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“And he’d probably be doing a backflip off the end of the dock right now,” Trace added, pointing to the lake. “Then he’d egg me on until I did one as well.”
Lilah uttered a soft laugh. “He definitely would do that.”
Trace and Lilah shared a smile—one that was drenched in the happy and sad memories they shared.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Trace reached over and placed a hand on Lilah’s arm, giving her a supportive squeeze. When he did, Lilah covered his hand with hers and squeezed him back. The warmth of her touch rivaled the August heat, but Trace stopped himself from getting lost in it.
Her heart was his to protect. But it would forever belong to his best friend.
Chapter Nine
“We’llbebackinfifteen minutes,” Lilah said to Randall as she and Gayle scooted out of the corner booth at Jake’s. She paused for a second to savor the atmosphere. The local diner always smelled like bacon and French fries—two of Lilah’s weaknesses.
“No rush,” Randall replied. “We’ve got coloring pages and pizza. What more could we ask for?”
Lilah had taken Randall and Gayle out for lunch. She tried her best to show them her gratitude for all the support they gave her, especially because they wouldn’t accept payment for watching the kids. Today her gratitude came in the form of pepperoni pizza and chocolate milkshakes.
“Listen to your Grandpa,” Lilah reminded her kids.
“Okay, Momma,” the boys replied without looking up.
“Oh, they always do,” Randall replied. He had an arm around Sofie, who was in a booster seat playing with a single pepperoni instead of eating it. Andy and Ben focused on their paper menus, coloring dinosaurs and working on a crossword puzzle.
Lilah heard Ben ask his grandpa to color with him as she and Gayle exited the diner.
“I hope you don’t mind me coming with,” Gayle said as they started the two-block walk toKandi’s Candy Shop.
“Of course not,” Lilah replied, double-checking the manila envelope she carried, making sure it contained the month-end reports she’d completed for Trace’s mom.
“I’ve been meaning to stop by and say hi to Kandi, but the week got away from me. I’ve got some quilting material for her.” Gayle patted her purse, which was the size of a briefcase.
“She’ll be happy to see you,” Lilah said, and they continued chatting as they passed the antique store,Movies on Main, and the flower shop. Each store was connected in one long brick building that spanned the block. Opposite the shops, the lake glittered in the afternoon sun. A single truck rolled down Main Street. It was a typical Tuesday in Maple Bay, and Lilah grinned, soaking in the beauty and coziness around her. How she loved her little town. It was like a fuzzy blanket—warm and familiar.
When they arrived atKandi’s Candy Shop, Lilah opened the door for Gayle. They were greeted with cheer the instant they entered.
“Goodness,” Kandi exclaimed from behind a glass counter filled with sugared goodies. She wore a pink-and-white striped apron, and her long, white hair was twirled into a bun, like always. “Your ears must be ringing. We were just talking about you.”
“You were?” Lilah wondered who “we” was. She hoped it meant a certain man with dark hair, and that hope rose when she heard clanking from the kitchen behind Kandi.
“We were,” Kandi replied and then changed the subject. “How are you ladies doing?”
“Wonderful,” Gayle replied.
Lilah nodded in agreement. “Wanted to stop by and drop off your month-end reports. You’re all up to date now.” Lilah raised the envelope and set it on the counter. “And thank you for the fudge you sent with Trace. I’m not going to lie. I hid it from the kids so I could keep it all to myself.” In fact, it was so good she may or may not have eaten it all in one day.
“I’m so glad you enjoyed it.” Kandi glowed under the praise. “Got to keep the best accountant in Maple Bay happy so she’ll keep putting up with my handwritten record-keeping.”
“Our Lilah is the best.” Gayle smiled warmly. “She’s the glue that keeps all our financials together too, with the farm. Don’t know what we’d do without her.”
“You guys are too kind.” Lilah felt herself blush.
“Can you ladies stay for a cup of coffee?” Kandi asked. “I just made a fresh pot.”
“That’d be lovely. We’ve got a few minutes. Right, Lilah?” Gayle asked.
“Of course,” Lilah said. “I don’t need any coffee, though.” Caffeine after noon would keep her up past midnight.
