All My Loving: A Butler, Vermont Novel Read online

  “How do you know when to shift?”

  “Listen.” As the engine revved, he shifted into second. “You hear how it seems to be asking for the next gear?”

  “Um, not really.”

  “Keep listening. You’ll hear it. After a while, it becomes instinctual. You know right when to shift based on how the car is performing.”

  “This is more complicated than I thought it would be.”

  “It’s really not once you get a feel for it. The hardest thing about driving a stick is when you’re stopped on a hill. That’s how Hunter taught me, and I was freaking out.”

  “How come?”

  “When you drive an automatic, the car stays in place when you go from braking to accelerating. It wants to roll backward with a stick. That’s why going from stop to start on a hill is the hardest part. I’ll show you.” Landon drove them a couple of miles to the access road that led up to Colton and Lucy’s mountaintop home and brought the car to a stop on the hill. “The trick to this is working the fine line between where the clutch releases and the accelerator kicks in. But first, this is what happens if you don’t hit that sweet spot.” He demonstrated how the car would roll backward. “If you’re stopped at a light with a car behind you when that happens, that’s a problem.”

  “There’s no way I can do this.”

  He laughed. “Of course you can. This is how you make it so that doesn’t happen. You release the clutch at the same time you push the accelerator.”

  “What about the brake?”

  “You don’t need it.”

  “Oh my God. No way.”

  Laughing, he said, “It’s also critical to never leave a manual transmission out of gear when you park on a hill. You want to put it in gear and make sure the emergency brake is on, or it’s apt to roll away.”

  “That can happen?”

  “Yep. Happened to me once, and the car got wrapped around a tree. My father was not happy. I spent an entire weekend banging out the dent in the trunk while he reminded me—repeatedly—that I was lucky the car only hit a tree and not a person.”

  “Yikes.”

  “My argument was that if it hadn’t been in gear, how could I have walked away from it?”

  “So wait, it can pop out of gear?”

  “Yep, which is why the brake is critical. The emergency brake on that car had been broken for a while when that happened. My dad had to eventually concede that I was right about leaving it in gear. He paid to get the brake fixed.”

  They arrived at the top of the mountain, where the family’s sugaring operation was headquartered. Colton and Lucy lived in a cabin on the property.

  Landon turned the vehicle to head back down the hill. “This is where driving a stick is fun.”

  “What’re you doing?”

  “Point and shoot.” He let the car roll down the hill, gaining speed as it went until Amanda was screaming and laughing as he navigated each curve, bringing the car to a stop at the bottom of the hill. “Fun, right? It’s like sledding in a car.”

  “You’re insane.”

  “I know every bend and hook of that road. You were never in any danger.”

  “Whatever you say. Please don’t get me killed before I have the chance to meet my daughter.”

  “You’re completely safe with me.” He glanced over at her. “You want to try it?”

  “Uh, not really.”

  “Oh, come on. Where’s my daring, wild badass who wants to try everything?”

  “I’m afraid of wrecking your dad’s prized Range Rover.”

  “You won’t wreck it.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive. Come on… Be wild.”

  She blew out a breath. “If you say so.”

  Landon turned the car around so they were positioned facing the uphill climb, applied the emergency brake and got out of the car. They met in front, and he kissed her. “You got this.”

  “I sure hope so.”

  “Your ankle feels okay?”

  “Yeah, it’s good.”

  “All right, then, take me for a ride.” He waggled his brows for emphasis.

  Amanda laughed, got into the driver’s seat and adjusted the seat closer to the pedals.

  “Release the emergency brake and then get a feel for the clutch. This one releases close to the top.”

  “Like this?” The car lurched forward and stalled.

  Landon bit his lip to keep from laughing. “Not quite.”

  She glared at him. “I can hear you laughing.”

  “I’m not laughing.”

  “Liar.”

  “Try again.” He walked her through the steps needed to get the car moving forward. As they crested the hill, he told her to stop. “Take it out of gear, release the clutch and hit the brake. Good. Now, this is the test.”

  “I’m scared.”

  “Don’t be. There’s nothing behind you to hit, so if the car rolls back a bit, you’re fine.”

  “Gulp.”

  “Let up on the clutch slowly as you press down on the gas. You feel that? Yes! Like that. Perfect.”

  “I did it!”

  “You did. Excellent job. Now stop again.”

  “Do I have to?”

  “Yep.”

  “Ugh. Okay.” She brought the car to a stop but forgot to employ the clutch. Again, the car lurched forward and stalled. “Damn it.”

  “If the car is in gear when you’re stopping, you need to push in the clutch.”

  “Now you tell me.”

  “I said that.”

  “When?”

  “You’re cute when you’re pissed.”

  “Your charm isn’t going to get you out of this.”

  “Good to know.” He loved being with her. He loved everything about her, even the stubborn set to her jaw as she tried to learn something new. “Let’s go through it again.” He went over each step required to get the car moving without rolling backward. “Ready to try?”

  “No.”

  “Yes, you are.”

  “No, I’m not.”

  He put his hand over hers on the stick shift. “Let’s do it together.”

  “Is that a metaphor?”

  Landon laughed. “Slowly let off on the clutch as you press down on the gas. Let’s do it.”

  The car stalled again.

  “It hates me.”

  “Nope. Try again. You’ll get it.”

  “What’s that burning smell?”

  “My dad’s pampered clutch.”

  “He’s going to be able to tell I ruined it.”

  “You won’t ruin it. Just relax and feel the car. It’ll guide you.”

  “Okay, Zen Landon. Whatever you say.”

  “Less talking. More driving.”

  After two more false starts, she succeeded in moving the car up the hill, letting out a victory whoop that made him laugh.

  “Now we’re talking.” He let her enjoy the victory for a minute before he told her to stop again.

  “No! I don’t want to.”

  “Yes. Do it. And don’t forget the clutch.”

  “Fine.” She glided to a smooth stop.

  “Excellent. Now get going again.” This time, she went from stop to go and smoothly accelerated up the hill. “There you go! You’ve got it.”

  “Yahoo! Check me out!”

  “Don’t mind if I do.”

  “I did it, Landon!”

  “Yes, you did. That’s the hardest part of driving a stick. If you can do that, you can do anything.”

  “Thank you for teaching me.”

  He put his hand on top of hers on the shifter. “My pleasure. Now, let’s go down the hill, and you can take me for a ride.”

  “Are we still talking about driving?”

  “For now.”

  “Thanks for this.” She glanced over at him. “It helps to stay busy.”

  “We’ll keep you very busy this week and next, and soon enough, you’ll get to see your girl.”

  “I
can’t wait.”

  Chapter Twenty

  “A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love.”

  —Saint Basil

  Amanda officially returned to work Monday morning with the training for the Abbotts’ sales team that was set to take place at the Grange, a function hall in town. Ella and Charley had provided a continental breakfast for the salespeople, who were mostly older women. From what Amanda had been told, many of them were second-, third- and even fourth-generation members of their families to work for the company.

  She had tailored her presentation accordingly.

  After everyone had a chance to get coffee and a Danish, Charley asked them to take their seats so they could get started. Ella and Charley were heading back across the street to work the floor in the store with Cameron and Lucy while the sales team was in training.

  Wade Abbott stepped up to the podium. “Good morning, everyone. As the director of health and wellness, it’s my honor to welcome you today to this special training event for our new intimate product line. For the record, this was one hundred percent my father’s idea, so any complaints or concerns should be directed to him.”

  While the others laughed, Wade flashed that unmistakable Abbott grin—a little bit mischievous and a whole lot sexy. Each of the Abbott men had that unmistakable something that made them catnip to women, and they got it from their dad and granddad, who were just as charming.

  Which was why Amanda couldn’t wait to see what happened when the catalog hit and women came from all over in hopes of seeing the male models in person.

  “All kidding aside,” Wade said, “we’re pleased to expand our offerings to include this new line, which is sure to come with tons of questions. Thank goodness Amanda Pressley is here today to answer all your questions, because that saves me from having to do it.”

  The ladies laughed and clapped as Wade ceded the floor to Amanda. “Thank you, Wade. I’m happy to take one for the team today. Let’s talk about sex toys, shall we?”

  A titter of laughter went through her captive audience. They’d been given a brochure that detailed each of the items that would be for sale in the store.

  Using a PowerPoint slide show, Amanda went through a detailed description of each item, how it worked, what it did for the user and why past customers loved it so much. She was hitting her stride when Landon walked in and headed for the back of the room, where he leaned against a wall. She stumbled, but only for a second. Damn him! The man could flummox her just by walking in the door. “As I was saying…”

  Landon grinned, clearly pleased that he’d messed with her groove.

  She pressed on but stumbled again when she saw a young woman approach him and kiss his cheek. Would it be professional to stop her presentation to tell that woman to get the hell away from him? Probably not…

  “One of the things we’ve found to be a fun and effective way to market our products in stores such as yours is to make the customers look for them. Make it a bit of a scavenger hunt, if you will. Once the catalog hits and the products are included, people will want to find them in the store, too. If you keep them somewhere that takes a little looking, it’ll keep customers in the store longer as they look for them.”

  Amanda gave her audience a second to wrap their heads around that idea while she tried not to glare at the woman talking to Landon with animated gestures. To his credit, he was paying more attention to Amanda than he was to the other woman. He caught her gaze, smiled and winked.

  Damned man would be the death of her.

  “Let me take a few questions at this point.” She didn’t usually do questions yet, but her train of thought had left the station the second she saw that woman kiss Landon.

  A woman with white hair and glasses raised her hand. “I’d like to know how people talk about the products with customers without feeling embarrassed.”

  “That’s a great question,” Amanda said, and it was one she’d fielded many times before. “We’re so preconditioned in our culture to think of anything having to do with sex or pleasure as taboo. Let’s agree to leave that thinking out of this conversation. Human beings were given the ability to find physical pleasure within their own bodies. Sex isn’t just about procreation, it’s also about pleasure, and that doesn’t end just because someone has been ill or is widowed or doesn’t have a partner. Our product line is all about the notion that pleasure is for everyone, no matter their age or circumstances, with or without a partner. If you can approach it from that mind-set, you’ll find that it quickly becomes routine to talk about things that might’ve embarrassed you a short time ago. I hope that answers your question.”

  “It does,” the woman said.

  “Other questions?” Hearing none, Amanda said, “Excellent, now let’s get up close and personal with the products.”

  “Your lady is good at this, son,” Linc said when he joined Landon at the back of the room.

  “She sure is.” Landon looked over at his dad. “She gave notice to her mom.”

  “We can certainly find a role for her to play in our company, and if it helps you out, too, that’s even better.”

  “Thanks, Dad. I have a vested interest in keeping her in town.”

  “I see that, and it sure makes me happy for you.”

  “I’m rather happy for me, too. She’s… well…”

  “She’s the one.”

  Nodding, he watched Amanda as she interacted with the sales ladies, laughing and talking with her hands. “Is it normal to feel…”

  “Everything?”

  Landon shifted his gaze to his dad again. “Yeah.”

  Linc nodded. “It’s perfectly normal, but it’s a lot to process at first.”

  “Is that how it was for you when you met Mom?”

  “Just like that, and it was immediate. When you’ve never felt that before, it’s shocking when you realize what it is. Although, your mother tells me this isn’t the first time for you.”

  Landon stared at him. “She said that?”

  “She reminded me of your affection for young Naomi, and I was ashamed to admit I hadn’t noticed it was something extra for you. Of course, your mom knew.”

  “I… I didn’t realize she knew.” But Landon did remember his mom going out of her way to be available to him during that difficult time. He remembered that very vividly.

  “Not much gets by her.”

  “I know that from personal experience.”

  Linc threw his head back and laughed quietly so as not to disturb the training session. “The downside to being the ninth of ten kids. Your mom was fully trained by the time you came along.”

  “Definite downside.”

  “But the upside is she made sure you got through the dreadful experience of losing Naomi.”

  “True.” He glanced at his dad. “I’ve come to realize I’ve gone out of my way to avoid anything that could ever hurt me the way that did.”

  “Understandable. But if you do that forever, you run the risk of missing out on one of the best things in life.”

  “I know that now. Amanda has shown me it’s worth the risk to feel the way I do about her.”

  “I’m so delighted to hear that. She’s a terrific gal. We’re all quite fond of her.”

  “I’m quite fond of her, too,” Landon said, grinning. “In fact, I’m going to have a word with her while they’re on a break, and then I’ve got to get to the farm.”

  “Ah, yes. Max said you guys are shearing this week.”

  “Yep. He’s giving the haircuts while I mow. It never ends.”

  “You do a great job there, Landon. Not sure I say it often enough.”

  “Thanks for that and the words of wisdom.”

  “My pleasure. Tell Amanda to come by my office and see me after the training.”

  “I’ll do that.”

  As Landon walked to the front of the room, saying hello to women he�
�d known all his life, he knew a moment of complete contentment. Things were falling into place for Amanda and for them as a couple. Was it only a week ago that he’d felt the need to seek out Hannah’s advice on how to move things forward with Amanda? They’d traveled light-years since then, and he quite liked the place they were in now.

  She lit up with a smile when she saw him coming.

  In front of their entire sales team, he kissed her on the lips. “Great job.”

  “Thanks. Who was that kissing you?”

  He had to think about that for a second. “Oh, you mean Becky?”

  Amanda frowned adorably. “Is that her name?”

  Smiling, Landon said, “We’ve been friends since kindergarten. You can sheathe your claws, tiger. We never dated.”

  She gave him a haughty look. “My claws are not out.”

  “Whatever you say.”

  “I thought you were working at the farm today.”

  “I am, but I couldn’t miss this.”

  “I hope you found it entertaining.”

  “Extremely. I also found it inspiring. You’re very good at what you do.”

  “Thanks. I’ve enjoyed this job, but I’m ready for the next challenge.”

  “Speaking of that, Dad said to stop by his office after you’re done here. I think he wants to talk to you about a job.”

  “I’ll stop to see him before I go to Mildred’s for the interview.”

  “You’ve got Gramps tomorrow, right?”

  “Yep.”

  “And you’re sure you feel comfortable driving again?” They had picked up her rental car at the inn parking lot the night before.

  “Totally fine. My ankle is so much better.”

  “Okay, then. I’ll see you at home later?”

  “Yes, you will.”

  He kissed her again. “I can’t wait.”

  After the training ended, Amanda walked along the sidewalk to the diner where she’d cross the street to get to the store. Just as she was about to step off the curb, a gigantic moose came strolling down the center of Elm Street and stopped about five feet from her to take a good, long, measuring look at her.