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It’s a statement. I can hear the grief clear as day in her voice and you can see it in the set of her shoulders and the downward tilt to her lips.
“I wish that she was here to do this with. She was the best. She… she raised me after my mom died. She was my parent and my best friend and my biggest cheerleader. It’s been lonely doing all this by myself,” she says, looking over her shoulder at the empty bakery.
“Well, now you’re not alone. I’m here to help you.”
“At least for the next week, huh?” she says with a small smile.
“Yeah,” I say, dipping my roller into the paint once more.
We work in silence for a bit. I think Hartley is still lost in old memories of her grandma and their big plans. We finish one of the walls together and I help Hartley move the ladder and paint over to a new section.
“So, tell me about your parents. What do I need to know as your loving, devoted, girlfriend?”
“Well, my mom grew up here in Honey Peak. My dad was passing through on his way home and he stopped at the diner that my mom was waitressing at. The story goes that they took one look at each other and fell in love right then and there.”
Hartley smiles at the story and I pause my painting as she starts to climb up the ladder.
“They were married a month later and my dad moved here. They bought a little house in town and took over the Grove Trading Post from my grandpa when he retired. Then they had me a few years later.”
“So the Post is a family business then?” she asks, running her roller along the tape on the ceiling.
“Yeah, I took it over from them when I got back from college and they officially retired and moved south a few years ago.”
“So you like it here in Honey Peak then? This is where you always wanted to live?” she asks, dipping her roller into the paint once more.
“I thought about leaving when I was in college, but I like it here. I’m an outdoorsy guy, so being surrounded by the mountains and having hiking and kayaking and everything is kind of a dream come true for me. What about you? Were you sad to leave Georgia?” I ask as we finish up the second wall and head over to the third one.
“I liked Georgia, but it just wasn’t home without Grams there. I couldn’t stand to live in our apartment without her.”
“So you came to Honey Peak.”
“So I threw a dart at a map and when it landed on this town, I packed up and moved here,” she says with a small laugh.
“And what do you think of your new home so far?”
“I like it. The people seem friendly and nice. For the most part,” she says with a smirk and side-eye aimed in my direction.
“I’m here helping you! That should count as friendly.”
“You have ulterior motives,” she reminds me, and I roll my eyes.
Hartley laughs at that and comes down off the ladder.
“Yeah, I like it here. The scenery is beautiful, the town is charming, and hopefully, will be the perfect place for my bakery.”
“I’m sure it will. Brennan is already talking about all of the sweet treats he’s going to get when you’re open.”
“Who’s Brennan?” she asks, her eyes curious as we move onto the final wall.
This one has the front doors and windows, so I know that we’ll be done soon. I find myself disappointed by that.
“Brennan is Patrick’s nephew. Although, he’s also Brennan’s guardian too, ever since his parents died.”
“Who is Patrick?” she asks as she sets the ladder up and starts to climb up to paint above the front window.
“He’s… my best friend,” I admit reluctantly and I smile when Hartley laughs.
“You two sound close,” she teases.
