“It is a beautiful drive. Where are you from?”
Luke grimaced and rubbed the back of his neck. “North Carolina. This is a good change for me. How about you? Is this where you wanted to end up?”
“Um. Well, I was living in San Francisco for the past five years, so it’s good to get back to my roots.” I watched Luke closely for any explanation of the hurt I saw behind his eyes. There must be something painful in his past. At the same time, I felt him studying me, and I realized he could see the same thing in my eyes.
“Well, thanks for giving me a second chance. I hope I was better behaved today.” Luke crumpled up his napkin and swigged the last of his lemonade.
“This was very nice. Thank you.” I glanced at my watch. It was almost noon, and I had a mountain of work ahead of me, yet a part of me wished I could sit here longer and talk to Luke. Or maybe just memorize that endearing dimple in his chin, or the hundred different shades of blue in his eyes. “Sometime you should stop by my shop. Weddings are pretty fabulous.”
He opened his mouth to speak but stopped himself. He reached across the table and patted my hand. “I think that sounds like a good idea.”
I couldn’t help but laugh at his obvious struggle not to tease me, but it was nice that he didn’t take the bait I’d offered him.
“You were teasing me, weren’t you?” he asked a second later, the realization crossing his features.
I waggled my eyebrows. “Maybe.”
Luke stood up and held out his hand. “This was fun. Do you think I could have your number now?”
I took his hand and let him help me from my chair. He was gorgeous, appearing even taller when I stood so close to him. My insides were melting, and the butterflies had morphed into an explosion of fireworks that threatened to obliterate my self-awareness. I needed to remember to play a little hard to get. Luke had given me a great apology, but he needed to grovel just a bit more. I ignored the manly woodsy scent that had me wanting to close my eyes and inhale. Instead I gave him a coy smile and began walking toward the door.
“You still know where to find me.”
Luke hesitated a moment before grinning and following me out the door. On the ride back to the post office, I might have leaned a little closer to him, but I blamed that on the sharp left turn he took just after we left Honey’s Pizza Cafe.
Chapter 9
Berry-licious Cupcakes
with Magic Glitter
Mix cupcake batter as directed on a box of white cake mix and fill cupcake wrappers with batter. Push one large blackberry or raspberry into the center of each cupcake, making sure that the batter covers the berry, then follow box instructions for baking. When cupcakes have cooled, use a frosting bag to fill centers with whipped cream and then pipe additional whipped cream on the top of each cupcake. Sprinkle with edible glitter.
Courtesy of www.mashedpotatoesandcrafts.com.
It was only after I was headed back to work that I remembered to feel guilty about Dallas. I remembered what Lorea had said: I wasn’t engaged to Dallas, we had just started dating, and I decided to give myself a break where Luke was concerned. The attraction I felt toward him was intriguing, and I could tell he was a little confused by the sparks flying between us as well. It left a warm feeling in my chest, and I walked into my shop with a huge smile on my face. I knew it would give me away, but I didn’t care.
“Holy cow! That must have been some caterer? Did she lace her samples with happy tonic?” Lorea asked as soon as she saw me.
“Oh, the samples!” I put a hand to my forehead. “Be right back.” I dashed out the door, hoping that the mint truffles hadn’t melted in my vehicle. I had stowed them inside an insulated lunch bag, and it was a good thing, since I hadn’t planned on going on an impromptu date with Luke. I returned to the shop, where Lorea held the door with an expectant quirk in her smile.
“I brought you some goodies from Decadent Catering and hired Valerie to do Natalie’s bridal shower.”
Lorea clapped. “That’s great news. Now spill the rest.”
I handed Lorea a truffle. “First try this.”
Her eyes widened as she bit into the chocolate. “Mint. That is yummy!”
“I stopped at the post office and ran into Luke. He apologized for making fun of my profession and then asked me to lunch. We went to Honey’s Pizza Cafe and had these delicious pizza pockets and I got to ride on his Harley.” My words came out in a jumble, and we both squealed. I shouldn’t admit that, but apparently I’m not too old to feel giddy over a good-looking guy.
“So, do you think you’re going to go out with him again?” Lorea asked.
I lifted one shoulder. “He asked me for my number again, and I told him he still knew where to find me.”
“You didn’t?”
I nodded.
“You go, girl.” She bumped my shoulder. “What are you going to do about Dallas?”
I bit my lip. “I guess I’ll wait and see what happens.”
“Good plan.” Lorea opened the container of salad from Valerie. “This looks divine. I didn’t stop for lunch.”
I tsked and was about to say more when my phone began singing.
“It’s the police department!” I nearly shouted when I saw the caller ID. Hopefully it was news about our stolen gowns and not anything to do with diamonds. An image of a jail cell flashed through my mind. How much trouble could I get into for holding onto the stones I’d found in Natalie’s dress?
