“We really can’t stay long—” I said, but J.T. was already gone.
Daisy shrugged. “Grams would kill us if we didn’t tell her you were here. Considering your news and all. But I’ll get your order started.”
“You know what West likes?” Griffen asked.
With the quirk of a grin, Daisy said, “Large Americano with a splash of half-and-half and a chocolate chip cookie or the coffeecake. The police chief has a sweet tooth. And for you?”
“Get me whatever you’re getting West,” Griffen said, “that sounds great. Hope?”
“Butterscotch latte and two toffee-chip cookies.” West wasn’t the only one with a sweet tooth.
“How many of the toffee-chip cookies do you have?” Griffen asked. “We’ll take at least half a dozen.”
“That’s about what I’ve got left.”
“We should bring one of these cakes home,” I said, my eye on a black forest cake in the case in front of me. The cherries gleamed against the rich chocolate frosting. “We’re going to have a full house for dinner tonight. Maybe a little cake will smooth the way.”
“I don’t know if it’ll survive driving around all afternoon, but I wouldn’t say no to cake,” Griffen said.
Handing Griffen his coffee and cookie, Daisy added, “I’ll box it up for you and put it in the fridge in the kitchen. You can pick it up on your way back through town.”
“Do it,” Griffen said and broke off a piece of his cookie. As soon as it hit his tongue, his eyes slid shut with pleasure. That look. God. I wanted to get a dozen cookies and feed them to him naked.
Such an un-Hope thought. Griffen was turning me into a sex fiend.
Griffen’s eyes opened and he swallowed the cookie slowly. “I’m going to need another cookie. This is amazing.”
Daisy grinned. “My chocolate chip cookies are the best.”
“Do you supply any of the businesses in town?” Griffen asked. “Savannah stocked our room at the Manor with your brownies. I bet the guests at the Inn would appreciate the same thing.”
“I have a few arrangements with local businesses. The sandwich shop under Hope’s apartment and a few others. I’ve never talked to anyone at the Inn, though.”
It was a great idea. I was surprised I hadn’t thought of it before. “We’ll mention it to Royal when we meet with him this week.”
Daisy had just given me my latte, though to be honest, I was more interested in the cookie, when Grams pushed through the swinging door from the kitchen, her gray eyes bright with anticipation. She swept around the counter, a tall, broad-shouldered woman with long gray hair in an intricate braid. She might have been the image of an elderly matron if not for the pink streaks in her hair and the Grateful Dead T-shirt she wore over a long denim skirt.
“You look beautiful, baby girl.” She pulled me into a hug and rocked me side to side before closing my left hand in hers and examining the ring on my finger. Without comment on the ring, she looked up at Griffen.
“Griffen Sawyer. I wondered if you’d ever roll back into town. Don’t blame you for staying away. I’d say I’m sorry to hear about your father, but I try not to lie.”
Grams managed to startle a laugh out of Griffen. He held out his hand to her. “I’m sorry, I don’t remember you.”
“Eleanor Hutchins. I was a friend of your mama’s. And Darcy. I’m not surprised you don’t remember me, but I can promise you I won’t be the only one in town glad to have you back. You can imagine, gossip has been swirling. Not that these two would know, Daisy always in the kitchen and J.T. spending most of his time in school. You going to get your brother out of jail?”
“We’re on our way to talk to West now,” Griffen confirmed. I was surprised he said anything to a woman he claimed not to remember. Maybe it had been the mention of Darcy. Everyone had a soft spot for Darcy.
“Well, good luck. West wouldn’t of locked him up if he didn’t have a reason, but I just can’t see that boy shooting your father. There was a long line of people who wouldn’t mind putting a bullet in Prentice’s head, but Ford was always too smart for those kind of shenanigans. I would’ve gone with poison, myself. Always a little surprised one of those wives didn’t take care of the problem on their own. But then, Prentice could be a charmer when he wanted to be.”
Again, I expected Griffen to be annoyed, but he just shook his head with a wry smile on his face. “When you think about it, it’s almost a miracle he lived as long as he did.”
Grams threw back her head and laughed, patting Griffen on the arm. “You always were a clever boy. We’ll let you get settled in, but then we’ll have you over for dinner one of these nights.”