CHAPTER FIVE
FOR WHAT FELT LIKEthe hundredth time, Landon allowed himself to be grilled by his grandmother about working in the cider lab. She had set up afternoon tea for him and Caleb in her library. He had to admit that he loved being fussed over by his grandmother. It went a long way to make up for all the lost years between them. At times he almost couldn’t believe that they had been estranged for decades. As far as his heart knew, they’d never been apart.
Hattie’s tea set was Christmas themed with little sprigs of holly and berries. She had a three-tiered tray filled with finger sandwiches, tarts, and scones. Cream and sugar were at the ready. A pot of Earl Grey tea sat in the middle of the table.
They were sitting at a cozy little table surrounded by hundreds of books and soft lighting from several Tiffany lamps.This was Landon’s favorite room in the house. He spent a lot of time in here perusing the shelves and finding his favorites. Hattie loved to read as well. It was one of the things they had in common.
“I wish Xavier could be here,” Hattie said, a sigh slipping past her lips. “My favorite moments are spent in the presence of all three of my grandsons.”
This wasn’t the first time Hattie had voiced that sentiment.
“He had plans with Jaylen that he couldn’t break,” Landon said. True’s younger brother was a big part of Xavier’s life. Over the past ten months they had grown extremely close.
A smile twitched at Hattie’s lips. “Your brother is a vow keeper. His word is his bond.”
“He really is,” Landon agreed. Xavier had always been the dependable big brother. When their father had dipped out of their lives, Xavier stepped up for him and Caleb in every way imaginable.
“This takes me all the way back to when we were kids,” Caleb said, reaching for a cucumber-and-cream-cheese finger sandwich. He bit into it, letting out a sound of approval that caused their grandmother’s lips to twitch with merriment. She didn’t seem to mind Caleb’s breach in manners. He could tell she was simply savoring the moments in their presence.
Hattie couldn’t seem to get enough of hearing about his new work environment and the inner workings of Yukon Cider. Even though she’d created the hard cider company, she was learning a lot from him.
Her eyes glittered with interest. “It’s so fascinatinghearing all the little details of what happens in the cider lab.” She let out a robust laugh. “It’s my company and I didn’t know some of this stuff.”
“Well, it’s definitely where the magic happens,” Landon said, grinning. “It’s giving me a good feeling knowing that I’m part of the development team.”
“Seems like a great fit,” Caleb said, nodding. “I like this for you. This isn’t the type of lab you’re accustomed to, but you’ve loved labs since you were a toddler.”
Landon chuckled along with Caleb. From the time he’d been in diapers, he’d been fascinated by anything and everything involving science. For a while it had made their mother want to pull her hair out. Once he’d gotten a little older, she’d put him in special classes and workshops, all focusing on aspects of scientific exploration. Thankfully his mother had taken the time to make sure his interest in science flourished. Daisy Stone had given him a strong foundation. As a single mother raising three rowdy boys, she’d been a rock star mom. He came from a long line of strong, courageous women.
He helped himself to a cranberry scone to go along with his tea. It reminded him of his brainstorming session with Bailey. She had a way of creeping into his thoughts at random moments like this one.
He felt very peaceful at this moment despite the fact that there were so many forces at work that were outside of his control. What was happening to Hattie was something he wished he could change, but he was powerless against the ravages of kidney disease. And he was just as helpless against the folks who’d sandbagged his career.For now, he was just going to exist in the tranquility of the moment.
“Landon, I love you to pieces, but I need to keep it real with you.”
Uh-oh! Not again. When his grandmother kept it real with him, she usually wanted to critique his love life. Or lack thereof. It was a running theme with Hattie.
Hattie reached out and tapped her fingernail against the almanac he’d been perusing. “Keeping your nose in all these books is going to keep you as single as a Pringle. My darling, you must ditch the books and get ready to mingle.” She paused to sip from her teacup before peering up at him with wide eyes.
He frowned. Was his grandmother doling out dating advice yet again? He was a bit appalled. Nobody wanted to hear their granny say they were lame in the romance department. Even if it was the truth.
“Lots of pretty girls here in Moose Falls. Or boys, for that matter. I don’t judge,” she said, holding up her hands. “I’ll tell you a secret,” she said in a loud whisper. “My sex life has gotten better with age.”
“Oh no no no,” Landon said, stuffing his fingers in his ears. “TMI. I do not want to hear anything about your… adult activities. Closed door please and thank you.”
In response, Hattie’s tinkling laughter rang out in the room. “One might thinkyouwere the granny in this situation and I was the young hipster.”
“You shouldn’t worry about this guy here,” Caleb said with an exaggerated wink. “He’s not as single as you might think.” He leaned toward Landon and clapped him on the back. “Are you?” he asked with a wink.
“Caleb,” Landon said in a warning tone. “Don’t start this again.”
“Oh please, tell me everything,” Hattie pleaded. “Have pity on a dying old granny. I need some gossip. I’ve been cooped up in the house for days.”
“No! Do not!” Landon said in a sharp tone. Caleb was about to throw a stick of dynamite and then run for the hills, as he always did.
Caleb grinned and leaned against Hattie so they were shoulder to shoulder. “Her name is Bailey,” he said in a loud whisper. “And she’s very easy on the eyes.”
Landon let out a groan.And so it begins, he thought. Hattie knew each and every employee by name, so he was certain she would make the connection. How many Baileys could there be in Moose Falls?
