by Diane Kelly
When the two returned to the cabin, she unlocked the doggie door and let Flurry and Zamboni outside to relieve themselves. While she put the groceries away and dried off the dogs when they came back inside, Jeremy whipped up a batch of hot chocolate, adding the usual splash of rum.
“Here you go,” he said, holding out a mug to her.
“Thanks.”
Their fingers brushed against each other as she reached out to take it from him. She wondered how those same fingers might feel caressing her cheek, stroking her hair, or . . . Better not go there.
She looked up to find Jeremy’s pointed gaze locked on her face. He read my thoughts, didn’t he? A hot blush seared her cheeks, as warm as the steaming cocoa in her hand. Before she had time for coherent thought, she heard herself say, “It’s been an exhausting day. I’m going to take the cocoa to my bedroom.” She turned to go without daring to look back.
“Goodnight, ‘Lise,” Jeremy called after her.
Was it just her imagination, or did he sound disappointed?
It took Annalise forever to fall asleep that night, and when she did she slept fitfully, too many questions ping-ponging around in her mind. How bad will tomorrow’s storm be? What will become of Sappy Pappy’s syrup company? How does Jeremy feel about me? It didn’t help that the cuckoo clock went off every hour, too. Cuckoo! Cuckoo!
She woke the next morning with a crick in her neck but no answers. Ugh. she took a quick shower and dressed in long underwear, snow boots, jeans, and a sweater, preparing for the extra-cold temperatures predicted for later today. After fixing her hair and makeup, she went to the kitchen. As she passed Jeremy’s bedroom, she heard his shower running and had to force her mind off the thought of his wet, naked body and on to breakfast.
In the kitchen, she found the coffee pot brewing and the dogs eating kibble from their bowls. Looked like Jeremy had beat her to it. But at least she could fix them something to eat.
As the coffee gurgled, she set about making pancakes, realizing it was the first time she’d ever made them herself. Pappy had always made them for her before. Nobody made them better than Pappy, either. She knew he substituted applesauce for eggs and added vanilla, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon, but she wasn’t sure of the exact proportions of spices. She decided to go for three dashes of each. As the griddle warmed on the stove, she stirred the ingredients in a large bowl, then ladled out enough to make a good-sized pancake. Pappy had never scrimped and neither would she. When bubbles formed and the edges looked done, she flipped it over. She made another, then another, until she had a sizable stack.
Jeremy entered the kitchen ten minutes later, dressed in his usual boots, jeans, and flannel shirt, his dark hair still damp from the shower. Damn, he looks delicious. She could hardly believe she was thinking sexy thoughts on an empty stomach, but she couldn’t help herself.
“Good mornin’.” His eyes moved from her to the pancakes and coffee on the table. “Those pancakes look great.”
“I hope they’re as good as Pappy’s,” she said as she took a seat. Unfortunately, they weren’t. Her first bite told her she’d gotten something wrong. They were too thick, too heavy on the ginger. Warm tears welled in her eyes. Why hadn’t she asked Pappy for his recipe? She’d known he couldn’t live forever, and now he’d taken his pancake recipe to the grave with him. She’d never be able to make his special pancakes for her children and grandchildren now. How could she have been so shortsighted? “They don’t taste right.”
When a tear fell from her face to her plate, Jeremy reached over with his strong, warm hand once again. He lifted her chin and used his rough thumb to wipe a tear from her cheek. “No need to cry,” he said softly. “Pappy made sure I had his recipe.”
Annalise felt her spirits brighten. “He did?”
“Yup.” Jeremy stood, gathered their plates, and dumped the pancakes into the garbage can before turning back to Annalise. “He said if something happened to him, he wanted someone to have it. Want me to show you?”
“Heck, yeah!” She was out of her seat in an instant, blinking away what remained of her tears.
Jeremy rinsed out the bowl she’d used and fixed a fresh batch of batter to Pappy’s exact standards, telling her the proportions as he added each ingredient. Annalise jotted them down in her cell phone’s note app.
“Take a seat,” Jeremy said, gesturing to the table. “I’ll bring them to you.”
She returned to her chair and sipped her coffee while he flipped the pancakes on the griddle. When he brought her plate a few minutes later, she looked down to find a stack of heart-shaped pancakes, just like the ones Pappy used to make. Fresh tears formed in her eyes, though these were happy ones. Pappy’s legacy would live on.
Annalise grabbed the bottle that featured her Pappy’s cartoon face and doused the pancakes with enough Sappy Pappy’s Pure Maple Syrup to fill a bathtub. Taking her first bite, she moaned in pleasure. “Pure bliss.”
“Glad you like them.” Jeremy grinned and dug into the pancakes on his own plate.
Annalise dabbed syrup from her lips with a napkin. “Pappy could have made a fortune if he’d boxed his pancake mix.” She could see it now, Pappy’s caricature smiling at her from a box of Sappy Pappy’s Pure Bliss Pancake Mix.
Jeremy stopped with his fork halfway to his mouth. “I think you’re on to something, Annalise. You always were good at business.”
Although she appreciated the compliment, she shrugged. “If Pappy’s will says the company should be sold, it won’t matter how good my idea was.” Surely his trademark would be sold along with it.
Cuckoo! Cuckoo! Annalise nearly leaped out of her skin when the cuckoo clock on the wall behind her sounded, telling them it was eight o’clock now and time for them to get moving.
Jeremy chuckled at her reaction. “My offer still stands. Just say the word and I’ll smash that thing to bits.”
“Tempting,” Annalise said as she rounded up their plates and carried them to the sink.
CHAPTER TEN - JEREMY
Tempting. That’s how he’d describe Annalise. And the longer she was here, the harder he was finding it to resist temptation. Maybe he should just stop trying and make a move.
But what if she rejected him? What if she really did think of him only as some type of extended family member or friend? He’d be humiliated, that’s what, and it would make things unbearably awkward between them. Still, it might be worth the risk given that she planned to return to California soon. If he made a fool of himself by putting his heart on the line, as least they could make a clean break. But then she might not even come back to visit the dogs. The thought of her going away forever made the heart she’d stolen from him feel frozen solid. He’d rather have her as a friend, or even a surrogate cousin, than not have her in his life at all.
They drove into Thief River Falls, stopping in front of a one-story brick building in the small downtown area. The attorney’s office took up the left half of the building. The right side was occupied by a children’s dental practice. A young boy with white-blond hair exited the building with his mother. His cheeks puffed out with gauze, and he clutched a blue helium balloon in his hand. Cute kid. Lucky one, too. Jeremy’s mother hadn’t once taken him to the dentist. Pappy, however, had spent a small fortune getting Jeremy’s teeth fixed. Jeremy had hated wearing the head-gear, braces, and retainer, but he knew better than to complain. The Sorensens were doing him a huge favor and he knew it. If not for them he’d look like a jack o’ lantern.
He cut the engine, climbed down from the truck, and circled around to the passenger side. Annalise had already hopped out and met him at the front fender. At least she let him hold the door for her as she stepped into the foyer. He took a seat while she made her way to the reception desk.
“Hi,” Annalise said to the gray-haired woman sitting there. “I’m Annalise Quimby. We have an appointment with the attorney to discuss my grandfather’s will.”
We? Jeremy had only meant to give her a ride, no
t to butt into her private business. Pappy Sorensen had done more than enough for Jeremy in his lifetime, and they weren’t technically family. He didn’t expect Pappy to leave him anything. But when the receptionist stood to lead her back to the lawyer’s office, Annalise turned to Jeremy and motioned with her hand for him to follow.
“Are you sure you want me in there?” he asked.
“Of course,” she said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
The woman led them down the hall to an office occupied by a white-haired man who appeared to be in his early sixties. He stood and shook their hands. “Have a seat,” he said, gesturing to two wing chairs.
Once they sat, he opened a file on his desk and pulled out two copies of Pappy’s will, retaining another copy for himself. He handed one copy to Annalise, the other to Jeremy, and sat back in his chair. “As you’ll see when you peruse the document, Mr. Sorensen left fifty-thousand in cash to his daughter, and directed that all other cash and proceeds from the liquidation of his investments be distributed to a variety of charities.”
None of that surprised Jeremy. Pappy would want to acknowledge his only offspring with a bequest, while making sure the rest of his money was used to make the world a better place.
The attorney crossed his hands over his belly. “As far as the cabin, the land, and the syrup factory, he left all of that to the two of you.”
“He did?” they asked in unison.
He waved a finger at the paperwork in their hands. “It’s right there on page five. You two now own the home, land, and the Sappy Pappy company in equal shares.”
Whoa. The cabin was of modest size, somewhat outdated, and probably wasn’t worth a lot. It made a fine home nonetheless. But the land and company? They would probably be valued in the high six figures, maybe even more than a million dollars.
I’m wealthy, Jeremy realized. It felt strange. And exciting. And overwhelming. The fact that Pappy trusted Jeremy with the assets he’d valued most made Jeremy feel proud. It also made him feel anxious. What had Pappy expected Annalise and Jeremy to do with the cabin and company?
Jeremy cut a sideways look at Annalise. She, too, appeared overwhelmed. Clearly she hadn’t expected to receive such a windfall, either.
“Joint ownership can present a multitude of problems,” the attorney continued, his eyes going from Annalise to Jeremy. “I advised Pappy against the arrangement, suggested he direct for the properties to be sold with the proceeds split between you. But you know how Pappy was. When he got something in his head there was no budging him. He insisted that you two share these particular assets. He said you both had good heads on your shoulders and would figure things out together.”
Figure things out? Together? Jeremy and Annalise exchanged tentative glances.
“The way I see it,” the attorney continued, “you have three options. The first is that one of you can buy the other out, assuming either of you has the cash to do so or the credit to swing a loan. The second is that you can sell the company.”
When the attorney paused, Annalise prompted him. “You said we had three options. What’s the third?”
“You could run the company yourselves. Assuming you’re willing and able, of course.” The attorney raised a noncommittal shoulder. “It would be a lot of responsibility for people your age.”
Run the company themselves? Was that a real possibility? That thought also made Jeremy feel anxious and excited.
“Jeremy’s been the head of operations for a while,” Annalise chimed in. “I know how to run the business end of things, but I live in California.”
The attorney ducked his head in acknowledgment. “There’s a lot to consider. Give it some thought over the next few days. When you two decide what you want to do, let me know. I’d be happy to draft any contracts for sale, deed transfers, or whatever you might need.”
“Thanks.” Annalise stood. “We’ll be back in touch as soon as possible.”
The attorney walked them back to the reception area and shook their hands again as he bade them farewell.
The two scurried back to the truck and climbed in. Once inside, Jeremy leaned toward the window and looked up at the sky, which had grown even darker. The wind had kicked up, too, blowing snow in strong gusts that rocked his truck on its frame, causing it to creak.
Jeremy turned to Annalise. “What are you thinking?”
CHAPTER ELEVEN - ANNALISE
What was she thinking? Her head was spinning too much for coherent thought. “It’s too much to wrap my head around yet.”
“Yeah,” Jeremy replied. “It is.”
One of the things she liked about working with numbers is that they provided a clear, black and white picture. People and words could be tricky or misleading or subject to misinterpretation, but numbers were plain and simple. And now, numbers could help them decide what to do. “Let’s go back to the office,” she suggested. “We’ll need to take a look at the financial records, figure out what the company is worth. After we get the data and information pulled together, we’ll be in a better position to evaluate our options.”
Jeremy started the engine. “Sounds like a plan, boss.”
He drove them back to Sappy Pappy’s headquarters. The only vehicles in the parking lot were the three delivery trucks. Given the incoming storm, Jeremy had told the men to stay home today. No sense putting them at risk. With the syrup factory and office located only a quarter mile from the cabin, she and Jeremy could safely drive back home before the full force of the storm hit.
She sat down in the comfy high-back chair behind Pappy’s desk, rounded up a pencil and legal pad from a drawer, and logged into the bookkeeping system. Jeremy retrieved his rolling chair from his office and pulled it up next to her, so close she could smell the woodsy scent of his soap. He smelled clean and fresh and manly. How she’d love to curl up against him and breathe him in more deeply. But this was no time for romance. This was time for business.
As snow and sleet pelted the windows, she went through the accounts one by one, making notes regarding the cost of the equipment and building, the sales figures and profit margins, the payroll numbers. Jeremy looked over her shoulder, occasionally asking a question. What’s the difference between gross income and net profits? Why did the building account show a depreciated value of zero when the structure had actually maintained its value? What was FUTA tax?
Ten minutes in, Jeremy tossed up his hands and sat back in his chair. “I give up. All of this is gibberish to me.”
She turned her head his way. “I’d never know how to calibrate a bottling machine like you do, or fix an evaporator. We all have our skills. I’m good with numbers and you’re good with your hands.”
A sly smile curved his mouth. “That’s true. My hands are quite talented.” He held them up, wiggling his fingers and wagging his brows.
She rolled her eyes at his silly suggestiveness, though at the same time she found herself wondering just how talented those hands and fingers might be . . .
She pushed those thoughts aside. There was no time for thoughts like that. She needed to keep her mind on the business at hand, which was figuring out what to do with the syrup company. Fortunately, she and Jeremy had the complementary skills needed to keep the business up and running until they could determine what to do. But they’d have to figure it out quick. She had only ten days left before her leave ran out and she’d be due back at work in Los Angeles.
While Jeremy returned to his office to reschedule the deliveries that had been canceled today, she turned back to the financial records. According to the data, Sappy Pappy’s had just wrapped up an especially good year. Of course Pappy had shared this good fortune by giving his employees an even bigger year-end bonus than usual. He’d always said the employees should have a stake in the company. By basing the bonuses on net income, he’d encouraged the staff to work hard and use supplies and materials efficiently. It was a smart move, and a win for everyone. Annalise supposed she’d gotten her busines
s sense from Pappy. He always put people before profits and, ironically, that fact resulted in a better bottom line. Happy employees were conscientious employees.
