Page 34 of Second Chances
“Well, that’s what we locals call it. The Sugar Peaks crowd don’t have any creativity and just called it the General Store.”
“And the specialty at the G Spot is the Beaver Tail.”
“You got it,” Josh grinned and ripped at the pastry with his fingers and took a bite. “It’s easier just to dive right in.” Josh looked at her wryly and ripped off another piece, this time offering it up to Megan. She didn’t know whether he expected her to lean forward and let him feed her, so she played it safe and plucked the dough from his fingers with hers. She took another bite. “I’m going to have to get the recipe for this.”
Josh sat back on the bench seat. “So, there are two reasons I brought you here. We are all in this together, and by ‘we’, I mean, everyone in Chance Rapids, so we don’t try to compete with each other.”
“What are you saying, Josh?” Megan peeled the last bite off the plate and ripped it in two, offering half to Josh.
“I’m saying, the coffee here is shit. People don’t come here for the coffee. They come here for the fish and chips and the beaver tails. So, don’t sell fish and chips and beaver tails at your café.”
“I don’t think that anyone can tell me what I can and can’t sell at the café.”
“You’re right about that. But, if you want to make it in the shoulder seasons, when the tourists aren’t here, you’re going to have to appease the locals. Not one person in this town is going to go into your bake shop if you start selling Muriel’s beaver tails.”
Megan leaned back in her chair and choked back another sip of the turpentine coffee. “So basically, the whole town is under a non-disclosure, non-compete clause, all sealed with a handshake.”
“You’re starting to get the picture.”
“Alright, Mr. Chance Rapids – where to next?” Megan knocked back the last of her coffee and shuddered.
Josh slid out of the booth and held his hand out for her. “I thought we would do something fun.”
Megan reluctantly took his hand and let him help her out of the tight booth. “I have the feeling that you and I have different definitions of the word ‘fun,’ Josh.”
“Well, let’s continue our tour of downtown first then. Coffee to go?” He whispered into her ear and placed his hand on her back.
Megan giggled, “Hell no,” she whispered under her breath.
The sun was dipping down over the jagged horizon as they strolled the downtown strip. Quarter sized snowflakes were falling softly from the sky and when the streetlamps clicked on, they seemed to dance in their light. Megan felt like she was walking in a living, breathing snow globe.
Every person they passed smiled and said hi to Josh.
“Do you know everyone here?” she asked.
“Pretty much, until the seasonal crowd rolls in. They look at you like you’ve got two heads if you say hello to them on the street.”
Megan felt the same way the first time it had happened to her in Chance Rapids. An old man had tipped his hat at her and said good morning as she was walking into the job site. Now, all the hellos and Merry Christmas greetings were giving her the warm and fuzzies.
They passed a streetlamp with a ladder leaning against it and as they walked by, Freddie hopped off and landed beside them with a thud. “You found him.”
“I did. He’s just giving me a tour of the town,” Megan smiled.
“Hard to believe that you’ve had that massive house here for years and you’re just getting around to the town tour now.”
“I guess I just haven’t spent much time here, that’s all.” Megan breathed out her breath a cloud. She technically wasn’t lying, she hadn’t spent any time at Charlotte’s house at all. How am I going to get out of this lie before it gets away on me? She wondered.
“No kidding. I mean, nobody here has even seen you before. There were rumors about the owner of Seventeen Sugar Peaks Way and I mean, I think that the whole town is a little disappointed that you aren’t actually George Clooney, or a mob boss, or a—”
“She gets the point, Freddie,” Josh interrupted. “There have been plenty of rumors flying around about you, but now that you’re here and actively involved in the town you can set them all straight.
Megan cleared her throat. She didn’t know what to say that wasn’t going to be an all out lie. “Sure can,” her voice wavered. She was falling for Josh, what was he going to say when he found out that she wasn’t a rich real estate developer? Her heart jumped into her throat as the question came up. Is that why he’s spending so much time with me? The thought hadn’t crossed her mind, but of course. The small-town boys thought that she was a rich mover and shaker from the city.
“Speaking of celebrities, is your brother coming to town for Christmas?” Josh said to Freddie.
“He’ll be here, with his new supermodel girlfriend.”
“Fun,” Josh said. “Will this one go outside when it’s snowing?”
