The constant jingling of the bell continued.
“Welcome to Copper Mountain Chocolates,” Chantelle said.
A man in his early thirties walked in. His hair was light brown and curly. He carried a laptop bag on his shoulder. His suit and leather shoes looked expensive. She took a closer look. “Philippe?”
“Hello, cousin.” Sometimes he spoke French to her, but not now.
She ran around the front of the counter and hugged him. “What are you doing here?”
“I was worried about you after our last phone call. I spoke with Father. He agrees it’s time to bring you home.”
Chantelle inhaled sharply. “To France? Really?”
“Yes, really.” Philippe laughed. “How long until your shift ends?”
She glanced at the clock. “An hour.”
“I’ve checked into the same hotel. We’ll talk over dinner.”
He looked around. That was when she noticed Dakota and Nevada staring from where they sat.
“A quaint shop,” Philippe said. “Is York here?”
The two sisters exchanged a curious glance.
Chantelle shook her head. “He’s off today.”
Sage walked out from the back. “Sounds like a party in here.”
“Sorry. My cousin just surprised me.” Chantelle was still standing in front of the display case. “This is Philippe Delacroix. Philippe, this is Sage Carrigan O’Dell. She owns Copper Mountain Chocolates. Dakota and Nevada Parker, York’s sisters, are the ones at the table.”
“The pleasure is mine, ladies.” Philippe gave a slight bow. He might be a workaholic, but he had manners. “Chantelle has told me wonderful things about your shop and its delicious chocolates, Sage. I can’t wait to try your single-origin bar.”
Sage’s smile spread. “Thank you. That’s a customer favorite. Your cousin has been a tremendous help to us while another employee is on maternity leave.”
“She has the chocolate touch,” Philippe joked.
That earned him an elbow from Chantelle.
“Where are you from?” Sage asked.
Phillipe picked up a copper box of chocolates. “Bayonne, France.”
“Delacroix.” Sage’s forehead creased. “Delacroix Chocolates?”
“My father is Laurent Delacroix,” Philippe said without missing a beat.
“Chantelle is your cousin?” Sage asked.
Phillipe nodded. “Her mother, Marie, was my father’s sister.”
Sage looked at Chantelle. “You said the lavender-infused chocolate was your mother’s recipe.”
“Yes,” Chantelle said. “I grew up making chocolates with her. She taught me everything I know.”
“You might have picked up a few things at the chocolate academy.” Philippe’s tone was lighthearted.
“Maybe a few.” Chantelle smiled up at him.
“Why didn’t you say anything about being a Delacroix?” Sage asked.
Chantelle shrugged. “I wanted to make a name for myself and earn respect on my own in the industry, not take advantage of my connection to Delacroix Chocolates. I’ve always gone by Cummings. That was my father’s last name.”
Sage’s face paled. “Delacroix Chocolates has been buying recipes from independent chocolate producers.”
“Yes,” Philippe said. “But we won’t tempt you with a purchase offer. I doubt we could afford your price.”
“You couldn’t, and the only way you’d know that is from your cousin.” Sage pinned Chantelle with a glare. “You took this job to find out information on my shop.”
Chantelle stiffened. “I helped out that first day because of Portia. You asked me to stay on.”
Sage’s lips narrowed. “Something I would have never done if I thought you’d be spying on my business.”
“My cousin doesn’t spy,” Philippe countered. “She researches—”
“Semantics,” Sage cut him off.
Chantelle didn’t understand why Sage was so angry. “Normally, I visit a shop and do my research that way. But working here didn’t give me any secret insider knowledge. I did have the opportunity to ask more questions, but I could have done that during a visit. You don’t share your process or recipes with employees.”
Sage’s lips narrowed. “A good thing I don’t or who knows what might have been passed on to Delacroix Chocolates.”
Chantelle had to force air into her lungs. “I would never steal from you or anyone. Not ever.”
“My cousin is not a thief. Delacroix Chocolates’ recipes have been created in our laboratory or purchased legally for a more-than-fair price.” Philippe’s hand rested on Chantelle’s shoulder. “My father and I were thrilled when Chantelle told us she’d be helping here. Not for your recipes, but because Copper Mountain Chocolate has a reputation for excellent customer service. All Delacroix factory employees are required to work in one of our retail stores to understand the importance of making a quality product. We felt her experience here would greatly benefit Chantelle.”
“Please get Chantelle’s things from her cubby,” Sage said to Dakota, who made a beeline for the back. She returned with a purse and jacket.
Chantelle took the items and clutched them to her chest. “I wasn’t trying to hurt you, Sage. I love working here. I didn’t think my family mattered.”
“It matters a lot.” Sage took a deep breath. “You betrayed our trust and friendship by not telling us the truth about why you were here or who you really are.
Standing next to Sage, Dakota pursed her lips. “You should contact your attorney, Sage, and see what he thinks about this.”
Chantelle’s entire body tensed. “I don’t understand.”
Philippe put his arm around her. “Why would a lawyer get involved?”
Dakota stared down her nose at them. “Corporate, or perhaps this would be economic, espionage.”
Chantelle’s mouth gaped. She couldn’t believe York’s sister was saying this. About her.
“I didn’t. I wouldn’t.” Chantelle dug her fingers into Philippe’s arm.
Nevada walked over. “That’s a serious charge, Dakota. Why don’t we all take a step back for a minute?”
Chantelle found herself nodding.
“Espionage is a serious charge. As I said earlier, that is not how Delacroix Chocolates operates.” The smile had vanished from Philippe’s face. Hard lines now appeared. He stepped directly in front of Chantelle as if to shield her. “If anyone chooses to pursue this ridiculous claim, do know we are a billion-dollar multinational corporation with our own team of legal experts on staff. Making unfounded accusations against a well-respected company and an individual who is an industry expert will be costly.”
Phillipe’s sharp and precise tone made his threat clear: The Delacroix family had deep pockets. If anyone came after Chantelle or their company with an unfounded lawsuit, a countersuit would be filed. The legal fees would be astronomical.
“Please go,” Sage said.
Chantelle glanced at Dakota, who glared at her, and then at Nevada, who offered a look of sympathy.
Philippe escorted Chantelle out of the shop. As the bell jingled, she felt a deep sense of loss. She’d thought of Copper Mountain Chocolates as a home away from home. And now…
Philippe kept his around her. “You’re trembling.”
“Sage and Dakota hate me.”
“Emotions are running high. That’s my fault. I should have waited until you were back at the hotel, but I wanted to see you.”
“You’re not the patient type.”
“I should have been today. For your sake.”
“Do you think Sage will listen to Dakota and call her lawyer?”
“No,” he said without any hesitation. “I wasn’t bluffing. We have the resources to drag out a lawsuit for years. Decades even. That was Dakota talking out of anger. She only works at the shop and was trying to present a united front with her boss. Don’t worry. Sage is a smart businesswoman. She won’t be calling her lawyer. Even if she
did, we have every report you’ve written. You may have had the opportunity to ask more questions at Copper Mountain Chocolates, but there is nothing confidential in what you provided us with.”
“There isn’t. I made sure of that.”
“You still cannot return to the chocolate shop. No matter what reason you might have, it’s not worth upsetting Sage and her staff. Do you understand?”
“I won’t go back.” Chantelle had no reason to return now. “I never meant to hurt anyone. I just wanted to do this on my own. Not rely on the Delacroix name.”
“I know, and you did it on your own. Brilliantly. Father and everyone at Delacroix is proud of you and can’t wait until you’re in charge of the laboratory.”
She froze. “What did you say?”
“Claude finally announced his retirement. It’s what Father has been waiting for so he could bring you on without making a loyal employee, one who has been like a brother to him, feel pushed out. You seemed so eager to learn more and prove yourself, so Father let you. But there needs to be a transition period with you and Claude working together. That means we need to get you to Bayonne sooner rather than later.”
“I-I don’t know what to say.”
“Not what you expected?”
“No, but thank you.” Still, a weight pressed down on her shoulders.
“Thinking about York?”
She nodded. “I don’t know what he’s going to say given how Dakota feels. It’s probably for the best. Uncle Laurent would never—”
“Father has no say in who you choose to date,” Philippe interrupted. “He just wants you to be happy. The same as I do.”
“But my mother—”
“Our grandfather didn’t forbid your mother from marrying your father. He only asked your mother that she and your father remain in Bayonne, but that wasn’t acceptable to your father. He wanted to live in the United States.”
Chantelle’s mouth gaped. She closed it.
“You didn’t know?” Philippe said.
Words wouldn’t come. She shook her head.
“Your parents told the family to stay away from you, so we did. I’d never seen Father as happy as he was when you contacted him. He’d been trying to do what he could from afar.”
Realization dawned. “The scholarship that came through at the last minute so I could finish college after my dad died.”
Phillipe nodded. “Father has been planning for your return since then. It was all he could do to let you go back to America when you visited us. He missed his sister so much, but he wanted to make sure living in Bayonne and working at the chocolate factory were what you wanted. Of course, he also didn’t want to hurt Claude, who stepped in after your mother left.”
Chantelle’s mind spun. “This is a dream come true. I wanted to prove myself and learn as much as I could.”
“You have. In so many ways. I’m a bit jealous, to be honest, but I’ll get over it.”
“You’d better.” A smile tugged at her lips. If only things could work out with York. Maybe they could. “I can’t wait to put this behind me and move to Bayonne.”
“There’s no reason to wait.”
“Weren’t you going to try to be more patient?”
“Yes, but I can patiently arrange for movers to pack up your apartment while you finish up here. I’m assuming you need to speak with York.”
“Yes, I do.” Though she had no idea what she would say.
“I’ll make some calls when we get back to the hotel.”
She hugged him. “Thank you, Philippe.”
“That’s what family is for.”
Yes, it is.
Chapter Twelve
Between Dakota and Nevada, York had an idea of what had happened at Copper Mountain Chocolates this afternoon. Dakota claimed Chantelle was a corporate spy who couldn’t be trusted and wanted them to agree to never see her again. Nevada thought emotions were high and things would settle down with time and reflection.
York had no idea which sister was correct in her assessment or if both were wrong. Time to find out for himself.
At the Graff Hotel, he knocked on Chantelle’s door.
She opened the door and motioned him into her room. “I’m so glad to see you.”
“Is it true?” That sounded like the most logical question to start with.
“What?”
“That you’re a Delacroix.”
She took a breath. “My mother was a Delacroix, yes, and so am I.”
Everyone knew Delacroix Chocolates. The blue-and-gold boxes were iconic. “Have you been spying for them?”
Hurt flashed in her eyes. “Is that what you think?”
“I have no idea, but Dakota is upset. Sage is, too. They feel betrayed. Lied to. And so do I.” York shifted his weight between his feet. He was hoping she would cower a bit and beg his forgiveness for what she’d done. That didn’t look likely. “You should have told me the truth about why you were in town.”
As Chantelle stepped toward him, the quiver of her bottom lip told him she wasn’t as strong as she appeared. “I came to Marietta to do a book signing and research Copper Mountain Chocolates for my uncle. This isn’t the first time I’ve done that, but it’s the first time I was asked to work at a shop. I only offered to help when Portia had to go to the hospital. Sage is the one who asked me to continue. I’m not a spy or a thief. Nothing in my report was confidential.”
A part of him wanted to believe her the way Nevada did. His younger sister’s logical mind had cut through the emotions and saw this as a failure to disclose information, not espionage. “You had the opportunity—”
“To what? Take pictures of the employees’ binder? Because that’s the only paperwork besides licenses and certificates in the shop.”
“Did you copy the binder?”
Chantelle’s mouth dropped open, and he regretted his question.
“Please tell me you’re kidding,” she said.
“I don’t know how I feel. I thought I knew you, but then I find out—”
“That I have family in France? I told you that. And that they were involved in chocolate. I only left off their name.”
“That’s the most important part,” he said. “There’s a fine line between research and spying when you’re working for the competitor.”
“Competitor?” She half-laughed. “I see you’ve taken Dakota’s side on this. You do realize that Delacroix Chocolates is a multinational brand worth billions, don’t you? Their competition isn’t a small shop in a tourist town. They were only looking at buying recipes. Legally. And I don’t work for them. Not yet anyway.”
“But you will.”
“Yes.” Chantelle’s gaze implored him. “I’m sorry you’re upset. Sage and Dakota, too. That was never my intention. Everyone’s acting like I put Sage’s secret recipes on the internet. I didn’t. Nor did I assume a fake identity or use a different name. I just didn’t mention my family in France.”
“That’s enough.”
“The only reason I stayed as long as I did was…”
“What?”
“You.” Chantelle moistened her lips. “I liked helping out at the shop, but I wanted to spend more time with you.”
A vice gripped his heart. “I want to believe you.”
“Then believe me.”
The muscles in York’s shoulders knotted. The way her voice cracked on that last comment had him reaching out, but he drew back his arm. He couldn’t be distracted.
York raised his chin. “I’m trying.”
“Do you truly believe I’m capable of spying on Copper Mountain Chocolates?”
The question wasn’t so easy to answer. He felt blindsided by what had happened and torn between Dakota and Chantelle. She’d been correct. He’d sided with his sister. Family first. What else could he do?
He took a breath and exhaled. The logical side of his brain seemed to be AWOL. “No. Yes. Maybe.”
The anguish on her face hit him like a punch to his stomac
h.
Guilt tasted like dirt in his mouth.
Part of him felt as if he should have known what was going on, asked more questions, and kept those closest to him from feeling so betrayed. But he never could have imagined this scenario playing out.
Not with Chantelle.
The other part of him felt raw and achy because he had feelings for her. But what did that mean now? The connection between them was strong, but there was no commitment on either side. They hadn’t known each other long, so what did she really owe him?
He brushed his hand through his hair. Trying to make logical sense out of this was impossible.
“I was hoping you wouldn’t need proof, but here you go.” Chantelle opened her laptop and pulled up a document. “Note the date. I’d only worked at the shop for three days before I sent this to my uncle. You worked with me for two of those shifts. I was with Sage for the other.”
He read the pages. Nothing was proprietary. No stolen recipes or product details. She hadn’t included any photos. Her insights into the lack of a contingency plan should something happen to Sage were spot on, but far from secret. Everyone, including customers, knew Sage guarded her recipes and made all the products herself.
Chantelle crossed her arms over her chest. “Do you believe me now?”
“You didn’t steal, but that doesn’t make hiding your family connection right. You should have been honest.”
“I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt anyone, especially you.”
She moved closer and touched his face. Her hand felt so good on him. He wanted to lean in and forget everyone else.
“I…I care about you,” she said with a voice full of emotion. “More than I thought possible, even though I know it’s not what you want.”
He cared about her, and she was right. He didn’t want to feel that way about anyone. Not right now. “Dakota said you’re moving to France.”
A world away from him. A weight pressed on his chest. Breathing hurt. He’d known they’d be going their separate ways, but he hadn’t wanted to think about it. Now, he didn’t have a choice.
“Working there is a dream come true.” Chantelle explained to him about her mother moving to America with her father and how Chantelle had reached out to the Delacroix family after her dad’s death. “The extended Delacroix family lives around Bayonne where the corporate headquarters are located. I’ll not only have a job, but a…”
The Chocolate Touch (Love at the Chocolate Shop Book 8) Page 16
