Page 1 of Bear Creek Valentine
Chapter 1
February 7th, downtown Bear Creek
“Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day, ladies. Thanks for stopping in.”
Aiden Romero handed over the distinctive lime-green and brown bags with a saucy wink, provoking embarrassed giggles from both young women on their way out of the shop. So far, this had been the busiest February sinceDeliciousopened its doors, though nothing like the overwhelming Christmas season a couple of months back. With only a week to go until theHoliday of Love, he’d struggled to keep up with demand. Of course, it wasn’t the only thing on his mind this time of year.
Truthfully, he didn’t like Valentine’s Day. Never had. He wasn’t averse to making money off the holiday, but if it weren’t for that, he’d ignore the thing altogether. With its overarching themes of love and romance, it only heightened Aiden’s loneliness. While helping others celebrate the special day had its merits, he wanted to experience itpersonally. That, of course, required someone to love and come home to every night, and Aiden’s heart was set on mating with a shifter.
Oh, he had friends here in Bear Creek, and a crush that went nowhere, but it wasn’t the same. It wasn’tenough. Until something changed, most of his time would be spent growing his business, which left no opportunity for social interaction or the chance of meeting someone special. Ruminating on that catch-22 wasn’t particularly encouraging, and he distracted himself with some routine cleaning while Blanche Kramer printed off the latest batch of online orders.
Now retired, Blanche worked part-time to keep busy and supplement her income. She enjoyed helping Aiden whenever he needed her—especially while Toby Finch was in school. Sheand the high school senior were both hard-working, quick to learn, and good with customers, enabling him to focus on the production side of things. Even with their help, it meant coming in early, staying late, and skipping his days off. The Christmas season had brought in a slew of new customers, now hooked on his creations and hungry for more. It was a good problem to have, though he’d be looking to add additional employees as soon as he could.
Blanche’s sudden gusty sigh amid the unexpected silence roused Aiden from his ruminations. It took a moment to realize there were no customers in the shop, and the phone wasn’t ringing. She turned away from the computer, facing him with a weary smile.
“Goodness! It’s been non-stop today. If you don’t mind, I’ll take a quick break and get off my feet.”
Aiden looked at his watch and grimaced.
“Go! If we’re lucky, we have about fifteen minutes before the lunch crowd shows up. I left some sandwiches in the cooler and a plate of lemon Zig-Zag Bars. Help yourself.”
The chances of a fifteen-minute lull were slim, and the pair wasted no time using the restroom and grabbing a bite to eat. Having been a teacher for over forty years, Blanche required hot java to function properly and made use of the new pod-style coffeemaker Aiden recently purchased. Meanwhile, he nibbled on a sandwich between trips out front to reload the display cases. He hadn’t quite finished before the bell above the door began its incessant jangling, and Blanche hurried up front to join him.
The passage of time went unnoticed until Toby arrived for his shift around three-fifteen, taking over cashier duties while Aiden got busy in the kitchen. Today’s sales had seriously depleted his supply of Nut Bombs and Swirls—a new white chocolate and fruit confection that was not only tasty, but looked beautifulbeside the dark chocolate treats. Each required several steps, numerous ingredients, and time in the walk-in cooler to set properly. After an hour or so, Toby leaned into the kitchen to deliver an ominous warning.
“Sorry, Aiden, but the dipped strawberries are running low. We’re gonna need all three varieties pretty soon.”
Aiden thought for a minute before issuing instructions.
“Limit the number to six per customer for now and tell Blanche to skip any online orders that include them. I’ll get the dips ready, and then you and I can switch places.”
Toby’s eyes widened.
“Really? Wouldn’t you be faster?”
Aiden just shook his head and smiled.
“Maybe, but you’re good at it and haven’t been in the kitchen for a while. I’ll let you know when things are ready.”
Toby returned to the register with a wide grin, and Aiden watched him go, chuckling to himself. He actively sought opportunities for the timid teen to shine or take on new tasks—slowly building his self-confidence and skills. Aiden wasn’t sure if Toby intended to stay on after starting his college classes in the fall, but he hoped so. The young man had talent and a great work ethic—rare commodities these days.
Aiden carried a stack of sheet trays into the cooler to chill and removed the strawberries so they could warm a bit. Next, he gathered the supplies for white, milk, and dark chocolate dips. Once they were mixed, the only concern was keeping them at the right temperature. When all was ready, Aiden went out front to fetch his helper.
“All set, Toby. You already know what to do, but I’ll be right here if you have questions, okay? Oh, and don’t be afraid to experiment a bit.”
Toby nodded enthusiastically.
“You got it. This is going to be fun!”
Blanche called out a finished order and approached the register with one of the heart-shaped deluxe assortment boxes, festooned with a bright red bow. She handed it to Aiden, leaning in for a quiet word.
“Toby is really blossoming. It does my heart good to see it.”
Despite their attempts to ration, the remaining strawberries sold out in a flash. Aiden let the customers know that more was coming if they were willing to wait a few minutes, while silently urging Toby to bring them out. Relinquishing control to someone else was difficult for him, and he resisted the urge to check on the young man.
Finally, his triumphant helper appeared carrying an entire tray of the luscious berries, prompting the crowd to applaud and cheer. Toby smiled, waved, and hurried back to the kitchen to make more. He brought out creative varieties in due time, including those dusted with cocoa or chocolate shavings, double-dipped berries, or bi-colored tuxedos. Unsurprisingly, the customers snapped them up first, despite the extra cost, and Aiden made a mental note to offer the fancy ones regularly.
Near suppertime, after the crowd thinned, Aiden called in a takeout order, and they each enjoyed a short meal break in shifts. While the shop closed at seven, they knew the crowds would return, making for a busy evening. Before things got too hectic, Aiden was pleased to see Mayor Tillman enter the shop and head in his direction.
