One Day of Sun & Sugar

By Amanda Innes

July 1989. Three months after a night in Wildcat Woods, Drew and Rayze are rehabilitating their friendship into something more--though at a slower pace than Drew would like. They're spending the summer before their senior year taking long car rides and hanging out at the lake. On this particular outing, they stumble across a strange candy shop and conceive a fun way to taste test the wares.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Amanda Innes
• Release date: Sep 4, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215288849

Amanda Innes

Amanda Innes has been a production assistant on film sets, a dogsbody for community theaters, a performer of Shakespeare, an instructor for summer camps, and worked for major publishing houses before turning her attention to her own writing. She grew up in Texas, went to graduate school in Massachusetts, and now lives in Northern California.

Book preview

One Day of Sun & Sugar

one day of sun & sugar

drew & rayze

book four

Amanda Innes

contents

July 1989

About the Author

july 1989

Candy! Drew reached out and grabbed Rayze’s hand before he could get any farther up the sidewalk. Back home in Wyland, that would have been a no-no, and even in a town where no one knew them it was not entirely safe, but Drew did not want to lose a chance at candy. How had Rayze simply walked past this store?

Rayze snatched his hand free almost immediately, but at least he stopped and turned around, his gaze traveling up the edifice to the sign: ONE ENCHANTED MIDNIGHT.

Why midnight? Rayze wondered aloud.

Does it matter? Drew asked. "They’re open now." He all but pressed himself to the bright windows, through which every imaginable sweet was visible—all the things Drew’s parents never let him have.

Jesus, said Rayze, don’t start drooling. He gestured at the door, and Drew’s eyes lit up.

Yeah?

I’m not going to stop you, Rayze told him.

Drew grinned. But will you tell my mom?

I think I’ve proven there’s a lot I don’t tell your mother, said Rayze as he hauled open the heavy glass door.

Inside, the smell of sugar was overwhelming; Drew could taste it in the very air. He inhaled deeply and scanned the space, a riot of pastel shades and splashes of bold color. Carousels of candy bins filled the large room, and shelves of boxed and bagged goodies lined the walls. Posted signs declared the locations of chocolate, gummy candies, sours, and so forth.

Drew didn’t know where to start.

Rayze saved him the trouble of deciding by strolling to the nearest display and making a slow circle around it. Drew followed, and though he was familiar with many of the candies, there were a number he had never seen or heard of before. He picked up a candy bar wrapped in pink and brown, its label announcing marshmallow and caramel. This looks good.

Rayze pointed at the lollipop logo. Looks like they make some of their own stuff.

Like Willy Wonka? asked Drew.

You’d better hope not. But…

When Rayze failed to finish his sentence, Drew looked over to find him frowning as his gaze swept the immaculate store. It took a moment for Drew