Page 3 of Savage in the Sweets
“No, but the construction has been noisy. The power went out once, and that caused chaos. Three dozen cookies wasted.”
“He’s a good man, looking to get involved in the school. An excellent father…”
Her voice trails off. I’ve never seen her like this before, like she’s trying to convince herself of something. She’s never unsure of herself, always articulating her thoughts perfectly and with conviction.
“I’ve yet to see him,” I say after an awkward silence. “Maybe I’ll bring him over a goody basket.”
She snickers. “He doesn’t strike me as the type who would enjoy that.”
“Who doesn’t enjoy handmade chocolate?”
“When you see the body on him, you’ll understand.”
“Well, he does own a gym,” I reply back. “He cute?”
“Sizzling—but too young for me. He’s only thirty-two.”
Irene may be an older lady, but she doesn’t look a day over forty, and she’s always put together.
I wink at her. “He might be into cougars. And you do look like you could be Beyonce’s older sister.”
She chuckles. “You better stop that. Puttin’ ideas in my head.”
“It doesn’t sound like I’m the one doing that. Why are you thinking so much about him?”
“He might be the answer we’ve been looking for. He wants to help the kids and assist with the playground. He’s so damn stubborn, though.”
“That’s great!”
Another silence falls between us, and I find that for the first time since I’ve known her, I don’t much like Irene’s company. I’d rather her be ranting up a storm about the parking situation than her being this ominous.
She blinks as though suddenly realizing where she is. “Oh…listen to me prattling on.” She rolls her eyes. “I’m probably just reading too much into things.”
Reading too much into what? Did I miss part of the conversation?
“Here, take this.” I offer her a raspberry truffle, which I know is her favorite. “On the house.”
“I know I can always count on you,” Irene says, taking the chocolate and turning to leave.
“Can’t wait to see you tonight,” I say as I go back to my boxes.
As Irene walks out the doors, she shouts back, “Same, girl.”
Lacy
I setup my booth and begin greeting the guests as they trickle through the doors, offering them cupcakes, hot chocolate, and other sweet treats at a reasonable price.
There are always a few parents that bring their children to these functions, and I give the cuties small lollipops, with their parent’s permission.
Wilson’s Grove is a small, tight-knit community that makes you feel like you’ve teleported decades into the past. Everyone is personable in a way they aren’t in cities and other towns. After graduating high school, I thought it was the last place I wanted to be and moved to an urban area to go to college.
Big mistake.
I came crawling back two years later with my tail between my legs, begging to take over the family business. My parents never made me feel bad and welcomed me back with open arms. My sister had just had April, and we grew closer than we ever were growing up.
I’m forever thankful for the time I had with them in those years that I was so unsure about myself. I got to know my parents in a way I wouldn’t have otherwise, and when a car accident took them from me just three years after I came back, I feel like I had some amount of closure.
I took over Savage Sweets, though my sister is technically a co-owner. Everything fell on me, which was terrifying at the time, but I can rightfully say that I’ve successfully preserved my family’s legacy.
