The Gruffs and the Ice Cream Princess

Part Seven

Lance and Felicity had coffee that day and every day after. Business was solid at Gruff General. The second month in they hired a man to give them a hand during the day so Sam and Mason could enroll in school. They added meat to their noodles and put a bowl of fruit out; Lance bought vegetables and made his brothers eat them. The Gruffs felt like normal people for the first time since their parents died.

The only glitch that tugged at Lance was Felicity's mom. He so wanted to make a good impression on her, but he hadn't seen her since the first day they met, and she certainly hadn't seemed impressed then. Lately Felicity seemed nervous when she came into the store, looking behind her shoulder and rushing him out, "Come on, slowpoke!" she'd tease, but without the sparkle in her eye.

Finally, he asked her one day as they sat on a bench during one of her breaks. Lance had finished his coffee, but she was still taking pretty little sips from hers. He took a blue chunk of her hair (it was the softest, smoothest thing he'd ever felt) and twisted it as he spoke. "I get the feeling your mom doesn't like me." Felicity took another sip. When she turned toward him, her hair slipped through his fingers.

"My mom is.... Strict," she explained.

"Okay. Sure. But I don't want you to have to sneak out every day to see me."

"I don't! She knows what I'm doing." Lance stared at her as firmly as he could, but it really was impossible not to smile at her giant blue eyes. "She doesn't like it," she mumbled, "but she knows what I'm doing."

"I knew it! What doesn't she like about me?"

Felicity sighed. "She worries you're after something more. She knows your store was struggling, and she thinks... you know." Lance did not know.

"Okay," Felicity seemed nervous. "Let's go for a walk. I want to show you something." He followed her wordlessly until they were not downtown anymore. Felicity paused outside an enormous wrought-iron gate, then reached past Lance to type a code into a keypad. The gate swung open.

They walked through and stopped under a brick arch that framed a castle. It was as long as the Greenville skyscrapers were tall, but lovelier. Fat, healthy ivy spiraled up and down brick walls, the shrubs didn't have a leaf out of place, people in uniform bustled around, caring for the lawn, and Lance saw one carrying a stack of sheets and towels. The scene could have been out of a fairy tale. He looked at Felicity who was looking at him. "It's my house," she shrugged.

"Your... house?!"

"Yup."

Lance's head spun. "Ice cream?" he said.

"Yup. We don't just have the one location you know. There are "Sprinkles" all over the world. So." She let him stare and soak in the regal home a bit longer. Finally, he pieced it together.

"She thinks I'm after your money."

"Yup."

"Felicity!" he turned and took his hands in hers, "I'm not! You know I'm not!"

She smiled, but it wasn't her full smile, "I do know. But I can't convince my mom of that." Her voice caught a little and Lance pulled her to him. "She'll never let us be together!" she cried into his chest.

"Let me talk to her. I'll charm her! I'll promise her! I'll doing anything!" If he couldn't be with Felicity, he was certain his heart would break.

Felicity sniffled,"Well, you are very charming."