“All of my concoctions are good,” I said. “For the right person.”
“You put jalapenos in a candy bar. Who does that?”
“It was the perfect blend of sweet and spicy,” I argued.
He shook his head. “No child wants to eat jalapenos.”
“Kids aren’t the only ones that eat candy bars.”
“So, is it spicy?” he asked.
“No, I’m thinking more of a Halloween flavor,” I told him.
“You won’t be able to get the candy on the market before this Halloween,” he pointed out.
“I know. It will give me plenty of time to perfect it.”
I used my key card to open the door to my lab. I kept it locked. No one but myself was allowed in the lab. I had all my secrets in here. Trade secrets.
“Can I try it?” he asked.
“I haven’t made it yet. I’m just messing around with flavors.”
“Pumpkin?” he asked, picking up one of the syrups.
I smiled. “It’s Halloween. Of course, pumpkin.”
“Pumpkin pie?” he pressed.
“It’s going to be a surprise,” I told him.
“Ha! I guessed it!”
I laughed. “Not just pumpkin pie. Come on. You know me better than that.”
“I’ll be your guinea pig for that one,” he said. “I will let you know if it’s good or bad.”
“It’s going to be great,” I said confidently.
“I’ll leave you to it. I need to go call this Harper woman back.”
“No,” I said a little too loudly.
“No?” he repeated.
“Don’t call her back,” I said.
“Why not?”
“Because I don’t want to do business with someone like that.”
“Like that?”
“Calling nonstop. That’s obnoxious. I don’t want to have anything to do with someone that pushy.”
“It’s a good business tactic,” he offered.
“It’s annoying.”
He shrugged. “I deal with annoying people all day. If we’re not growing, we’re stagnant. The woman said she has a proposal. A proposal is a good thing. She isn’t asking for money.”
“She said something about a festival,” I remembered. “She probably wants us to sponsor it.”
“I’ll get the details.”
“Ignore her. I will.”
“Theo, that’s not how you do business. I will handle this. You work on the taffy, and I will deal with this lady.”
“You’ll take my office number off the website?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t bring that woman here,” I ordered.
He laughed. “You sound scared.”
“Not scared, but that woman sounded like she downed a gallon of coffee. That’s way too much energy for me.”
“I’ll talk to you later,” he said, moving to the door. “Oh, hey, there’s a school tour scheduled for Thursday. You need to be there.”
“Sawyer, can’t you make an excuse for me? Isn’t that what I pay you to do?”
“You pay me to be your spokesperson, but I cannot be you. You have to be you sometimes.”
“That sucks.”
He laughed. “Enjoy your day in the lab. I’ll let you know if this Harper lady is batshit crazy or worth having a sit down with.”
“You sit down with her. I have nothing to say.”
“God damn, you’re a pain in my ass.”
That made me smile. “Good to know. See you around.”
I turned my focus on the taffy I wanted to put together. Pumpkin pie alone was good, but I wanted to take it up a notch. I was thinking something creamy and sweet. What was pumpkin pie without a little whip cream?
I began the process of mixing the flavors, my mind going back to what Sawyer had said about my father. I wasn’t as convinced as he was that my dad would be proud of what I had done with the company. My dad had never been proud of me. He was expecting the all-star kid like he had been.
I always felt like I had been a huge disappointment to him. I couldn’t throw a football if my life depended on it. I was not charismatic. He kept that gene all to himself. He was always making excuses for me whenever we were at social gatherings.
“Sorry about my son,” I voiced his most used line. “He’s shy. He’s still coming into his own.”
I shook my head. No matter how hard I tried to step out of my shell, I failed. I would break out in a cold sweat and develop a stutter. He’d pat my head and shoo me away. I always felt like I embarrassed him. He was definitely not proud of me.
I remembered the first time I had dabbled in gastronomy. I had found my calling. The confidence I felt when I was in the kitchen was unlike anything I had ever experienced. I had called him in to taste my first creation. He wasn’t as thrilled as I was. He did see how happy I was and had signed me up for cooking lessons.
I didn’t dislike my dad, and I knew he loved me, but I just wished I could have had a better relationship with him before he died. It was like there was unfinished business between us. There was so much I wanted to say to him.
I would never get the chance.
Chapter 6
Harper
I was so damn thankful I had chosen a different career path than the poor bus driver driving the busload of kids and sitting five feet away from me. I would be a drunk if I had her job. I had been on the bus ten minutes, and I was ready for a drink. It was only ten o’clock in the morning, and I had a headache. She was handling it like a champ.
“Is it always like this?” I whispered to the chaperone sitting beside me.
The mother laughed. “Yes. This is actually very mild.”
“Do you always volunteer?” I asked her.
She smiled. “Yes. I’m Gina. My husband works, and I stay home with the kids. I guess you can call the field trips my job.”
“Well, thank you. I’m glad you volunteer so much of your time. How many kids do you have?”
“Five.”
My mouth dropped. “Five! How old?”
She smiled. “Billy is my youngest. That’s why I try and spend as much time with him as I can. I wish I would have realized how fast time goes by. My oldest graduated last year. It just goes by so fast.”
I inwardly cringed. Jace was growing up before my very eyes. As if I needed any more guilt resting on my shoulders. “It sure does,” I agreed.
“Do you work?” she asked.
“Yes.”
She smiled. “Does your husband work as well?”
“I’m a single mom. Widowed mom, actually.”
“Oh no, I’m so sorry. Recently?”
“No, not too recently. He was in the Army. He was killed four years ago overseas.”
“Oh goodness. I am so sorry.”
“Thank you.”
“Who’s your child?” she asked.
“Jace Pinkston,” I said with a smile.
She got a look on her face. I couldn’t quite explain it. It was like she pitied me. It was the kind of face someone would make when they smelled something bad.
“Oh, he’s a lovely boy,” she quickly said, smiling big.
I frowned. “You know him?”
“Yes. I volunteer in the classroom a lot and know all of the kids.”
I nodded, getting the impression she wasn’t telling me something. I had to tamp down the mama bear instinct. I turned to look behind me. Jace was sitting on the opposite side of the bus a couple of seats back. He was by himself. He stared out the window while the rest of the kids talked nonstop.
“Do you see Jace with other kids?” I asked, turning back to look at her. “Does he play with others? Have friends?”
She shrugged. “Not really. He likes to keep to himself a lot.”
“Yes, he does. I guess I thought the other kids would recognize he was shy and reach out. Obviously, I’m asking too much.” I didn’t care if my tone was harsh. I was irritated that everyone saw my child alone and did n
othing about it.
She offered a nervous smile. “I heard you arranged this and on really short notice. That’s impressive. This is such a good idea. The kids are going to have a blast. I didn’t even know the factory was so close.”
I nodded, not paying much attention to what she was saying. “Will you excuse me?” I got up.
“Ma’am, sit down,” the bus driver scolded.
I frowned at her, quickly taking the empty seat next to Jace. “Hi, buddy. Having fun?”
He shrugged a shoulder. “It’s okay.”
“Are you excited to see the candy factory?”
“I guess.”
I looked over, catching a couple of the other boys pointing at me and Jace. I realized they were making fun of him because his mom was sitting with him. I glared at them, giving them my best dirty look. They quickly looked away.
“You’re going to have fun,” I said. “I promise.”
“We’ll see.”
“Remember, you can decide if you have fun or if you’re miserable. I want you to try and have fun.”
He let out an exaggerated sigh. “I’ll try, Mom.”
“Thank you. I love you, buddy. I’m going back to my seat, unless you want me to sit with you?”
He shook his head. “I’m okay. You can go back to your seat.”
Sometimes, the kid just said the right thing that ripped my heart out. I wanted to wrap him in my arms and protect him from the world. I patted his leg, resisting the urge to drop a kiss on his head.
I got up and took my seat next to the other chaperone again. I didn’t want to make his misery any worse by giving the brats more fuel to make fun of him. When the bus arrived at the factory, the chaperone and I got off first. Once again, I noticed all the kids were grouped together except Jace. He was always on the outside of the group.
“Okay, everyone, hands to yourself,” the teacher shouted from the front of the line.
We were escorted inside a huge open room with various machines and displays. I was in awe. My mouth dropped open as I turned around, trying to take it all in. “Wow.”
“It’s really big,” Jace commented.
“It is!” I exclaimed. “It’s amazing! We are going to have so much fun!”
He didn’t look as convinced. “Do we get to sample the candy?” he asked.
“Yes, we do,” I told him, pointing to a clear canister filled with candy in brilliant pink and purple wrappers. “See? Those are all over.”
“Okay, everyone!” the tour guide said, clapping her hands to get everyone’s attention. “We’re going to start the tour, and then we will come back here for everyone to explore. Now, it’s really important everyone stays together and keeps their hands at their sides.”
I couldn’t help but clap my hands. “This is so exciting. I can’t wait to see how our favorite candies are made.”
“I guess,” Jace answered with his usual deadpan tone.
We were led through a set of double doors. People wearing hairnets and face masks waved as the guide led the group through the area. I listened with rapt interest. I was absolutely thrilled. I grew irritated when I had to constantly scold certain kids to pay attention. Every time I had to scold them, I missed out on what the guide was saying.
I looked back several times to check on Jace. I smiled when I saw him listening to the guide. He looked very interested. I was glad he was having a good time. It made me happy to see him acting like some of the other kids—the kids that were well behaved, that was. The tour guide was an upbeat young lady who seemed to really enjoy her job.
By the time she led us back to the room we had started out in, I was absolutely convinced I had to get them on board to partner with the festival. I rushed over to grab the tour guide. “Can I talk with you a minute?” I asked.
“Sure! Do you have a question?”
“Yes, but not about this. I read on the website the owner of the factory stopped in to meet the kids that toured the facility.”
She nodded and smiled. “Mr. Saunders does try to stop in and introduce himself.”
“Will he be coming today?”
She wrinkled her nose. “I’m not sure. He’s a very busy man, and I can’t guarantee he’ll be able to pop in. I’ve asked them to add a note to that page several times. Mr. Saunders can’t always make it, and I just hate to disappoint the kids.”
“I’m sure the kids will be fine. They’re plenty busy with all the toys and candy.”
“I’m sorry,” she said and started to move away.
“Wait,” I called out.
“Yes?”
“I’d really like to meet Mr. Saunders,” I said.
“I’m sorry.”
“No, really, I came here to try and talk to him. I set up the tour with the hopes I would get the chance to meet him.”
She frowned. “Um, I would suggest you call his office.”
“I have! Like a hundred times.”
She took a step back. “Who are you?” she asked, her eyes darting around the room as if she was looking for an escape or help.
“Oh god, oh no,” I said, quickly realizing I sounded like a fruitcake. “I’m not crazy. I’m not stalking him.”
She nodded. “Okay, all right. Well, uh, I should go.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to come off so pushy. I’m just kind of in a time crunch, and I really need to talk with the owner or with someone who can speak on his behalf.”
“You’re welcome to call the customer service number.”
“I have,” I said, stomping my foot.
“Look, you have a better chance of that kid over there getting his head stuck in that vacuum than you do seeing him. Mr. Saunders is a busy man and rarely comes to these things. I’m sorry. Now, if you don’t mind, I need to pay attention to the children.”
I sighed. “Fine. Thanks.”
I turned around to find Jace. I wanted to make sure he was having a good time. While I had initiated the tour to get in touch with Mr. Saunders, I also was hoping it would be something fun for me and Jace to do together.
Once this season was over, I was going to take more time off. I wanted to volunteer in his class and be a better support for him. I just had to get through Halloweenfest. I looked around the room, smiling as I saw the kids having fun and racing around from one display to the next. I was going to be voted the coolest mom of the year.
“Hey, have you seen Jace?” I asked one of the little girls.
“Who?”
I rolled my eyes. “Jace. Blond hair, blue eyes, about this tall.”
She shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Thanks. You know, just a little bit of advice. You should try and get to know your classmates. Take the first step and say hi, especially to the kids that are all alone.”
She looked at me like I was crazy. “Who are you?”
I sighed with exasperation. “Never mind.”
I walked away, circling the room and looking for Jace. I tamped down the panic, assuring myself he was there. I just couldn’t see him in the crowd. He was there. He had to be there. I spun around. I saw the other chaperone and raced over to her.
“Have you seen Jace?”
She stared at me with a blank face. “Jace?”
“Oh my god! My son!”
“Oh, yes, I saw him over by the chocolate syrup machine.”
I looked to where she was pointing. He wasn’t there. “When? When did you see him?”
“I don’t know, a few minutes ago maybe?”
The panic was taking hold. There was no fighting it. I spotted the tour guide and walked toward her. “Excuse me!” I hollered, my hysteria bubbling to the surface.
When she saw me coming, she cringed. “I’m sorry,” she started.
“I’m not asking about the owner. My son. I can’t find my son.”
She offered me a placating smile. “He’s probably gone to the bathroom.”
“Where are the bathrooms?”
She pointed toward a d
oor. I raced to it, pushing it open so hard it bounced off the wall and nearly came back to knock me on my ass.
“Jace!” I hollered outside the men’s room door. “Jace, are you in there?” I didn’t hear an answer. I pushed open the door a crack, hoping I didn’t interrupt a man peeing. “Hello? Jace? Are you in here?”
I didn’t get an answer. I walked in, bent over to check the stalls, and then pushed open every door to make sure.
“Shit,” I hissed, walking toward the women’s room, just in case he got confused and went into the wrong bathroom.
I repeated the same search of the women’s bathroom. He wasn’t in there either. I headed back to the tour area and did another cursory search. He wasn’t in there. I took a minute to pull myself together. I had to think like Jace. Whenever he was anxious, he sought out a quiet place.
I would search the damn factory top to bottom until I found my son.
Chapter 7
Theo
The taffy was coming along, but it wasn’t perfect. I had been experimenting all week. It could take weeks, sometimes months, before I could dial in a new creation. I had thought the pumpkin pie recipe would be simple and straightforward. It wasn’t.
I had been struggling to get the right combination of sweet with a tiny hint of nutmeg. Part of the experimenting process was tasting my product. My eyes glanced over at the garbage can where I had spit out some of the worst tasting shit I had ever made.
“So close,” I whispered, chewing the bite of taffy in my mouth. I closed my eyes, trying to pinpoint exactly what it was that I was missing.
I rolled my chair over to where my laptop was sitting open on my desk in the lab. I quickly typed in the information on my notes for the new taffy flavor I was working on, highlighting the fact I needed some sweetness. I ran my tongue over the roof of my mouth, rubbing the remnants of the taffy into my tongue and on my taste buds.
There was a knock on the glass, interrupting the zone I had gone into. I looked up and saw Sawyer. I waved him in.
“How’s it going?” he asked.
“Good, good. I’m making some final tweaks to the formula, and then I’ll be ready to send it to manufacturing. Maybe a week. Here, try one.”
All About The Treats Page 4
