There were a lot of things Leah was afraid of. Heights, spiders, bees, public humiliation…just to name a few. But her grams’ love for matchmaking was at the top of the list.
Leah could count on one hand the times Grams’ matchmaking schemes had failed in the past. That was how good her grandmother was.
Chapter Three
The ten minute walk to the Copper Mountain Chocolate shop took forever.
With Grams at her side talking incessantly about absolutely nothing and Wade trailing behind them, Leah felt each of those seconds stretch on until she was sure they’d never end.
Each time they passed someone in the street or waved to someone standing at their window looking out, Leah would hunch her shoulders and readjust her scarf so no one would recognize her.
“So it’s a plan then?” Grams nudged her in the side, a sly look in her eyes moments before she winked.
Leah didn’t like that look. She didn’t trust it. She’d seen that look in Grams’ eyes all too often, and it always meant she was up to no good.
“You know I wasn’t listening.” Leah’s face flushed…and not from the cold, biting wind either.
Wade chuckled behind them. She gave him a scathing glance over her shoulder while Grams tsked.
Wade stepped ahead of them to open the door into the shop. Immediately, the tantalizing aroma of chocolate wafted out the open door.
Leah breathed in deep the sweet smell. Her insides melted as the aroma of comfort hit home, and she couldn’t wait to sip the decadent treat. Dylan had brought her home a cup of the hot chocolate along with a box of Sage’s handmade truffles when she’d arrived. He’d warned her that after one sip, she’d never drink anything else.
He’d been right. One sip was all it had taken. How could she have forgotten how much she loved Sage’s cocoa?
If only Sage would sell her delectable goodness in powder form so she could make it at home once she left here. She’d be the world’s happiest woman.
Leah stomped the bright yellow rain boots she’d found in Dylan’s closet on the matt and unbuttoned her jacket before joining Grams at a table. Wade had disappeared back outside, muttering something about clearing the sidewalk.
“I wish you two would hurry and make up. I never did like it when you were at odds,” Grams said as she sat down.
Sage, the owner of the chocolate shop, came out from the kitchen area, tying on what looked like a fresh apron.
“Well, look who it is, Marietta’s long-lost daughter. About time you came in to say hi.” Sage walked out from behind the counter, arms opened wide to give Leah a hug.
“Good to see you, too.” Now this was Karma at her finest…having connections with one of the state’s best chocolate makers and being able to call her friend. “Dylan threatened to stop bringing your cocoa home for me if I didn’t come in to see you.”
“And so he should. This is normally the first place you come to when you get back in town, but what…how many days have you been home holed up in your brother’s house?” Sage held on to Leah’s shoulders, but rather than the condemnation or judgment Leah expected, she only saw compassion and friendship.
“Only one.” Leah soaked in what Sage was offering, and it felt good. Especially after her fear of receiving the exact opposite treatment.
“One is too long.” Sage pulled her in for another hug, squeezing tight before turning toward Grams.
“Now you are the last person I’d expect to see out in weather like this, Josie.” Sage held open her arms to give Grams a hug, this time. “It’s so good to see you though!”
“I was in the mood for a cup of your hot chocolate. Kathy keeps trying new recipes, but…” Grams shrugged before sitting down.
“So that’s why Kathy called this morning. She mentioned something about trying to put a smile on a cantankerous old woman’s face, but I had no idea she was talking about you,” Sage teased before she headed toward the back counter where her hot cocoa sat on a burner.
Leah followed Sage to the counter and watched as the woman stirred the drinking chocolate with a wooden spoon before filling two mugs.
“Don’t you skimp on that whipping cream, you hear?” Grams called out.
“Never.” Sage covered the large helping of whipped cream with fresh chocolate shavings before setting the two mugs on a tray.
“What would you recommend?” Leah couldn’t stop eyeing the chocolate display. “I’m torn between your truffles or your mint melts.”
“Try the truffles, considering I packed that box of chocolates with melts last night,” Sage said.
Leah looked up in surprise.
“Oh, come on. How else did you think I knew you were home? Your brother only ever buys two things when he comes in. Hot chocolate and haystacks.” Sage smiled. “I was hoping he was trying to impress a new date, but when I saw you walking with Josie and Wade, I figured he bought them for you.”
“Does my brother often buy his dates chocolates?” Leah couldn’t remember the last time Dylan told her he’d gone out with someone. He’d been engaged once, but he was left at the altar when his fiancé had gotten cold feet. But that had been almost ten years ago now.
“I don’t think I’ve seen that brother of yours on a date in years.” Sage handed Leah both a mint melt and a truffle, which she took willingly. “I think I’m a bit addicted to your melts.”
“Your brother says the same thing when it comes to my haystacks. Speaking of him dating, don’t you know anyone you could set him up with?”
Leah had just taken a bite of her chocolate when she paused, her hand slightly shaking. Did Sage know? Was that what she meant by her knowing anyone? Leah was just on Charmed, a reality television show with twenty other single women vying for the attention of one eligible bachelor. Obviously, she knew lots of somebodies, but…
The door to the shop opened, and Wade stepped in. “Sage, you’re all out of salt. I’m going to pop over to Big Z and grab a bag. Sound good?”
Leah avoided the glance he gave her as she took the tray of hot chocolates to the table.
“That would be great, Wade. Thank you. When you’re done, be sure to come in for a cup,” Sage said.
When Wade closed the door, Sage came over with a small plate of chocolates.
“Where’s Portia? Aren’t you supposed to be in the kitchen making those delicious treats of yours?” Grams looked around the small shop with a frown.
“She has a doctor’s appointment this morning, but she’ll be in later.” Sage busied herself with setting the plates on the table.
“Is everything okay?” The concern in Grams’ voice startled Leah. What was wrong with Portia?
“I guess we’ll have to wait and see.” Sage gave Grams a look full of misgiving and concern before forcing a smile on her face.
For a moment, Leah wanted to ask what was going on, but she bit her tongue. She had her own problems to deal with.
“That man of yours is pretty special.” Sage winked before she headed back toward her kitchen area.
“He’s not my man.” Leah swallowed hard as she reached for her hot cocoa.
Sage laughed. “Oh honey, of course he is. Regardless of what I read in that article, we all know you two belong to each other. You always have and you always will.”
Leah choked on the mouthful of cocoa.
“You read that garbage too, did you?” Grams frowned. “Why they’d print such trash is beyond me. Leah didn’t go on that show and should sue for defamation.”
Leah’s eyes widened.
Sage frowned.
Grams looked alarmed. “You didn’t go on that show. You told me so this morning,” she clarified.
The words were right on the tip of her tongue, but Leah couldn’t get them out, no matter how hard she tried.
“Of course she went on. It’s all in the news and magazines, Josie.” By now, Sage’s brows had knitted together whereas Leah knew she had the face of a kid caught in the middle of a lie.
“What
I said was I didn’t go on the show to find a husband.” Leah didn’t look at either women; she couldn’t. A knife twisted in her heart, the pain so awful all she wanted to do was run home and hide.
How could she explain to her grams why she’d gone on that show, especially when she’d known she shouldn’t have, yet did it anyway? Or that she knew Wade wasn’t her man, as Sage so deftly put it, primarily because when she admitted her feelings for him, he all but ran from her?
When Leah did manage to look up, Grams’ eyes were closed but her lips were moving a mile a minute in what Leah could only assume was a prayer for patience.
“Leah, child. Would you please explain to me why you would go onto such a cheesy show and make a fool of yourself like you did?” Grams straightened in her seat and placed her hands in her lap, as if waiting patiently for Leah’s answer, except Leah knew better.
Her grandmother never waited patiently for anything. If they weren’t here, in Sage’s shop, she’d be getting a major talking to that would no doubt leave her in tears. Grams hated half-truths more than she hated being lied to.
“I’m sorry, Grams.” Leah lowered her gaze again.
“Don’t apologize to me. I think you owe yourself and that man out there an apology. What were you thinking?” The disappointment in Grams’ gaze twisted the knife in Leah’s heart even more.
“I was thinking I was helping a friend. I was thinking it might help to get word out about my charity. I was thinking—”
“Sounds like you let that Betsy girl talk you into something you knew was a bad idea,” Grams said, interrupting her.
Leah shrugged. That about summed it up.
“So you weren’t on there looking for love?” Grams asked.
Leah shook her head.
“What about the things written about you?”
Leah sighed and reached for her cocoa. The taste was flat, almost bitter, but she knew that had everything to do with her mood and nothing to do with the cocoa itself. She pushed it away from her and stood.
“I’m going to head back home. Wade can walk you back, right?” She didn’t want to stay here anymore. She couldn’t.
The things written about her. They’d been hurtful. Mean. Mocking. They took one small scene, twisted by the producers to add more drama to an otherwise boring evening, and magnified it until it became all about her.
Lonely Leah.
She wanted to blame Betsy for what occurred that evening, but she couldn’t. She had only herself to blame.
Yes, she’d gone on that ridiculous dating reality show. Betsy had called, asked for the favor of a lifetime, and Leah had said yes. She’d promised Leah would only need to stay for one night, and then she could walk away.
Leah’s first instinct, of course, had been to say no. But when Betsy mentioned she’d make sure Leah got time to sit down with the eligible bachelor so she could talk about her story and her charity… Leah figured one night couldn’t hurt, right?
Especially since she’d basically just poured out her heart to Wade about being in love with him and he’d turned away from her.
What a fool she’d been. For so many reasons. For admitting her feelings. For going on that show. For listening to Betsy. For drinking and letting things go too far.
“Don’t run from me.” Grams reached out for Leah’s hand. “Sit, drink your cocoa and eat your chocolate. We’ll deal with this. I don’t understand a lot of things, but from the look on your face, I think you’re punishing yourself enough.”
Leah let Grams pull her back down to her seat. She wiped at the tears she hadn’t realized had fallen and took another sip of her cocoa.
It wasn’t so bitter this time.
“I might need another cup of this.” The corners of Leah’s mouth upturned into what she hoped resembled a smile. A fake smile, but a smile nonetheless.
“This is what love tastes like,” Grams said.
Leah’s brows furled. “Excuse me?”
“Didn’t you notice the plaque on the counter? It’s how they market their hot cocoa.”
Leah twisted in her seat to look. Sure enough, a sign was on the counter.
“Wade happens to love the cocoa, too,” Grams added.
“Don’t.”
One word. It was all Leah needed to say. Don’t. Don’t push this. Don’t force it. Don’t try to fix what’s already broken. Just don’t. She wasn’t sure she and Wade could get past what happened. How would they remain best friends after what happened? It was bad enough she’d poured out her heart to him and he rejected her, but then to do it on national television… She hadn’t just made a fool of herself, she’d made a fool of him, too.
Thank God she’d never said his name. It was only a matter of time, though, before the media figured it out and started harassing him.
He’d never forgive her.
“There is nothing you could have done that can’t be forgiven.”
With the precision she had once been known for when it came to darts, Grams unknowingly threw one aimed dead center at Leah’s heart.
Leah had come home with two fears.
Ruining everything with Wade, and Grams never forgiving her.
No matter what Grams just said, not everything would be forgiven once she found out the truth. And if she read more of those magazine articles, she’d known the truth soon enough.
“After everything you’ve been through together.” Grams squeezed Leah’s hand. “This is just another detour in the road toward your ever after.”
Leah looked over her shoulder toward the front window where Wade stood outside talking to Paul Zabrinski, the owner of Big Z hardware. It almost hurt to look at him, knowing he was out of reach. Why, why, why had she screwed things like she had?
“Things aren’t the same anymore, Grams.” Leah sighed. “A month ago, I told him how I felt and he shrugged me off.” Admitting that was hard.
Grams frowned. “You told him you loved him, and he shrugged you off? I find that hard to believe.”
“Regardless, it’s the truth.” Leah stared up at the ceiling as her eyes welled up with tears. She would not cry. She would not cry.
Grams handed her a napkin. Damned if it didn’t get wet as she dabbed at her eyes and cheeks.
“I do not want to cry, Grams. Please. Let’s talk about something else, okay? Better yet, let’s not talk. Drink your cocoa, and then I’ll walk you home.” Leah nudged Grams’ cup toward her before taking a gulp of her own warm cocoa.
“Don’t bother rushing me now. The key to enjoying this drink is to savor it, one sip at a time. You down that like it’s chocolate milk and you cheat yourself of the experience Sage has worked hard to create.” Grams shook her head with disappointment before she sipped her cocoa, giving Leah a pointed look as she did so.
Leah let out a long breath of air. She should know better than to rush her grandmother.
“What you need to do,” Grams looked out toward the window and then back to Leah, “is talk to that boy and get everything out in the open. Maybe he didn’t hear you. Maybe he misunderstood. Maybe—”
Leah barked out a laugh. “Oh, he heard me all right. Kind of hard to misunderstand the words I love you.”
“And he didn’t say it back?” Grams’ eyes widened and her mouth opened into a perfect O shape.
Leah winced, shaking her head.
“That boy loves you more than life,” Grams said after a few moments. “I know it. You know it. He for sure knows it. This doesn’t make sense. Sit down with him, girl. Talk it out. This isn’t a drawn-out romance story, for Pete’s sake, where happily ever after could be possible after the first few chapters if only the author would make her characters talk. It’s life. Life can get messy and muddy and everything in between, but as long as there’s open communication between two people who love each other…anything can happen.” Grams glanced back out the window, her mouth twisted and her forehead creased before she shook her head.
“If you don’t talk to him, I sure will. I’ll g
ive him a good smack on the upside of the head while I’m at it, too,” Grams muttered.
Ack! That was the last thing Leah wanted.
“You’ll do no such thing. Let’s pretend I said nothing, okay? I’m only here for the week, just until things die down, and then I head back home to continue with my life. Hopefully, I’ll still have a job to go back to.” She whispered that last sentence.
She’d screwed up so many things in her life this past month, and she couldn’t blame it all on Charmed. It had started when she asked Wade if there was still a chance for them—told him she realized she was in love with him.
If only she could go back in time.
Chapter Four
“What is wrong with that woman?” Wade grumbled beneath his breath as he dug the shovel beneath a thick pile of snow, tossing it to the side. Leah had a way of getting under his skin, more so than any other woman he’d ever known.
It wouldn’t take him long to work up a sweat, so he unzipped his jacket to mid-chest and pushed his shoulder blades back, enjoying the way his spine cracked with his stretch.
Wade glanced over at the chocolate shop and studied Leah as she sat with Josie.
She looked good. More than good, even bundled beneath that extra-large jacket and thick scarf. He’d wanted to wrap her in a big bear hug, but he’d refrained once he caught the scared look in her eye. She’d reminded him of a rabbit he’d snared during that last hiking trip.
Why would she be scared of him?
He thought everything was fine between them. Sure, they hadn’t talked in a while, which was a bit uncharacteristic, but it wasn’t unusual either. Leah had just returned from speaking at various high schools across the country, and he’d been about to leave to take a few city folks on a weeklong hunting excursion. Their conversation had been odd, and then with her in the bathtub and all… She wasn’t upset with him about that, was she?
The whole time he’d been away, he’d had an inkling he was going to regret not calling her back. It was like an itch in the center of his back, right along the spine where he couldn’t reach—annoying and persistent. They’d known each other long enough that…
Charmed by Chocolate (Love at the Chocolate Shop Book 6) Page 3
