“Oh, you know your grandfather,” Alice said, waving a hand toward the back window. “Out tinkering with something or another.” Then her gaze shifted to Joe, eyes twinkling. “And who’s this? Did you bring a new boyfriend over?”
“Grandma.” Krista groaned, heat rising in her cheeks. “This is Joe Valerio. He’s a reporter doing a piece on the Local Blooms project.”
Alice’s face lit up. “Oh! Well, it’s lovely to meet you, Joe. You think my granddaughter’s a keeper, don’t you?”
Joe smiled easily. “I sure think she’s something special, ma’am.”
Krista mouthed “I’m sorry,” a deep ache settling in her chest. Just as she’d feared, Alice didn’t seem to remember meeting him before. But if Joe minded, he didn’t show it.
Alice chuckled, reaching for the cream carton. “Here, Grandma, I’ve got that,” Krista said, stepping forward.
“Oh, come now,” Alice said, waving her off. “I’ve been making this recipe for fifty years. Wouldn’t you rather be out enjoying this handsome man of yours?”
“Grandma!” Krista groaned, shooting Joe a mortified look. This was exactly why she didn’t bring men aroundher grandparents’ house, even before Grandma’s dementia arrived. Not that there had been any to bring. Still, age seemed to grant people a kind of unfiltered honesty, and her grandmother had never been shy about exercising it.
Alice winked, pouring the cream into a saucepan. “If I were you, and I had a hot honey like this one, I wouldn’t be stuck inside making ice cream with my grandmother.”
Krista covered her face, half laughing, half cringing. “You can’t say things like that.”
Joe cleared his throat. “Truth be told, I would love to learn.”
“Oh, you’ve got a hankering for homemade ice cream, do you?” Alice asked, stirring the cream and honey together. Warm vanilla drifted through the small cabin like sunlight.
“It’s part of something we’re doing for Maple Falls,” Krista explained, grateful for the subject change. “It’s called the Summer Swap. Joe and I are trading lives for a week, or five days anyway. We start on Friday. He’s going to manage the Hideaway and help you and Gramps, and I’m going to take over his photography gig. We’ll switch where we’re living, too.”
“Well,” Alice said with a grin, “then we better teach him how to make good ice cream.”
She handed Joe the wooden churn, the metal canister sitting loosely in the middle. “You’re a strong lad, I can tell. Let’s see if you’ve got the patience for it. Here we’re going to pour it into the churn now, and then we need to pack the outside with ice and salt. Krista knows where it’s at.”
Krista layered crushed ice and rock salt around the canister in the wooden bucket.
“The salt lowers the temperature of the ice so the cream freezes evenly,” Alice explained.
Joe crouched beside the bucket, fingers brushing against the cold rim. “Alright,” he said, settling his hands on the crank. “Let’s give this a go.”
“Steady and slow,” said Krista. “You’ll feel it start to thicken as it freezes.”
He began turning the handle. The ice cracked softly beneath the lid, and the mixture made a faint sloshing sound that grew heavier with each turn.
Alice hummed along to a tune that drifted from the old radio, her voice thin but steady. She added more ice, sprinkled salt. “You’re a natural,” she said approvingly. “Some men rush things, but not you. You’ve got a steady calm about you.”
Joe smiled. “It comes with my job.”
Krista leaned against the counter, watching him. Forearms flexing as he turned the handle, eyes focused, the way he kept the pressure controlled. She couldn’t stop thinking that he’d take his time with her too. Until she was soft and shaking and asking for more.
When the ice cream thickened, Alice clapped. “There it is. You can tell by the sound.”
Joe eased the lid open, the cold mist rising in a soft puff. “Smells incredible,” he said.
“It’s the honey,” Alice replied, reaching for the spoon. Her hands trembled slightly, and Joe steadied the bowl for her. His expression was gentle, patient. Krista felt her heart twist.
“Mind if I take a few photos for my piece on Maple Falls?” Joe asked.
“Wait, I need to practice,” Krista said, moving to pick up the camera and praying she didn’t accidentally change any settings in the process.
Alice smiled. “You guys go right ahead, dear. It’s nice to feel useful again.”
Krista swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. “You always are, Gram.”
