Chapter 12 #2
It seemed like both of us were struggling to finish our sentences today. Must be going around.
I let out a laugh as I set out the final ingredients. “Uh…no. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love Archer. He’s one of my closest friends. Which is why I forced him to go. He needs more human interaction—especially with Juliet Monroe.”
“The mayor’s daughter?”
“Yep. She’s a total babe. Anyway, I can talk to him on Monday when I go over after work.”
“I can meet you there.”
I suppressed my surprise—or at least, I hoped I did because it was normal for James to be part of a business discussion.
“Yeah, sure.” I looked over my ingredients.
“Okay, cookies. I’m going to try a couple of new things today.
” I rubbed my hands down my apron. “Mrs. Keller would faint if she knew my plans.”
“Good thing she’s not here. This is your place to experiment.”
I shot him a half-smile. “Brave words from the person I’ll be asking to try everything I make.”
“You can’t send anything my way that’s worse than some of the meals I’ve had camping.”
I raised my brows. “That sounds like a challenge.”
The door opened, and our gazes swung to May.
“Mama,” James said in surprise.
“Don’t get mad now, sugar,” she said. “I’ve been very obedient, but you can’t expect a woman to let the youngin’s have all the fun. Besides, I brought snacks.” She held up a canvas grocery bag.
“You walked down here?” James said.
“I flew,” she teased. “’Course I did, baby. Why wouldn’t I?”
The limp in her leg was worse than when I’d seen her less than fifteen minutes ago, which was precisely what James was thinking, based on his grimace.
“I’m about to throw you over my shoulder and carry you back up to the house,” he said, though there was a hint of amused indulgence in his eyes as he looked at her.
“I’d tan your hide.” She set down the bag and looked at me. “James has had me under strict orders. Makin’ me do the boring stuff—finances and bookin’ tours and tastin’s. So, I decided to stage a little mutiny today and come see what y’all were up to.”
It was probably good that she was here. So far, I wasn’t exactly excelling at the professionalism thing. May could keep me on track.
“I’d love your help,” I said as James shot me a look that said thanks a lot in sarcastic font.
“That’s my girl,” she said, shooting a look at her son. “If he tries to take me away, you’ll defend me, right?”
“To the death,” I said, hand over my heart.
James just shook his head and let out a resigned sigh.
May watched him with a smile. “I think you and I could take him.” She nudged me with an elbow. “What do you think?”
“Easy.”
May turned to the ingredients. “Hopefully, I can help things move along a bit more quickly so you can get some sleep tonight. What time did you say you were up this mornin’?”
I grabbed the big mixing bowl. “Same as always when I’m on the morning shift. About 2:30.”
“2:30?” James repeated incredulously.
“I’m used to it.” I set the food scale next to the bowl. “All right, first up is the flour. Here’s the recipe.” I tapped the paper on the counter.
“On it,” May said.
“I’m going to try a couple of different things today because your son said my last batch was boring…”
May’s jaw dropped open. “James Thomas Arthur Jeremy Carver!”
My brows went up. “Is that your full name?”
“Today’s version,” he said. “Mama likes to rechristen me whenever she’s upset. I’ve had a lot of names over the years.”
“Upset is right! Where are your manners, young man?”
I laughed and put a hand on her arm. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Carver. It’s my fault. I was teasing him. He complimented the cookies, but I pushed and pushed until he gave me his real thoughts. I want these cookies to be excellent, not just good. And definitely not boring. Your son is an honest man.”
James looked away, his jaw tightening.
I suppressed the impulse to cringe. I should stick to not finishing my sentences. I seemed to have a knack for saying the wrong thing.
Whatever Archer had meant by there being more to the story, I couldn’t see a situation where James’s kissing Ryan’s girlfriend was honest.
I directed all my focus to baking. It did go faster with May’s help. James stuck around too, though he was quiet for the first fifteen minutes. He slowly thawed, mostly thanks to his mom’s irresistible vivacity, and I enjoyed watching the way they teased each other.
Professionally enjoyed it.
We snacked on pretzels while we worked. James and May rolled dough into balls—May adding the extra step of covering them in brown sugar—while a batch baked and I got started on a glaze to spice things up a bit.
The cheesecake had given me the idea. It seemed a great way to lean into the maple element and set the cookies apart.
The danger was that it would make the cookies too sweet.
It was a chance I’d have to take.
The pretzel bag got moved around the kitchen as different spaces were needed, but the carb-loaded snacks kept my energy up well enough.
Once two batches had cooled on the rack, May and I drizzled glaze over them. James rested a hand on the counter to watch, and there was a big crunch.
He lifted his hand from the bag of pretzels beneath. “Shoot.” He picked it up and looked inside.
I went on my tiptoes beside him to peer into the bag. The last remaining handfuls were crushed.
“Can’t take you anywhere,” I teased.
“It’s okay,” May said. “I can use ‘em to top my puddin’.”
My brow wrinkled. Pretzels on pudding?
That was one I hadn’t heard, though maybe it satisfied the salty and sweet cravings simultaneously?
My hand paused on the glaze bottle, and I looked at the bag of obliterated pretzels in James’s hand.
“Can…can I see those?” I asked tentatively.
He handed them to me, and I looked inside, considering.
In a decisive motion, I tipped the bag until some of the chunks fell into the glaze on one of the warm cookies.
“Ooh,” May said. “I like the way you’re thinkin’.”
“I’m more interested to see if you like the way they’re tasting.” I sprinkled some pretzel on a second cookie, then set the bag down and looked at the Carvers, who were watching me. “You guys up for it?”
Both of them reached for a cookie in response.
They bit into them at the same time, but May must have been meant for the movies because she’d barely chewed twice before vocalizing.
“Those are scrumptious, Sadie,” she said, still chewing.
I smiled, then turned my eyes to James.
His jaw worked and worked, and I waited, familiar now with his ultra slow process.
After an eternity, he swallowed and looked at the cooling rack of cookies. “Those are…very tasty.”
My stomach fluttered. “You can be honest. I promise I won’t let your mom ground you.”
He smiled and met my gaze. “I am being honest. They’re a perfect balance of sweet and savory. They’re going to be a hit, Sadie.” His eyes went back to the rack of cookies. “Could I have another one?”
My mouth split into a grin, and I nodded, grabbing the pretzel bag to make more.