5. Juniper
5
JUNIPER
S eeing the image of someone from Cord’s past pop up on his cell phone was like being doused with ice-cold water. It was an almost cruel reminder that he was a hot AF cowboy from Colorado who was in town to take a job at the Lilacs for what he’d told my mom was a period of one year.
He’d also said he wasn’t sure what the job entailed, but he hoped it involved wrangling since it was the only thing he was good at.
The amateur detective in me went rampant with every new piece of information I stuck in the mental file I’d created for Cord Wheaton.
First of all, who took a job without knowing what it was? That in itself was fishy. Obviously, he did know; he just didn’t want to say. And, I supposed, people did take contract jobs for certain periods of time, but still, already knowing he’d only be here for a year seemed odd too .
Another point of information worthy of me sitting up and taking notice was that the only contact he’d mentioned in regard to the job was Hoss Schultz. Rumors were that Miss Cena’s great-nephew, Jimmy Rooker, was the one who’d signed the contract with Schultz Winery Management to take over the grape-growing and wine-production operation at the Lilacs. Not that anyone could confirm it, but I doubted Miss Cena would’ve ever given someone like Jimmy the power to negotiate business agreements on behalf of the estate.
The man had a lengthy arrest record and, according to Mrs. Miller, the head housekeeper, had been banned from setting foot on the property. Not that Miss Cena had any means to enforce that once JD, who was Jimmy’s father, passed away.
Finally, the photo Cord had been sent via text message could only be described as pornographic. While he seemed flustered by it, he hadn’t been mortified, which, to me, meant receiving something like that wasn’t uncommon.
Given all that, I should’ve thanked him for breakfast, wished him luck in his new job, and left him on his own in the five-and-dime. But I couldn’t. In fact, I found myself watching him as he discovered all the gems the store offered. He seemed truly delighted as he added yet another item to his already overflowing basket. That alone made me swoon.
“Wanna trade?” I asked, offering to swap it for an empty one so he could keep shopping.
“Juni?” Someone said my name before Cord had the chance to answer.
“Mr. Reynolds? It’s so nice to see you.”
“I thought I’d stop in today and check on how my grandson was managing the holiday rush. Running into you is certainly an added bonus.”
When Cord glanced over, I motioned for him to join us. “Mr. Reynolds, this is Cord Wheaton. He’s in town from Colorado.”
“Pleasure to meet you, son.”
As the two shook hands, I explained that the Reynolds family had owned the store since it opened in 1929.
“That job offer is still open, Juni,” Mr. Reynolds said.
“Job offer?” Cord asked .
“I’m a Syracuse grad myself, and we could sure use someone with this young lady’s education and background to step in as GM of the place.” He patted my shoulder. “I know your mom and dad need your help as much as we do, but that doesn’t mean I’ll ever stop pestering you about working for us instead.”
“I appreciate it so much, Mr. Reynolds.”
He looked between Cord and me. “And yet, she still won’t accept. Doesn’t matter how much I up the salary.” He winked.
“You know it isn’t about the money,” I said.
“You’re right. I do.” Mr. Reynolds glanced at Cord’s basket. “Let me take that for you.”
“I’ll get it, Pops,” I heard his grandson say before reaching out to set it on the counter near one of the registers.
“Hey, Juni,” he said to me.
“Hi, Ross.”
He stepped closer. “How’ve you been?”
Ross and I had dated for a few months once we both returned home after college graduation. I was the one who broke it off, and it was the reason I couldn’t accept a job at the five-and-dime .
“I’m good. You?”
“I miss you,” he said, leaning into me so our arms brushed.
My eyes met Cord’s unintentionally, and he raised a brow. While it would be polite for me to introduce the two, I didn’t want to.
Maybe picking up on my general discomfort, Mr. Reynolds struck up a conversation with him, and the two walked to another part of the store.
“Who’s that?” Ross asked.
“A guest at the inn. He’s here for work, and I offered to show him around today.”
“Juni, I was wondering?—”
“It was good to see you, Ross. Take care.” I rushed off in the direction his grandfather had led Cord.
Mr. Reynolds’ eyes scrunched when I approached, but I didn’t offer an explanation. Whatever had happened between his grandson and me was no one’s business but ours. It wasn’t even all that dramatic. I just wasn’t as interested in him as he appeared to be in me, which meant I felt better about ending it sooner rather than later .
“It was great to see you,” I said, leaning up to kiss Mr. Reynolds’ cheek. “I’ve got to get going but hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas.”
The man shook his head slowly, but smiled. “You too, and please give my regards to your parents and Grayson.”
“I will,” I said as he walked away.
Cord leaned closer. “Is everything okay?”
“I’ll explain later.”
He nodded once. “I guess I should check out. If you have somewhere you need to be, don’t let me keep you.”
“I don’t,” I said with a sigh.
“I hear you. Things seemed a little awkward.”
“Sorry.”
Cord shook his head. “Don’t be. If anyone gets it, it’s me.”
We left the five-and-dime a few minutes later, ducked into the bakery next door, ordered a cupcake each, then sat at the table by the window to eat them.
“Mr. Reynolds told me the theater across the street is showing a movie filmed here, in East Aurora. He also said it was a venue I shouldn’t miss seeing if I had the chance.”
I glanced over at the marquee to see which one it was because several had been made here, especially those with Christmas themes.
“He said there’s a matinee today,” he added.
“Yeah?”
“Wanna see it with me?”
His tentative expression endeared him to me even more. “Sure. That sounds nice.”
Since the movie was starting soon, we finished our sugary treats and rushed across the street to get tickets.
“Sick of me yet?” he asked on our way into the theater.
“Not yet,” I responded, winking.
He gasped when we walked inside. “Wow!”
The box office and concession stands were both constructed with carved wooden panels and etched glass. Beyond them were two murals that had been painted for the theater’s grand opening in 1925 and restored and remounted a few years ago.
Like at the five-and-dime, I looked around the theater, where I’d seen so many movies, through different eyes—imagining what my reaction would be if I were seeing it for the first time. It was stunning, with plush velvet-covered seats, art deco sconces, and heavy draperies that hung from ceiling to floor.
“I feel like I’ve stepped back in time,” Cord said after we’d chosen seats in the center of an aisle. “This place—and by that, I mean East Aurora—is really special.”
“I’ve always thought so.”
“I wonder why I’m here,” he murmured absentmindedly.
“Isn’t it for a job?”
He rested his head against the high-back seat. “Yes, but it’s complicated.”
When he didn’t elaborate, I didn’t ask.
A few minutes later, the lights dimmed and previews started.
“Hey, Juniper?” he leaned over and whispered.
I turned to face him. “Yeah?”
“How many times do you figure you made out in here?”
I laughed out loud, then covered my mouth with my hand, although it wasn’t necessary. Cord and I were the only people in the place.
I counted on my fingers, then turned to him again. “Not once,” I said with a straight face.
“Not even with your five-and-dime boyfriend?”
“Nope,” I said, not bothering to challenge the fact he’d referred to Ross as my boyfriend. I supposed it was obvious enough.
Cord stretched both arms across the back of my seat and the empty one on his opposite side. “You’ve got to be pulling my leg, but on the off chance you aren’t, I’d be happy to be your first.”
“You’re right. I’m joking. The number of times I have is far too high to count.” I winked.
“Damn. I thought I’d come up with a pretty good reason to kiss you.”
My breath caught. “Do you need a reason?”
His eyes darted between mine. “Juni…”
I shook my head and was about to pull away when his hand came up from behind me. He weaved it under my hair and gently squeezed the back of my neck.
“You make me wanna kiss you, Juniper.”
I kept my eyes riveted to his, basking in this moment for as long as I could and allowing anticipation to wash over me as I watched his lips move closer to mine.
Except he let go of my neck, removed his arm from behind me, and scrubbed his face with his hand. “Incoming,” I heard him mutter .
I nearly jumped out of my seat when, a second later, I heard my father’s voice. “June-bug? What are you doing here?”
I shifted to look at him, my mom, my grandmother, and Grayson. Since when did my family all go to a Sunday matinee, especially considering the movie that was just starting ran several times each holiday season on local TV stations?
“What are you doing here?” I whispered back at him, even though the six of us were still the only people in the theater.
“We wanted to get into the holiday spirit, dear,” said my grandmother, loudly enough to probably be heard out in the lobby. “Who’s your friend? I don’t recognize him.”
Thankfully, my mom intervened, shushed her, and said she’d introduce him after the movie was over.
She nodded, and just as I was about to turn around to face the screen, I saw her tug on Grayson’s arm. “Be a darling and bring Nana some popcorn, would you, Gray?”
“Of course.”
“Want some popcorn?” Cord leaned over and asked.
“If you do.”
When he got up and followed Grayson out, Nana put her hand on the seat in front of her and leaned forward. “He’s very handsome, dear.”
“Shush,” my mother repeated.
“Settle yourself, Patricia.”
I faced forward, shook my head, and laughed under my breath. Apart from when we were skiing, Cord and I hadn’t gone to a single place today where we didn’t run into someone I knew. My family being here, at the movies, was by far the most awkward. I just hoped Cord was really getting popcorn rather than racing to his truck and hightailing it out of town.
I closed my eyes, remembering how close we’d come to kissing. Or at least I thought that was what he was going to do. But why would he? And why would I want him to? We’d only met last night. Going to the movies wasn’t a date; it was just me showing him something else of note in our town.
So why was I so disappointed?