Lemon's Sorbet Disaster: An Ice Cream Shop Series Novella

by E. H. Demeter

  “Oh, sweetie. No, I don’t. What happened?”

  “It’s a disaster, mom. A complete failure.” I hiccoughed, covering my face with my hand as I clung to the phone, wishing more than anything that she was here with me now, holding me. Comforting me.

  “I’m sure it’s not all that bad.”

  “But it is,” I cried, tears spilling down my cheeks.

  “What happened?” My mother repeated the question, unrelenting.

  “The power’s gone. Storm knocked it out. The machines won’t work. And I have no idea what to do about it. The reopening is tomorrow. And I’m up to my ankles in sorbet soup.”

  To my mother’s credit, she didn’t laugh. A soft sigh floated down the line, and I could almost see the wheels turning in her head. “Well, maybe the power will come back on before the reopening, and you can just try again?”

  I shook my head, letting it fall back against the rain washed glass. “No, mom. It’s too late. I… I did a stupid thing. And now it’s all over. I just want to come home. I don’t know what I was thinking. This is all just… Too much. I’m done. I just want to come home.”

  “Lemon-”

  “I made a bet, mom. I bet the I could make the better recipe. I bet the creamery. And now I’ve lost. It’s done. He’s won. Just let me come home.” Quiet sobs shook my shoulders as I pulled my knees to my chest, wrapping my arm around them.

  She didn’t say a word. Just let me cry until the sobbing subsided. My skin felt tight where the tears had dried, and I sniffled, wanting nothing more than to curl up into a ball and be done with the whole thing.

  When she spoke again, her voice was whisper soft, and I wasn’t immediately certain I’d even heard correctly. “Your grandfather would be so proud of you, Lemon.”

  My brow furrowed, confusion distracting me. “Bopee? Why would he be proud?”

  The soft gasp had me straightening, my back stiffening as I went on high alert. “Mom?”

  Her breath shuddered, her words hesitant and slow. “Lemon… I don’t mean Bopee.” She took another shuddering breath, as if preparing to rip off an emotional band aid. “I mean my real father. The man you knew as your Great Uncle Beau.”

  My heart stopped, breath seizing in my chest as she continued. Apparently, Beauregard hadn’t always been a bachelor. On the contrary, when he was younger, he fell very much in love with a young woman. Their love was hot and fast, and soon they found out they were with child.

  Neither were ready for the burden of a child, both barely children themselves. And they came to the decision that adoption would be best for their baby girl. Luckily, Beau’s sister had been having difficulty conceiving and offered to take in the baby. Probably for the better, as it apparently hadn’t worked out between Beau and his lady friend.

  The woman I had known as my grandmother was really my great aunt. And the man I had known as my Great Uncle was my grandfather. All those years. All those letters.

  All that wasted time.

  “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” I whispered, my tone harsher than I meant.

  “I don’t know. At first, I wasn’t sure. We didn’t have the best relationship, Beau and I. And then I had you, and he loved you so. I named you Lemon for him, for his beautiful lemon grove. He begged to be in your life. I wanted you to make your own decisions about him, so I made him promise not to tell you until you were ready. But the time never seemed right, and it never came up...”

  “Why would it? How would it? All that time, my whole life. And you kept it from me… How could you let me come here not knowing?” Rage filled me, burning through me white hot. I wanted to throw something. To hear it shatter. I wanted to scream, to empty myself of the confusion, the pain, the fear.

  I looked around the dark shop, barely listening to my mother as she begged for me to understand. The brand new logo rested proudly on the back wall. Sweet Rose Creamery.

  “He named the shop after you,” I whispered, cutting her off. “All his recipes have the same secret ingredients: rosewater and lemon. Everything he did was for us. And I never knew.”

  It finally all made sense. Why he had left everything to me instead of Wade, who was the obvious better choice. He’d spent my whole life trying to love me, to get to know me as best he could. All while hiding my mother's secret.

  Gritting my teeth, my gaze locked on the logo, and I knew I wouldn’t be leaving Haven anytime soon.

  Chapter Nine

  I jerked awake to the sound of a bang and a soft curse. Blinking in confusion, I sat up with a groan, frowning as a soft, plaid blanket fell away from my shoulders. Rubbing at my eyes, and searching for my glasses, I tried to piece together how I’d come to be sleeping on the floor of the creamery.

  Glasses found, I rose as another bang and curse sounded from down the hall. Stretching out my sore and stiff muscles, I shuffled forward, running my fingers through my hair and praying I didn’t look as bad as I felt.

  “Wade?” I croaked, rubbing at my throat and wishing I had stopped for a glass of water. He had his back to me, filling a large silver tub with ice cream. A glance over his shoulder and he shot me a quick smile, his eyes moving over me.

  “Well good morning, Sunshine. Sleep well?”

  I groaned, leaning against the wall and pressing my fingers to my temples, rubbing firmly. “I don’t even remember falling asleep.”

  “You were knocked out when I got here. Didn’t have the heart to wake you.” I watched as he filled the tub with ease, taking the plastic bucket to the large sink and filling it with hot water, rinsing it clean in seconds.

  “Last night was… an adventure,” I muttered, unable to look away as he moved back toward the work table. He wore jeans again, a lighter wash this time, and a dark brown belt with a wide silver buckle. A white tank top was tucked into his jeans, holding perfectly to his body and momentarily distracting me.

  “Well, I hope you’re ready for another adventure.” He chuckled, lifting the silver tub and turning toward me with a wink, then walking past me to the front cooler.

  Clearing my throat, I shook my head and pushed away from the wall, following him. “What do you mean?”

  Wade glanced at me, his smile delicious and annoying. “The reopening, remember?”

  I shook my head, crossing my arms over my chest. “Of course I remember. But it doesn’t really matter now.”

  Wade turned toward me, his brow furrowed as he planted his hands on his hips. “Just what the heck is that supposed to mean?”

  “You won, Wade,” I cried, throwing my arms out to my sides. “The storm knocked out the machines. I’ve got nothing to serve today. So, you win.” I swallowed deeply, feeling the familiar prickle of heat along my eyes. I bit my cheek, refusing to cry in front of him.

  His confusion fell into an almost stern look as he stared me down. “You just gonna give up that easy?”

  I scoffed, shaking my head. “What am I supposed to do? Serve sorbet soup? Because that’s all I’ve got.” I shook my head again, pressing my fingers to my forehead. “You were right, okay? I didn’t prepare in time, and now I’m screwed.”

  A sharp sob broke past my lips, surprising us both. Spinning on my heel, I pressed my fist to my lips, fighting against the tears, willing away the emotions. Now was neither the time nor the place for this. I would mourn my loss later, when I was alone and in private.

  A heavy sigh sounded behind me, and I all but jumped when warm hands closed over my shaking shoulders. “Sorbet soup. You sure about that?”

  Shifting, I glanced over my shoulder at Wade, doing my best not to sneer. “I know what happens when the machine doesn’t finish it’s cycle, Wade.”

  With a gentle squeeze, he moved around me, shrugging. “Well, maybe you should check the machine. That’s all I'm saying.”

  I stared at his back as he walked away, confused but intrigued. I forced myself to stay where I was for a moment, not wanting to appear too curious or eager.

  Swallowing deeply, I did my best to
nonchalantly walk toward the row of machines, my palms sweating as I drew closer. Pausing before the one I’d been using last night, I glanced toward Wade, who was studiously ignoring me. Biting my lower lip, I lifted the lid and gasped. Where I had expected to see soup and goo, I saw a beautiful mound of yellow sorbet.

  I jumped back, the top falling into place with a soft clang. I stared at the machine a moment before darting back and opening the flap again, staring at it in wonder.

  “How? How did this happen?” Whirling on my heel, I pointed at Wade accusingly. “You! What did you do? Did you do this?” I demanded, jabbing my finger toward the machine.

  He turned slowly, looking from me to the machine and back again. “Did I do what?”

  “Oh, stop that. You know exactly what I’m talking about. Did you make the sorbet for me?”

  Wade chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest. “Now, why in the heck would I do that? We had a bet, remember? All I did was turn the machine on when I came in.” He shrugged, turning and grabbing a tub, offering it to me. “Don’t want to leave it in there too long.”

  I took the container from him, watching him in awe as he turned, grabbed another tub of his ice cream, and carried it easily to the front. I shook my head, setting about filling my bucket with the sorbet.

  Carrying the filled tub to the front, I set it in the cooler, and then went about getting everything ready for the reopening. Nerves rode my stomach hard, but there was excitement too. This was it. The final countdown. The moment where I proved myself to this town. To Wade. To myself.

  My mother’s revelation hung like a dark cloud in the back of my mind. No matter how hard I tried to focus on the task at hand, my mind kept wandering to her words. Beau had been my grandfather. It was like losing him all over again, knowing I would never get to spend time with him with the knowledge of who he truly was to me.

  I only hoped he had known just how much I cared for him.

  *****

  Before I knew it, it was time. A decent sized crowd had formed outside, rising on tiptoes to see over the heads of those in front of them as they tried to peer through the windows. Wade and I glanced at one another, both of us all but vibrating with nerves.

  “You ready?” he asked, glancing toward the steadily growing crowd.

  “As I’ll ever be.” I swallowed deeply, reaching up to fix the bright yellow bow I’d placed in my hair. Blowing out a breath, I folded my hands in front of me and gave a small nod. With a chuckle, Wade moved toward the door, glancing at me before flipping the lock and pulling the door open.

  “Welcome to Sweet Rose Creamery!” he called, throwing an arm out and stepping back.

  I gasped as people surged inside. Eyes were everywhere, and soon the small shop was all but overcrowded with people. Luckily, I had the forethought to slip behind the cooler before too many people had crowded inside.

  Hands of all ages reached for the sample trays we’d set out. Everyone took one of each, our cups color coded. Green for Wade, yellow for me. I leaned against the counter, watching as people began to try the samples. My stomach fell as each one winced and coughed as they tried mine. A young boy shook his head, coughing as he passed the cup back to his mother.

  Every single person who tired a yellow cup spat it out. It was like a nightmare come to life. I watched, unable to move, as ticket after ticket were dropped into Wade’s bowl.

  Tears spilling down my cheeks, I grabbed a sample of each and ran toward the back room, ignoring Wade calling out my name.

  With shaking hands, I set the cups down on the work table, grabbing the tiny spoons and lifting them in turn to my lips.

  Wade’s was perfect. Creamy, and smooth, just the perfect blend of vanilla and just a hint of bourbon. It was warm, and cool, and screamed southern. It was easy to see why everyone had been enjoying his.

  I gagged when I took a bite of mine. If I hadn’t been crying before then, I certainly would have as the overwhelming flavor of roses and salt hit my tongue. Coughing, I lunged for the sink, flipping on the tap and pulling water toward my mouth with my hands, sucking it down quickly.

  “Lemon, what’s wrong?” Wade asked, his hand gently resting against my back.

  “It’s terrible. I don’t know what I did wrong. It’s horrible. No wonder everyone hates it! It really is a disaster!”

  “Come on now, it’s not that bad.” He moved around me, lifting a spoon and taking a bite of my sample. His eyes went wide, and I could tell he was doing his best to hold back his coughing. Lifting his fist to his lips, he cleared his throat, shaking his head with a chuckle. “Oh, it’s bad.”

  I slapped at his arm, “I know it’s bad! You don’t have to rub it in!”

  He laughed, playfully jumping back away from my slapping hand. “Easy, easy. I know what you messed up.”

  I blinked, my hand dropping to my side. “You do?”

  He nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. “You used salt instead of sugar.”

  I stared at him silently for what felt like forever, before a tiny laugh bubbled up my throat, breaking free and turning into an almost hysterical laugh. I clapped my hands over my lips, my eyes widening as I shook my head in denial.

  “Yeah. Salt, not sugar.” He chuckled, reaching out and ruffling my hair. “Don’t worry. Beau did the same, and worse, before.” He winked at me, turning to head back to the front of the room.

  “Really? Huh.” I turned to look at the tiny sample cups. “Must run in the family,” I muttered.

  “What did you say?” Wade asked, turning to face me again.

  “Oh…” I bit my lower lip, looking at him. “I said… Must run in the family. Like grandfather like granddaughter, apparently.”

  “Lemon…”

  Inhaling deeply, I met his eyes. “Turns out, Beau was my grandfather.”

  To say that Wade was shocked by my admission was an understatement. We stared at each other for a long while before Wade licked his lips and pointed a finger at me.

  “Get through the reopening, then you and I are going to have a long conversation.”

  I nodded, wringing my hands. His tone hadn’t been angry, more confused. Welcome to the party. I blew out a breath before I made my way back out front, quickly collecting the samples of my ruined sorbet, apologizing to everyone and offering them another small cup of a different flavor.

  Chapter Ten

  The hours flew by, and before I knew it, I was turning the closed sign and locking the door behind the final customer. Turning and pressing my back against the door, I let loose a sigh and chuckled as Wade stepped into the room, drying his hands with a towel.

  “You survived.” He grinned, tucking the towel into his back pocket.

  I chuckled, pushing away from the door and moving to sit at one of the tables. “I guess I did. Is it always like that?”

  Wade nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. “Sometimes it’s worse.” He cleared his throat, scratching at his chin with his thumb. “You want to get dinner?”

  I blinked at him, my lips curving up into a sudden smile. “With you?”

  “No, with the dog down the street.”

  “Oh, well…”

  “Lemon.” He sighed, shaking his head.

  “What? The dog was a solid contender.” I smirked, then nodded. “Yes. I would like to go to dinner. With you.”

  “Get your stuff, then.” Wade grinned at me, turning and heading to the back room.

  I watched him disappear, then moved to grab my purse and jacket. My heart sped in my chest. He’d asked me to dinner. Was it just something casual? I’m sure that’s all it was. A celebratory dinner for the reopening. Nothing more. Right?

  “Ready?” Wade asked, pushing open the door.

  “Yeah.” Sliding my purse over my shoulder, I smiled as I slipped past him, waiting as he locked up behind us. I didn’t even question what car we would take as I moved to his truck, quietly thanking him when he opened the door for me.

  The drive to the restaurant
was pleasant, though we didn’t talk much. The radio filled the silence, and my mind drifted toward what my mom had told me.

  The noise of the busy restaurant was comforting as we stepped inside. It was almost like being with a minor celebrity with the amount of people that called out to Wade as we made our way toward a free table. I chuckled and shook my head as even the waitress greeted him warmly, commenting to us both on the success of the reopening.

  Narrowing my eyes, I twitched my lips to the side. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

  “A little bit.” He flashed me a bright smile before moving to sit beside me. “I’m proud of you.”

  I felt my eyes go wide, my head pulling back slightly. “What?”

  He smirked, rubbing the back of his neck as he leaned back in the chair. “I said I’m proud of you.”

  “No, I heard you. I just… Thank you?”

  “You held your own today. You came back from your little disaster, and you worked the crowd really well. Everyone seemed to have a good time.”

  “You sound shocked,” I teased, drawing invisible patterns on the table with my fingers.

  “I am, a bit. I was expecting you to fall on your face. Especially when you retreated into the back.” He leaned forward, his eyes locking onto mine. “I’m glad you bounced back and surprised me.”

  Swallowing, I licked my lips and dropped my gaze to the table. “You know, I had a feeling you wanted me to fail. Perhaps even a worry you’d try to sabotage me or something.” I felt the heat rise to my cheeks. “That’s part of the reason I didn’t accept your help.”

  “Of course, I did. You were an outsider in the way of something I wanted.” His face grew serious. “But I never would have intentionally been the cause of that, Lemon. I don’t play like that.”

  “And how do you feel now?” I asked softly, titling my head to the side as I looked up at him. My throat tightened, my stomach full of butterflies. Suddenly, I wished I hadn’t asked, as his response had the ability to make or break me.

  “Now, well... I don’t mind you so much anymore.” His eyes were warm as they locked on me, only making my heart rate increase. After an intense stare off that spoke volumes, he cleared his throat. “So, Beau was your grandfather?”