She giggled, and he knew the rough waters between them had been smoothed.
Relaxing back against the booth-style seat, he stroked circles onto her smooth skin as she continued bringing him up to speed on the grand opening.
IT’S JUST POPPING IN to say hello, there’s no need to be nervous. The lie didn’t help him in the least, but he continued to chant it as he walked down the sidewalk to For Cake’s Sake. After checking in for the day at the shop, he was swinging by to meet Ms. Plath. Passing beneath the heart of flowers, he entered the front door, waving at Stephanie.
“Afternoon, Steph.”
“Afternoon, Alaric. How’s your mother?”
“Much better now that she’s home, but hating her immobility.” He smiled.
“Your mother has always been the type to keep busy with committed and community projects.”
“She hasn’t slowed down a bit. Maybe this was a way to get her to actually sit in one place for more than a few minutes.” He lowered his voice. “But d
on’t tell her I said that.”
She feigned silence, zipping her mouth shut. “My lips are sealed.”
“I thought I heard your voice.” Rosaleen stepped out of the kitchen with a smile. A petite woman with a round face, curvy frame, and kind eyes identical to her daughter’s followed.
“Hi. I wanted to come by before I got lunch for Mom.”
“How is she?” Rosaleen asked, moving closer.
“Happy to be home.”
“Good.”
“Mom. This is Alaric. Alaric, this is my mother, Ms. Plath.”
“You can call me Mary. It’s so nice to meet the young man who’s made this transitional period easier for my baby.”
“Mom,” Rosaleen whined.
Alaric chuckled. “Trust me when I say it’s been my pleasure. We’ve had a lot of fun checking out all the things Granville has to offer. It’s nice to see the town I was born and raised in with a fresh perspective. I apologize for my absence yesterday. I should’ve called.”
“Oh, we understand. I’m sure that was the last thing you expected to happen. Emergencies with our loved ones have a way of turning our brains into a blank page.”
“That’s exactly how it was,” he said, relieved she truly didn’t have a bad first impression of him. “What do you think of our town so far?”
“It’s beautiful. From the buildings to the forestry and lakes surrounding it. It’s different from Cincinnati in the best possible ways. I can see why my daughter relocated here, and why you didn’t want to leave.”
“Does that mean she might persuade you to move this way, too?”
Mary laughed. “Maybe after I retire.”
“I think we have a chance to win her over, Rosaleen. What do you think?”
Rosaleen shook her head, clearly amused. “I think the two of you together might be trouble.”
“Who, us?” He shook his head. “Come on. I have to do some purchasing to make up for what I missed yesterday and to make my mom smile.”
“What does she like?” Rosaleen asked, switching effortlessly into work mode.
“She likes the flakey, butter crusts, tart fruity flavors, rich chocolates, and anything with peanut butter.”
“Okay, so she has to try the peanut butter cup cupcakes, a Danish pastry, and a cheese cup with raspberry filling.” She waved Stephanie over. “Can we get a box started for Mrs. Bulley, please?”