“Am I ever,” he said, adrenaline racing through his veins at this exciting development. Things were looking up. He needed to stick around Moose Falls for the remainder of the one-year period he and his brothers had agreed to. For the next few months he would occupy himself in the cider lab, a pretty cool shift as far as he was concerned.
“In case I haven’t already told you dozens of times, you didn’t deserve what those crooks at the lab did to you,” Hattie said, scowling.
“I appreciate the support.” He shook his head. “After all this time it still hurts. I worked so hard to become a scientist, only to have my research stolen. Then I got tossed out of the lab and fired.” He let out a ragged breath. Thankfully he felt close enough to his grandmother to bare all his feelings. “Then to make matters worse, they dragged my reputation through the mud so that no other lab would hire me.”
Hattie let out a growl. “Scoundrels, one and all. They didn’t deserve someone like you as their colleague.”
“Thanks for saying so,” Landon said. “Honestly, I’m looking forward to this new position. It just proves that life goes on.”
“Absolutely,” Hattie said. “No laboratory can determine your future.”
“Is there anything I need to do before moving to the lab?” Landon asked. He was eager to shift gears.
“You’ll have some ongoing projects to finish up, but mostof your time will be spent in the lab concocting our latest brew with your new team. Moving forward, there are some cool collections you’ll be working on,” she announced.
Landon rubbed his hands together. “I’ve got so much to learn about cider making. I feel like a kid in a candy store.”
“Bless your heart,” Hattie said, reaching out and patting his arm as they made their way to the eastern side of the building. “Something tells me this is going to be a perfect partnership.”
“Now wouldn’t that be nice,” Landon murmured. He hadn’t felt this energized in a long time about something work related. Working in a new setting was always interesting, even if it was worlds apart from Abbott Laboratories. He was looking forward to being hands-on and discovering how the cider lab worked to create the product.
“Here we are,” Hattie announced as they reached the cider laboratory. Landon opened the door so his grandmother could navigate her scooter over the threshold.
“After you, madam,” Landon said, ushering her into the lab.
“Always the gentleman,” Hattie said, her eyes twinkling. “Daisy raised you boys right.”
As soon as they were inside, Landon experienced a sense of wonder, the type he hadn’t felt in quite some time. Something about all of this was making him feel like a kid again.
He’d never been in the cider lab before. Everything was so shiny and bright. It was like walking into Willy Wonka’s factory. All the machines were glistening. Goose bumps prickled on the back of his neck. A sweet smell rose to his nostrils. Cranberry? Lemon? Whatever the aroma was, thescent was heavenly. He could get used to working in this department! The idea of coming up with flavors for a holiday line was exciting.
“Joann,” Hattie called out as a tall woman with a cap of short blond hair came walking toward them.
“Hattie. I’ve been expecting you,” Joann said, smiling widely.
“Glad to hear it. Joann, I’d like for you to meet Landon, my grandson.” His grandmother was beaming from ear to ear. He shifted from one foot to the other, hoping she wasn’t about to sing his praises. He loved that she wore her heart on her sleeve, but he tended to squirm when she gushed about him. “Landon, Joann has been working with Yukon Cider since day one. We’ve come a long way since then. She runs this department.”
“It’s a pleasure,” Landon said, reaching out to shake Joann’s hand.
“The pleasure is all mine,” Joann said. “I understand you’ll be working with us in the lab.”
“I just found out this morning, so it’s all breaking news to me,” Landon admitted. “But I’m looking forward to learning everything about cider making.” He didn’t want to geek out too hard in front of the team leader.
“I don’t want to hover as if it’s the first day of kindergarten,” Hattie said with a chuckle, “but I expect you to show him the ropes and answer all of his questions.” She gave Joann a knowing look. “And trust me, he always haslotsof questions.”
“The best people always do,” Joann said, nodding approvingly.
With a wave, Hattie turned her scooter around and sailed out the door.
Landon shook his head. Not only did Hattie know how to make an entrance, but she always exited a room with a dramatic flair.
He almost wanted to apologize for his grandmother’s intensity, but he kept quiet. Everyone in Moose Falls knew that Hattie was protective of her grandsons.
Joann looked around the lab. “I’d love to introduce you to the rest of the team, Landon, but they’ve disappeared for some reason. Perhaps they ran to the café for a coffee. In the meantime, I’ll show you around.”
For the next ten minutes Landon toured the lab, with Joann showing him the attached room where the cider was made in stainless steel vats. From what he already knew, the process was broken down into steps—fermentation, racking, and pasteurization. He was eager to see each step through until the final result—vibrant batches of hard cider.
Suddenly it was just him alone in the lab. He didn’t quite know what to do with himself, but instinct told him to explore. There was nothing he loved better than looking around a new lab setting. The sights, the sounds, and the smells. Not to mention the machinery.
“Can I help you with something?” a low female voice asked from behind him.
He turned around. Standing there in a tomato red sweater and dark washed jeans was a familiar face.Bailey. It struck him that she was just as lovely as he remembered, curls, freckles, and all.
“You!” Landon said, his jaw threatening to drop to the floor at the sight of her.
“You,” Bailey said, eyes wide and looking just as stunned as he felt.
What were the odds?he asked himself. This really was shaping up to be his lucky day.
