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“I could think of worse things,” Sage said, enjoying the playful banter. What was the harm in it? She knew there was no hope of anything further happening between them. Getting involved with the sheriff of Owl Creek would be like putting her hand too close to the fire. The stakes were way too high and she wasn’t in a place to explore the chemistry between them. She already felt as if she was teetering on a high wire with no safety net. Adding Hank to the equation would be disastrous.
When they got out of the truck and headed toward the steps leading toward the entrance, Beulah was standing at the door to the chocolate factory waving at them. Hank looked over at Sage and smirked. “If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes I wouldn’t believe it. Beulah really has taken you under her wing, hasn’t she?”
Just hearing Hank confirm what she’d been thinking caused a sliver of worry to pass through her. Was she being foolish to get so close to Beulah? Was it fair to come to the chocolate factory under false pretenses?
The joyful expression on Beulah’s face caused Sage to stuff down her worries. After everything she’d been through, Beulah deserved as many happy moments as possible. If Sage could provide a little bit of joy to her long-lost grandmother, she wouldn’t hesitate to do so.
Beulah quickly ushered them inside from the cold. Once they were in the building, Beulah turned toward Hank with a raised brow. “What brings you here, Hank?”
He leaned down and pressed a kiss on Beulah’s cheek. Sage detected a smile quirking at the corners of her lips.
“I missed you, Beulah. And I come bearing a gift.” Hank held out the pumpkin bread.
Beulah frowned. “Are you trying to bribe me, Sheriff Crawford?”
“Not at all,” Hank said. “Just trying to win a little favor with you.”
“You know pumpkin bread is my weakness,” Beulah said, leaning in and giving Hank a peck on the cheek. “Even the best of friends have spats. My faith reminds me to forgive rather than to hold on to things.”
Hank placed a hand over his heart. “Then my work here is done!” he proclaimed. “You two ladies enjoy yourselves. I need to head to the sheriff’s office.” With a wave of his hand, Hank disappeared out the door. Sage felt her gaze trailing after him.
After he’d walked out of the building, Beulah looked at her and said, “A girl could do a lot worse than Hank Crawford.”
“I imagine so,” she responded, feeling a bit wistful about Beulah’s comment. Hank was the type of man who inspired devotion. She knew it was only a matter of time before he fell for a local woman and settled down. That’s how things worked, especially in small towns like Owl Creek. Hank wasn’t the type of man who should walk through life without a loving partner by his side. She tamped down the discomfort she felt knowing it wouldn’t be her. The two of them might have a connection, but there was no way in the world Sage could afford to explore it.
Beulah rubbed her hands together. “Let’s get started on the tour. There’s a lot to see at the North Star Chocolate Factory, if I do say so myself.” Sage chuckled as the older woman ushered her down a long corridor and immediately began telling her about the history of the company.
Two hours later and Sage’s head was spinning with all the information she’d discovered about running a chocolate business. She’d had no idea how many steps were involved from turning a cocoa bean into a piece of chocolate. Beulah had shown her all areas of the factory, including the production line, the wrapping and packaging room, as well as the area where the cocoa beans were sorted, winnowed and roasted. There were so many things to see—the storage tanks, large pieces of machinery, the huge mound of cocoa beans. And of course, the finished product, the chocolate itself! Loads and loads of delectable confections.
Along the way there were lots of stares and smiles from the workers. Most were probably wondering who she was and why she rated a private tour with Beulah North. It didn’t bother her at all. Strangely, she felt right at home in the chocolate factory.
“Why don’t we go to my office?” Beulah suggested. “I have a few treats for you in there to take with you.”
“That’s so thoughtful of you,” Sage gushed. Beulah treated her as if she was a very important person. It made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside, as if she truly mattered.
“It’s my pleasure. I recall you saying milk chocolate was your favorite, although there’s quite an assortment.”
“I’ll never say no to chocolate,” Sage said, linking arms with Beulah. Once they entered her private office, Sage almost stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of her birth mother standing near Beulah’s large mahogany desk. Willa’s face was in profile as she riffled through some papers, and for the first time Sage observed a slight resemblance between herself and Willa. There was something about her jawline and the slope of her nose. It was an eerie feeling to be standing so close to the person who had brought her into this world. And even more surreal that Willa had no idea Sage was her daughter.
“Willa! I didn’t know you were here today!” Beulah exclaimed.
Willa looked up from her paperwork and grinned at her mother-in-law. “Yes. Nate and I had a meeting with some distributors who flew in from Anchorage,” she explained. “I was hoping to catch you so I could go over this paperwork with you. We can do it another time, since I see you have a visitor.”
Willa North was a beautiful woman with luminous skin and wide blue eyes. She radiated a sweet vibe. Although at first glance she appeared to be frail due to her petite body type, Sage knew her biological mother had to be a strong woman to have endured such trauma and heartache. Being in such close proximity to Willa made her pulse skitter. It was disorienting to come to terms with the fact that this was the woman who’d given birth to her and nurtured her for the first few months of her life.
“I’d like to introduce you to my friend Sage Duncan. She hails from Florida and she’s visiting Owl Creek for a few weeks. I invited her here today so I could give her the grand tour.” Beulah winked at Willa. “She’s a big chocoholic.”
“That’s just what we like
to hear around here.” Willa smiled at Sage, dazzling her in the process. She felt a little bit like a deer caught in the headlights. Her legs were shaking so badly she wasn’t sure how she was still standing. She walked over and stuck out her hand. “Sage. What a lovely name. Welcome to our chocolate factory. Any friend of Beulah’s is a friend of mine.”
Sage shook hands with Willa. The moment their skin touched a strange sensation flowed through her. Perhaps she was being fanciful, but she truly felt a special connection between them. She wondered if Willa felt it too?
“Take a seat, Sage,” Beulah said, waving her toward a love seat. “We can sit for a while and have some hot chocolate, which is a specialty of our company. Come join us, Willa.” Beulah picked up the phone on her desk and put in the request for the hot cocoa to be delivered to her office.
“I’d love to,” Willa replied, following behind them and sitting down next to Sage. Suddenly Sage felt a bit self-conscious. She really wanted Willa to like her. All of a sudden she felt like the shy ten-year-old she’d once been, nervous about being popular with her peers. This moment felt so important, as if she’d been waiting her whole life for it, without even knowing it.
While Beulah was ordering refreshments, Sage sat side by side with Willa, who showed her all the different types of confections Beulah had placed in a large basket for her.
