Sweet Horizons

by Jean C. Gordon

  “I find socks on the floor and frow them in the basket.”

  The thought of Jeff’s place strewn with his socks unwittingly brought a picture of Jeff answering the door the other day in his bare feet. Shirtless.

  Her cell phone rang, breaking the thread. “Hello,” Sonja said without checking the number.

  “Hey.” Jeff’s deep voice sent a rush through her.

  “I could use your help,” he said.

  Yes. They could trade help. She with whatever Jeff needed and Jeff with helping her install the new metal shelving in the pantry. And she didn’t have to call him and ask.

  “Sure.” Had she agreed too quickly? She didn’t even know what he wanted.

  “Eric’s PR people emailed me a few campaign sketches for the rally. I’m supposed to choose one. You know more about advertising than I do.”

  “Print them out, and we can take a look.” She bit her tongue when a picture of them sitting closely together at the table, head-to-head, flashed in her mind.

  “They’re in color. I only have the black and white laser here at the shop.”

  “Email the files to me, and I’ll print them out.” And look them over by myself. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Shelley trying to scale the wood piled in the bagster. “Shelley, no, you’ll hurt yourself.” Sonja grabbed her granddaughter’s hand and walked her away from the wood and toward the house.

  “Everything okay?” Jeff asked.

  “Yes. Shelley was about to climb the pile of wood from the old shelving in the pantry.”

  “Who ripped it out for you?”

  It had to be either the phone connection or her overactive imagination today, but Jeff’s voice had a hint of hurt in it.

  “I did it.”

  “By yourself?”

  “Yes.” Now she was getting a little peeved. She wasn’t some helpless princess, although that might have once described her. Before she’d moved to Indigo Bay. “The shelving was practically falling off the walls already.”

  “Good for you,” Jeff said, knocking her out of her miff.

  Shelley tugged at her hand. “Grammy, potty.”

  “Sounds like you need to go.”

  Sonja walked toward the back door. “We’re on our way. But before I hang up, I could use a hand putting up the new shelving. Let me know when you send me the PR stuff.

  “Copy that. Bye.”

  Sonja shoved her phone in her back pocket and scooped up Shelley. There, that wasn’t so hard. She would have asked Jesse to help her if he was home. It wasn’t as if she was inviting Jeff over socially. Not that there would be anything wrong with that. They were family. Yeah, she just had to keep telling herself that.

  Once she and Shelley got inside, the little girl insisted on going potty by herself, so Sonja stepped outside the open door. She checked her business email to see if she’d had any response to a new real estate listing she’d gotten yesterday, and it struck her that she hadn’t given Jeff her email address for the PR stuff. She touched her message icon and her phone pinged, opening a text from Jeff.

  Here are the files. I’m free today to help you with the pantry shelving once my evening coverage comes in at four. I could grab takeout for the three of us. Or I could be free in the morning.

  Four was only an hour and a half away. That wouldn’t give her much time to review the campaigns Jeff had sent. And Shelley hadn’t taken her afternoon nap yet. If she got her down now, Jeff’s takeout might turn into dinner for two—something Sonja would rather avoid for the time-being. Maybe after the B&B was up and running. On the other hand, if Shelley didn’t take her nap, she’d be cranky and want attention when Sonja and Jeff were trying to work. Putting her to bed early with Jeff here wouldn’t be an option.

  Tomorrow morning would be better. Say 8:30.

  Jeff’s answer came back almost immediately. Okay. See you then.

  “Done, Grammy,” Shelley called.

  Sonja went in and helped her pull up her shorts. “There you go.”

  “Mermaids?” Shelley asked.

  The DVD was a good idea. It would lull Shelley into her nap. Sonja set the movie up and Shelley lay down on the couch, head resting on the throw pillow. She was asleep in minutes. Sonja pulled up Jeff’s text, opened the pdf he’d sent and clicked print before carefully rising, not to disturb Shelley, and going into the bedroom to retrieve the pages. Sonja picked up the hefty stack of pages from the printer. Analyzing them should keep her occupied for the evening, the time she spent an equal tradeoff for the help Jeff would give her tomorrow. A business deal, not the more family event his coming this evening with takeout for the three of them would have ended up being.

  Her phone pinged a text when she reached the archway to the living room. She hurried to the table to grab it and turn the sound on silent before it rang and woke up Shelley.

  A smile spread across her face when she read the text.

  I’ll come 15 minutes early tomorrow and bring some of Caroline’s cinnamon rolls to have with our coffee.

  Great, she texted back without thinking.

  Her waistline could probably do without the delicious gooey treat, but she couldn’t resist the offer. Nor the man, she’d admit.

  As a friend. For now.

  The next day dawned near-perfect. Not too hot, with a slight ocean breeze. Exactly what Jeff had hoped for what he planned after he and Sonja finished the work on the pantry.

  He’d gone back to the shop yesterday to make a few changes to the custom bike plans that Eric had requested. He hadn’t really had this morning free as he’d told Sonja.

  But he did now, and the afternoon, too. He’d offered the extra hours to Liam, and the kid had eagerly accepted. He’d even said he could work the evening shift today, too. That offer was tempting, but Jeff had mechanical work scheduled that only he could do.

  Jeff jogged up the beach to the boardwalk and to Sweet Caroline’s.

  “Good morning,” she greeted him from behind the counter. “What can I get you?”

  “Four of your cinnamon buns.”

  She put four buns into a paper bag, striped in white and the bright-blue of the café’s awning, and rang them up. “So have you decided to accept Seaside Cycles’ nomination for the best new start-up business of the year?”

  “Almost,” he answered handing her a $20 bill.

  Caroline laughed as she handed him his change. “And that means?”

  Jeff looked around to see if anyone was close enough to listen in on their conversation. “You know Sonja well. I’m not sure I want to compete against her. I think she would get more out of winning than I would.”

  “You didn’t tell her that, did you?”

  Jeff scuffed the toe of his athletic shoe against the counter. “Sort of.”

  “And she said?”

  “I’d better not turn down the nomination.”

  “There you go. I’ll put you down as a yes to the competition.”

  “I guess, but I don’t plan on doing anything special to pursue it.”

  “That’s your choice.”

  He picked up the bag, but didn’t leave the counter. “One other thing. Is Sonja always so prickly about letting people help her?”

  “Generally. Especially if they’re men and interested in her.” Caroline raised her eyebrows, giving him the distinct impression he’d outed himself.

  So what. “While Jesse and Lauren are away, I’m trying to do things he would do if he were here. I know how much she wants the B&B to succeed, and the opening has already been delayed. Any more advice?”

  “The cinnamon buns are a good start if that’s where you’re headed this morning. Sonja has always had a sweet tooth. More seriously, don’t press, just try to be there when she needs you.”

  Jeff swallowed hard. As his deceased wife had been there for him and his old business. As he’d tried to be there for her after her cancer diagnosis. Although he didn’t know how successful he’d been. “In other words, be her friend.”

/>   “For now,” Caroline said.

  Even he, who had limited women-reading skills understood what she meant. But it gave him some hope they might become more. Caroline had known Sonja since college.

  “But do speak up if she’s taking on too much. She has tendency to do that and it does her no good in the long run.”

  “Okay.”

  Caroline was getting into that gray area of woman-speak. Maybe it was the male hormone, but he thought Sonja took on more than she should too much of the time. Like ripping all the old shelving out by herself.

  Jeff stepped back from the counter. “Well, I’d better get going. We’re supposed to be putting up shelving in the B&B pantry today, starting at 8:30.”

  “Good luck,” Caroline called after him.

  Jeff didn’t know exactly what she meant, but he’d take it. He jogged back to his place, quickly exchanged the cut-offs he had on for jeans and walked up the dunes to the mansion.

  “You’re early,” Sonja said when she answered his knock, Shelly on her hip.

  He lifted the bag from Caroline’s as if fending off her criticism. If it was a criticism and not just a statement of fact. He had to stop overthinking things. “Yes, to give us time to fortify ourselves for the work.”

  “Cin`mon,” Shelley said, pointing at the bag.

  “Yep, Button.” He tapped her nose with his other index finger before closing and locking the door.

  “About that,” Sonja started.

  Had she decided the job was too big for them to do or that it was asking or allowing him to do too much for her?

  “I have a showing this morning that I couldn’t turn down.”

  What had he just told himself about overthinking stuff?

  “Could you start without me? I’m taking Shelley with me. The agent on the desk at the office today said she’d watch her while I’m out with the client.”

  “Sure.” He probably could finish it alone, depending on how long her showing took. “Do you have time for a cinnamon bun and coffee before you go?”

  They walked into her flat. “I always have time for a cinnamon bun,” she said.

  “That’s was Caroline said.”

  “You and Caroline were talking about me?”

  Him and his big mouth. “She asked for my answer about the competition and whether I was in. I told her I was.” That might get him a point. “Then, we got talking about my day.” Sort of. “And somewhere in there, she said you had a sweet tooth.”

  “Was that before or after you bought the buns?”

  “After.”

  She smiled. Sonja was enjoying his discomfort. He’d reserve thought about what that could or could not mean until later. He was here to work now.

  “We’d better eat in the kitchen. The buns are gooey. Just one of the things I like about them.”

  He followed her to the kitchen.

  “Pour yourself a cup of coffee, while I fill Shelley’s sippy cup with milk. You take it black, right?”

  Ridiculously, he warmed that she remembered how he drank his coffee. He couldn’t say for sure how she took hers. He set his coffee and the bag from Caroline’s on the table, pulling out the napkins Caroline had provided, and placed them on the table like plates.

  Sonja put Shelley in her booster seat and gabbed a dinner knife from the drawer behind her. She opened the bag and took out a bun. “Mmm, they’re still warm.” She cut the bun in half and placed one half on Shelley’s napkin and the other on her own.

  “I bought four. You don’t have to share,” he blurted.

  “A half is more than enough for Shelley.”

  He’d cared for Shelley often enough that he should have known that.

  “And you’re going to need more fortifying this morning than I am. I’ll just be walking a guy around a beach condo.”

  A guy who could afford an oceanside condo. What was with him? This was her other job, not some play for Sonja. A twinge of sadness replaced his idiocy. Sonja shouldn’t have to work two jobs. And he’d do anything he could to help her not have to after the B&B opened. His mind jetted back to Caroline’s warning. Anything Sonja wanted him to do to boost the B&B’s success.

  “Besides, I didn’t say you had to eat all the rest. While not as good as fresh out of Caroline’s oven, the buns are still great warmed up.” She pushed the bag across the table to him and he pulled out a bun.

  Jeff took a bite. “This is good. Maybe I could eat three.”

  “Don’t you dare,” Sonja said with a laugh. “There had better be one left in the refrigerator when I get back.”

  “Very good,” he said after another bite.

  Sonja finished her treat and stood. “We have to get going. I’m trusting you to leave one bun in the refrigerator.”

  “It won’t be easy. But on my honor.” He placed his bun on the napkin and crossed his heart, thinking he’d like her to feel she could trust him on anything.

  Sonja wetted a paper towel and wiped Shelley’s sticky fingers and face before lifting the little girl out of her seat. “Give Papa a bye-bye kiss while I wrap your bun up to bring with us.”

  Shelley skipped over and Jeff lifted her, giving her a big smack on the lips.

  “Grammy’s turn,” Shelley said when he lowered her to the floor. “Give Papa bye-bye kiss.”

  Sonja’s gaze locked with his. Expressions flew across her face so fast that he couldn’t read any of them for sure.

  She broke their visual connection and glanced at her cell phone. “Come on, Shelley. We have to go or Grammy will be late.”

  Ignore Shelley’s request. So that’s the tack she was taking.

  Shelley shook her head.

  “You can color in your new book at my office.”

  Falling in line with Sonja, Jeff gave Shelley’s behind a playful pat. “That sounds fun. Better get going. I’ll see you guys later.”

  “No.” Shelley dug in. “Papa give Grammy bye-bye kiss.”

  Jeff avoided Sonja’s gaze and worked on reining in his first inclination.

  “Oh, for goodness sakes.” Sonja marched over and gave him a peck on the cheek that was so light and so quick he couldn’t be sure it was real. Except Shelley chirped a cheerful, “bye-bye” to him, took Sonja’s hand, and dragged her toward the door.

  “Color. New book.”

  Yeah, this was a new book alright.

  Driving home after the showing and a leisurely lunch out with Shelley that followed an hour of busy-work at the office, Sonja still couldn’t believe what she’d done. Waiting at one of the few traffic lights in Indigo bay, she grinned as she drummed her fingertips on the steering wheel. Jeff’s expression had been priceless and had made her feel like a young woman, although she’d never been that impetuous in her younger years. His all-male scent. The prickle of the stubble on his cheek.

  Sonja welcomed the distraction of Shelley fussing in the back seat as she pulled into the B&B garage and turned the car off.

  “Daddy Jesse. Home,” Shelley said in a plaintive voice that squeezed Sonja’s heart.

  “Grammy’s here.” She scrambled out of the car and opened the back door.

  Shelley blinked. “Grammy,” she said, sounding more upbeat. “Talk to Jesse Daddy and Ren?” The little girl raised her arms to be picked up.

  “Later, after supper, like we usually do.”

  “Okay. Papa, too? Build house?”

  Sonja scooped up Shelley and grabbed her briefcase from the front seat. She didn’t know if Shelley meant Jeff working on the pantry shelving here or the house of blocks at his place.

  “We’ll see.” Since Jeff had walked up this morning, there was no way of telling if he was still here.

  Shelley squirmed in her arms as Sonja opened the door of her flat. “Down. See Papa.”

  Since the door had been unlocked, Jeff was probably still here. Shelley took off toward the kitchen the second Sonja placed her on the floor. Sonja followed at a more leisurely pace, latent embarrassment slowing her steps. What wa
s with her? It had been a peck on the cheek, nothing more than the hugs she’d given Lauren and Jesse before they’d left on their honeymoon. Not a real kiss at all.

  Except it had stirred something inside her that she’d kept buried for a long time. Something that had her wondering what his lips would have felt like.

  “Grammy,” Shelley squealed, as Sonja pushed open the swinging door to the pantry. “Papa, good job.”

  Jeff stood in the center of the room with a look of boyish uncertainty on his face while Shelley danced around him. “Once I got going, the work went fast. You didn’t say, but I figured you wanted me to follow the layout you got from the home improvement store. It was taped to one of the boxes. After I got done, I thought, we probably should have painted first. But I can touch up spots where the new shelving doesn’t completely match where the old shelving was.”

  “It’s great.” She stepped forward and checked herself before she closed the distance and gave him the thank-you hug that had been her initial impulse. “I can handle the paint touch-up.”

  Jeff visibly relaxed. “But not today. I say we go down to the b-e-a-c-h and go s-w-i-m-m-i-n-g.”

  Sonja warmed at his thoughtfulness in not getting Shelley excited before checking whether she had other plans for the afternoon. She had sketched out a full day for installing the new shelving and putting back the items that had been in the pantry. She could restock the pantry this evening and keep on schedule. Sonja glanced out the window at the bright blue sky. For living in a beachfront community, she didn’t spend much time on the beach or in the ocean.

  “What’s Papa mean, i-n-g?”

  “He thinks we should go swimming this afternoon.”

  “Yes, I get ready.” Shelley started trying to tug her t-shirt off over her head.

  “You can both get ready and meet me down at the cottage.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Sonja said, ostensibly helping Shelley with her shirt, while she eyed the pleasant view of Jeff’s backside as he pushed the swinging door open and left. The visual attraction didn’t mean anything. It was just any woman admiring a well-put-together man.

  After dithering so long over which swimsuit to wear that Shelley was practically bouncing off the walls to get going, Sonja chose her rose-colored retro-1940’s one. The halter-style suit had strategic tucks to accent her assets and hide her flaws. At least that’s what the ad she’d seen for it had said. She glanced at herself in the full-length mirror in her room. What mattered was that she felt attractive in it.