One Sweet Day

One Sweet Day

(a Blue Lake short story)

Kristin Miller

Other Titles by Kristin Miller

Blue Lake Series

When I Fall in Love

One Sweet Day

Crazy in Love

Let Me Love You

The Seattle Wolf Pack Series

Gone with the Wolf

Four Weddings and a Werewolf

So I Married a Werewolf

The Vampires of Crimson Bay Trilogy

InterVamption

Vamped Up

Last Vamp Standing

Isle of Feralon Series

Claimed by Desire

Forbidden by Fate

Demand of the Dragon

The Mermaid’s Mate

Stand-alone Novels and Novellas

Dark Tide Rising

One Night to Remember

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used factiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Copyright
©
2013 by Kristin Miller. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means.

Cover design by Kim Killion of
Hot Damn Design

to Justin,

all of me, loves all of you

Chapter One

“That’s a much better likeness.” Laney Owens drew horns and a pointy goatee on her ex-boyfriend’s picture. “Should’ve known you’d hook up with the town floozy. Stupid, desperate…
devil goat man
!”

She scribbled violently, smashing the Sharpie’s tip down to nothing. With a huff, she tossed the frame into the trash and scrubbed her hands over her forehead.

“Lying sucker.”

She couldn’t believe she’d wasted five years of her life with him. Blue Lake had been good to her. She’d made friends here. But she wasn’t born in the picturesque Sierra Nevada mountain town like Brian Goulding, the town’s “Golden Boy”. Ever since they’d started dating, she’d been treated like Blue Lake royalty. That is, until Golden Boy decided to hook up with Brittney McGee during the Annual Holiday Hop last week.

Glancing around Sweet Tooth Candy Shoppe and the boxes she’d already filled, Laney realized this was the only way she was going to be able to move on with her life.

Everything reminded her of Golden Boy and the life she’d painted for them. She couldn’t stay, couldn’t bear to hear the whispers that would inevitably follow her everywhere. She could almost hear them now:
Poor Laney Owens. What will she do without Brian at her side? He’s the one who started the candy shop for her, you know. She’ll be lost without him.

The bell attached to the front door jingled, and an older woman entered, her gray hair covered by a hand-knit beanie with a burgundy ball at the crown.

“Morning, dear,” Meredith said, her thin lips spreading into a smile. “How are you holding up… you know, after the break up?”

Ah, the town gossip. She meant well, but if loose lips sank ships, Meredith’s could wipe out the United States Navy.

“Fine.” Laney tied on her batter-splattered apron and moved behind the glass counter filled with homemade candies and treats. “What can I get you?”

“A chocolate covered strawberry, I suppose.” Meredith removed her gloves and shoved them into the pocket of her wool coat. “Will you still be attending your going away party at Moose Valley Ski Lodge tonight? The girls worked so hard to put it together for you.”

Now
they were getting to the real reason for the early morning visit.

“I wouldn’t miss it.” Laney said.

The only reason she’d agreed to go in the first place was because her best friends were throwing the party for her. One last hurrah with her favorite girls before she moved to the city.

Laney removed a strawberry, slid it into a paper pouch and handed it over. Meredith nodded slowly, her eyes narrowing to slits. Laney got the feeling she was missing something.

“What is it, Meredith?” Laney droned.

“Well, dear, it’s just that…” Meredith leaned in close, as if there were other people in the shop who would overhear. “…Brian said he might be at the lodge with Brittney tonight. It’s their first year hanging an ornament on the tree as a couple, and we thought it might be awkward if you two ran into each other.”

We
thought. Wasn’t that nice? The people in town were already talking about her.

Laney went to work wringing hand towels in the sink to quiet the temptation of wringing Brian’s neck.

“It’s so soon, that’s all,” Meredith rambled on. “We thought a week might not be enough time for you to come to grips with—“

“With what?” Laney spun around. “The break up?”

“With the fact that Brian found his true love so quickly after dumping you.”

Dagger to the heart.

Laney smiled tightly. “I’ll be fine, Meredith, but I appreciate your concern. Tell the other ladies at the bookclub meeting not to waste another breath of air on my name. Now if you wouldn’t mind, I’ve got a ton to do.”

“Sure. Whatever you say dear.”

As Meredith closed the door, Laney snatched a square of fudge from the display. Meredith’s head bobbed as she walked in front of the store window, making an excellent “hit the moving duck” moment. Laney cocked back and let the chocolate fly. It hit with a thud, and then gooped down the glass.

“Whoa,” a rumbling voice said from behind her. “Better tell the major league pitchers out there to watch out or you’ll be after their jobs.”

Charlie Vonn, the thirty-something snowboard instructor who rented out the unit above the candy shop, was a sight for sore eyes. He always came in around ten a.m, and always ordered the same thing: a bag of peanut brittle. Since she’d assumed ownership over the candy shop five years ago, Charlie had lived upstairs. If business was slow, he’d come down to visit and make the hours on the clock race by. If the shop was bustling with customers, he’d take orders until she caught up.

“I don’t play baseball.” Laney grabbed a bottle of Windex and a paper towel, and went to work cleaning the chocolate smear. “Never have.”

“Your peanut brittle’s off the hook, but I’ve never seen you throw before. You should seriously reconsider your career choice.” Laughing, Charlie made his way through the shop until he was standing near the front display rack. “On the other hand, if you were aiming for the fluff ball on Meredith’s beanie, you missed the mark by two inches.”

With the window sparkly-clean, Laney put her hands on her hips and blew layers of sandy-blonde hair out of her eyes. “The people of Blue Lake can’t wait to get rid of me.”

His brow scrunched. “Why do you say that?”

“When two people break up, everyone has to pick a side. If he’s in, I’m out.”

“Ah, I see. This is about the infamous break up that’s on everyone’s lips.” He took the chair in front of the register, spun it around and straddled it backwards, his arms folded over the back. “If it makes you feel any better, he was an knob-job to end it the way he did. I’m with you.”

“Thanks, but you might be the only one.”

His full lips curved into a smile, summoning the Irish charm he was known for. Hazel eyes and dark hair. Amazing bone structure, strong jaw line. He was a total looker, there was no denying it, but she’d never once seen a woman leave his studio in the early morning hours. She’d often wondered why that was. Maybe women couldn’t get past his funky attire? He always wore a variation of the same ensemble: clunky black boots, blue jeans with holes in the knees—no matter the freezing weather that December brought with it—and flannel shirts with popped collars and sleeves rolled to the elbow. His style was an eclectic mix of backwoods country and All-American surfer-boy, though he seemed to pull it off effortlessly.

If she hadn’t been planning out a future with Brian, she might’ve had a crush on him. Under the circumstances, her dating meter was broken.

Laney replaced the cleaning supplies and scooted an empty box toward the back cabinets. “I’m sorry, I’m a bit distracted this morning. Did you want me to grab your order of peanut brittle?”

“No, not just yet.” He pointed to the boxes. “You remodeling?”

She looked up into his almond-shaped eyes and hesitated telling him about the move, but he’d find out sooner or later anyway. If he took one step out the door, Meredith was liable to jump him and force him to listen to the horrible gossip. Better that he hear it from her.

“I’m leaving town,” she forced out.

His smile dropped. “Why?”

She went back to work, shoving baking sheets and utensils into the nearest box. “I don’t belong here and he does. It’s better for everyone if I go back to San Francisco and try to open up a candy shop there.”

“But you’ve made a life here.” His raspy voice echoed through the shop. “You belong here every bit as much as Brian does.”

“No,” she said, shoving the box full. “He grew up here, went to elementary school and high school. His parents are involved in the town council. He has roots here. I’m just a big city transplant.”

He tapped his hands against the back of the chair. “I thought you didn’t like living in San Francisco. I thought you liked the pace of life here.”

Charlie was right on all counts. She loved the slow pace in Blue Lake, the way everyone smiled and nodded as you walked by, the wood-planked sidewalks and the wine barrels filled with flowers lining them. Blue Lake was picturesque…but she didn’t see herself here.

Not anymore.

“I love it here, but I could be happy anywhere.” She closed up the box, adding it to the stack of others against the far wall. She planned to leave the shop the way she got it. She was leaving the big appliances, the mixers and pots and pans. Most of the stuff was stocked when she took ownership, and she wanted to leave the same welcomed surprise for the next person who took over. She’d already boxed up her apartment—mostly clothes, DVD’s, a small television, and a laptop—and was amazed at how little time it took to uproot. “I’m going back to the city.”

He stood, shoving his hands in his pockets. “You sound like you’ve already made up your mind.”

“I have.”

He nodded, and his gaze dipped from her eyes to her lips. A tingling shudder rolled through her.

“When are you leaving?” he asked.

“Tomorrow, I think.”

“Anything I can do or say to change your mind?”

“No, I don’t think so.” She brushed her hands over her arms, but the chill wouldn’t go away. “Thanks, though. You know, you’re one of the sweetest people I’ve met here.”

“Then let the sweetest person in town grab you lunch today. A final meal, if you will.”

“Okay,” she said as the door jingled, signaling another customer. “I’m closing up at noon anyway. My friends are throwing me a farewell party at your resort.”

“That’s nice of ‘em.” He smiled, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “I’ll be there, too.”

“Really?”

“The lodge called me in to work tonight. I’ll be on the mountain.”

“Oh.” Disappointment rang through her; she would’ve liked him to be at the party. “Want to drive up together then? Sometime after lunch?”

“Sounds like a plan.” He trudged up the stairs and disappeared around the corner leading to his studio.

By the time she finished dishing up truffles for the customer who’d just entered, Laney realized Charlie had forgotten his peanut brittle in the fridge.

He’d never forgotten his morning supply.

Wonder what had him so distracted?

Chapter Two

Laney Owens was moving.

And there was a very real possibility that after today, he’d never see her again.

Hours later, and Charlie still couldn’t wrap his mind around it. A quiet part of him had always hoped that one day she’d ditch Brian—the guy had never treated her the way she deserved—and they could finally move out of the friend zone.

But now, he didn’t have time to ease into it.

She was leaving, and judging from the way she was packing, chucking utensils left and right, she was heading out of Blue Lake sooner rather than later. He didn’t have long to convince her that they’d be great together, that she’d been overlooking the one person who could make her happy.