Chapter 7
The following day is a busy one. With tourists coming in from the surrounding towns and cities for the upcoming rodeo, the bakery has had a steady influx of customers all day long.
May to August are our busiest months with people here for summer vacation. Lavender Falls may be small, but we have so much to offer. From fishing and cabin rentals to some of the most scenic hikes, people come from all over.
Days like today are the ones that we could really use extra help. With still no one applying for our summer position, I make a note to move our Help Wanted sign from the corner of our shop window and pin it on the door instead.
“My feet feel like they are going to fall off.” Sarah groans, leaning against the counter.
I look at her choice of footwear and frown.
Today she’s wearing a pair of bright-purple heels that have to be at least five inches tall. My feet cry just from looking at them.
Raising my eyes back to hers, I give her a look. “Well, if you’d wear proper shoes, I’m sure they wouldn’t be as bad,” I say, adding on a playful smile.
For all the years I’ve known Sarah, I’ve never seen her in anything other than a heel or cowboy boot. It doesn’t matter how often I hear her complain about her toes pinching, she will not wear a simple sandal or sneaker.
“Beauty is pain, Jade.”
“Today was a bit crazy. I’m going to move our Help Wanted sign to the door. Hopefully more people will see it there.”
“Good idea. We should add one up here at the till too.”
“I’m honestly a bit surprised no one has applied yet. This time last year we were already training someone.”
“If you ask me, this new group of kids have no motivation to work. I was just in the bookstore the other day, and Harper said the high school student that was working for her recently quit because working for the summer was going to cramp her style.”
My head turns to Sarah, and we both laugh, shaking our heads just as another customer enters the shop.
“I got this,” I tell Sarah. “Why don’t you head home. It’s almost closing time anyways. I can handle it alone. Go soak those feet.” I shoo her away and greet the young man as he comes to the till.
No one else comes in for the rest of the evening, and I’m just finished cleaning and shutting off the lights when a police cruiser pulls up front.
Sheriff Donovan gets out of his car, and the butterflies in my stomach begin to stir.
His beard is a little scruffier today than it was at the start of the week, and for the first time in my life, I wonder what it would feel like against my skin.
The sleeves to his uniform are rolled up, showing off his thick sinewy arms, and I get goosebumps at the thought of them wrapped around me.
The door chimes, and I realize I’m still staring when he walks inside.
My cheeks flush at being caught, and my eyes dart around the room, looking everywhere but at the man standing in front of me.
“You ready?” he asks, holding back a grin.
Slightly embarrassed for being caught checking him out, I bring my eyes back to his. “Y-yes. I’m ready,” I stutter and flinch.
Be cool, Jade.
“Perfect.” He smiles. “I like your shirt, by the way. Did you make that yourself?”
I tug at the hem of my shirt and look down at the design I did last night. “I did,” I tell him proudly.
“You have a talent. I always notice the little details on your clothes and wondered if that was you or not.”
My stomach flutters at the knowledge that he pays attention to my clothes.
We make our way to the edge of the sidewalk, and once again, West opens the passenger door and waits for me to get in. When we’re both settled and ready to go, he asks how my day was.
“It was crazy busy. We couldn’t keep up. I felt like a chicken with its head cut off, and this is only the beginning. Summer seems to be our busiest.” I lean back in the seat and let out a sigh.
“It’s just you and Sarah right now?” he asks.
“It is. Last year we had help over the summer, but no one’s applied yet.
I’m really hoping we can find help soon.
This week was already a lot, and we aren’t even at peak time yet.
The rodeo next weekend has already brought in a lot of people.
I didn’t even have a chance to sit down and eat my lunch. I’m starving.”
He hums to himself and glances my way. Our eyes meet, and I try not to squirm under his sharp gaze.
I’ve never really been into beards before, but seeing the little strands of grey mixed into his brown is kind of sexy.
My eyes travel to his mouth as his tongue swipes across his bottom lip, and my cheeks heat.
“I’m off shift. You want to maybe grab a bite to eat first? We can head over to Cedar and Sage, or if you want something else we can go back to the Brewery or even Misty’s?” He starts the car and waits for an answer before putting it into gear.
My heart flutters at the prospect of more time with him. But I’m exhausted and feel sticky from the day’s sweat.
“That sounds lovely. But I‘d love nothing more than a nice shower and to change into some sweats. Would you maybe want to join me instead?”
“Join you?” West asks with his brows raised.
My cheeks flame at what he thinks I just implied and how that sounded.
“Oh gosh, I didn’t mean join me, join me. I meant to just, you know, come over. Unless you need a shower? Then you can have one too?” I ramble on, making more of a mess.
My skin is on fire, and I feel all flustered. Blowing out a breath, I try again.
“Sorry, I’m making a mess out of this. Can we restart? Sheriff, would you like to come over for a pizza and a beer on my patio?”
West folds in his lips, trying not to laugh, and his face splits into a giant grin that has two dimples on each side of his cheeks popping out. “Sure. I’d love to come over for some pizza and beer.”
I let out a sigh of relief that I didn’t scare him off and send him a grateful smile. “Sorry about that. I don’t really do this often.”
“Invite people over?” he asks with amusement.
“That. But I meant more like never inviting men over.”
He watches me for a beat and then nods. “No worries.”
A few minutes after pulling away from town, West glances back my way. “It’s West, by the way,” he says. “You called me Sheriff again,” he adds with a hint of a smile before training his eyes back on the road.
“Sorry, habit,” I tell him, making him chuckle.
As we make our way through town, I try to calm my racing heart and nerves about having West inside my house.
Before I know it, we’re pulling into my yard and West is coming around to help me out. Standing on solid ground, I take a deep breath for encouragement and lead him to my door.
Stepping inside, I flick on the entry light and the soft pitter-patter of Pumpkin’s feet comes running down the hall.
“Ahh!” West screams, moving behind me.
I look from Pumpkin then to West, and the sheer amount of fear on his handsome face has me letting out a full-belly laugh.
I bend down to pick up my kitten and turn to face West, who jumps back. “This is my kitten, Pumpkin,” I tell him, rolling back my lips.
“You have a cat,” He says on a swallow.
“I do,” I say, trying not to laugh. I kiss Pumpkin’s soft head and hold her out to West.
“Gah!” he shouts, and I can no longer hold it.
“Sheriff, are you afraid of a little kitten?” I ask teasingly.
West puffs out his chest and runs his hands down his uniform, letting out a scoff. “Pfft. Scared of a little kitten. No. Not me.”
Rolling my lips between my teeth, I nod. “Perfect. So would you mind playing with her while I go take a quick shower?”
“Uh.” He looks at the purring cat, and as amusing as this is, I can’t be this mean.
I let out a little giggle and snuggle Pumpkin closer. “I’m just bugging you. Why don’t you make yourself comfortable? I’ll only be a few minutes, and I promise to bring Pumpkin with me.” I smile over my shoulder as I begin to make my way down the hall.
Grabbing a change of clothes from my room, I head to the bathroom and start the water, getting undressed. My chest rises and falls as I think about West being just on the other side of this door.
After a quick shower, I run the brush through my hair and give myself a quick pep talk in front of the mirror before stepping out into the hall, Pumpkin trailing behind me.
I find West sitting at the bar stool in the kitchen.
“Hey,” he says. “Good shower?”
“I feel much better.” I smile. “Would you like me to order the pizza?”
“No need. Already done. It should be here in about ten minutes.”
“Oh, perfect. Thank you.” I go around to the fridge and pull out two beers.
“I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I asked Max what you normally ordered when I called. He said the veggie deluxe. I hope he wasn’t wrong?” he asks, looking nervous.
“Not wrong.” I smile. “That’s my favourite.”
“Thank God.” He sighs before I catch him jolt.
“The beer okay?” I ask, curiously bringing the bottle to my lips. Tastes fine to me.
He flinches again, and I lean across the counter to see Pumpkin clawing at his pant leg.
“Pumpkin!” I scold. “Be nice to our guest.”
As if she doesn’t hear me, the little gremlin jumps up onto his knee and climbs right up onto his lap. I watch as West’s body goes rigged and fight back another laugh.
“Tell me the truth, Sheriff. Are you afraid of my cat?” I giggle.
“Maybe.” He sighs, and I can’t help it. Another full-belly laugh leaves me.
“She’s very sweet, I promise,” I tell him, walking around to the other side and giving her a pet.
“It’s not your cat. It’s my brother’s. She looks just like yours, but three times fatter and much grouchier,” he tells me.
“Ahh,” I say with amusement.
“We call her Medusa. I swear she’s a demon in disguise. Hates everyone but kids. I’ve tried to convince my brother to get rid of the damn thing, but he won’t because his kids love her.”
Just then, the doorbell rings, and I go to answer it.
“I’ve got it,” West says. “Why don’t you get plates ready?”
“Sure. Thank you,” I tell him as he heads for the door.
I grab some plates and wait for West to come back with the pizza. After we each grab our slices, we head out onto the back patio and enjoy the evening sun.
“You have a beautiful view here.”
Behind my house sits the valley of Lavender Falls. You can see miles and miles of rolling hills that surround our town and the river that flows through it. I love sitting out here as often as I can, enjoying the scenic views. Though lately it hasn’t been as much as I’d like.
“Thank you. It’s actually what sold me on this place.” I take a deep breath and share a little piece of myself with West. “I used to live on an acreage as a child, and you could see the mountains and forest all around us. I loved my home.” My throat catches, and I hide it behind a sip of beer.
“Where did you live before you came here? Other than school in Vancouver, I mean.”
Taking a bite of pizza, I use the moment to think about how I want to answer. I swallow my bite and hesitate for a second before deciding to go with the truth.
“Just a small town on the Alberta border. No where really. What about you? Have you always lived in Lavender Falls?”
“Wow. Long ways from home to end up here,” he says before taking his own bite. “And to answer your question, yes. I’ve always called Lavender Falls home. Born and raised here.”
I watch as he brings the neck of his beer bottle to his lips and the bob of his Adam’s apple as he swallows. I’m not sure why I find this kind of sexy, but I find myself wanting to leave a trail of kisses along the same path.
Feeling like a creep, I take my eyes off him and take my own swig of beer.
“You have three brothers?” I ask. I know his youngest brother is Hayes and that he has a brother named Cade, who I’ve met a few times at the station and in the bakery, but I thought I remember Sarah saying there was a third.
“That’s correct. Three brothers and a sister. I’m the oldest.”
“Oh, I didn’t know you had a sister. How old is she?” I ask.
“Twenty-five. She’s the baby.”
Reaching for another slice at the same time, our hands collide and we pull back, meeting each other’s gaze. I shift on my chair, squeezing my thighs together. His gaze burns through me, and I feel exposed. His eyes travel to my chest before he brings them back up, clearing his throat.
“Actually, if you’re serious about needing the help, I can send her your way. She’s looking for a summer job and has a bit of experience. She worked at a Starbucks when she was in school.”
“Really? That would be fantastic! Please tell her to come by.”
“Sure thing.” He nods. “I’ll send her down tomorrow.”
“Thank you.”
We continue to sip and eat while watching the sun go down. We talk and sit in comfortable silence, as if this is something we do every night.
When it starts to get late and the pizza is finished, West stands up. “I should probably leave you be now. Let you get your rest. I have a lot to do tomorrow and should probably get some rest of my own anyways.”
“Of course. Thank you for joining me tonight. And thanks for the pizza,” I tell him, gathering up our things.
“Anytime. Thanks for having me over. We’ll have to do it again sometime."
“That would be lovely.”
After putting away our dishes, I walk West to the door.
He brings his hand up behind his head, scratching his neck, and I can tell he wants to ask something. “So, I’d really like if I could pick you up in the morning.”
I smile at his thoughtfulness. “Oh, that’s not necessary. Really. I’ll be okay. But thank you.”
“What time do you normally head to the bakery?”
“I try to be there by five thirty if I can.”
He gives me a look of concern, watching me for a few beats, and then surprises me by saying, “I’ll be here at five fifteen.”
I blink, unsure of what’s happening right now.
“Bye, Jade.” He smiles while opening the front door.
“Tomorrow. Five fifteen,” I repeat to myself, still trying to work out what’s happening.
“That’s right,” he says. “I’ll be here.”
“Okay.”
West lets out a deep chuckle and begins his descent down my front steps.
“Bye, Sheriff!” I shout as he gets into the car.
Closing the door behind me as I head back into the house, I turn the lock and think about this evening. I had a really great time tonight even though it was just pizza and beer. I meant what I said earlier. It would be lovely to do this again.
I don’t know what it is about Weston Donovan, but he’s easy to talk to. He makes me feel brave and safe. Both things I don’t feel often. Maybe it’s the cop in him, or just that I trust him. The more time we spend together, the more I relax around him.
Walking into the living room and shutting off all the lights behind me, I scoop up Pumpkin from her cat tower and carry her down the hall to bed with me. I laugh at his reaction to her, and it makes me curious. What else is he afraid of?