Georgia glanced at her store, then back to me. “Just remember, don’t go giving him your whole heart. He’s still moving back to New York.”
“I know,” I said glumly. “Trust me, I’m reminding myself every day.”
Georgia patted my arm. “Sorry, didn’t mean to bring to bring you down. Just don’t like to see you hurt, buddy.”
I smiled. “Thanks, I appreciate it.”
She nodded her head toward the store. “Inventory this weekend. I should get back to work.”
“Come by later,” I said as she turned to cross the street. “I want to hear how your date went last night.”
Georgia laughed. “Trust me, you don’t. But sure! I’ll be by after we close.”
I sighed and trailed my eyes across the corner, lingering over the old, familiar details and the new additions, too. Georgia was right to remind me about Dominick leaving in the summer. I would never leave this place, and he would never be content to stay here. There was a definite dead end ahead of us, and every day together meant one day closer to parting ways.
My gaze landed on the empty Zing Pop building. The new owners hadn’t done a thing with it, and the longer it stayed empty, the more depressing it seemed. Sales numbers proved that my business hadn’t taken much of a hit from Jack shutting down his business, but still, the vacant storefront couldn’t be good for the rest of us.
A memory jumped to mind of Jack, stopping by with a fresh box of Zing Pops for my father. They’d always talk about their fishing trips and exchange some neighborhood gossip. And then Jack would always give me a Zing Pop, and I’d always make a big deal about how it was “fresh off the press.”
I smiled to myself, then pulled my phone from my pocket. Jack had departed so quickly; it was pretty obvious he wasn’t interested in keeping up contact with most of the people from Denver. Still, for a guy I had known my whole life, I thought he deserved a call every now and then.
I tapped the phone a few times, and Jack’s line began to ring. After a moment, he picked up. “Hello?” he said, his voice sounding almost startled.
“Jack? Hi, it’s Xavier Petrov. How are you?”
There was a pause, and I heard Jack let out a slow breath. “Xavier, hello,” he said. “You gave me a start. I saw your last name on the caller ID, and I guess I just…” He trailed off.
Considering I had never called him, I realized he must have been thinking about my dad. I knew the feeling well—catching a reflection in the window or hearing someone say his name. You could almost forget someone was gone for a minute.
“I was just calling to say hello,” I said. “And hear how you’re doing now that you’re away from Denver.”
He chuckled, his voice lightening. “Very good, actually. I’ve got a place on the ocean, and I’m able to take Maisie out for a fancy dinner every weekend. Living the high life in my retirement, as it turns out.”
“That’s great,” I said warmly. “I guess the Zing Pop was even more profitable than I realized.”
“The Zing Pop, sure,” he said. “But nothing beats the deal I got on selling that building. If someone comes sniffing around, you should consider the offer.”
“Oh,” I said, surprised to hear him say that. “I’m pretty certain I’ll just stay here, but good to know!”
I heard Jack’s wife calling in the background. “Listen, kid, I’m sorry to hurry you off the phone…”
“The high life calls,” I said. “I understand. Just promise me you’ll stop by the shop if you pass through.”
“Sure thing, kid, sure thing,” Jack answered. “Have a good one.”
I lowered the phone to my side and turned back toward Sweet Sensations. Something started itching at the back of my mind. Why would the same corporation that was driving Georgia away from buying the bar overpay Jack so much for his building? Something about it just didn’t make sense.
I made a mental note to ask Dominick about it later and tightened my jacket.One piece at a time, I reminded myself.And one day at a time, too.
* * *
I pulled the door to my house open and stuck my hand on my hip. “I can’t believe I finally managed to drag you over here.”
Dominick leaned forward, brushing a kiss across my lips, then handed me the bouquet he was carrying. The few pink and purple orchids were tied together with ribbon, and I held them to my nose to take in the sweet scent.
“I’m just glad I finally get to see it,” he said, stepping inside. “You learn a lot by a man from seeing his house.”
“I’ll have you know this is exactly as I always keep mine. I didn’t spend all week cleaning and organizing, and the loaf of fresh-baked bread you’re probably smelling happens every single day.”
