Page 6 of Scoop Me Up (Love in Maplewood #7)

Gabe

We settled into the booth and I flipped open the menu while Sam continued to sit and smirk. I frowned. “What?”

They shrugged. “Nothing. What are you eating? It’s no Sparky’s, but I hear the burgers are good.”

All I’d eaten all day was ice cream. Even though I’d managed to get real food into Ellie, I’d forgotten about myself. “A burger sounds amazing.” The server who’d met us at the door came over just then.

“Sam, who’s your new friend? Are you finally on a date?”

Sam flushed red and swallowed hard, their Adam’s apple bobbing as they did. “Not a date. This is Gabe. He’s the parent of one of my students. You know Ellie Winslow? Her mom is Jennifer.”

“Oh, right. You’re Ellie’s dad? Are you moving to Maplewood?”

I cleared my throat and shook my head. “I’m visiting for the summer, that’s all.”

Ingrid nodded slowly. “We’ll see about that.” She paused a moment before continuing. “Visitors always say that, and then we draw them in for good.”

With a little laugh, I shrugged. “Maybe. I work in the city though, and have an apartment there.”

She quirked an eyebrow and nodded again. “Sure, of course. What can I get you two?”

I ordered my burger with a glass of water alongside it, and Sam requested a club sandwich and a soda before Ingrid bustled away to put our orders in.

Alone again—well, as alone as we could be, considering the half-full diner—I picked back up on the conversation that had been flowing so naturally between the two of us earlier.

“So, you’re from Maplewood, huh?”

Sam gave me a warm smile and I was struck by how nice their smile was. It lit up their whole face, even brightening their eyes. “I am. Born and raised.”

“And you like it here?”

“I love it.”

“Have you always wanted to be a second-grade teacher?”

They hesitated a moment before leaning forward a little. “Not exactly,” they said, voice a little quieter, as if they were sharing a secret. “I’ve always wanted to open an ice cream shop.”

My eyebrows shot up. “Really?”

They leaned back again and shrugged a little. “My grandma—it was her dream, you know? When I was a kid, I wanted to be just like her, and I grew up wanting to open one up. And when she passed away without seeing her dream become a reality, I promised myself I’d make it happen, no matter what.”

“That’s a really nice way to honor her memory. But… What happened? How did you get into teaching instead?”

At that moment, Ingrid stopped by with our plates and drinks. She looked from me to Sam and back to me before nodding once and stepping back. “You let me know if you need anything else.”

“Of course,” I said, digging into my burger.

Sam took a bite of their sandwich before getting back to the conversation.

“Things don’t always work out the way you want them to.

I never really thought I’d be any good at business school or running a place on my own, so I went to school for education instead.

When I came back to Maplewood after college, there was this elementary position open, and I took it.

I thought I’d stick it out a year or two while I saved up money for the shop or for grad school.

Two years turned into ten, and here I am.

Still saving up for my dreams, I guess.” They hesitated a few moments before shaking their head and seeming to shake off the melancholy. “What about you? What do you do?”

I laughed uncomfortably. It was hard to explain my job to people, I’d learned over the years. They all assumed I was independently wealthy or something, when in reality I’d just worked my way up from nothing before branching out on my own. “I’m a business consultant, actually.”

“Really? What does that entail?”

“Usually, a lot of meetings. I help businesses scale up. I’m sort of a renaissance man, I guess. Marketing, finances, efficiency, the whole thing.”

Sam looked genuinely impressed. “Have you had your own successful businesses?”

I shook my head. “I’ve always wanted to invest in something interesting but nothing’s ever caught my eye. I learned everything I know from working for other people and putting my MBA into practice. But one day, maybe.”

“So you’re not here to swoop in and open a rival ice cream shop, I take it?” Their tone was light and teasing, but there was genuine worry in their eyes.

“Absolutely not.”

Sam took another bite of their sandwich. “So how did you and Ellie come to enter the flavor contest?”

“Oh that.” I wiped my mouth with a napkin before starting my explanation.

“That was all Ellie. She got excited when she heard about the flavor contest. She’s been learning to bake with her mom.

When I got into town on Saturday, Ellie bum-rushed me and told me about this flavor creation contest that we had to enter.

Jennifer called whoever runs the festival and they said there was still time, and the rest is history.

I don’t think we have a chance of winning, though.

Your ice cream was amazing. Ours was nothing special. ”

Sam frowned and shook their head. “Not true. It was great. I mean, I hope you’re right about the winning part though.”

I snorted. “Of course you’re going to win. I’m sure of it.”

Sam bit their bottom lip briefly. “I don’t know.”

“You will. What will you bet me for it?”

“You want me to bet against myself?”

I lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug. “Why not? That way, if you lose, you still win.”

They laughed and nodded. “Okay. Name your terms.”

“Alright. If I win—which means you win the flavor contest—you have to make me your favorite maple-infused dessert.”

Sam rolled their eyes. “Okay, easy. What about if I win? Lose. Whatever.”

“I’ll—I don’t know, I’ll make you dinner.”

They let out a surprised laugh. “Can you even cook?”

I clutched my chest. “Sam! You wound me. Of course I can cook.” Probably. Which begged the question—what was I thinking, betting on this contest like that? Promising to cook dinner for Sam? What was that about?

It wasn’t long until we’d finished our meals.

I glanced out of the diner window. The sun was setting, the sky getting darker.

“I guess we’d better get going,” I said, disappointment tightening my chest. I’d been having a good time getting to know Sam, just talking to them, and I hated to wrap up the meal.

Still, we had to get to the town square soon or we were going to miss the big announcement.

“You’re right. I’ve got a bet to win.”

I chuckled and flagged down Ingrid to pay, despite Sam’s argument to the contrary.

“I can pay for my own sandwich. I don’t mind,” they protested.

With a nod of my head, I handed Ingrid my card. “I know. Consider it a thank-you for such a warm welcome to Maplewood.”

Sam grumbled their thanks as Ingrid returned my card to me and we headed out.

Walking toward the town square, with the sun setting and lighting up the sky so beautifully, my chest tightened.

I felt strange. Like something was off. Something I couldn’t put my finger on.

I tried to shake it away as we walked, and finally we reached the square just in time.

Drake was announcing the winners of the various contests from the day after mentioning that Red’s sponsored the classic car show.

It didn’t take long until he came to the moment we’d been waiting for.

“As a reminder, the winner of this year’s ice cream flavor creation competition will receive a prize of five thousand dollars in grant funding—the first time we’ve ever offered a cash prize—as well as the chance to have their flavor sold at Special Blend, Maplewood’s very own coffee shop.

” The crowd cheered and the emcee allowed it for a moment before settling them again.

“In third place… Blueberry Pecan Crunch. Second place goes to… Red, White, and Blueberry. And finally, the winner is…”

My heart raced as worry abruptly hit me. What if Sam didn’t win, and I’d spent all that time getting them excited about it? I held my breath, and next to me, Sam stilled.

“The fig, walnut, tamarind, and maple ice cream, also known as Granny’s Delight, brought to us by Sam Thatcher!”

The crowd burst into applause once again as people turned toward Sam to congratulate them. Sam’s eyes were wide, mouth slightly open in surprise. I elbowed them gently in the side.

“See?” I said. “I knew you’d do it.”

Sam blinked a few times before turning to me and wrapping their arms around me in a bear hug. I hesitated just a second before hugging them back, a weird heat washing over me as we embraced.

“Daddy!” Ellie’s voice cut through the air and I pulled away from Sam to look for her. The second I spotted her, I crouched and held my arms out to her.

She flew into my arms, nearly knocking me off-balance. “Did you hear? We got second place!”

I picked her up and squeezed her tight. “I did hear. I’m so proud of us.” After another second, I put Ellie back on solid ground.

She turned to Sam and hugged them, too. “Mix, you won!”

Sam didn’t hesitate to wrap her up in their arms and for a second, my chest tightened again. There was something about seeing how much Sam cared for Ellie that lifted me up. Sam was probably a really good teacher.

A moment later, the sky burst with a riot of color, noise exploding around us.

The fireworks had begun. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Sam’s friend from earlier…

Cooper? He nodded at me, a grin on his face, and I waved back before turning my attention to the fireworks, Sam, and Ellie, peace settling over me.