Chapter 26

twenty-six

ANDREW

I let out a loud groan as I opened the door of Candy Lane.

Jonathon looked up from behind the counter. “It sounds like someone needs some fudge.”

“Sorry. I forgot where I was.” I turned off my phone and looked around the store. Even though it was Monday, there should have been a lot of people shopping for candy. “Where is everyone?”

“I’m usually closed by now, but Elijah needed an emergency supply of marshmallow bars. By the time I’d wrapped his order, it was after five.” Jonathon walked across to the front door and flipped the sign to “Closed”. “I thought you were going with Jacob to pick up Barbara and Jesse.”

“I had to change my plans.”

“Because of the video?”

I sighed. “You’ve seen it.”

“Who hasn’t? For an amateur recording, it’s really good.” Jonathon took a bar of fudge off the shelf and popped it into a bag. “While you’re eating this, you can tell me what’s wrong.”

I held the bag up to my face. The rich, chocolatey scent tickled my nose. “It could take a while.”

“You’ll be doing me a favor. I still have to wrap thirty Easter eggs before tomorrow. Listening to you will make the time go more quickly.”

I took off my jacket. “I’ll help.”

“You don’t need to, Andrew.”

“I know how busy you’ve been. You must be looking forward to your honeymoon.”

Jonathon walked through a set of doors and into the commercial kitchen. “I can’t wait. It’ll be wonderful to spend time with Shane and not worry about the store.”

After I washed my hands, I pulled on a hairnet and apron. Jonathon showed me how to wrap the chocolate eggs and add a cute ribbon to the boxes. “Are these orders being delivered to your customers or are they for your store?”

“They’re online orders. When Dylan added the e-commerce software to Candy Lane’s website, I thought I’d get a dozen orders a week. But it’s been crazy. Most days, Kathleen and I are sending at least twenty boxes of candy to our customers. When you factor in the candy we’re making for the store, it’s mind-boggling.”

I cut a sheet of red cellophane in half. “I’m glad you’re selling lots of candy. You’ve invested a lot of time and money into Candy Lane.”

“You’ve done the same with your photography business. Have you finished the canvases for the exhibition in Boulder?”

“Nearly. The last one has to be finished by Wednesday afternoon.”

Jonathon placed a box of ribbon on the counter. “Is that why you were upset when you came into the store?”

“No. It’s because of the video on YouTube. I’m getting lots of messages from total strangers. They want to know what I’ve been doing and if I’m going back to Nashville.”

“I’m sorry. Shane and I should have asked everyone not to record the songs. It never occurred to us that something like this would happen.”

“I didn’t think about it, either.” I was still annoyed at myself for not being more careful. Hadn’t I learned anything since I’d left Nashville?

Jonathon picked up a chocolate Easter egg. “What have you told the people who have contacted you?”

My hands stilled over the egg I was wrapping. “Nothing.”

“Maybe that’s the problem.”

“If I say anything, it will only encourage people to ask more questions.”

“Was Shane able to tell you who loaded the video onto YouTube?” Jonathon asked.

“It was one of his teenage cousins. She didn’t know anything about my life or why it wasn’t a good idea to share the clip.”

Jonathon handed me some white satin ribbon. “I could ask Shane to call her. She could add a comment under the video telling everyone you’re not returning to country music.”

I wasn’t sure anything would work, but it was worth a try. “Thanks. That’d be great.”

“Now tell me about Jacob. Has he decided to stay in Sunrise Bay?”

Heat rushed to my face. “He’s thinking about it. We’re going on our first date tomorrow night.”

Jonathon smiled. “Hopefully it doesn’t involve any more trips to the hospital.”

“Doc Martin’s in Sunrise Bay tomorrow, so we’re safe.”

“I wouldn’t count on it.”

Neither would I. Which was why I was taking a backpack full of emergency supplies for any unplanned visits to the Emergency Department.