Page 17 of Lovewell Lane (Honeyfield Dreamers #1)

Margo

Scarlet: Have you joined a cult?

Margo: Should I?

Scarlet: Only if the leader is a woman. Call me.

“Sorry, I can only speak when a male is in my presence, let me go find the Supreme Leader.”

“Margo, that is not funny,” Scarlet groaned.

I chuckled. “Trust me, Honeyfield doesn’t have enough people to inhabit a cult.”

“That’s how it starts. They prey on isolated people, so it’s the perfect breeding ground. I just watched a documentary on this, actually.”

“Scar. There are no cults. I promise.”

“Okay, then please supply me with some other valid reason for why my best friend is suddenly radio silent? You call me every day of your life and send at least a dozen texts harassing me about my daily activities. I didn’t even get so much as a ‘how are you’ yesterday.”

“Oh,” I stopped sorting silverware to think. “I’m sorry, I got all of my appliances delivered yesterday, so I must have gotten distracted testing it out and thinking about the diner opening.”

Maybe I was distracted thinking about Derek too. Maybe.

“That’s it?” Scarlet judged. “Not accepted. Try again.”

“Okay,” I sighed. “My hot landlord slash neighbor might have something to do with it.”

“Spill,” she demanded. I could hear the smile in her voice. She totally knew the answer before I said anything. “You haven’t told me anything since you baked cookies with him and his daughter. I mean there was no way that wasn’t turning into anything.”

“He’s a total asshole. He communicates in mostly grunts and one-word answers. But I keep getting total whiplash because out of nowhere he’ll say something so thoughtful, or do something kind. I have no idea what to think about him.”

“Examples, babe.”

“Well, he fixed my car.” Scar and I spoke every day, but I’d managed to hold back anything regarding Derek. Speaking with her was my one opportunity to not think about him, so I didn’t want to spoil that time. But now, it felt like the dam was about to break.

“He fixed your car? Did you ask him to?”

“No, it broke down while I was out at a bar. Then he came to pick me up from said bar and drove me home. The next morning, I woke up to it magically fixed and in the driveway.”

“Margo,” Scarlet scolded. “He’s so in love with you. I know husbands that wouldn’t do something that kind for their significant other.”

I silently wondered if that was a shot directed at her long-term boyfriend, Chad. Who very distinctly is not a man that would do something like that.

“He tried to blame it on ‘fairies’. And then later the same day told me I looked like one of his pigs.”

“What the fuck?”

“I think he’s just awkward. And very emotionally constipated,” I pondered. “He’s kind. Nothing he ever does is with the intention to get something out of it, but he is just so damn grumpy all the time.”

Scarlet gasped. “You like him.”

“I’m sorry, did you hear what I just said?”

“Yes, and you like him. Holy shit,” Scarlet whispered.

I put my phone between my ear and my shoulder and stared up at my newly patched ceiling, thanks to Derek.

“I have higher standards than him. He’s just… confusing is all.”

“So he’s hot,” Scarlet listed.

“Mhm.” Undeniably so.

“Kind.”

“Not always, but yes.”

“Charming.”

“No.” No one on the planet would call Derek Weston charming. Except for maybe, me. There was something to all his grunts and scowls that captivated me. I wanted to figure out his morse code of sounds.

“Well, you seem charmed by him.”

I placed my forks in a giant container after having sorted them all. “I have enough on my plate with an entire restaurant to run. I don’t have time to have some cliche love affair with my hot older neighbor.”

“Whatever you say then. I want updates on the diner. You said your appliances showed?”

“Mhm. And the sign.”

“And why haven’t you sent me a picture of it yet?”

I dropped what I was doing to go walk out front. “Doing it now.”

“You really are distracted by him. I never took you as the type to forget your friends when you got a man in your life,” Scarlet teased.

Even though she was joking, it stung. That was my biggest pet peeve, especially because it was what my mother had done to me my entire life.

“There isn’t a man in my life, Scar.” I snapped a picture and texted it to her. “You are my one and only.”

“Oh my god, it’s perfect ,” she gushed. “I really have a future career in graphic design if I want it.”

I laughed at her preening herself. “You do. I’m proud to hang your artwork up loud and proud for all— well, Honeyfield, to see. Hopefully, we get a few customers so people can appreciate it.”

“Oh, you’re going to rake in crowds. I’m sure.” I didn’t know what to say to that. A long pause hung in the air. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I was just taking stock of what I have left to do today.” I walked back over to the dishwasher to continue sorting silverware. “Did I tell you about the curse?”

“Curse? No, but please refrain if it’s too spooky. You know I get nightmares.”

“I think it’s actually the sappiest curse I’ve ever heard of,” I said.

After relaying the information Lila told me about Mr. and Mrs. Fields breaking up and cursing the town for the rest of eternity, Scarlet sat in silence.

“Wow,” she finally said.

“I know.”

“So did Mrs. Fields move on? Did she find new love?”

“I don’t know.”

“Is Shellman pleased with himself? Did the giant corporate black hole fill his heart?”

“Doubtful. But the jury is out. He sounds like a real-life Disney villain.”

“And why pick Shellman? You’re changing your whole last name to anything you want and you pick that ?”

“My thoughts exactly. At least it wasn’t McLovin.”

“Wait didn’t you say the streets were all named after pet names? What street are you on?”

“They’re supposed to be things that reminded McLovin of his wife. Mine is Lovewell Lane.”

“And isn’t Derek’s shop on the same street?”

I sighed. “Yes.”

“It is so meant to be. You’re going to break the curse! You’ll save the town with the power of your love Margo. That is so sweet,” Scarlet gushed.

“Please stop before I vomit.” I put my phone on speaker and set it down to carry my containers of silverware over to the drawer where they would live.

“There is a Honey Festival happening in the summer. You should come, that way you can see how painfully obvious it is that Derek and I are not a thing.”

“I’ll be there. If only to witness true love in person,” Scarlet said dreamily.

“Your sappiness is making me physically ill. I’ll call you later, I’ve got to go.”

“Love you. Say hi to Derek and Tessa for me.”

I rolled my eyes. “Love you, bye.”

I rested both hands on the metal prep counter in front of me and leaned over to rest my head against the cool material.

Scarlet’s teasing actually gave me a headache.

I think the thing that bothered me the most was I couldn’t think of an actual reason why I wouldn’t date Derek.

He had no real flaws apart from being blunt, which I was starting to appreciate.

Usually, finding flaws in men was as easy as breathing for me.

A knock at the door made me stand up again. Please don’t let it be Derek. I’d had enough thinking about him for one day, and I hadn’t even seen him.

I rounded the corner to find Lila instead. Opening the door for her, I propped it on the doorstop and backed up so she could come inside. We hadn’t seen each other since our shopping trip where she took me to a Restaurant Depot and the thrift store where I found my painting.

“Hey,” she said.

“Hi. How is Sienna holding up?” I dropped off some bread and flowers for her at the Lakeside Inn the day after her daughter, Sienna got sick, but Lila wasn’t there at the time.

“She’s much better. Thank you for the flowers by the way. It meant a lot. I wanted to stop by the diner, I know I promised to last week. I’m so sorry. I’ve just been so caught up with Sienna, and then work fell behind because I took a few days off, and—”

“It’s okay,” I interrupted. “Your daughter comes first. I’ve been sorting silverware and printing menus. No big deal.”

She nodded and gave me a pained smile. “Everyone’s been talking about your grand opening.”

“That sounds like a good sign.”

“It is. Even out-of-town guests this morning asked me about it.”

I walked into the dining room and gave her space to look around. “I don’t have anything hung up on the walls yet, but the mayor is hooking me up with some vintage posters and news articles from back when Honeyfield was first founded. It should look nice.”

“It’s great,” Lila said. Then she turned to me with a genuine smile. “You’re doing a great job.”

My heart tightened in my chest. “Thank you. Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Anything.”

“When you first came here… why did you leave where you came from?”

Her eyes widened. “Oh, I guess I wanted to get away from Sienna’s dad. It wasn’t a good situation.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, instantly regretting the question.

“It’s okay. Honeyfield had the Dreamers Program, so it seemed like a miracle. Everything sort of fell into place after that.”

I nodded. “It feels like home now?”

“More than any other place I’ve ever known.”

I nodded and gestured for her to follow me to the back. Shiny stainless steel greeted us in the doorway. “As long as the curse doesn’t run my store out of business, I think I’ll call it home too,” I joked lamely.

Lila looked at me with questions in her eyes. “The curse isn’t real, Margo.”

“Oh, I know. I was just kidding.”

She gave me a strange look. “She’s right next door, you know.”

“Who is?”

“Ms. Fields. The founder of this town.”

My eyes widened into saucers. “What? At the drugstore?” That was the one business I had yet to enter. The first few days I came into town it was closed, and I thought it had been ever since. Never once had I seen anyone enter or leave.

Lila nodded. “You haven’t met her yet?”

“I thought it’d been closed this whole time.”

“No,” Lila said thoughtfully. “I think she just runs it still to have something to do. It’s open, but doesn’t get much business.”

This place got more and more mysterious by the day. Lila turned around swiftly. “Well, it looks great,” she said. “Do you need help with anything?” I shook my head. “If you change your mind, please let me know.”

“I’ll take a girl’s night redo,” I offered.

She smiled and gave me a quick side hug. “We can have that arranged.”

I watched Lila’s blue car pull out of the parking space in front of my store, leaving my Kia alone once again. The only other car parked along the entire street was Derek’s familiar Chevy that was parked across from mine.

I decided to venture out and found myself in front of the drugstore. The windows were dusty, and inside it looked almost like a scene from The Walking Dead. Half-empty shelves, no people in sight, and flickering lights made the place seem abandoned.

I pushed the door handle, and an old-timey bell rang as it swung open. “Hello?” I called.

Walking further, into the store, the wide and tall shelves blocked my view of seeing much. “My name is Margo. I’m your neighbor,” I called into the silence.

I found a register and walked up to it. The place even had a manual cash register. I wasn’t sure I’d seen one before outside of a movie screen.

“Hello, dear,” an older woman shuffled up to the counter. “You must be Margo.”

I nodded. “Yes, are you Ms. Fields?”

“Call me Amelia, dear.” She held out a hand, and I shook it firmly. She was short in stature, so she had to reach up to hold my hand. “I’ve been waiting to meet you.”

My cheeks heated, and I was sure I flushed pink. “I am so sorry. I had no idea you were here, I assumed the store was um—”

“Closed?”

I cringed at the implication. “I guess I just wasn’t paying attention.”

She laughed at my awkwardness. “I see how you would think that. It looks just the same as it did about twenty years ago. I’ve heard about all the work you’re putting in next door.”

“Oh? You’re more than welcome to come visit anytime.”

“I’ll take you up on that,” she said. Her genuine smile warmed my soul.

“Is it true? You started this town?” I asked.

“That was a long time ago,” she answered humbly.

“You must love it. To stay in business.”

“I love this town and its people more than life itself. The mayor is doing good work by bringing people like you into it. It breathes a new life into the place.” The chain on her glasses swayed as she hobbled around the counter.

“I’m honored. I love this town, too. It’s my first time living in a place so small, but it has exceeded all my expectations.”

And it was true. In most places I’d lived, I got lost in big cities of people. I never had any issue making friends, but they were temporary friends. People I’d reach out to when I was in a certain country, or looking to go skydiving. There needed to be a reason to talk or see each other.

In a place like Honeyfield, the people were the reason.

There was no need to go to some fancy restaurant to see friends or plan an intense backpacking trip.

The setting was an afterthought, and while I always thought I’d get bored in a town with nothing to do, I found myself interested in the people more than I’d ever been interested in any tourist attraction.

It was less lonely, even though I knew fewer people, and only had one real friend in Lila.

The Weston family dinner was my first peek into what it could be like to have a close-knit community.

My only lasting friendship throughout my life was with Scarlet, and I thought that was a freak incident.

We were just two people that magically found something we recognized in each other.

But what could it be like to have more people like that?

A community of people that knew who you were, and checked in just to make sure you were doing well.

Derek, the grumpiest man in the world, had gone out of his way to help me at every opportunity. I couldn’t help but think that had something to do with growing up in a small town. Like he said his mom did, he helped his neighbors. I’d like to do that too.

“Small towns make the world go round,” said Amelia.

I was beginning to think she was right.