AllFreeNovel
Share Us
7
Will finished the schedule for the week, sent the texts, and silenced his phone. He always got at least a dozen text-backs about what day wouldn’t work or if so-and-so could get off earlier than scheduled. He was honestly done with trying to herd cats around the farm, but he continued to do it, week after week.
He fed the horses in the barn and swept out the aisles. He’d just left the barn when a pair of headlights cut through the darkness and entered the parking lot just beyond the Shoppe his sister ran. That had to be Gretchen, and Will pulled his phone out to check.
Within five seconds, she called him, and he broke into a jog. He couldn’t believe that forty-eight hours ago, he’d typed out part of a message to cancel their date. His nerves still weren’t quite sure what he was doing, but he met her at her van as she opened the door and the light from inside illuminated a small space around her.
“Hey,” she said, her voice warm and pliable. It sank right into his ears, and all Will could think about was holding her. So he took her into his arms and did exactly that. Gretchen stayed rigid for a moment, and then she melted into him. “Okay, so we’re hugging hello.” She giggled, and Will pressed his eyes closed for a couple of seconds.
He had no idea what he was doing. He didn’t know what to say either. He was just so dang glad to see her. She calmed him, and made the black things in his life lighter. Everything that angered him simply didn’t matter anymore, and that was something that only running had accomplished for him.
“Howdy,” he said as he stepped back. A smile stretched his face. “I don’t know why, but it’s so great to see you.”
Gretchen blinked, her own smile pasted to her face. “Okay, so we’re going to work on how you deliver things.”
Will frowned, not sure what she meant by that, and reached for her hand. “Is this okay?”
She slipped her fingers through his and squeezed. “This is fine.”
He watched her, but she wouldn’t look at him again. “I said something wrong?”
“It would’ve been better had you just said, ‘it’s so great to see you.’ Not about why you don’t know why.”
Will’s chest tightened and then released, the same way he flicked his fly fishing rod. Out and back. Out and back. He cleared his throat. “Okay. I can see that.” He guided her toward the Shoppe and took the key from his pocket. “So my sister makes all the cheese and ice cream here. We sell it.” He unlocked the door and took her inside.
“I had no idea this was out here.” Gretchen looked around the Shoppe as Will fumbled to find the lights. He finally located the switches, and the Shoppe filled with light.
“This month’s special is Berry Blast,” he said. “It’s pretty good.” He dropped her hand to go around the counter and scoop the ice cream. The weight of Gretchen’s gaze didn’t leave his face, and he looked at her as he reached for a cone. “Cone or cup?”
“Cup, please,” she said. She cocked her head. “Do you eat ice cream? I thought you were off the sugar.”
“This is fruit ice cream,” he said with a smile.
Gretchen burst out laughing, and for a reason he couldn’t name—but he’d never say that again—he joined her. “It still has sugar, cowboy,” Gretchen said between her giggles.
“Not as much though.” At least that was what he was telling himself, and he was going to stick to it. He quickly scooped up some ice cream into a cone for him, and he reached for a bowl for her. “What flavor do you want?”
“The Berry Blast, of course.” Gretchen’s blue eyes dazzled him, and Will’s heart dive-bombed through his body. He scooped up her dessert and handed it to her with a spoon, then washed up the scoop and picked up his cone.
Before he rounded the end of the ice cream counter, the bell on the door dinged. He froze, and Gretchen whirled toward the entrance. Clarissa stood there, both hands parked on her hips.
“William Iverson Cooper,” she barked. “What are you doing?”
He lifted his cone, hoping his smile would work on his little sister. “Getting dessert?”
“You set off my alarm, you idiot.” She glared at him, her expression changing to one of compassion and caring when she looked at Gretchen. “Hello. You must be Gretchen Bellows.”
“Yes,” Gretchen said, moving forward to shake Rissa’s hand. “I didn’t know we were out of bounds. He had a key.”
“Traitor,” Will said, his throat narrowing. Rissa was going to kill him.
“You have a key?” she asked, her voice this freaky-calm tone that sent chills through him. “That’s interesting.”
“It’s right here,” he said, hastening to get it from his pocket and hand it to her. “We’re leaving.” He stepped to Gretchen’s side, who looked two seconds away from laughing. “Right, Gretchen?”
“Yes,” she said, and Will silently begged Rissa not to say another word, at least right now. She was so much better than Travis, because she only nodded once as Will scampered out of the Shoppe, Gretchen in front of him.
Freedom tasted like fresh country air and a berry mixture of ice cream in his mouth. He darted around the side of the Shoppe with Gretchen, where they both dissolved into laughter once again.
