At the moment? None of them. They were all at Herman’s Hamburgers, the new hamburger joint, downing cheeseburgers, shakes and fries. With a handsome motorcycle-riding stranger....
Her father hurried out the door, off to have lunch with the mayor, and she leaned her elbows on the counter and moped. And then decided to comfort herself with a chocolate-covered caramel. And another. And another. And just one more. And...pretty soon she wasn’t feeling so good. Hmm. Could a girl really get too much of a good thing?
She was still pondering that question when Mrs. Lind came in for a box of truffles.
“These are for my sister’s birthday,” Mrs. Lind said. “I hope I can stay out of them.”
The way Muriel was feeling after her chocolate caramel binge she was sure she’d have no trouble staying out of the chocolate for, oh, say, the next twenty years. “This might help you....” She put a mint truffle in a small gift bag and slipped it across the counter.
Janice Lind’s face lit up as though she’d just won the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes. “Oh, you’re such a dear. Thank you, Muriel.”
“My pleasure,” Muriel said. All right, this was the part of the business she loved, the people part. She had to admit, as she sampled a truffle herself, that it was great to have access to such wonderful chocolate treats.
Still, she spent the rest of her shift watching the clock, willing the time to pass quickly so she could go find everyone and maybe get a glimpse of the new arrival in town. He was probably swarmed with girls right now.
Olivia was right. There weren’t enough cute boys in Icicle Falls. How was she going to fulfill her dream of living happily ever after with someone special when there was no one here she wanted to live happily ever after with?
The bell over the shop door jingled. Oh, my. What was this?
Two
IN WALKED PAT walked Pat and Olivia. Olivia was giggling; Pat was sulking. Behind them came the newcomer.
He did, indeed, look like a blond Mick Jagger. Muriel’s heart rate kicked up several beats. She wished she’d put on more lipstick.
“This is Stephen Sterling,” Olivia said. “He wanted to meet you.”
That would explain Pat’s sulk. Obviously she hadn’t been thrilled with the idea of introducing Stephen to Muriel. She’d probably had plans for this man that didn’t include anyone else.
And Muriel couldn’t blame her. Man, he was. Stephen Sterling wore an air of maturity the local boys had yet to acquire, and he looked both dangerous and intriguing in his leather jacket and jeans. His hair was long and shaggy, falling around his chin. Did he play in a rock band?
Muriel smiled and said hello.
“When I told him about you and your family’s chocolate company he wanted to come see it,” Olivia explained.
“Do you like chocolate?” Muriel asked.
“I like sweet things,” he said, and the way he smiled at her sent a flush racing to her cheeks.
“What kind of chocolate do you prefer, dark or light?”
He shrugged. “Chocolate is chocolate.”
That made Olivia giggle. “Boy, have you got a lot to learn.”
Muriel would be happy to educate him.
She was just getting ready to sneak them some free chocolate—none for her, thank you—when her father came back in. “Hi, kids.”
His greeting was amiable enough, but Muriel could see the disapproval in his eyes when he glanced at Stephen. Of course, the long hair. Her father believed that men should look like men. Well, this one looked manly enough to her.
“Muriel, give your friends each a chocolate,” Daddy said.
“Wow, thanks, Mr. Patrick,” Olivia said, and Pat, too, murmured her thanks.
“Thank you, sir,” said Stephen, proving he had manners. Muriel hoped that would score him some daddy points.
Daddy nodded. “Then I’m afraid you’ll have to go. Muriel has to get back to work.”
Doing what? Serving imaginary customers?
With that parting shot, he went upstairs to the office, leaving his daughter fuming over his rudeness and the fact that her friends were going to skip off and take the good-looking newcomer with them.
Muriel gave them each two chocolates. Petty revenge, but it made her feel better. Slightly.
Stephen popped a truffle in his mouth and chewed. “This is good.”
“Of course they are,” Muriel said. “We make the best chocolate in Washington.”
“Looks to me like you’ve got a lot of good things here,” he said, and smiled at her.
Pat frowned and tugged on his arm. “Come on, Stephen, we should go.”
Fine. Eat my candy, take the cute guy and leave. See if I ever give you free chocolate again.
“Yeah, we don’t want you to get in trouble with your dad,” Olivia said to Muriel.
“Stephen’s decided to stick around for a couple of days,” she added, “so we’re having a bonfire down by the river tonight.”
“I’ll be there,” Muriel said. If her father asked her where she was going, she’d say out with Arnie. Daddy liked Arnie.
“Bring Arnie,” Pat suggested, and Muriel knew she wasn’t concerned with helping Muriel find a cover for the night.
“I’ll invite a bunch of people,” Muriel said. “Oh, Pat, I’ll be sure to see if Hank can come.” Not that Pat and Hank were a couple. His was simply the first name that came to mind.
Pat narrowed her eyes, fully aware that Muriel was trying to pull the same stunt she’d just tried. “Don’t do it for me.”
“Invite everybody.” Olivia was so clueless. “The more the merrier.”
“Let’s go,” Pat said. “We’re going to show him Lost Bride Trail,” she threw over her shoulder as they left.
Muriel wanted to call after her, “You’ll never see her,” but she resisted the temptation.
Everyone knew the legend of the lost bride. Rebecca Cane had come to town as a mail-order bride, but her husband, Joshua Cane, had trouble keeping the beautiful woman to himself. She fell in love with his younger brother, Gideon. There were threats and public fights enough to have the
