I head outside, and load the back of my car. I hop in and turn on the wipers to brush away the light dusting of snow. Off in the distance, I can see the ski hill. While I haven’t quite made it there yet, I’m not disappointed. I’d rather spend every waking moment, and sleeping ones, with Josie and Mabel.
I jack the tunes, a strange new lightness inside of me as I meander through the decorated downtown core and veer off onto the streets filled with lit up houses. The deliveries take a lot longer than expected. Not only do I have to use my phone to search for the addresses, because I don’t know my way around, but at each house, I have to stop and talk and take pictures. It’s fun surprising people, though. No one expects to find me on their doorstep delivering chocolate. Once I’m done, I head back to the shop to get the next batch of deliveries. I take a look at the addresses, and plug them into my phone. I look at the last package, and it says pharmacy. I plug in the address, but it doesn’t show up.
“Where is West Haven?” I ask.
Josie cringes. “It’s far. I’m so sorry. It’s two towns over. I didn’t even know they had a pharmacy in West Haven. It’s such a small place, it barely shows up on a map.” She stacks more boxes of chocolates on the shelf, and glances at me over her shoulder. “You don’t have to take that one. I can do it after work.”
“No, you can’t.”
She frowns. “Why not?”
“You have plans after work,” I tell her.
“I do.”
“Yeah, paying me back. My God, your memory is short.”
She laughs and whacks me. I capture her hand and I don’t care who is watching, or if she thinks this is for show, but I bring her hand to my mouth and kiss it, unable to get enough of her.
I load up and after I do the local deliveries, I head to West Haven, and slow as I go down main street, which is nothing but fields, and old farms in the background. I check the address on my phone, and glance at the numbers on the mailboxes. I finally find the place, and as I turn into the long driveway and read the welcome sign, a laugh bubbles up in my throat. Josie had it all wrong. This isn’t a pharmacy. Not really. Okay, well… it sort of is. I park at the big old farmhouse beside numerous other vehicles, grab the bag and make my way to the front door. As snow crunches beneath my boots and the smell of freshly baked bread and chili reaches my nostrils. A motor revs in the distance, and I glance up to see numerous snowmobiles going up a hill.
I knock and laughter from the backyard reaches my ear as the door swings open and an elderly lady smiles up at me.
“Delivery from the Chocolate Lab,” I say and hand the bag over.
“Thank you.” The lines around her blue eyes crinkle as she smiles up at me. There’s a warmth about her, a real kindness, and I’d like to think if I knew my grandmother, she’d be very much like the woman standing before me.
“What is this place?” I ask, and her smile widens.
“Come on, I’ll show you.”
I spend the next half hour walking the old farm, and the whole time, all I can think about is how much Josie, and Mabel, would love this. Once I’ve taken in the place, I hurry back to my car and check the time. With any luck, Josie will be closing up shop and I can scoop up her and Mabel and take them back to West Haven.
I park on the street and spot Patrick leaving. Since she said he’s always the first in and last out, I’m hoping she’s finished for the day. I hurry inside and Josie’s head lifts as I enter. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, are you done for the day?” I glance around, and take in the empty store.
She puts her hand on her hip. “Are you that anxious for payment?” There’s a wicked gleam in her eyes, and I suspect she’s just as anxious as I am to crawl back into bed, or the shower, but I have other things on my mind.
“Yes, but it will have to wait.”
She angles her head. “Wait? You’re saying you’re not anxious to
extract payment from me?”
“Of course I am, and I plan to extract over and over again,” I tease. I check the time on my phone. “But that will have to wait. There’s something I want to show you.”
“Oh?”
I laugh. “Not that. Well, yeah, that, but later.”
“What are you up to, Brody Tucker?”
I pull myself up to my full height, and say, “Six foot two, but come on, there’s somewhere I want to take you.”
She removes her apron and places it on the counter. “But…I just finished. I have to shower, and make dinner, and Mabel has been inside most of the day.”
“How about this, you shower later, and I’ll help you with that. But right now, let’s grab Mabel and don’t worry about food. I’ve got us covered.”