Chapter 17
Carli
Love is what makes the ride worthwhile.
~ Franklin P. Jones
I’m at work—not shadowing Randall, but fully on my own. I have two inspections today and some paperwork to file. First stop was the community center to confirm occupancy signs, check emergency lighting, and sign off on compliance with a few items that were flagged on the last walk-through.
Now I’m off to the bakery. Usually, I’m either popping in as a customer, or on the rare occasion, pitching in when they are short-handed. Today, I’m going through a routine check of ovens, exits and safety issues.
I pull into the spaces in front of the shop and walk in the front door.
“Happy Friday!” I say to Sydney and Emberleigh.
“You’re carrying your iPad like you mean business. Are you on the job?” Sydney asks.
“Yes, and … well, yes,” I say. My shoulders straighten of their own accord.
“Want anything to eat?” Emberleigh asks.
“That depends. Is it bribery?” I ask with a smile.
“One hundred percent,” she says, laughing.
She reaches into the case and pulls out a pastry filled with some sort of chocolate cream. There’s a ribbon of milk chocolate zig-zagged across the top with an alternating white chocolate ribbon.
“You pass,” I joke.
“That’s what I thought,” Emberleigh says, handing the delicious looking treat over to me on a plate.
“This looks too good to eat,” I say. “But I’ll manage.”
“I know you,” Emberleigh says with a wink. “Now come on back and do whatever you have to do.”
I set the pastry down on the counter behind the cash register area and follow Emberleigh through the swinging doors into the kitchen.
I tell Sydney, “I might have to take that to go.”
I pull the form up on my iPad. Randall still uses a clipboard, but Susan informed me all our forms are online and can be filled out electronically during an inspection.
That leaves less to file when I get back to the office.
Randall told me not to be swayed by the modern approaches.
I smiled at him and promptly took Susan up on her offer to get me a county-issued iPad.
We walk through the kitchen, I check extinguishers, exits, storage, and all the electrical outlets.
Emberleigh quietly watches me while I go through each item on the checklist. I can’t help but think about the morning I wrestled a frosting tube into submission and ended up spraying Cody right here in this spot.
A smile spreads across my face when I think of our night in his truck, the few kisses we’ve shared, our stream of text messages, and even the quick exchange by his truck when he dropped off the heat lamps.
“You enjoy your job that much?” Emberleigh asks.
“No … Uh. No. I mean, yes. I do. Mostly. I like it mostly so far. I was just thinking of that morning I helped you on Valentine’s and how that pastry bag misbehaved.”
“You’re not writing me up for that, are you?” she asks playfully.
“No. Not at all. That was all me, anyway. If anyone’s getting a write-up for that, it’s me.”
I finish checking the ovens, and then I review my findings and hand my iPad over to Emberleigh for her signature. “Be sure to get that latch fixed.”
“You really are the inspector, aren’t you?” she asks.
“I really am,” I say, and this time my smile has nothing to do with Cody.
“I’m proud of you. And we’ll give you another pastry on the way out.”
“No need. And I really shouldn’t accept anything without paying for it.”
“Please,” Emberleigh says. “We’ve had years of Randall. Take the pastry. We both know I’m not bribing you. I’m just proud of you—and happy for you.”
“Thanks. And you don’t have to ask me twice to take some chocolate off your hands.”
She smiles and we walk out front together.
“Can you stay for a bit?” Sydney asks.
She’s already boxed the pastry and written my name on the box.
“No. Unfortunately, I can’t. I have to get back to the office to file my paperwork.”
“Well, I guess we’ll see you tomorrow then.”
“Yep, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
We’ve got bridesmaid errands to run and then our group of friends is going to hang out at Daisy’s for dinner. Emberleigh hands me my pastry box and I lift the hinged section of the counter and walk out of the bakery.
The door isn’t even all the way shut behind me when my cell pings with a text. I set the bakery box on top of my car and pull my phone out of my messenger bag. My chest tightens, a warmth flooding me when I see Cody’s name on my screen.
Cody: How’s work?
Carli: Good. I just finished inspecting the community center and the bakery.
Cody: I’m smiling picturing you at work.
His next text is a picture of him smiling. He’s so gorgeous and his smile only amplifies his rugged good looks. His eyes crinkle up at the edges and a lock of his wavy hair is falling across his forehead in a way that makes my fingers itch to run through it.
I smile and snap a photo of myself and send it to him.
Cody: One day that’s going to be my screensaver.
Carli: I’ll send you a better one for that.
Cody: One of us together, maybe.
Carli: I’d have to see you in order to take a picture with you.
It’s been a few days since we’ve seen one another and that was only in passing when he dropped the lamps off for the piglets.
Cody: That’s what I was actually texting to ask you.
Carli: If we could take a picture together?
Cody: No. If you’re free tomorrow.
Carli: I’ve got stuff with McKenna in the late afternoon and evening. I don’t know how long it will run.
Cody: What about before that?
Carli: Helping Jace and Chet in the morning. But then I should be free for a while.
Cody: Free to take Lark out on a ride? I was thinking you could meet me by that gnarled white oak—the one where the fence started growing into the trunk. Does ten work?
Carli: Ten works. I’ll meet you there.
Cody: Great. Come hungry. I’m bringing a blanket and some food.
Carli: You already had me at horseback riding.
Cody: Does it help if I say I’m bringing chocolate?
I glance at the pastry box on the roof of my car.
Carli: You know I’m a sucker for chocolate.
Cody: I’m just doubling down to make sure you’ll come.
Carli: I’ll be there.
Cody: Nineteen hours—but who’s counting?
He sends a photo of himself looking at his wrist—no watch, but he’s tapping it as if there is.
I send a photo back of myself rolling my eyes.
I’m playing with him. My skin’s practically buzzing with anticipation. Cody counting the hours until we see one another still feels surreal.
I send a heart emoji in case he misinterprets the eye roll.
I glance into the bakery. Sydney’s watching me.
I don’t know what she thinks I’ve been doing out here.
Hopefully she didn’t see the goofy smile plastered across my face the whole time I’ve been texting Cody.
I wave and she waves back, and then I pluck my pastry off the roof and slide into the driver’s seat to head back to the county offices.
Saturday I wake early. I’m in the barn before my brother or Chet. I check the new litters of piglets and the mothers. Then I start to run the feeders. Jace, Chet and my dad walk in, obviously surprised to see the work underway.
“Well, now,” Dad says. “Look who’s showing off.”
“Proving a point?” Jace asks me.
“That I can work in town and still support the farm?”
He nods.
“I’m not out to prove anything. I feel bad that I can’t do more, so I thought I’d do extra on my day off.”
“You do plenty,” Dad assures me.
One look at Jace and I know Dad’s just being kind. My brother’s overwhelmed. And I used to fill in more of the gaps before I took on the inspector position. But I’m not going to let any of that get me down today. I’ve got a date with my horse and Cody.
We work together for the rest of the morning. I try not to check the time too often.
When there’s a lull in the activity, I say, “I’m going to take Lark out on a ride. Do you need anything else?”
Jace’s head lifts, his focus shifting from the concrete floor he was scraping to me, standing halfway between him and the barn door.
“Go ahead.” His voice is neutral.
I almost offer to stay on. I could text Cody and delay, but I’ve already done more than I usually would.
“Thanks,” I tell Jace. “I’ve got wedding errands for McKenna later this afternoon.”
“You helped a lot, Carli,” he says, his voice weary.
“I wish I could do more.”
“You deserve a day off,” he tells me, resting his forearm on the shovel handle.
“So do you, Jace.”
His smile is only half as bright as it should be.
“I’ll help tomorrow morning too,” I promise.
“Get out of here before I think of something else that needs tending,” he threatens.
I resist the urge to hug him. He’s a lot like Dad in that way. Affection is rarely shown, but always felt, even more deeply when they’re holding back.
The sky is filled with fluffy spring clouds, and the crisp air chills my cheeks when I step out of the barn.
I tilt my head up, letting the sun warm my skin.
Lark almost seems to know we’re meeting Cody and Jasper.
She’s as tightly wound as I am. Or maybe she’s just picking up on my energy.
I saddle her up, talking in a soft, soothing tone.
“We’re going for a ride, girl. Just you and me.”
She side-eyes me.
“Okay, just you and me and then …” I lower my voice to a whisper. “We’re meeting some boys.”
Her nose nudges my hand.
“You can keep a secret, can’t you, Lark?”
She lowers her head and I smile. She’s probably just responding to my tone, but it still feels good to share my news with someone I love.
When I finally let Lark loose a short distance from the house, she takes off at a gallop, bounding through the muted yellow-brown fields, her mane flying.
I grip the reins and lean over her neck, loving the feel of her beneath me.
It’s been over two weeks since we went out riding. We both need this.
We ride across the dry grass, jumping muddy creeks and turning up the fence line toward the old oak. Trees dot the landscape, their branches still barren, buds emerging on the very tips.