “Yes, you can.”
Determination sets in her features. “No, I can’t.”
A deep sigh slips from my lips and my shoulders sag. “Haven’t you grown out of your stubbornness?”
“Nope,” she says, popping the P. “Just like you haven’t grown out of your incessant need to help everyone else.”
I stare at her for a moment, mulling over the accusation. It’s not true, not entirely. I don’t have a need to help everyone—just her. My eyes narrow, but I don’t bother correcting her. “Okay, I don’t know how you can pay me back—yet, but when I figure it out, I’ll let you know.”
“That’s not fair. What if you never come up with anything then?”
“I will,” I say. My mind circles back to the rink, but I immediately push the idea away. I haven’t given it any more thought, so there’s no reason to even offer that as an option for her to return the favor. “I promise.”
Willow tears her eyes from mine, slowly turning back to the window as she inspects the glass. I’m still holding onto the bottle of cleaner, although she doesn’t ask for it back. The silence stretches between us, only the noise of the space heater humming in the distance.
She finally turns back to look at me and lifts her hands to tighten her pony tail. “Okay,” she says, letting out a deep breath. “You have yourself a deal.” She extends her arm, her hand reaching toward me. “Can I get the cleaner back, please?”
A smile lifts the corners of my lips. “Of course,” I say, handing it back to her. As she reaches for it, I quickly switch it to my other hand. “But, first, we have to shake on it.”
“We’re not children, Jace,” she huffs, rolling her eyes at me.
I purse my lips and tilt my head to the side, cocking one eyebrow. “A deal isn’t a deal until you shake on it.”
She drops her eyes down to my hand, staring for a beat before she presses her palm against mine. It’s warm and her dainty fingers wrap around the back of my hand as she gives me one swift shake. “Is that better?” she asks, her gaze locked with mine.
“Much.” I shake her hand, both of us lingering for a moment longer than we should before she abruptly releases my grip.
Her lips twitch and she stretches her arm toward my other hand, reaching for the cleaner. Her fingers brush against mine as I hand it back to her. Something shimmers in her eyes, but she quickly pulls them away, turning back to the windows.
“Get back to work, Miller.”
I bite back a grin. “Yes, boss.”