Page 52 of Valentine's in Bayberry

He let out a laugh. The memories brought back a joy he hadn’t felt in a while. “No. It was a private plane. We were going to party with the royals and famous alike.” He grinned as more memories flooded his mind. “My seventeen-year-old self never would believe that I would end up spending my days behind a desk in a skyscraper.”

“Dreams evolve and change,” she said.

“Your dreams didn’t change,” he pointed out. “You always wanted your own business right here in Bayberry.”

She nodded. “It was the details that switched from a bakery to a chocolate shop. And with the help of your mother renting me the spot at a reasonable rate, I was able to make my dream a reality. Do you think you’ll be able to get the new owner of the building to agree to let me go on using that space?”

“Don’t worry. It’s my top priority.” He meant it. He would make sure she was taken care of.

“Thank you. Now on with the music.”

He strummed the guitar and then adjusted the cords until it sounded right. “What’s your request?”

“Hmm...” She thought about it for a moment and then said, “Small Town.”

He couldn’t help but smile. They’d played that tune all of the time back in the day. And Carrie had loved it. The only thing was that she was living it, and he’d gone in search of something bigger, and if he were honest with himself, something better.

In the end, he was finding that the better was waiting right there in Bayberry for him. And she was smiling back at him. As much as he was trying to put the brakes on his feelings for her, he found his heart was like a runaway locomotive, and he was falling hard.

He played a few songs, and she sang along with him. He’d forgotten how sweet of a voice she had.

And then all too soon, it was time to call it a night. She had work in the morning, and he had some serious decisions to make. Right now, his heart wanted one thing while his mind wanted the opposite. And he had no idea which of them was going to win.

When Carrie stood, he did too. “I can walk you home.”

She shook her head. “That’s not necessary. After all, I’m just next door.”

Just like she had been for all of his youth. He couldn’t help but wonder if this was some sort of second chance to get things right with her.

“Well, thank you for tonight,” she said. “I loved it.”

“I love... loved it too.” Had he almost told her that he loved her?No. Yes. Maybe.

As they stood next to the fire, he stared into her eyes. His heart pounded. All he wanted to do then was to wrap his arms around her and pull her close. And then he would lower his head and press his lips to hers.

Just as he was about to put his daydream into action, Carrie stepped away. “Goodnight.”

“Night.”

The opportunity had slipped through his fingers—like it had so many times in the past. He couldn’t afford to squander any other opportunities to show Carrie what she meant to him. He worried that they were running out of chances to get it right.

It was time to work on his next secret valentine project. Somehow, he had to get her to see him as more than her friend. He felt as though he were making progress. But was it enough?

She was still smiling.

The next day, Carrie felt as though her steps were lighter. The sun was shining a little brighter. And it was all because of Jackson. He reminded her of the good times they used to have, and in the process, they’d created new memories.

She’d spent a lot of the morning before the shop opened, working on her version of a s’more, but it didn’t have the same full flavor. She knew the problem was the marshmallow. She’d tried marshmallow cream from the store. It was too sweet andsoft. And the chocolate felt separate. It wasn’t blending together like it had the night before at the fire.

And then there was the part about making the whole thing a cohesive unit. She had to give it some more thought.

Alice came rushing into the kitchen. “What are you still doing here?”

“I, uh, work here.”

“I know that. But it’s lunchtime.”

“It is.” Her gaze moved to the wall clock. It was a quarter after twelve.

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