Page 38 of Sweet Surprises

“You can get the sky too,” Olivia put in. “It will really feel like Vermont.”

“That’s a great point,” Charlotte said, impressed.

Olivia shrugged, but she looked pleased.

The ground began to tremble a little as the herd made their way uphill.

“What’s going on over here?” Tag’s deep voice was loud, but not unfriendly.

“Charlotte’s taking pictures of the cows,” Chance said excitedly. “She wants them to look super-duper big, so she’s down low, low, low.”

Tag didn’t respond, but they were close enough now that Charlotte didn’t stop to see how he felt about things. She just started shooting. It was a little chaotic with all the movement, but she was hopeful that she got a few good photos.

When she was finished, she saw that Zane had come from the creamery to watch the cows eat.

“Hey, thanks for your help today,” he said, striding over to join her.

She couldn’t deny a burst of satisfaction. Zane was super quiet, but here was proof that he was starting to feel more comfortable with her.

“I’ve got to do something to earn my keep,” she said, laughing. “Speaking of which, I have some ideas about the shop. I was thinking about some of the new ice cream flavors you were dreaming up. Maybe we could help them stand out with some fun names and a little backstory.”

“Okay,” he said, his eyes lighting up.

Charlotte could tell he was interested. She just had to get him started.

“But I realized I didn’t ask you something important,” she said. “What makes your ice cream stand out from the competition? What’s so special about it?”

“Oh, wow,” Zane said, shrugging. “I mean… nothing, really. It’s not new or high tech or anything. It’s just an old family recipe. We’ve been making it the same way for over a hundred years.”

“That’s it,” she said, her mind racing with ideas. “That’s what’s special. You’ve got a family recipe that’s been passed on for more than a hundred years. People will literally eat it up.”

Zane laughed and she looked to Tag to see if he was getting caught up in the excitement.

But the big cowboy was scowling at the ground, like maybe he had changed his mind about the shop again.

Or maybe everyone just didn’t get as excited about ice cream as she did. Either way, she was on a roll, and she wasn’t about to let it slow her down.

12

CHARLOTTE

An hour later, Charlotte was cleaned up and riding in Allie’s car as they headed back toward the village.

“Are you sure you have time to do this on a weeknight?” Charlotte asked for the third time as she soaked in the welcome sight of her best friend—who looked amazing, considering that she spent all her time teaching and chasing kindergarteners.

“Stop asking me that,” Allie said, laughing. “I still can’t believe we didn’t get together last night. I’m really sorry about that.”

“How’s the job?” Charlotte asked sympathetically.

“I mean, Iloveit,” Allie said. “But I’m definitely in over my head.They outnumber me, Charlotte.”

Charlotte could only laugh at Allie’s dramatic flair. This was why they had become instant friends.

“I’m sure you handle them just fine,” Charlotte laughed, meaning it. “After all, you handled four big brothers.”

“How about you?” Allie asked. “I mean, I know you’re starting with a couple of weeks off, right?”

“Yeah, but I had an idea,” Charlotte told her. “I hate to do this, but is there any place in town where I can print digital photos? I was hoping to put in a quick order before we eat.”

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