A Sappy Love Story Read online

  “Thanks for calling, Jeremy. I’ll be in touch.” She ended their call and took a short moment to compose herself, before phoning her mother to share the sad news.

  Her mother, too, burst into sobs. “I knew this was coming,” she said, “but that doesn’t make it any easier.”

  It didn’t. Pappy had been the heart and soul of the family. How would they ever get over this loss?

  CHAPTER TWO - JEREMY WANNAMAKER

  Him? A godsend? Heck, in his mind Pappy Sorensen and his sweet, patient wife had been the godsends.

  He’d never forget the day Pappy Sorensen had caught him at the convenience store, sneaking a bottle of beer into the pocket of his stained, secondhand parka. Jeremy had just turned fifteen, much too young to legally purchase alcohol. Pappy had grabbed him by the arm, yanked the bottle out of his pocket, and returned it to the cooler. “You steal anything else?” Pappy had demanded.

  When he didn’t answer, Pappy unzipped Jeremy’s coat and found the loaf of bread and jar of peanut butter inside. Pappy had given Jeremy a good, long look, his eyes roaming over Jeremy’s shaggy hair, his dirty parka, and his too-short blue jeans before taking the items to the front checkout and paying for them along with the newspaper he’d come inside to purchase.

  “Get in my truck, boy,” Pappy ordered, gesturing to his pickup. “I’m going to drive you home and have a talk with your parents.”

  Technically, the situation could constitute an attempted kidnapping, but Jeremy didn’t argue. He also didn’t tell Pappy about his situation at home. It was just too . . . embarrassing. With any luck, nobody would be home and Pappy would simply leave him with a stern warning. Besides, it was colder than hell outside and without a ride home Jeremy was likely to end up with frostbite.

  When they reached the tiny apartment, they found his mother’s current boyfriend carrying a ratty duffel bag out the door. Jeremy wasn’t sad to see the guy go. The chain-smoking beer-guzzler had provided them nothing other than one lame excuse after another as to why he couldn’t get off the couch to go look for a job. And now, apparently, he was going back on his word to Jeremy’s mother to keep an eye on the boy until her court-appointed attorney could finagle her way out of jail.

  “Are you this boy’s father?” Pappy had asked.

  “Not hardly,” the lazy ass replied before turning to Jeremy. “I’m moving on, kid.” Jeremy wondered if the guy even remembered his name. “See ya.’”

  Pappy had stepped up to the door, noting an eviction notice that must’ve been placed there while Jeremy was out.

  “You didn’t pay the rent?” Jeremy hollered after his mother’s dumb-ass boyfriend. The guy didn’t even bother to turn around and answer. Shit. Jeremy had given the bastard all the money he’d earned shoveling snow from driveways around town, all $260 of it. He’d nearly broken his back and earned himself a half dozen blisters along with the cash. The boyfriend was supposed to use it for rent. More than likely the no-good jackass had spent it on cigarettes and booze, leaving Jeremy without a roof over his head. What the hell was he supposed to do now?

  Pappy turned back to Jeremy. “Where’s your mother?”

  He hated how weak his voice sounded. “Mom’s in jail.” Again. When would she learn to stop skimming from the till at her waitressing jobs? She always got caught. This time, her third offense, the judge had required $5,000 bail—money they didn’t have.

  Pappy frowned. “What about your father?”

  “I’ve never known my father.”

  “Any relatives you can call?”

  He shook his head. He had an uncle down in Florida, but they didn’t keep in touch. Same for his mother’s parents, who lived somewhere in Indiana. Or was it Illinois? Jeremy hadn’t seen them since he was eight.

  Pappy gestured into the apartment. “Get your things. You’ll come stay with me and my wife until we get things figured out.”

  Jeremy had gathered up his schoolbooks, the few clothes he had, and the grungy sleeping bag that served as his bed. Pappy helped him carry the things out to his truck. Ten minutes later, Jeremy made the first of many trips down the long drive that led to the cozy cabin. Pappy set him up in a bedroom that had clearly been intended for a little girl. Who else would have a pink unicorn bedspread and such an extensive stuffed animal collection? Grammy fed him a homemade stew that had warmed his belly and his heart. The following day, they offered him a permanent place in their home so long as he “kept his nose clean” and “helped with the chores.”

  He’d lived in their cabin ever since, had kept his nose clean and helped with the chores, eventually proving to Pappy—and to himself—that he wasn’t a no-good parasite like his mother and the men she dated. Rather, he was a capable, reliable, and hard-working young man who could earn his keep and then some. When he turned sixteen, Pappy gave him a job in the syrup factory. Jeremy helped load and unload the delivery trucks, sometimes traveling with Pappy from tiny Thief River Falls to big, bustling cities like Minneapolis, Bismarck, and Oshkosh. He loved those trips, hours on the open road, Pappy regaling him with funny stories from his youth. And when Pappy’s granddaughter Annalise grew out of unicorns and into a young woman with wild blond hair and curvy hips, Jeremy had begun to enjoy her visits more and more . . .

  Yep, life had been good. And he owed it all to the old man with the big heart.

  CHAPTER THREE - ANNALISE

  Their flight to Grand Forks, the closest airport to Thief River Falls, arrived a few minutes after three o’clock the following afternoon. Jeremy met the Quimbys at baggage claim. It took only a second or two for Annalise to spot his dark head among those waiting for arriving passengers. “There he is,” she said, pointing his way.

  Annalise and her parents had dug their Minnesota gear out of the back of their closets and wore heavy coats, gloves, and scarves, things they rarely needed in southern California. Jeremy, who was much better acclimated to the freezing temperatures, wore only a windbreaker over a flannel shirt, jeans, and sturdy work boots. He also sported a light, well-groomed beard, which he grew every winter and shaved off come spring. Though not nearly as tall as the legendary Minnesota lumberjack Paul Bunyan, Jeremy was stocky and strong, with hard muscles forged through the physical labor demanded of him in his work at Sappy Pappy’s syrup company. Annalise knew all about those muscles. In the summers, she’d taken every opportunity to accidentally on purpose stumble across Jeremy working in the woods, his shirt off, his bare chest glistening with sweat . . .

  Jeremy cast a glance her way. His brown eyes, which were the rich color of maple syrup, were bloodshot and fatigued, though somehow still welcoming. Despite the somber circumstances, she felt her face flush. Her father pulled off his glove as Jeremy extended his hand and they gave each other a firm shake. Her mother put her arms around Jeremy and pulled him into a bear hug.

  When Mom released him, he turned to Annalise. As always, she grew stiff and awkward, anxious that her feelings for him would be obvious if she went in for a hug. Ironic, really, because her standoffishness was probably more likely to betray her. The two of them had known each other for years. A hug would only be natural, right? Still, she couldn’t bring herself to reach for him.

  “Hi, Jeremy,” she managed to say, her voice sounding feeble and faint. Though he was only three feet away from her, she offered a small wave. Sheesh. Forget the snowmen, she thought. The most frigid thing around here is ME!

  He responded with a nod. “Annalise.”

  While her parents were in the middle of a movie shoot and planned to stay in Thief River Falls only until the funeral ended on Thursday, Annalise had returned to Martin’s office the day before and negotiated a two-week leave of absence. The time would be needed to sort through her grandfather’s belongings and work with the attorney to settle his estate. Though Annalise’s mother had remained close to Pappy and Grammy despite the miles separating them, Annalise and Pappy had shared an especially tight bond. As a girl, she’d spent the entire summer break with her gran
dparents in Minnesota each year, as well as the two-week winter vacation. She’d continued the routine through college. Once she’d ventured into the workforce, she had to settle for spending only one week with them each summer and another over Christmas. Most single women in their mid twenties probably wouldn’t enjoy spending all of their vacation days visiting their grandparents in a quiet, secluded north-woods town, but Annalise lived for those days. She never felt more at home than she did strolling among the tranquil, tree-lined paths behind Grammy and Pappy’s house.

  Dad grabbed the suitcase he and her mother shared, while Jeremy reached for her oversized polka-dotted bag from the carousel. She wanted to be flattered that he remembered which one was hers, but she’d had the darn thing for years and he’d seen it dozens of times. Of course he’d recognize it. The bag was loaded with heavy boots, sweatshirts, and winter apparel, but Jeremy scooped it up with ease. He rolled it for her as the four made their way out the door.

  “Good God!” her father cried as they emerged from the airport into the frigid air. “It must be twenty below!”

  Born and bred in southern California, her father was a weather wimp. Annalise, on the other hand, embraced the low temperatures. So long as a person wore the right footwear and clothing, the cold wasn’t so bad. She enjoyed the clean, crisp feel of the winter air on her face and in her lungs. Besides, the single-digit outdoor weather made coming inside to a cup of hot cocoa all the more enjoyable.

  “It’s eighteen degrees,” Jeremy corrected her dad. “Downright balmy for this time of year.” He cut Annalise a soft smile.

  The four scurried to his pickup truck in the parking lot. The four-wheel drive truck sported dark green paint the color of a northern pine, as well as a king-sized cab. Jeremy lifted their bags into the bed and covered them with a small tarp to protect them from the light snow that had begun to fall. They climbed inside, Annalise and her mother sitting in the back while her father slid into the passenger seat up front. Jeremy cranked the heater up for the rest of them, while slipping out of his jacket and tucking it aside.

  The hour-long drive to Pappy’s cabin took them through beautiful winter scenery. Open fields deep with snow. Thick, dark forests dusted with white flakes. A frozen lake on which a dozen or so children ice skated, glad to have the school day behind them. While Annalise enjoyed the Pacific Ocean and the warm beaches of LA, these picturesque views, fit for a snow globe, seemed to call to her soul.

  Jeremy slowed as they approached the road that turned into her grandparents’ property. At the front of the acreage stood the expansive cinder-block building that served as the sugar house, bottling plant, and administrative offices for Sappy Pappy’s Pure Maple Syrup. The building was painted a warm amber color and adorned with the Sappy Pappy logo, which featured a caricature portrait of her grandfather in a plaid winter cap complete with fleece-lined ear flaps. Annalise had been the one who, a decade ago, suggested he update the company logo to include his likeness. “Aunt Jemima’s got her face on her boxes of pancake mix,” she’d told him. “And Mrs. Butterworth’s bottles are shaped like her. You should let people know who Pappy is, too.” It proved to be a wise decision. Sales increased thirty-two percent after the change in the logo. Pappy had called her a “biz-whiz.” Annalise had never felt more proud.

  The sight of Pappy’s smiling face, even a cartoon version, brought fresh tears to her eyes. As she brushed them away with her mittens, Jeremy caught her eye in the rearview mirror. His eyes were dry, yet nonetheless full of raw pain. Pappy might not have been a blood relative, but he was the only real father figure Jeremy had ever had. Clearly his loss had struck a hard blow. Who did Jeremy have now?

  A bump drew Jeremy’s gaze back to the road. He raised a hand to a trio of men gathered in the parking lot. Annalise knew all of them by name. Though they were of varying ages, all had worked for Pappy for most of their adult lives. Producing maple syrup was difficult work performed in harsh conditions, but Pappy paid his staff well and treated them right, with respect, consideration, and appreciation. In return, the staff had been hard-working and loyal.

  As they turned into the drive and passed the building, her father pondered aloud. “What’s going to happen to the syrup company now that Pappy’s passed on? Is it going to be sold?”

  Her mother sniffled and lifted a shoulder. “I haven’t seen the will, but I scheduled an appoint with the attorney first thing Friday morning. Annalise will find out then.”

  When Pappy had purchased the cabin and ten acres of land decades ago and started his syrup company, everyone had told him he was crazy. The conglomerates own the industry, he’d been told. A tiny little start-up stands no chance against the big boys. But he’d ignored the naysayers, remaining steadfast in his determination to produce pure maple syrup for an affordable price. None of that glorified high-fructose corn syrup for Pappy. Only the real stuff would do. His efforts had paid off. Within only a year or two he’d cornered a respectable market share. With the profits he’d earned, he purchased adjacent acreage bit by bit until topping out at two-hundred acres and deciding his enterprise had grown as big as he could handle.

  The thought of Sappy Pappy’s ending up in the hands of strangers made Annalise’s heart squeeze. Her grandfather had built the company from the ground up, and it didn’t seem right that someone outside the family would take over. But her parents would have no interest in running the factory, and she certainly couldn’t do it alone. Besides, the decision wasn’t hers to make. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder. What would become of Pappy’s legacy?

  CHAPTER FOUR – JEREMY

  What would become of Sappy Pappy’s? Jeremy had wondered the same thing himself. Pappy had appointed Jeremy as the assistant chief of operations five years ago when the former assistant chief retired. Of course Pappy himself had always been the official chief of both operations and business administration. But Jeremy would never forget the day that Pappy had shown him to the small office and told him the space and the job, were his. Pappy had even ordered a nameplate for him. JEREMY WANNAMAKER, ASST. CHIEF OF OPERATIONS. It was a cheap, plastic plate with an adhesive strip on the back to hold it in place, but when Pappy ripped off the strip and slapped Jeremy’s name on the door, he had nearly burst with pride.

  The fact that this event had taken place during the summer while Annalise was visiting and working in the office only made things that much better. She’d given him a warm smile and congratulated him, going so far as to shake his hand. All these years later, he remembered the moment in full detail. Her skin had been soft and warm, her blue eyes bright with sincere delight. She’d been happy for him. It had taken everything in him not to seize the opportunity to pull her closer and envelop her in a real embrace.

  But it wouldn’t have been right, would it? Pappy had done so much for Jeremy. While the maple syrup had been pure, some of Jeremy’s thoughts regarding Annalise had been anything but. He’d spied on her more than once when she’d been performing her morning yoga routine on the back porch, something she called her “sun salutations.” When she bent over and put that curvy butt in the air . . . let’s just say the sugar maple trees weren’t the only wood around.

  Yup, he found her undeniably attractive. But his feelings for Annalise went way beyond physical. He admired her intelligence and ambition, her loyalty and compassion. She wasn’t like many young women, who spent every weekend at nightclubs, drinking with friends and gossiping and partying until the wee hours of the night. She’d much rather relax quietly in a hammock strung between two maples, read a book, or play yet another game of crazy eights with Pappy. Family meant a lot to her, that much was clear. But did Jeremy mean anything to her? Or was he merely her grandfather’s employee and permanent houseguest?

  He’d caught Annalise eyeing him a time or two as they’d huddled around the fireplace, mugs of Pappy’s rum-spiked cocoa in their hands. He had been afraid to read anything into the glances, and he didn’t want to risk angering Pappy or making things awkward by
making a move. Still, those nights when Pappy begged off early and left the two of them alone in the living room, well, those were the nights he lived for. The quiet conversations about everything and nothing. The companionable silences. Her soft sighs as she finally succumbed to sleepiness and bade him goodnight.