Page 7 of Sweet Surprises

Charlotte awoke in the tiny apartment above the ice cream shop, shivering under her blanket before the sun was up. A cold draft fluttered the curtains, and she made a mental note to visit the hardware store she’d spotted two doors down to pick up some weatherstripping.

Winters back home had been cold, and she had expected it to be even colder here in Vermont, but this felt extreme. She would get used to it though, and then she would get to enjoy more snow and fresh maple syrup.

She moved as quickly as she could from the bed and across the pine floor to the bathroom, reminding herself that the sun would be up soon, and the shop downstairs was definitely heated better than the drafty apartment.

By the time the water warmed up enough for her to shower, it felt so good that she decided to linger in the delicious heat and dream a little about what life in Sugarville Grove was going to be like.

As Allie had explained when she offered it to Charlotte, this apartment was small, and it was clear that no one had lived here in a long time. But Charlotte had never really had a space thatwas all her own, and she loved the old-fashioned woodwork and the view over the pretty town square across the street.

Maybe they’ll let me spruce it up a little,she thought to herself, picturing a fresh coat of paint in the little place in a soft, bright color. She could grab a few posters too, maybe, if any of the little shops in town sold them for tourists. It would be fun to have images of Vermont on the walls, or even a map she could use to mark off all the places she planned to visit.

By the time she was dressed and heading downstairs for her first day of work, the sun was coming up outside and Charlotte was feeling excited and awake. She had been a little embarrassed when Allie called last night and she’d already been half asleep. The long drive had taken a lot out of her.

Allie had stopped by just long enough to show her how everything worked down in the shop, insisting that Charlotte stay in her pajamas. There hadn’t been much to it, and they had laughed through the whole thing as they caught up a little.

Since Allie was working close by, Charlotte hoped she would see her at the ice cream shop. And of course they planned to get together for real over the weekend.

Opening the door from the staircase to the shop, Charlotte could already see the square across the street coming to life outside the wide front windows. Children walked in groups, wearing backpacks so big they looked like they might tip over, all laughing and chatting to each other. There was still enough snow on the ground that most of them wore boots.

Patting her pocket for the keys and hearing the reassuring clink, Charlotte grabbed her coat off the hook and headed for the front door.

She wouldn’t always spring for breakfast from the café on the corner, but she hadn’t been to the grocery store yet, so today she would have to treat herself.

Luckily, the sidewalks were all well shoveled, so it was easy enough to make her way past the other shops to the café. The holiday decorations along the way were adorable, and several shops displayed posters announcing theSugar Snow Carnival.

Charlotte smiled to herself, feeling like she had just landed in a snow globe.

When she was a kid back in Trinity Falls, the holidays had felt like this too—a time of year that was treasured and celebrated wholeheartedly. She had missed that since her family left for the city, where most of the Christmas displays seemed to be blatantly advertising something.

She reached the corner and was glad to find that there were lights on at the coffee shop. A wooden sign that saidBean Countershung from the brick storefront. Charlotte stepped inside and was rewarded with the delicious scent of coffee and something sweet, along with the unmistakably savory scent of bacon.

A pretty lady sporting dark hair in a ponytail and wearing a name tag that saidTarastood behind the counter.

“Good morning,” the woman said with a smile. “You’re an early bird. What can I get you?”

“I was just going to ask for coffee and a bagel,” Charlotte said. “But it smells so good in here. What do you recommend?”

“Hm,” Tara said, looking Charlotte up and down as if she was really trying to guess the right meal for her. “You’re a new face, so I’ll bet you want the Vermont Special.”

“Okay,” Charlotte said, nodding.

“Okay?” Tara asked. “You don’t want to know what it is?”

“I trust you,” Charlotte said.

“My kind of gal,” Tara said, laughing. “Pick a seat and I’ll have it up for you in a second.”

Charlotte chose a seat by the front window, overlooking the square. From here, she could see a few moms with coffee cups,watching their little ones on the playground equipment. Just beyond the little playground was a large pavilion, hung with evergreen and holly, like something out of a Christmas movie.

“Nice view, right?” Tara asked, approaching with a coffee mug and a little pitcher of cream. “Sugar’s on the table.”

“Thank you,” Charlotte said.

She put a little cream in her coffee, and then gazed out the window while she sipped it. It was hard not to imagine herself falling in love on that pavilion with snow falling all around, and then finding herself on one of the benches surrounding the park, sipping her coffee from a reusable mug with the other mamas, watching her own kids at play.

Her mind unexpectedly filled in the face of the man from the gas station when she pictured her Prince Charming, and she had to smile at her own silliness.

No falling in love, she reminded herself, glad that man probably lived in some other little Vermont town and she would likely never see him again.

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