Part 29 (2/2)
Cecily watched him struggle to lift one portly customer. Poor Joe. She hoped he didn't get a hernia. And if he did, she hoped he wouldn't send the medical bills to Sweet Dreams. Samantha would kill her.
Samantha didn't look ready to kill anybody today, though. She was smiling, chatting up the customers as she took their money.
She and Bailey were running the booth for the morning s.h.i.+ft, along with Elena, who had offered to pitch in. Cecily and Mom would take over in the afternoon while Bailey took charge of the chocolate tea at Olivia's B and B. Then, that evening, they'd all be at the chocolate dinner and ball.
Samantha had seen her now and waved, and Cecily went to the side of the booth to check in.
”How does the hall look?” Samantha asked.
”Gorgeous, I can hardly imagine how stunning it's going to be once all the candles are lit.”
”So it's all done?”
”Almost. Mom's gone home and I just left Kevin putting the final touches on the centerpieces.”
”Great.”
Bailey handed white-chocolate apples to two teenage girls. ”Enjoy,” she told them. They didn't waste time replying, just bit into their apples and wandered off. ”Awesome, isn't it?” she said to Cecily, indicating the milling crowd.
Cecily nodded. ”I'd say we've got a hit on our hands.”
”We're going to need more apples,” Bailey said.
”I can't believe we're almost out. Guess we should've doubled production on those yesterday.” Samantha looked speculatively at Cecily and Cecily knew what was coming. ”Can you get some more apples and run over to the kitchen and make another three dozen?”
Cecily had hoped to take a few minutes to check out the booths before coming on duty, but she nodded and said, ”No problem.” This was an all-hands-on-deck weekend, after all.
”I can help,” said a deep voice behind her.
She turned to see Luke Goodman standing there with his daughter. Little Serena was bundled up in leggings and a skirt topped with a pink parka with faux-fur trim. She looked like a cross between a snow baby and the Sugar Plum Fairy. In short, she looked adorable. Her dad didn't look so bad himself in his jeans, flannel s.h.i.+rt and winter jacket.
”Hi,” Cecily said. ”Are you having fun?” she asked Serena.
The child nodded. ”We're getting chocolate apples, and I'm going to a tea.”
”That does sound like fun.”
”And my daddy's going to a ball,” Serena continued. ”He's going to meet a princess.”
Luke's cheeks turned russet. ”You never know.”
”Moonlight and magic,” Cecily quipped.
”So would you like some help with those apples?” he asked.
Unlike her type-A older sister and high-energy baby sister, Cecily enjoyed stopping to breathe once in a while, and having some a.s.sistance in the Sweet Dreams kitchen would have been nice. But she didn't want to pull Luke away from his daughter, and she didn't want to give him the wrong idea that she was interested in being anything more than friends. Cozy kitchen time together could become a recipe for hurt feelings. Better to keep him at a distance.
”That's okay, thanks. I can manage,” she said. ”You guys have fun.”
”Let's get our apples, Daddy,” Serena said, tugging on his arm, the equivalent of a puppy trying to tow a mountain.
The mountain allowed himself to be moved but as he fished out his wallet he asked, ”How about saving me a dance tonight?”
It would have been rude to refuse. ”Okay,” she said.
He was such a nice man. She should have been dying to dance with him. What was wrong with her?
She was still pondering the question when she walked into the Safeway produce department in search of Granny Smith apples. Surely if she gave him half a chance, Luke could hit her zing-o-meter. He was probably a wonderful kisser. He'd been married, after all, had a child, had to know what turned a woman on.
It had been way too long since anyone had turned her on.
A male arm reached right out of her imagination and around her, brus.h.i.+ng hers in the process and hitting the old zing-o-meter, sending it soaring. Whoa, what was that?
Todd Black!
”Need some apples.” He held one up for her to see.
”You could have said something. I'd have moved.” What was he doing here, intruding on her thoughts, playing with her zing-o-meter?
”I would have, but you were so intent on fondling the apples I hated to interrupt.”
Okay, it was official now. Todd Black was the most irritating man in Icicle Falls. She began randomly s.n.a.t.c.hing apples and stuffing them in her produce bag. ”Well, I'll hurry up and get out of the way. It's obvious you're anxious to have a turn.”
”Oh, no. I can wait. I'm a big believer in ladies first.”
”I doubt that,” she retorted.
”A little cranky, are we?” he teased. ”Is all the stress of the festival getting to you?”
”No.” Naturally, that had to come out all snippy-sounding.
”You sure? 'Cause you look stressed. There's no stress over at my place and we'll be open all night.”
”Well, thanks for the offer,” she said, putting the apples in her cart, ”but I'll be at the chocolate ball tonight.”
”And anyone who's anyone will be there,” he finished cynically.
”You could say that,” she said pleasantly, refusing to rise to the bait.
”Well, Cinderella, don't lose anything,” he said. He grabbed another apple and took a bite.
”You haven't paid for that,” she pointed out.
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