Sweet Dreams on Center Street

by Sheila Roberts

  “Are you sure you have to go?” Luke had asked when she stopped by Sweet Dreams to say goodbye to everyone. He’d walked her outside. Although her mother was waiting at the curb, the car engine idling, and people were passing on the street, it had felt like it was just the two of them standing here.

  “I’ve got my ticket,” she’d said.

  “You don’t have to use it.”

  “I have a life back in California.” Consisting of an ex-boyfriend who still tried to hit her up for money and a business she’d shut down. Some life.

  “Overpriced real estate and shallow people?”

  “You can find that anywhere.” And they weren’t all shallow. She’d met some great people in the City of Angels.

  “Not here,” he’d said. “Look, Cec, I know you made it pretty clear that you weren’t interested in starting anything, but I think we could be good together.”

  Luke needed a woman who would appreciate him, not a woman with a foolish heart who was constantly falling for bad boys, not a woman who was fed up with love and men. “I’ve got to go,” she’d said, and backed away. “Take care, Luke.”

  “He’s a nice man,” Mom had said as they drove off down the slushy street.

  “Yes, he is.”

  “He’s going to make some woman a wonderful husband.”

  “Yes, he is. I wish I knew someone for him.”

  “I do.”

  It had been impossible to misinterpret that motherly expression. “Not me.”

  “Why not? You’re a lovely woman, he’s a wonderful man.”

  “There’s just no chemistry,” Cecily had said with a shrug. Well, maybe a little, but not enough.

  “Maybe you haven’t spent enough time in the lab together. Feelings can grow.”

  So she’d heard.

  “After the big city, Icicle Falls must feel ridiculously small, but the people who live in it all have big hearts. I think it did you good to get away, but maybe it would do you even more good to come back.”

  Cecily hadn’t said anything to that and Mom let the subject drop. Their conversation turned to other topics as they drove over the pass, but her mother’s words lingered at the back of her mind.

  Once she was in L.A. she’d pack up and sell her condo. And then what? She had no idea. What did she want to be when she grew up? And where did she want to be?

  She wanted to be in Icicle Falls. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed the place until she’d returned and gotten involved.

  Everyone says you can’t go home, she reminded herself as her plane touched down in sunny California. But she wanted to. Wanted to indulge her creativity and spend time with her mother, wanted to start her mornings with lattes from Bavarian Brews or stop by Gingerbread Haus to sample Cass’s cookies.

  The plane finally taxied to a stop and cell phones went on all around her. The whole plane buzzed as people told loved ones they’d arrived safely, took their luggage off the racks and began to jostle their way off the plane. Everyone had somewhere to go, someone waiting for them, and she felt oddly alone in that crowd.

  She couldn’t help remembering the fun she’d had planning the Mr. Dreamy contest, of the nice people she’d met while working at Zelda’s. (What was so wrong with being a restaurant hostess, anyway?) She remembered that dance with Luke at the ball. And, unbidden, Todd Black’s smirking pirate face came to mind.

  Here she was in a big, exciting city and all she could think about was a small town nestled in the mountains. But there was nothing for her to do there, no real way to make a living and build a future.

  Just get on with your life, she told herself as she picked up her luggage from baggage claim.

  * * *

  Just get on with your life, Samantha told herself as she hung up the phone. Tears sprang to her eyes. Sorry, Great-grandma. I tried, I really did.

  At least it looked as if her company might end up in good hands. If the Elegance Chocolates people liked what they saw when they came up on Friday.

  What was not to like? They were getting a fabulous company at a bargain price. Yes, the past year had been a bit of a mess, but she’d sent them the financials for the past five. Anyone with a head for business could see this was a temporary blip.

  She’d been assured her people would be able to keep their jobs. The only one out of a job would be her. She could hardly stand to think of someone else coming in and taking over Sweet Dreams but that was exactly what would happen. After a brief transition period, she’d be history. The Elegance executives would, naturally, want to move in their own person to run the company. She knew that without even asking. A new broom sweeps clean. Out with the old, in with the new.

  She’d never thought of herself as old before, but in this instance that was exactly what she was. You did the right thing, she reminded herself. If Elegance took over the company, all would end well. Yes, Sweet Dreams would be no more, but their chocolates would live on and her employees would still have jobs. That was what mattered. As for her, she’d do…something.

  And speaking of that, what would she do if, after seeing it, the Elegance people decided they didn’t want her company? She felt sick.

  Elena buzzed her. “Blake Preston is here to see you.”

  That didn’t make her feel any better. This was how it felt to be dying in the desert with the vultures circling. Well, we’re not dead yet. She set her jaw. “Send him in.”

  He entered her office like a man on a mission. “Blake, I don’t know what you’re doing here but I still own this company till the end of the month,” she said.

  He smiled at that. “Till the end of the month and beyond,” he corrected her, and laid a check on her desk.

  “What’s this?”

  “It’s about keeping a family company where it belongs—with the family who started it.”

  She felt like Alice after she’d tumbled down the rabbit hole. “I don’t understand.”

  “Merry Christmas early, or happy Valentine’s Day late. Or whatever you want to call it,” Blake said, and nudged the check closer to her.

  She picked it up and stared at it. What in the name of— “A personal check?”

  “All you have to do is endorse it and deposit it. I’ll expect you in tomorrow.” He turned to leave.

  “Wait.” She jumped up from her desk and ran to him. “But where did you get this kind of money?”

  “Does it matter?”

  “I need to know,” she insisted. How on earth had he come up with it?

  “Let’s just say I used my bank connections,” he said.

  Her brows knit. “What do you mean?” Suspicion turned to horrified understanding. “Tell me you didn’t take out a loan.”

  He shrugged. “Even bank managers can qualify for employee loans. I should have thought of it sooner. My only excuse is that there was no way I could come up with what you needed at first, so this wasn’t even an option. But after you left for California I got thinking and realized that, thanks to the festival, we were down to a number I could manage.”

  It was still a huge amount and a huge commitment, and she couldn’t, with a clear conscience, let him make that kind of sacrifice. “I can’t accept this,” she said, holding out the check.

  “Why not?” The look in his eyes lit those sparklers inside her.

  “It’s too much.”

  “Yeah? You’re saying your company isn’t worth saving?”

  “I’m already saving it. I�
�m going to sell it to Elegance.”

  He nodded, apparently thinking that over. “I assume they make good chocolate.”

  “Fabulous,” she said, struggling to keep her voice even.

  “Is that what you want, Samantha?” he asked softly.

  “Of course it’s not what I want,” she cried, “but I can’t just take money from you.”

  “Can you take a personal loan from a friend?”

  How she needed a friend! She bit her lip.

  He took a step closer. “From a friend who would maybe, someday, like to be more?”

  “I…don’t know.” Were there conditions that came along with this loan? Would he want to run her company? Expect her to sleep with him? Hmm. Would that last condition be so bad?

  “There are no strings attached,” he said as if reading her mind. “I think you can rebuild this company and that will be good for the whole town. If you’re uncomfortable with doing this on just a handshake we can draw up a contract. Either way, that money is yours. I went into banking to help people, and there’s no one I’d rather help more.”

  “I can’t believe I’m hearing this,” she said. She had to be dreaming. Where was Great-grandma Rose with more recipes?

  “I told you, Samantha, I’m not your enemy.”

  Her mind was a Tilt-a-Whirl, sending thoughts zooming in all directions. She’d tried so hard to keep this company, run down every blind alley she could find, and in the end her solution was as simple as someone unexpected coming through for her? How could that be? “I don’t know what to say.”

  “How about thank you?” he teased.

  “Thank you,” she said, and burst into tears.

  He gathered her in his arms and she felt his lips brush the top of her head. How wonderful it was to be held by her archenemy. Make that former archenemy, she corrected herself.

  “There is one more thing you could say,” he murmured.

  “What?”

  “That you’ll go out with me.”

  Now she was crying and laughing. “I might have some free evenings on my calendar.”

  They sealed the deal with a kiss, a big juicy, melt-your-panties kiss. Oh, yes, there was something better than chocolate and Blake had just given her a very nice sample of it.

  He suddenly turned serious. “I do have a confession to make.”

  Uh-oh. Samantha braced herself. “What’s that?”

  “I’m allergic to chocolate.”

  She gaped at him. “Those chocolates I brought you?”

  “My gram’s book club loved ’em. Everybody loves Sweet Dreams chocolates.”

  “Except you.” How ironic.

  He grinned. “That’s okay. I’m more interested in the woman who makes them.”

  And to prove it, he kissed her again.

  “So when do you think you might be open to that date?” he said after they’d come up for air.

  “Oh, maybe as soon as I call Mom and my sisters and tell them the good news,” she said with a grin.

  She called Cecily first. Her sister was happy for her but didn’t sound all that surprised. “I just had a feeling,” she said.

  “What else have you got a feeling about?” Samantha asked, smiling at Blake.

  “Well, I’ve got a strong feeling that Blake is still there with you. Am I right?”

  “Oh, yeah. By the way, we’re going to be pretty busy rebuilding the company and I could use help with the marketing and advertising. I know you’ve got a life down there but I’d love to have you back here. I don’t suppose I could talk you into coming home?”

  “I don’t suppose you could keep me away,” Cecily replied.

  Oh, yes, life was looking good.

  * * *

  Samantha and Blake celebrated by going to dinner at Zelda’s. “Are you having dessert?” Maria asked.

  Samantha smiled at Blake. “Yes, but not here.”

  Maria, no fool, cracked, “Let me guess. You’re going someplace for chocolate kisses?”

  “Something much better,” Samantha said with a grin.

  * * *

  Muriel was walking on Lost Bride Trail with both her husbands. “It looks like Sweet Dreams will be around for a long time,” she told them. “Samantha saved it.”

  “That takes a load off my mind,” Waldo said.

  “Mine, too,” Stephen agreed. “The only thing that would please me even more is to know that she’s found someone who can make her happy.”

  “I think she has,” Muriel said.

  He smiled. “I’m glad to hear it.” He looked up the path. “We have to go now. Will you be all right?”

  She smiled at both of them. “Yes, I will. You two go on ahead. I’ll be fine here.”

  They both kissed her and then walked up the path. She stood watching until a mountain mist swallowed them.

  She awoke to find herself alone in her bed, morning sunlight filling her bedroom. She smiled, then threw off the covers. It was a new day.

  * * *

  May had arrived and the countryside was lush and green with vineyards come back to life and blossoming fruit trees. This particular Saturday was a perfect day for a hike, all blue sky and sunshine.

  Blue skies or no, Samantha had planned to get caught up on her laundry and maybe clean her apartment. And she said as much to Blake when he suggested a hike. Cleaning had never sat high on her priority list but these days, between running Sweet Dreams and spending her free hours with Blake, it never happened. If she didn’t do something soon, her condo was going to be condemned by the board of health.

  “Come on, babe. On a day like this, that stuff can wait.”

  When he put it that way… “I’ll get my camera,” she said.

  Two hours later they were on Lost Bride Trail, the sun warm on their shoulders, the thunder of the falls promising a stunning view right around the bend. Normally it wasn’t a two-hour hike to the falls—unless you stopped frequently to take pictures. Or kiss.

  “I remember hiking up here when I was a Boy Scout,” Blake said. “I guess I’ve come full circle.”

  “Only without the boys,” Samantha said.

  “I like girls better.” And to prove it he drew her to him.

  As always, contact with that big, football-player body of his set off a thousand sparklers inside her.

  He smiled down at her. “Have I told you recently how amazing you are?”

  “Oh, you’re only saying that ’cause it’s true,” she quipped.

  “Yeah? How do you know I’m not just saying it to protect my investment?”

  The answer to that was easy. The hungry glint in his eyes betrayed him.

  He touched his lips to hers and threaded his fingers through her hair and that ended the joking. They got serious.

  After a long delay they finally made it to the falls. “Look at that,” she said. “Gorgeous.”

  “I’ll say,” he agreed.

  She turned to see he wasn’t admiring the falls at all, and that glint was back in his eyes, promising another lengthy delay before they started back down the trail. “Here,” he said, “give me the camera. I’ll take your picture.”

  She handed it over.

  “Pretend you’re searching for the lost bride,” he said.

  “Oh, that’s B.S.” She’d seen the lost bride and…well, here she was with Blake. Still.

  “Come on, be a sport,” he coaxed.

  “Oh, all right.” She turned and shaded her eyes as if she were,
indeed, searching.

  And that was when she saw the figure of a woman flitting behind the waters. The hairs on her neck stood on end and she gasped.

  “That’s perfect,” Blake said. “Got it.”

  She turned back to him, wide-eyed. “Did you get her?”

  “Get who?” he asked, puzzled “Oh, yeah. Ha, ha.”

  “No. Really. She’s right there.” Samantha followed the direction of her pointing finger and saw…nothing. “She was there. I saw her.” She took the camera and flipped back to the shot. There was only one woman in it, one crazy woman.

  Now Blake was staring at her earnestly. “Did you see her?”

  Well, that was the power of suggestion for you. She shook her head and blew off the legend of the lost bride with a flick of her hand. “Nah. It must have been a shadow.”

  Or a promise of things to come.

  Epilogue: Dreams Coming True

  The much-anticipated episode of All Things Chocolate aired on the Food Network the following week. The Sterlings had a viewing party, squeezing as many friends as possible into Muriel’s new digs—Pat’s charming little cottage overlooking Ed York’s vineyard.

  “I must say—and I don’t say this very often—these chocolates are to die for,” said Mimi LeGrande, holding up one of Samantha’s new creations. “But I think I can guarantee you’ll die with a smile on your face.”

  Everyone applauded as she put in a plug for visiting the Sweet Dreams shop and Icicle Falls.

  “You did it, Sammy,” Bailey said. “You saved us.”

  “No,” Samantha corrected her. “We all did it.”

  “Thank God,” Ed murmured. “And this.” He waved a hand in the direction of the TV. “This should bring in a ton of orders.”

  “And visitors,” Olivia added. “I bet we’ll have twice as many people at the chocolate festival next year,” she predicted gleefully.

  “Let’s not rush our festivals,” Ed told her. “We still have an Oktoberfest to put together.”

  With Mom and Cecily involved, Samantha suspected it would be spectacular.