Brunch at Bittersweet Café

by Carla Laureano

  “Thanks, Reg. You know I owe you one.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I owe you like ten, so it’ll be a while before we’re even.” She smiled at Melody. “Have fun. There’s some snacks in the back if you get hungry before you get home.”

  Melody still felt slightly baffled as she left the outfitting room and followed Justin to an exit opposite the one they had come in. Like the back porch, the front had been cleared of snow, and a swath had been cut through the driveway out to a gate several hundred yards down the road. Justin jingled the keys and made for a black Jeep—a newer, nicer version of her own. “Want to drive?”

  “Not since I don’t know where we’re going yet.” She climbed into the passenger’s seat and twisted around to see if she could find the snacks Reggie had been talking about. They must be in the old-fashioned picnic basket on the backseat. She was about to peek inside when she glimpsed the two inner tubes shoved into the cargo area.

  “We’re going tubing?”

  “Yep. There’s a great place not far from here. You’re going to love it. And we’ll probably have it all to ourselves.”

  “But it’s Sunday and the weather is beautiful. People would be crazy to pass it up.”

  “What people?” Justin asked with a grimace. “Silverlark used to have a population of about three thousand, but a few years back, the only bridge connecting the town to the highway collapsed. They tried to get government funds to help with the rebuild, but it took so long to get under way that most of the small businesses had to close. The lodge is the only thing that’s remained open, but they lost all their tourist business. Reggie had the idea to open it for corporate events and fly the guests in.”

  “Which is why she owes you ten?” Melody guessed.

  “Exactly. She rented the plane; I flew the charter as a favor.”

  “Why not use yours? Did your dad not like the idea?”

  “Experimental planes can’t be used for anything but personal flying. This would technically be considered commercial since she was arranging the flights for guests, even if I wasn’t charging her.”

  “That’s really nice of you, Justin. How do you guys know each other in the first place?”

  “We went to college together. She was my calculus tutor.”

  “You must have been really bad at calculus if you were willing to do that kind of favor.” When Justin didn’t say anything, she narrowed her eyes at him. “You were dating. I can’t believe you just asked a favor of an ex-girlfriend to take another girl on a date!”

  He laughed. “It’s really not like that. We dated for a while, but there just weren’t any sparks. On either side. Decided the only reason we lasted as long as we did was because we were good friends. Didn’t seem any reason to ruin that.”

  Now Melody couldn’t help but look at Reggie in a different light, and she wasn’t sure if she liked the twinge of jealousy that surfaced. “I don’t believe you. She’s gorgeous.”

  He tugged a lock of Melody’s blonde hair. “Not my type.”

  It was clearly a dodge—Reggie would be any guy’s type—but the fact that he made the attempt was flattering. She relaxed into the neoprene-covered seat and watched out the window. They had to be somewhere remote, because not even a cursory attempt at clearing the snow had been made—only the red-and-white-striped stakes on either side marked the margins of the road. Justin navigated it as surely as he flew his plane, glancing occasionally at the GPS to make sure they were on the right track. And then he pulled over to the side and pointed out her window. A wide, white field stretched out beside the road, a mountain meadow ringed with trees, steep undulating slopes like a kid’s wavy slide smoothing the tree line down to the open area. “This is us.”

  Melody climbed out of the Jeep and sunk into snow nearly to her knees, suddenly glad for the loan of snow pants. The cold air bit into her skin and seared her lungs, and she tugged down her hat tighter over her ears. Justin pulled the two black inner tubes from the back of the Jeep and tossed her one, which she barely caught in midair. It was heavier than she expected, with handles and a tow strap attached.

  “Ready?” Justin asked.

  “I’m ready. In fact, I’ll race you. Go!” Melody took off before he could react, plunging into the snowy field. It was an ill-considered race, the furious pace she’d imagined more like a slog through molasses. She heard Justin’s laugh behind her, clearly amused at the attempt, but she refused to admit defeat, even when the altitude and the cold made her breath come hard and fast. By the time she reached the top of the hill, she was thoroughly winded.

  Justin climbed up beside her, not even out of breath. “I knew you were competitive, but I didn’t know you were crazy.”

  “There’s still a lot you don’t know about me.”

  “Like what?”

  “Like my mad tubing skills.”

  He threw back his head and laughed. “We’ll see. I’ll race you down.”

  “And what do I get if I win?”

  “A kiss.” His eyes sparkled with mischief.

  “And if you win?”

  “A kiss.”

  Melody narrowed her eyes. “Somehow I think you come out ahead in both these scenarios.”

  “If you really think I’m the one who comes out ahead, then I’ve been falling down on the job.” He flipped his tube over. “Ready?”

  “No, no. If I win, you have to haul me back up the hill in my tube.”

  Justin sighed. “Okay. Fine.”

  “Good. Set, go!” Melody threw herself onto the tube and let out a little scream when she took off far faster than she was expecting. The inner tube raced down the hill, getting air at the edge of each undulation. She gripped the handles for dear life, the grin on her face threatening to split her cold skin. When she reached the bottom a full second ahead of Justin, she threw her hands up in victory. “I won!”

  “You cheated.”

  She gave him her most innocent look. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I don’t cheat.”

  “Sure you don’t.” He winked at her and reached for the leash in the snow. “But lucky for you, I’m feeling charitable toward my little snow bunny today.”

  She gaped. “Snow bunny?”

  “If the pink pants fit . . .”

  Melody crossed her arms over her chest in mock petulance. “I was starting to feel bad about tricking you, but now I think I’ll just sit back and enjoy the ride.”

  He jerked the tube forward, and she grabbed on to the handles before she could tip. “Hey, be careful with the merchandise!”

  His laugh trailed back to her as he slowly climbed the hill, pulling her behind him without any seeming effort. The guy must spend all his free time working out on the road if he was this unaffected by exertion and altitude.

  “Okay back there, my queen?” Humor—and more than a little sarcasm—tinged his voice.

  “I was just thinking that those snow pants do absolutely nothing for your butt.”

  “But you were checking out my butt.”

  “I was trying, no thanks to you.” When he turned around in surprise, she just grinned and crossed her arms over her bulky jacket. He narrowed his eyes and hauled her the last dozen feet up the hill.

  And unceremoniously overturned the tube to dump her in the snow. She came up spluttering, covered in powder, ice crystals clinging to her hair. She wiped her face with the back of her hand and narrowed her eyes at him. “Oh, it’s on now.”

  He crouched down, like he was expecting an imminent snowball to the face, but she just smiled. “No, that would be too easy. I want you to wonder when I might get my revenge.”

  “You have a sadistic streak; do you know that?”

  “So I’ve been told. Because I’m going to enjoy trouncing you on this next run.”

  “This is supposed to be fun, Melody. It doesn’t have to be a competition.”

  “Then how would it be fun?” She grinned at him and dragged her tube over to the place she’d just slid down. The snow was pack
ed already, meaning it would be slick and fast. Justin, on the other hand, picked a new line. Poor sap. He really didn’t know what he was up against.

  Justin watched her suspiciously, but she wasn’t going to jump the gun this time. She waited until he called “Go!” and shoved off on her tube. It sped down the hill even faster than before, but she saw Justin creep up beside her and then overtake her, hitting the bottom a split second before she did.

  She sprang off the tube in disbelief. “What? How did you manage that?”

  “You forget that I’m a lot bigger than you. More weight, more speed.” He moved to her side and pulled her to him by the cuff of her jacket. “Now my kiss.”

  She turned her face and tapped her cheek. “Right there.”

  “You’re a little cruel.”

  “You already said I was sadistic.”

  He pressed a chaste kiss to her cheek. “That’s ascetic, not sadistic. You’re really just denying yourself.”

  Melody rolled her eyes and turned away, bending over as if she were going to pick up the leash to her tube. Instead she gathered a handful of snow, turned, and launched it directly at Justin’s head.

  He was quick. He jerked to the side so it clipped the edge of his hat instead of colliding with his self-satisfied smirk. His eyes glowed with mischief. “Now you’ve asked for it.” He bent down and scooped up an enormous handful of snow.

  Melody flipped her tube on its side to use as cover and the snowball smashed across its bottom. She fired back another snowball before he could recover; it hit him squarely in the chest.

  “C’mon, hotshot,” she taunted. “You can do better than that.” She gathered up another one, but when she peeked out to launch it, a handful of packed snow hit her in the face. She spluttered but didn’t hesitate, throwing her own.

  He ducked and it sailed over his head.

  “Now you’re going to get it.” She crouched behind her tube and began to make snowballs, one after another. She peered around the tube, ready to launch the next one, but Justin was nowhere to be seen.

  A snowball crashed into the back of her head. She whirled and a second one hit her in the face.

  “I give!” she shouted, wiping snow from her eyes. “Stop. You win!”

  Melody knelt, head bent, trying to clear the rapidly melting snowball from her face. When she didn’t get up, Justin rushed to her side and knelt beside her. “Are you okay?”

  “Sucker.” She popped up and shoved a handful of snow down his jacket. The look of shock on his face was worth the fact that her hair was turning into a mass of curl-sicles from the onslaught.

  He grabbed her wrists before she could retaliate further. “That was just mean.”

  “No, I just like to win.” She grinned at him, out of breath and shivering. “I’d have thought you already knew that about me.”

  “And what else should I know about you?” His voice seemed to drop an octave, his tone transforming into something intimate.

  She swallowed, suddenly out of breath in a way that had nothing to do with the snowball fight. He was teasing, but the urge to be completely honest bubbled up inside of her. “I know I come off all confident, but I haven’t had the best luck with men in the past.”

  His teasing smile faded. “How so? Is there someone I need to go beat up for you?”

  Melody laughed, but even to her own ears, it sounded fragile. She plopped down on the edge of her tube. “Ana already tried. She’s barely five foot two, but I had to keep her from going over to my last ex’s house with a baseball bat.”

  Justin crouched beside her. “I like her already. I do not like the fact your ex did something baseball-bat worthy.”

  “Yeah, well, I should have known better than to get involved with my chef. The worst thing was, I loved him.” She laughed humorlessly. “You know that saying about no one buying the cow when they can get the milk for free? Turns out it’s right, at least when it comes to me. He was seeing someone else the entire time. They got engaged a week after I found out.”

  Justin shook his head in disbelief. “Well, first of all, you’re not a cow, so let’s get rid of that insulting metaphor. You’re a kind, beautiful, interesting woman. That was 100 percent about him. It was no reflection on you. I feel sorry for his fiancée, honestly.”

  Of course he was going to say that. But his words were sincere, his blue eyes so earnest that she could feel his gaze penetrate directly to the soft, vulnerable parts she tried to keep hidden. She’d told him this much; she might as well put it all on the table.

  “When I said we should keep seeing each other, I didn’t think I’d like you this much. I don’t want you to leave.”

  His expression softened. He pulled off his gloves, then combed the crusted snow from her hair with his fingers. “It’s all I’ve been able to think about. I don’t want to leave you either, Melody. You’re like no woman I’ve ever met.”

  Her heart thudded against her rib cage, a drumbeat in the quiet. “I’ve heard that before.”

  “I’m sure you have. But I promise you, I mean it.” He brushed cool fingers across her equally cold cheek, then brought his lips to hers. Her breath came in a sharp inhalation as she wrapped her arms around his neck, giving herself over completely to the kiss, heat blazing through her body in the cold. He tightened his arm around her, burying his other hand into her hair. She wanted to hold something back, that part of her that had been hurt before, but deep down she knew it was futile. Her head might warn caution, but her heart was the one in charge, and it sought nothing more than the way he made her feel. Wanted. Adored.

  When they parted, they were both breathing hard, little puffs hanging in cold air. Justin smiled. “I’m surprised the snow isn’t melted down to the ground around us.”

  She laughed quietly. “I’m sorry for shoving snow down your coat.”

  “I’m sorry for . . . Sorry, I can’t do it. I’m really not.” Justin pulled her to her feet. “What do you think? A couple more runs, or break for snacks?”

  Only then did Melody realize she was shivering. “I wouldn’t mind something hot in the Jeep right now.” At his smirk she said, “I meant something hot to drink.”

  “I’m glad you specified. I was starting to think I’d read you completely wrong.” He winked, then took her gloved hand in his bare one. “Come on, snow bunny. I happen to know that Reggie packed us some of the lodge’s famous hot chocolate.”

  A couple of minutes later, ensconced in the warmth of the Jeep, its heater pumping out lukewarm air from the vents, Melody studied his profile, the ache in her chest intensifying. She was at the edge of a precipice, one she couldn’t afford to tip over. Not when their respective businesses would pull them in opposite directions mere weeks from now.

  “Here you go.” Justin poured hot chocolate from a thermos into a frigid stoneware mug, then handed it to her. “There’s some shortbread in here too, if you feel like it.”

  She felt shy and surprisingly fragile as she took a cookie and bit into the buttery square. “This is amazing. From the lodge?”

  “Probably,” Justin said. “The cook, Eloise, has been there since the lodge opened in 1973. She must be . . . seventysomething? She’s partly retired, just comes back to cook for guests. And that’s fewer and farther between these days.”

  “That’s such a shame. It’s beautiful up here. Every time I go to those quaint little mountain towns, they feel overrun with tourists. This is like going back in time. You’d think people would be flocking to the quiet and seclusion.”

  “You’d think, but there just isn’t the infrastructure to support tourism anymore. The lodge is no longer open to the public because they can’t afford the full-time staff. Reggie just hires event staff as needed. There isn’t a gas station in town because there’s not enough people to justify trucking in the fuel. The nearest grocery store is twenty miles through the pass, same with restaurants. The only people who live up here are hermits and recluses.”

  “Sometimes I can understand th
e inclination. Of course, I’d go a little crazy without people to bake for. You’d find me in my little cabin, bread stacked up to the rafters.”

  “Instead of the crazy cat lady, you’d be the crazy bread lady?”

  “Something like that.” She fell silent, looking out at the pristine, peaceful landscape for a long moment before turning back to him. “I can’t believe you did this. No one’s ever done anything like this for me.”

  “Now that, I cannot believe. Or at least I think it’s a shame. You are the kind of woman a man goes all out for.”

  Melody smiled into her cup, warmth blooming in her chest. “What do you think? Should we do a few more runs?”

  Justin checked his watch. “I think so, and then we should probably head back for an early dinner. We need to be off the mountain before sundown.”

  “Then we’re burning daylight. And I’m still looking for a rematch. Unless you’re too scared of getting beat by a girl?”

  Justin leaned over and kissed her softly on the lips. “Bring it on, snow bunny.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  JUSTIN FOLLOWED MELODY from the Jeep to where they had left their tubes on the slope, a smile on his face. She was a complicated woman, equal parts tough and vulnerable, smart and playful. He was never sure which side was going to surface at any given moment, which only played into his fascination. And contributed to the constant desire to grab her and kiss her senseless.

  It was why he couldn’t fathom how he was going to leave her behind.

  They’d gotten themselves into a royal mess. He’d been just as sure as she was that this relationship would fizzle out like all his previous ones. That one or the other of them would get tired of the struggle to see each other amid his travel and her night schedule. And yet she was fast becoming the best part of his day, his month. He used to live to fly, and now he flew simply so he could return and see her. The idea of coming home, even to blue waters and sandy beaches, and finding her absent held absolutely no appeal.

  A gust of wind peppered his face with grains of powdery snow, causing him to cast a concerned eye to the sky. It was still mostly blue with a wispy covering of clouds. An errant gust, hopefully. The weather report, which he had checked this afternoon before leaving, showed clear conditions with gusts of no more than seven miles an hour. But he knew how quickly things could change in the mountains.