Shutting down the computer, I double-check the locks on my doors and windows and head down the hall to my bedroom.
After washing my face and brushing my teeth, I change into my pajamas and push my dresser in front of my door. Turning on my bed-side lamp, I crawl under the covers, snuggling close to Pumpkin, and lie awake staring at the roof trying to calm my racing heart until I eventually drift off.
The following day is a busy one. With tourists coming in from the surrounding towns and cities for the upcoming rodeo, the bakery has had a steady influx of customers all day long.
May to August are our busiest months with people here for summer vacation. Lavender Falls may be small, but we have so much to offer. From fishing and cabin rentals to some of the most scenic hikes, people come from all over.
Days like today are the ones that we could really use extra help. With still no one applying for our summer position, I make a note to move our Help Wanted sign from the corner of our shop window and pin it on the door instead.
“My feet feel like they are going to fall off.” Sarah groans, leaning against the counter.
I look at her choice of footwear and frown.
Today she’s wearing a pair of bright-purple heels that have to be at least five inches tall. My feet cry just from looking at them.
Raising my eyes back to hers, I give her a look. “Well, if you’d wear proper shoes, I’m sure they wouldn’t be as bad,” I say, adding on a playful smile.
For all the years I’ve known Sarah, I’ve never seen her in anything other than a heel or cowboy boot. It doesn’t matter howoften I hear her complain about her toes pinching, she will not wear a simple sandal or sneaker.
“Beauty is pain, Jade.”
“Today was a bit crazy. I’m going to move our Help Wanted sign to the door. Hopefully more people will see it there.”
“Good idea. We should add one up here at the till too.”
“I’m honestly a bit surprised no one has applied yet. This time last year we were already training someone.”
“If you ask me, this new group of kids have no motivation to work. I was just in the bookstore the other day, and Harper said the high school student that was working for her recently quit because working for the summer was going to cramp her style.”
My head turns to Sarah, and we both laugh, shaking our heads just as another customer enters the shop.
“I got this,” I tell Sarah. “Why don’t you head home. It’s almost closing time anyways. I can handle it alone. Go soak those feet.” I shoo her away and greet the young man as he comes to the till.
No one else comes in for the rest of the evening, and I’m just finished cleaning and shutting off the lights when a police cruiser pulls up front. Sheriff Donovan gets out of his car, and the butterflies in my stomach begin to stir. His beard is a little scruffier today than it was at the start of the week, and for the first time in my life, I wonder what it would feel like against my skin.
The sleeves to his uniform are rolled up, showing off his thick sinewy arms, and I get goosebumps at the thought of them wrapped around me. The door chimes, and I realize I’m still staring when he walks inside. My cheeks flush at being caught, and my eyes dart around the room, looking everywhere but at the man standing in front of me.
“You ready?” he asks, holding back a grin.
Slightly embarrassed for being caught checking him out, I bring my eyes back to his. “Y-yes. I’m ready,” I stutter and flinch.
Be cool, Jade.
“Perfect.” He smiles. “I like your shirt, by the way. Did you make that yourself?”
I tug at the hem of my shirt and look down at the design I did last night. “I did,” I tell him proudly.
“You have a talent. I always notice the little details on your clothes and wondered if that was you or not.”
My stomach flutters at the knowledge that he pays attention to my clothes.
We make our way to the edge of the sidewalk, and once again, West opens the passenger door and waits for me to get in. When we’re both settled and ready to go, he asks how my day was.
“It was crazy busy. We couldn’t keep up. I felt like a chicken with its head cut off, and this is only the beginning. Summer seems to be our busiest.” I lean back in the seat and let out a sigh.
“It’s just you and Sarah right now?” he asks.
“It is. Last year we had help over the summer, but no one’s applied yet. I’m really hoping we can find help soon. This week was already a lot, and we aren’t even at peak time yet. The rodeo next weekend has already brought in a lot of people. I didn’t even have a chance to sit down and eat my lunch. I’m starving.”
