AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I didn’t know how you took your coffee and I didn’t think I should try to guess,” he admitted.
Jolene smirked as she grabbed a handful of each.
“Another wise move, cowboy,” she teased, dumping four packets of sugar into her cup.
Jasper popped open the top of the donut box and as promised, let her pick hers out before he helped himself to a glazed peanut butter-filled donut. After polishing off their first round and slurping down some caffeine, Jasper grabbed a powdered raspberry-filled donut and said, “So, I woke up this mornin’ feeling like a horse’s behind.”
Jolene nearly choked on her coffee as she laughed mid-sip.
“Go on,” she encouraged, half-laughing, half-coughing. Jasper smirked, and Jolene thought he looked a little cute when he didn’t look so angry.
“Well, I realized you were right. I might be a bit bad at directions and I’m definitely stubborn. I think that combined with the stress of trying to find Anthony to make sure he was alright, and my mother texting every five minutes asking for an update−well, I think it all made me a bit overheated. And for that, ma’am, I’m sorry. Anthony and I’s dad was a hard man and I’m only now starting to realize that was maybe not the best thing I thought it used to be.”
Stepping away from their catty exchange, Jolene finished her last bite of eclair and took a seat on the opposite counter.
“I accept your apology,” she said first, appreciating how Jasper looked relieved when she’d said it.
“And I kind of understand where you’re coming from. Imighthave woken up feeling a similar way. You know, a little guilty for words and actions slung about during a highly tense time. So, I’m sorry too.”
“Apology accepted,” he replied quickly, smiling.
“So, look,” he said, moving on, “I spoke to Miss Emma this morning before she had to go open her shop and she filled me in a little on my brother and your sister.”
“Do tell,” Jolene replied, eager to hear.
“I don’t advise we try to drop by the bar. According to Miss Emma, they work at the best home-cookin’ restaurant in town and are slammed pretty much from open to close. I guess your sister is the managerandhead chef of Anthony’s place, so she’s got a lot on her plate−literally, and Anthony, well, he’s helping anywhere and everywhere, I guess. So, I think it’s best we stay out of their way until they're ready to come by.”
Jolene nodded, thankful for the tidbit of information. She had known from their last few calls that Clarissa had loved her job, but she never really went into detail about just how much she did. She was very impressed with her head chef title and knew their grandmamma would be so proud.
“I think you’re right,” she agreed.
“So,” Jasper said, moving right along, “I have a suggestion about what we should do with our time.”
“Mmm, still listening, but not as closely,” Jolene replied, moving back into their banter. Jasper smirked and rolled his eyes.
“Relax, I think you’ll like it. I thought that since we kind of crashed Miss Emma’s house last night, and then she turned around and was nice enough to give us a place to stay, that maybe we spend the day shining up these cabins a little bit?”
Immediately liking the idea, Jolene nodded and hopped down from the counter.
“Absolutely, I could use a little positive karma. Let’s do it.”
* * *
“Come nowand do a twirl for me, darling,” Emma encouraged, smiling widely as she looked at her finished work.
Little Sarah Beezely, the summer mascot for her family’s ice cream shopThe Breezy Beezely Cone Zone,twirled happily in her new dress decorated with cartoon prints of all kinds of ice cream. With the leftover fabric, she’d been able to make a matching bow, and it bobbed adorably with the little girl’s blonde ponytail. At Emma’s side, Sarah’s mother Brenna clapped happily.
“Oh, Miss Emma, it’s perfect!” Brenna praised, already pulling out her wallet. “I swear you are magic with your thread and needle!”
Emma blushed as she waved away her customer’s compliment.
“Oh, it’s nothing any good seamstress wouldn’t do,” she replied. Brenna gave her a stern look as she handed Emma her credit card.
“May I kindly remind you, Miss Emma, that I am a former Miss Folly Fair Queen, and have been involved with debutantes and pageants of all kinds in our great Southern state? Trust me, honey, when I say, there’s something special about you. You know how to make a fit feel personal, just like it’s supposed to.”
Brenna eased up on her stern look, transitioning to a soft grin and a wink.
“Take the compliment, honey. I know what I’m talking about.”
