Page 52 of Honeycombs & Homecomings

Jo heard a chorus of “Yes, Miss Allie,” followed by a bark that had to be from Honey. None of this was making any kind of sense.

“Can you believe he bought my engagement ring with that loan?” Allie’s tone was drenched with disgust.

“He did?” Who does that?

“Yes!”

“What a jerk.” And to think Jo’d hired the guy.

“Tell me about it.” Allie huffed. “We’ll be back at nine.”

Her and the loan sharks? Awesome. “No, Allie, you can’t get in the car with them again!” What was she thinking? Allie was the one that made Jo watch all those thrillers. They’d seenTakenat least a dozen times. They didn’t have a Liam Neeson and without him, this scenario didn’t end well!

“Jo, trust me, it’s going to be just fine,” she said. “Just meet me at the festival tonight, by the corn maze. Oh, and don’t tell the sheriff or any of his deputies what’s going on. These guys are really gun shy, literally.”

Jo huffed and threw up her hands. What was that supposed to mean? Was that meant as a threat on Allie’s life?

“Oh, and Jason says hello,” Allie said.

“I don’t care about Jason!” she seethed. Who was Jason, anyway?

The line disconnected, and Jo almost chucked her phone across the street. That was until she saw the Spencer’s walking toward her with their six-month-old baby and two-year-old girl. She forced a smiled as they passed, both parents giving her a weird look as they went. She couldn’t blame them. She was sure she looked as crazed as she felt.

“Hi there,” she said. “Enjoy your last day at the festival.” She waved, and the two-year-old returned it.

The Warners came out of the restaurant then, nodding briefly to her as they headed toward the park.

Ethan came out shortly after. “Are you sure you want to work with those people?”

She furrowed her brow, still confused by her conversation with her sister. “Yes, well, yeah. Why? They’re just investors.”

Ethan frowned. “That’s not what that contract said.”

She didn’t have time for this. “Ethan, I’m not worried about that, or the contract, or the Warners, or any of that right now. I just . . .” She sighed. She couldn’t tell him. She wasn’t sure if Allie would be safe or not if she did. “I have to go.” With that, she darted across the street.

Chapter 18

As soon as Cash had gotten dressed, he’d immediately grabbed the recipe he’d accidentally pilfered from Jo, and set about making it. His mom had always been an amazing baker, and had quite the sweet tooth, so there’d been no need to make a run to the store. He’d had everything to make Jo’s Honey Salted Caramels and had them done in an hour.

His mom and dad had both popped their heads into the kitchen when they were getting close to done, their delicious honey-caramel smell filling the house. Even Cash’s mouth had been watering. He let them set on parchment paper, and when they were done, he and his mom wrapped them individually in cellophane while his father kept sneaking them.

His mom poured what was left of the individually wrapped candies into a paper sack, he’d kissed her on the check and with a bounce in his step, he made his way toSticky and Sweet. Only Jo wasn’t there. Her mother and a couple of her younger cousins, who giggled uncontrollably when he’d asked for her, were running things. Jo’s mom, Clara, had brightened at the sight of him, but didn’t know where Jo was.

Cash also tried not to take it personally when Clara told him she’d had no idea he was in town. Jo had always been a private person, even with her mom, but it didn’t ease his nerves.

He also searched for her at her booth at the festival and later at her aunt’s house. She wasn’t at either.

A couple hours of searching everywhere he thought she might go, and he resigned himself to sitting in the back of the honey shop to wait for her. He could organize something or clean something else or alphabetize something. Anything to keep his mind busy and not wondering if putting his heart on the line like this was really as good of an idea as he wanted it to be.

Jo had always been so stoic that it could be hard to tell how she was feeling. But there had been moments. Delicious moments where he could’ve sworn she was just as affected by him as he was by her.

Stopping at Harold’s Harvest Market, Cash bought a couple honey crisp apples, then headed slowly down the street. He shoved one in his pocket and took a large bite of the next.

A couple he recognized from high school congratulated him on his engagement to Jo as they herded their family of five up the street. A pang of regret spread from his chest at the congratulations and the sight of the family.

“Cash!” E. Morrison, the deputy that had helped him get Jo’s shop cleaned up, ran across the street, waving a hand over his head.

Cash waited for him. Maybe he’d seen Jo.

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