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I followed Ellie to the stand, taking it all in. “A lemonade stand?”
“You’re a quick one,” she teased, pouring a cup and handing it to the first person in line. “What are you waiting for? Get to work.” She gestured to the jug and cups before me.
We got busy drawing cups of lemonade and handing them out. Ellie greeted most of the employees by name, mentioning some personal detail about them to show she knew who they were. She had light-hearted conversations with each employee while I waited dutifully to hand her the next cup.
The sun roasted me from behind, sweat sticking my dress shirt to my back under my suit coat. Eventually I slipped it off and rolled my sleeves up—taking off the layer helped, but it was too late to wish I’d put on sunblock. The skin on the back of my neck was painfully hot, but more people kept joining the line and so we kept serving, pausing only to refill the pitchers from gallon jugs in the coolers.
Eventually, the flood of employees slowed, and I could slake my thirst with a cup of lemonade. My shirt was thoroughly damp, and my socks were squishy with sweat inside my highly polished dress shoes. My feet ached from standing on the hard brick for so long, and I desperately needed a shower.
The lemonade was light and refreshing, not too sweet or sour. I put away three cups before I glanced up to see Ellie watching me with a self-satisfied smirk on her perfect lips.
I couldn’t help but smile back. “Did we become enemies at some point in the past 24 hours?” I asked. “I feel like I was just punished, but I have no idea why.” I gestured to my over-heated body.
“I mean, punishing you is not why I had a lemonade stand, but I’d definitely say it’s a perk,” she replied.
Despite my elevated temperature, I couldn’t help but grin. Something about Ellie just disarmed my defenses. “Did you put this together this morning?”
“No, of course not. We have something every Tuesday. I send out the email Tuesday morning letting them know what it will be, but the employees already know to expect some kind of treat.”
“Doesn’t that take away from their attention to their work?”
She shrugged. “They’re entitled to a break, and this way I can give them a little something to look forward to. Sometimes I deliver baskets of treats from a local bakery to each building. Maybe in the winter it’s hot cocoa and coffee set out in the individual break rooms when we’re too busy, so people don’t have to step away from their work centers.”
“And this is all part of your employee appreciation campaign.” I swiped a hand across my sweaty forehead and downed another cup.
“Of course. There are companies in silicon valley that have free food, video games, fancy gyms and spas for their employees as perks. Car washes, for chrissakes. We can’t do all of that, but we can do something small like this. It’s not much, but it makes a difference.”
Her passion for caring for her employees brought a smile to my lips. It was admirable how much she truly cared about their happiness… so much so that she was out here in the baking heat of the midday sun to provide them some refreshment.
“Well, I think it’s a great idea,” I commented. “The employees definitely seem to appreciate it.”
Her answering smile was brilliant, and my heart thudded in response. “Thank you. I guess not all visits from the good idea fairy are bad.”
“Hey, I never said that,” I protested. “Just that sometimes people try to act on them before thoroughly working out all the kinks. But I’d say that this one seems to be pretty smooth.”
“I’ll take that compliment.” The smile she graced me with in that moment was all warmth and happiness, and my heart lurched.
This gorgeous woman was the picture of summer freedom with sun-kissed skin and long shapely legs that I had to actively restrain myself from stroking. They were too well-featured in a sundress that ended several inches above her knees. The dress perfectly accented her curves, and my gaze roved over her body for a few moments too long before I drew my eyes back to her face. To her credit, she pretended as if she hadn’t just caught me leering.
“Um, you’re welcome,” I replied awkwardly, acutely aware that I was drenched from head to toe in sweat and probably looked like a half-drowned, sunburned rat next to the elegant creature beside me.
If we kept this up, I’d probably die of humiliation long before JJ fired me for lusting after his daughter.
* * *
My clothes had mostly driedwhen I brought the kids over to my parents’ for dinner. My mom offered and I could hardly pass up the opportunity to enjoy a home-cooked meal I didn’t have to prepare—that was truly a rare occasion these days.
However, I didn’t take into account how Ethan and Olivia would feel about it.
As soon as they clambered into my truck and buckled up, I told them.
“Guess what guys? We’re going to Gramma and Grandpa’s for dinner!” I assumed they’d be excited, given that they’d been asking to go back since I picked them up Sunday night.
I one-hundred percent did not expect the shit storm that I stirred up.
Olivia stared out the window, complete disengaged. Ethan, however, lost his mind.
“No! I don’t want to go to Grandpa’s. You said we were going to have grilled cheese for dinner. I want grilled cheese!” His face was already tomato-red when I glanced in my rear-view mirror.
