13. Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Thirteen
T he chocolate cake was frosted.
The ingredients for the chocolate fluff were pulled and waiting. Carrie wanted to prepare it fresh for the plump strawberries that were waiting in the fridge. The other chocolates were prepared and waiting to be plated.
Everything was prepared for the first night of Happy Hearts week. Carrie drove home with a smile on her face. Everything was coming together and making her opening month a success.
And now she had the whole afternoon to spend with Jackson with no worries about the shop. Alice had already agreed to meet her at five o’clock to do the final prep before their guests arrived at 6:00 p.m.
Carrie pulled her car to the edge of the road in front of her parents’ house. She lowered the window and opened the mailbox. There was only one piece of mail that day. It was a white envelope with her first name handprinted in big block letters. It looked like someone had used a marker. There was no address. No stamp. Nothing but her name.
What was it? Her mind raced. But as a car approached her, she set aside the envelope in order to pull her car into the driveaway. She drove up to the house and parked.
She once more picked up the envelope and stared at it. She didn’t recognize the handwriting. But it had to be from someone local. Maybe it was some paperwork for Totally Chocolate. She thought that she’d filled out everything. There was a lot of paperwork. Perhaps she’d missed something, and someone was nice enough to drop it off for her.
She grabbed her purse and got out of the car. A frigid wind smacked her in the face. She inwardly groaned. She snuggled into her coat as she walked to the front door. The temperature was definitely dropping. And it smelled like snow. That crisp, clean scent.
She unlocked the door and rushed inside. She shut the door against the cold air. She dropped her things on the small table in the foyer. After she slipped off her coat and took off her boots, she ran her hands over the goosebumps on her arms.
Her gaze landed on the mystery envelope. She didn’t want to deal with any paperwork now. She’d worked all morning on her day off, and now she just wanted to go help Jackson.
She moved it to the dining room table along with her purse. She ran upstairs to change clothes. She pulled on a pair of jeans and then she hesitated in front of the closet. She pulled out a white sweater and then hung it back up. She was supposed to go there to work. She grabbed a sweatshirt and shrugged it on.
She stepped into the bathroom and looked in the mirror. There was a smudge of chocolate on her left cheek. She washed it off and then put on a little makeup. She never wore much, just some foundation, powder, and mascara.
Then there was her hair. It needed some help. She took out the ponytail holder. She didn’t wear her hair down very often, but she felt like doing something different that day. She refused to admit it had anything to do with Jackson.
She rushed back downstairs. She moved to the table to grab her purse, and her gaze strayed across the envelope. She was really curious to know what was in it. And why did they drop it into her mailbox instead of bringing it to Totally Chocolate?
With a huff, she opened the envelope and peeked inside. There was a piece of purple paper. What in the world?
She yanked the paper out of the envelope. It was construction paper folded in half. There was a pink heart glued to the front. It reminded her of something a kid would make. She was very confused.
She opened the card, and inside it read:
Roses for you,
Chocolate for me,
There’s a treat for you,
Go to 247 Main Street...
P.S. It doesn’t exactly rhyme, but it’s the thought that counts.
She couldn’t help but smile. But there wasn’t a signature. She turned the card over and searched the backside for a hint of who the author might be. There were no clues at all. But she was intrigued.
She was torn between finding out where the note would lead her and going to help Jackson. Maybe she’d call him and see if he was ready for her help yet. She grabbed her phone and dialed. The phone rang and rang.
She was about to hang up when she heard his voice. “Hey, Carrie. Are you done working?”
“I am. I got done earlier than I expected.”
“Well, I’ll head out now to pick up lunch. It shouldn’t take me too long.”
She smiled. This was just the opportunity she needed. “We can meet up at your place in say a half hour?”
“Sounds perfect.”
“Hey, Jackson, what are we having for lunch?”
“You’re just going to have to wait and see.”
She sighed. “Fine. It’d better be good.”
“Stop worrying. You trust me, don’t you?”
“Well... Maybe.”
“Hey… That’s not nice.”
She laughed. “I’ll see you soon.”
When they ended the phone call, she grabbed her coat and barely had it on when she rushed out into the blustery day. She was in such a rush that she didn’t have time to think about the brutal wind. She jumped into the car and headed back to town. Luckily, it was only a few minutes down the road.
She’d lived in Bayberry her whole life, but she didn’t know the street addresses. More often than not, directions were given by mentioning landmarks.
She maneuvered onto Main Street and quickly figured out that she was going in the wrong direction. It took her a moment to get turned around. She moved slower than normal as she kept glancing over at the passing buildings and searching for their street address.
Finally, she located 247 Main Street. It was the Steaming Brew. She smiled. Whoever was behind the valentine was kind enough to send her to her favorite coffee spot.
She found a parking spot a little way down the road. In her rush, she jumped out and closed the door before she realized her purse was inside. She unlocked the door and grabbed it.
As she started down the sidewalk, big lazy snowflakes twirled and danced through the air. Their warm break was over, and it was time to get back to winter.
She rushed in the door. There were a couple of people in line already. Abby glanced up from where she stood behind the counter and spotted her. She smiled and Carrie smiled back.
While she waited in line, Carrie tried to figure out who might be behind the valentine. There was Archie Crosby, who delivered her supplies. Alice kept telling her that he was interested in her.
Or there was Codi Reynolds, her ex. He’d actually visited the chocolate shop a couple of times since it opened. Alice kindly waited on him, so Carrie hadn’t actually spoken to him.
And then there was James Hall, who had his own yard service. Any time he cleared the driveway, he would stop and take time to shovel her sidewalk. She knew for a fact that wasn’t part of his normal service. She’d casually asked her mother about it, and her mother had confirmed that he only plowed the driveway.
“Carrie?” Abby’s voice drew her from her musings.
She stepped forward. “Hi.”
“What can I get you?”
“Um, well...” She knew this was going to sound strange, but she was too curious now not to say something. “Do you have something here for me?”
Abby’s brows drew together as confusion shone in her eyes. “Is this a new way of asking me for your favorite latte?”
Carrie shook her head, even though a latte did sound like the perfect midday pick-me-up. She tried again. “Did someone leave something here for me?”
Abby gave her another strange look. “Like what?”
Carrie sighed. “I don’t know.”
“Maybe you should start at the beginning.”
Luckily, there was no one in line behind her. Carrie lifted her hand with the envelope in it. “When I got home today, I found this in the mailbox.” She held it out to her friend. “Go ahead. Read it. Maybe you’ll have a clue.”
Abby smiled when she opened the envelope. “Someone made you a valentine. Aw... That’s so sweet.” After Abby read it, she said, “I think I know why you’re here.”
Carrie’s gaze narrowed in on her friend. “You know all about this, don’t you?” When her friend grinned as she shrugged her shoulders, Carrie said, “Abby, out with it. Who sent this?”
Abby continued to smile as she shrugged again. “Let me get your treat for you.”
She walked away at a rather quick pace, as though hoping to avoid being interrogated. But if she thought they were done discussing this, she was in for a big surprise.
A moment later, Abby returned with a to-go cup and handed it over.
“How much do I owe you?” Carrie asked.
“Nothing. It’s already been paid for.”
“By whom?” When Abby pressed her lips together into a firm line, Carrie asked, “How am I supposed to thank them if I don’t know who they are?”
More shrugging ensued, which caused Carrie to sigh. Who would send her a handmade valentine and buy her... She paused to take a sip... It was her favorite drink. And then she had a thought.
“Who picked out this order? My secret valentine? Or you? And please, no more of the shrugging. You’re going to get muscle strain.”
Abby laughed. “I’m sorry. I’m sworn to secrecy.” Then her eyes widened. “I almost forgot. Don’t move.” Abby rushed to the kitchen.
As the door swung shut behind her friend, Carrie stood at the counter. She searched her thoughts. Was there someone that liked her enough to go to all of this bother?
She once again went through the men in her life. The first, obviously, was Jackson. She hesitated on the thought of him. They had kissed. The memory was still quite fresh in her mind. In fact, it was hard not to think about.
But they’d worked things out. They’d both agreed that they were better off as friends. So, it wouldn’t be him. Right?
Before she could move on to other potential candidates, Abby returned. She wore a mischievous grin as she held something behind her back. And then Abby produced a long-stemmed red rose. “This is for you.”
A smile tugged hard on the corners of Carrie’s mouth. She accepted the rose and sniffed it, enjoying its delicate fragrance.
Jingle-jingle.
Before she could formulate another question to try to extract the name of her mysterious valentine, there were a couple of people in line behind her. It was time to move on.
Still, she had to give it one more try. “Please. Will you tell me who these are from?”
Abby looked pointedly at her. “Don’t you know?”
“No.” She felt like she should, but lately, she’d been too distracted with the grand opening of Totally Chocolate and Jackson’s unexpected return.
As she walked away with the valentine and rose in one hand and a latte in the other, she was a combination of excited and anxious. What if it was from someone she wasn’t interested in romantically? But what if it was someone that she could fall for? Oh my!
He’d left the back door unlocked.
When Jackson arrived back at the house, he’d expected to find Carrie waiting for him. She wasn’t there. That was strange. What could be taking her so long?
He’d taken his time picking up their food to give her time to get her treats. He smiled at the thought. He wished he could have seen the smile on her face, especially with the red rose.
Maybe this would change her mind and show her that he hadn’t given up on the idea of them together. Knowing Carrie like he did, she would probably still have some reservations about them starting something, but he was sure he could sway her to his way of thinking.
Buzz.
He reached for his phone, expecting it to be Carrie explaining why she was late. Instead, it was his office. Again.
When he was in the office, he regularly had one person after the next lined up out the door of his office. Sometimes, their questions could be tiring, but it was an expected part of his job. However, now that he was taking some hard-earned vacation time, he didn’t want to keep thinking about work. Still, he answered the call. After all, it was his responsibility.
When Carrie arrived, he was still on the phone. Instead of the expected smile on her face, her brows were puckered, and her lips were pursed. How could that be? Didn’t she get the valentine? Or had she not found her treats?
He abruptly ended his phone call. “Sorry about that. It was the office.”
“They call you a lot.” It wasn’t a question, but rather a statement of fact.
“Yes, they do. We’re in the middle of rolling out an upgrade, and there are a lot of moving parts.”
She nodded in understanding. “Sorry I was late.”
“No problem. I’ll just grab lunch.” He opened a brown paper bag and withdrew two foil wrapped sandwiches.
He opened the foil to find a giant meatball sandwich topped with thick slices of provolone cheese. He hadn’t had a sandwich from Mel’s Grille in a very long time. They made the best sandwiches on the planet.
Carrie unwrapped her sandwich. “This smells delicious. Great choice.”
A smile pulled at the corners of his lips. “I thought you’d like it. What do you want to drink?”
She shook her head. “Nothing right now. I just had a coffee.”
This is the point where he expected her to say something like thank you, or it was thoughtful. And yet she washed her hands and then sat down at the kitchen table. She was being unusually reserved. It wasn’t like her.
“You’re awfully quiet today.”
“Sorry. I guess my mind is elsewhere.”
“Anything you want to talk about?”
She took a bite of sandwich and swallowed. “I got a valentine today.”
The way she stated it was strange. It was almost like she didn’t know who it was from. Of course, he didn’t sign his name. He just thought she’d automatically know it was from him. Perhaps that was a strategic mistake.
He swallowed hard. “It is that time of the year.”
She nodded. “It was very sweet of someone.”
“Someone?” Oh no. “You don’t know who it’s from?”
She shook her head. “They didn’t sign it.” She turned her head and looked directly at him. He felt certain she’d just figured it out, but then she said, “For a moment, I thought it was from you, but then I realized you wouldn’t do that after we talked about just being friends. So, I’ve been thinking about who else it might be from.”
Ouch. He didn’t like being so quickly dismissed. “Are there that many possibilities?”
She shrugged. “Bayberry has grown a lot since you lived here. Now that the candle factory is taking off, they are hiring people all of the time. So, there are a lot of new faces in town.”
“I see. So, have you narrowed down the list of candidates? Maybe it’s one of your friends?” He couldn’t believe she’d so quickly dismissed him.
His mind raced with what to do now. Should he confess? It was obvious the gesture wasn’t nearly big enough to convince her that they belonged together. So, where did that leave him?
“Jackson?” Carrie waved her hand in front of his face. “Hello. Did you hear anything I just said?”
He blinked and focused on her. “Sorry. I have a lot on my mind.”
“I was telling you that my friends definitely aren’t behind the valentine.”
He took a bite of sandwich to give him a chance to gather his thoughts. After he swallowed, he said, “How can you be sure?”
“Because in addition to the card, there was a latte and a red rose.” A little smile pulled at her pink lips.
“Ah... I see. And from the looks of it, you liked the rose.”
Her smile broadened as she shrugged. “It was a nice touch, but now I don’t know who to thank. Why wouldn’t they sign their name?”
“I don’t know.” His mind raced for an appropriate response.
“And get this… Whoever it is convinced Abby not to reveal his identity?”
“Obviously, he must be a good guy.”
“Why? Do you know who it is?” Her gaze narrowed in on him.
“Calm down. All I’m saying is that he must have your friend’s stamp of approval if she’s keeping his identity a secret.”
“I guess. I can’t believe she won’t tell me. And why the secret?”
And then a thought came to him. “Maybe he isn’t finished.”
“What does that mean?”
“I don’t know. This is your mystery to solve. All I’m saying is that it isn’t Valentine’s Day yet. So, maybe he has something else planned.”
She paused, as though to consider the idea. “I think I should just forget it. If whoever sent me the valentine wanted me to know who they are, they would have told me. Right?”
He shrugged. “I guess so.”
For a while, they ate in silence. He noticed that as much as Carrie wanted to let go of the mystery, she was still thinking about it.
Maybe all was not lost. Perhaps his gesture just needed to be bigger. And the mystery extended. It would allow him to romance her without her pushing him away.