5. Chapter Five
Chapter Five
“ W ow! Who was that?”
Carrie couldn’t help but laugh at Alice’s reaction to seeing Jackson. The passing years had only made him more handsome, if that were possible. Not that it mattered to her what he looked like. It was his fun personality and loyalty that had drawn her to be his friend as kids.
However, she’d noticed that the fun seemed to have gone out of him. Since he’d been back in Bayberry, she hadn’t seen him smile. Not even once. Jackson was not quite himself.
She couldn’t help but wonder if it had something to do with what he was going to tell her when Alice interrupted them. She had the feeling it was something important—maybe something to explain why he’d traded in his designer suits for jeans and old T-shirts. And why in the world was he demoing an old storefront instead of sitting in boardroom meetings?
“Is he your boyfriend?” Alice whispered.
Carrie let out a laugh. Since Alice hadn’t lived in Bayberry that long, she wouldn’t know about Carrie’s complicated history with Jackson. “No. He’s not. He was one of my best friends growing up.” She noted that Alice still had that glassy-eyed stare as she glanced toward the back door. “And he no longer lives here, so don’t get any ideas.”
Alice turned and frowned at her. “You take all the fun out of things.”
“I do not.” She couldn’t help but smile as Alice strode off to put her coat and things in the small office that was more like an oversized closet.
When the timer went off, Carrie removed the tray of graham crackers from the oven. All it took was one look to know they belonged in the garbage. Now she had to remake them. Hopefully, this time they wouldn’t get ruined.
“Hey, why did you do that?” Alice sent her a concerned look.
While Carrie gathered the ingredients to whip up a new batch of graham crackers, she told Alice what had happened with the power outage.
“I’m starting to wonder if that guy is out to sabotage you,” Alice said.
“Jackson?” Carrie shook her head. “No. Never.”
Alice arched a brow. “Are you sure?”
“I’m absolutely positive. It’s just...” She hesitated, searching for the right words. “It’s just that I’m not sure he knows what he’s doing over there. He’s more of the boardroom type than the hammer-and-nail sort.”
“Maybe he should get some help.”
Those words triggered a light-bulb moment for Carrie. “That’s it.”
Alice’s brows scrunched together. “What’s it?”
“Can you handle things here?” When Alice nodded, Carrie said, “I’ll be right back.”
Carrie rushed to the office. She grabbed her coat and phone. And then she was out the back door. She rushed down the sidewalk. Her breath came out in white puffs. Her hands quickly grew cold, and she stuffed them into her pockets.
“Good morning, Carrie.” Sheryl Wilson jogged past.
“Good morning.” Carrie stopped and turned, impressed by the woman’s stamina in this cold weather. She called out, “Run a mile for me too.”
Sheryl waved over her shoulder but kept going.
Carrie continued toward the coffeehouse. Maybe she should consider going to the gym. She sucked in her gut. There was definitely room for improvement. The problem was trying to find time for everything.
Even though it was a frigid morning, people were out and about. Smiles and greetings were exchanged. At least it wasn’t snowing. And though the sun was shining brightly, it still hadn’t taken the edge off the chill in the air.
She turned her head to take in the shop windows. They were decorated in reds and pinks. Hearts and cupids abounded most everywhere. Carrie smiled. She may not have a valentine this year, but she still loved this holiday.
She never thought of Valentine’s as a day just for romantic love but rather for love of all kinds, whether it was parent and child or friendship. The town was celebrating this year with a weeklong event called: Happy Hearts. Couples would sign up, and each evening they’d visit a different location in town that was holding a special event for the holiday. And what went better with Valentine’s than chocolate?
She couldn’t believe she’d been shut out of the Happy Hearts week. Of course, with Brittany Scott organizing the event, she shouldn’t be surprised. They had never been friends. Still, high school was a long time ago. Who holds on to a grudge that long?
Carrie pushed the thought from her mind. She wasn’t going to let that woman ruin her day. After all, she was on top of the world. She just opened her dream store. Sure, being a part of Happy Hearts would have been great for her business, but it wouldn’t stop her. She could create her own specials for Valentine’s week. She could advertise it on social media. The problem was that she had to come up with something different enough—enticing enough to draw people in before or after the Happy Hearts events.
And then the carved wooden sign with the silhouette of a coffee mug and the name Steaming Brew spelled out in bright green letters came into view. This was her stop.
Carrie opened the glass door and was greeted with the most delicious scent of fresh ground coffee. Mmm ... The brass bell overhead jingled. She stepped inside and immediately Abby Clark, the owner of the Steaming Brew and her close friend, noticed her and waved. Carrie waved back. There were a few people already in line.
Carrie took her spot at the end of the line. It gave her a moment to glance around at the cozy coffeehouse. She looked at the off-white walls with a large assortment of various cups and mugs painted on them. Carrie wondered if she should have something similar with her chocolate shop. It certainly gave the Steaming Brew a fun vibe.
When it was her turn to order, she was relieved there was no one behind her. It would give them a moment to talk.
After Carrie ordered a latte, she said, “Do you know if your brother has any room in his schedule?”
Abby’s brows rose on her forehead. “Something wrong with your store?”
Carrie shook her head. “It’s nothing like that. Everything is going well, except for the fact that I wasn’t selected to participate in Happy Hearts.”
Abby nodded. “I understand. They didn’t select Steaming Brew either.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t know why. This place is the most popular business in Bayberry.”
Abby smiled. “Thank you. I don’t know if it’s that popular, but it’s nice that you think so. But I would have thought your place would be a shoo-in. Everybody knows that chocolate and valentine’s go together.”
Carrie glanced around to make sure no one was standing close by, and then she leaned forward and whispered, “Apparently Brittany didn’t get the memo.”
Abby rolled her eyes. “She’s still stuck in the past.”
“Anyway, if your brother is available, I need a big favor.”
“Well, you’re in luck. Mark just stopped by to fix something in the kitchen.” Abby held up her index finger. “I’ll be right back.”
A couple minutes later, Abby returned with Mark right behind her.
“Hey, Carrie, Abby said you needed something.” He sent her a slow lazy smile that had always driven the girls nuts in school. And it didn’t hurt that he had been the star quarterback.
“Yeah. I need a pretty big favor. Would you or a contractor you know have room in your schedule?” Carrie sent him a pleading look.
“What exactly do you have in mind?” He crossed his arms as though ready to gently turn her down.
Carrie figured she didn’t have anything to lose. She told him about Jackson being in over his head with the store next door. “And if I hope to keep the power on and focus on my business, I need to find him some help.”
Mark arched a brow. “Why isn’t he asking me instead of you?”
Carrie shrugged. “You know how he can be. He was never good at asking for help.”
Mark nodded in understanding.
“And my brother here”—Abby rested a hand on his shoulder—“just had a client back out of a big project. So, he has lots of free time.”
Mark frowned at his sister. “And I told you that I was going to take the time to fly down south and soak up some sunshine.”
“But you and Jackson were always good friends, remember?” Abby gently elbowed his side.
He smiled and shook his head. “You two make quite a team. Fine. After I’m done here, I’ll swing by the old restaurant and see what Jackson needs.”
Carrie smiled. “Thank you, Mark. And if you need any help with Valentine’s, I’ve got you covered as far as the chocolate. On the house.”
“Whoa. Slow down,” Mark said. “I didn’t say I would do it. I don’t even know the scope of the job. If it’s too big, I’ll need to call in my guys and they don’t work for free.”
Carrie nodded. “I understand. Any help you can offer would be appreciated.”
His gaze narrowed in on her. “You know I’m going to come calling for that chocolate. I’ve heard it’s the best.”
Carrie’s smile broadened. “So, you’ve got a girlfriend, huh?”
He shook his head. “Even if I did, I’m not sharing that fine chocolate with anyone. It’s all mine.” Then he patted his flat abdomen. “Can’t wait. This might cost you a lot of chocolate.”
“Stop by after you see Jackson, and I can give you a downpayment. But do me one more favor. Don’t tell Jackson I sent you.”
“Why not?” Abby asked.
Carrie shrugged. “I don’t know. Things are just kind of awkward between us. And I don’t want him to reject the help because he knows I had something to do with it.”
“I understand,” Mark said. “Then I better get back to work.” Mark turned and headed back to the kitchen.
Abby got Carrie’s latte and one for Alice. “Can I get you anything else?”
Carrie shook her head. “You and your brother have been a big help. Now I better get back to work. I have a feeling this is going to cost me a lot of chocolate.”
After saying goodbye, Carrie walked back to the shop with the feeling that she’d accomplished something important that day. It would hopefully help Jackson as well as herself. If only he accepted Mark’s offer to help. She had her fingers crossed.
Well, that was a disaster.
Jackson threw himself back into the demo work. He knew he should call in professionals, but he really needed the physical activity. Every time he stopped working, he thought of how he’d let down his mother.
On top of that, he was being a hindrance to Carrie. It was the last thing he wanted because he could really use his best friend right about now. He hadn’t realized how much he missed her companionship and laughter until he saw her again.
“Knock-knock.”
Jackson lifted his head and looked toward the back door. It was there he found another old friend. “Mark, what are you doing here?”
Mark stepped farther into the room. “A little birdie told me you were back in town.” He looked around. “I just hadn’t heard that you’d changed professions.”
Jackson straightened. He dusted his hands off on his jeans. “I’m just getting the job started. I’ll be bringing in professionals to finish it.”
Mark walked around, taking in the demo work. “And what exactly is this place going to be when you’re done?”
Jackson shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m going to put it up for sale. It can be someone else’s problem.”
Mark nodded. “And you didn’t want to leave the demo work to whoever buys it?”
Jackson shook his head. “There were some people that had looked at it and were turned off by the poor condition. Not that I could blame them. Time and a leaky roof has done a number on the place.”
Mark continued to walk around, taking in the amount of work awaiting someone. “Seems like a big job for one person. Do you want some help?”
“Thanks.” He really appreciated the offer. “But I know you have work of your own to do.”
“And normally you’d be right, but I had a last-minute cancellation—a medical emergency—so I’m available for the next few weeks.”
“Really?” He studied his childhood friend, making sure this was for real. When Mark nodded, Jackson said, “If you’re sure you want to do this, I’m not going to fight you.”
Mark gave him a big smile. “Nobody ever claimed you were a fool. Then again, there was that thing about you not asking Carrie out on a real date.”
“I told you, we were friends—are friends—nothing more.” Though, there was always this part of him that wondered what it would be like if they were to take their relationship to the next level. “Besides, I’m sure she’s already seeing someone.”
Mark shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
The thought of asking Carrie out on a date was tempting, but after their last couple of run-ins, the chances of her saying yes were slim to none. It was probably for the best under the circumstances.
Needing to change the subject, Jackson said, “If you’re serious about taking the job, how much do you think it’ll cost?”
“Nothing.”
He shook his head. “I can’t have you working here for nothing. There’s a lot work to be done."
Mark hesitated. “I thought you were just doing a little bit of demo.”
“Look around.” Jackson waved his hands around at the damaged walls. “This place needs some serious work. It’s more work than just you and I can do.”
Mark nodded. “Okay. Tell me exactly what you have in mind.”
And so Jackson told him his ideas about replacing some of the floor that had rotted from the leaky roof. He wanted to put in all new wiring and definitely a breaker box that was separate from the chocolate shop. And then some can lights and new walls. Mark suggested new plumbing. It was a lot, but it would make this place a desirable location for a new business.
Mark pulled out his phone and made some notes. He couldn’t give him an exact amount until he ran some numbers, but he gave Jackson a ballpark range.
“I can do that,” Jackson said.
Mark nodded. “Sounds like a plan. I’ll contact my guys, and they’ll be here in the morning.”
“Really?” Jackson couldn’t believe he was this lucky because he really was in over his head with this project.
Mark stepped up next to him. “My crew will fix this place. Don’t worry.”
Jackson knew it was the right decision, but he was going to miss banging around this place. It had really helped him, but he did have other things he needed to do, like meet with Brittany Scott, whom he’d recently learned was his mother’s real estate agent.
In a couple of days, he would be able to visit his mother. Hopefully, by then she wouldn’t be so angry with him for interfering in her life when he was only trying to help her.
And then there was the thought of trying to right things with Carrie. Surely there must be a way to make it up to her for the trouble he’d caused her. He had to give it some more thought.