Page 4 of Sweet Deal
Immediately, he crouched down beside her. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
“You did more than that.” Her grin was directed at him and struck him in the gut—hard. “I never expected to see you around here again.”
He had spent most of high school daydreaming about leaving Honeysuckle in the dust. In college, his attitude hadn’t changed. Once he had the sheepskin in hand, he’d moved to the coast and used his early financial gains to fly his folks out to California for the holidays.
“Can’t say that I ever expected to be back.” He dropped the last sponge into the bag she held.
Her forehead creased and her nose did that funny little crinkle thing he’d always found so adorable. “Is something wrong?” Her eyes widened. “Are your folks all right? I didn’t hear—”
Shaking his head, he cut her off. “Mom and Dad are fine. Nothing’s wrong. Unless, of course, you consider sleeping on the living room sofa bed because your parents decided to remodel the second floor wrong, all is quite well. I just felt…” what did he feel? He wasn’t going to tell her that the brass ring wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. “It was time to come home.”
“That’s nice to hear.” She chuckled softly. “Except for the sofa bed part, that is.”
Staring at those twinkling eyes and sweet smile, all without a lick of makeup on, he had to ask himself what he had ever seen in Blair. “I’m glad.” Suddenly, she took a step in retreat and nestled the bulging bag on her hips again. He very much hoped he hadn’t said something wrong. “The offer still stands?”
Her brows dipped in confusion.
“With the bag.”
“Oh,” the smile was back, “I think I’ve got it.”
Having picked up the keys to her vehicle, he handed them to her. “Are you in a hurry to get back to the ranch?”
Her head shook from side to side and just like that, the simple gesture made him very happy.
“Does Agnes still make the best coffee in the state?”
“She does.” Rachel juggled the bag again. “And the A La Mode still has the best homemade ice cream.”
The ice cream had been their go to treat most of their youth. Not till college and long study nights did he learn to love Agnes’s coffee. “Ice cream sounds even better. Care to join me?”
Rachel nodded. “Just give me a second to put this in the truck.”
Standing on the curb, watching her lean into the truck and deposit her purchases, Jim felt like a teenager again. It was probably not even a little appropriate, but he couldn’t miss how nicely the denim hugged her well-rounded derriere. Had she filled a pair of jeans like that when they were in school? If she had, how the heck had he missed it?
“All set.” Spinning about, she slammed the door shut and smiled up at him. Still a very nice smile. “Shall we?”
With a nod, he fell into step beside her. The ice cream parlor was only a few doors down Main Street. “Butter Pecan?”
Rachel stopped short and stared up at him.
“What?”
“You remembered.”
“That butter pecan is—was—your favorite ice cream flavor?”
She nodded.
“Hard to forget. It’s the only flavor you ever ordered every time we came here for years.”
Nodding, she continued walking. “Fair enough.” A smile bloomed and she tipped her head and flashed a smile at him that made her eyes sparkle. “Pistachio?”
Another laugh escaped his throat. “Touché.” He couldn’t stop smiling, and had to think hard—when was the last time he laughed so easily and so often, in only a few minutes?
Chapter Three
The rough wood of the park bench felt grounding beneath Rachel’s fingertips. They’d walked the short block from A La Mode in a surprisingly comfortable silence, the ice cream cones a relic of their easier, younger days. Now, sitting here under the shade of a sprawling oak, the real world, with all its current complications, seemed miles away. Beside her, Jimmy attacked his pistachio ice cream with a focus that made her smile. They had been such good friends. Ever since Ben Fabio had intentionally tripped her in the hallway in eighth grade and then a few feet down the hall, Jimmy had nonchalantly stood by his locker, stuck his foot out at just the right moment and sent Ben tumbling to the ground landing with a loud splat against the linoleum floor. Smiling at her as she brushed herself off, he winked, made her giggle, and from that moment on, she and Jimmy had been best buds.
