by JoAnn Ross
Yeah, she argued with her inner self, but you’ve got to admit those are some damn fine shoulders.
She grabbed a big bag of sugar and carried it out herself, hoping Seth would think the bright pink flush in her cheeks was due to exertion, not embarrassment. At least he didn’t say anything, but then, he always was quiet. Although it didn’t mean he didn’t communicate a lot with a simple look. Right now there was a suspicious twinkle in his dark green eyes, but there wasn’t much she could do other than soldier on.
While he carried out the last few supplies, she arranged things so that she’d still be able to work in the kitchen despite the temporary chaos. While she gathered up the recipes she’d need in the morning, she checked to see what else needed to be done. Once again her wayward eyes found something better to look at as Seth strapped on a tool belt that rode low over his lean hips.
When he bent down to pick up his hammer, the papers she’d been clutching fluttered to the floor, scattering everywhere. Sheesh, what in the world was wrong with her? She knelt to pick them up, hoping Seth hadn’t noticed. Unfortunately, one had fallen between two counters just out of her reach. A pair of her longest tongs would do the trick, but before she could grab them, Seth was there reaching for the paper.
His callused fingers brushed across hers when he handed her the recipe. “Here you go.”
She cleared her throat. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Um, I’ll be in my office, you know, that is if you want me, um, for anything at all.”
“Nice to know.”
As he spoke, the fine lines around his eyes crinkled just enough to let her know that he found something amusing in what she’d just said. She replayed her words in her mind on her way to her office. Good grief. Had she really said “for anything at all”? On one level, the words were perfectly innocent. but if he suspected that she found him attractive—and she did—then he could have interpreted her statement as a come-on.
Figuring she’d only dig herself a deeper hole by trying to clarify what she’d actually meant, she retreated to her office. But as she closed the door, she was pretty sure she heard a deep chuckle coming from inside the storeroom.
• • •
Seth tossed the last of the debris into the Dumpster out behind the shop. Once he finished sweeping the floor in the storeroom, he’d be out of excuses to hang around any longer. Besides, he didn’t want to risk making Bridey uncomfortable by lurking around now that the shop was closed.
She’d been pretty skittish right before she’d taken refuge in her office, not that he blamed her. Other than talking to him a few times when he came in for coffee, she didn’t know anything about him. A woman had every reason to be concerned about being alone with a virtual stranger.
“Wow, you’ve made amazing progress, Seth!”
He jumped, sending his swept pile of dirt flying in all directions. How had she managed to sneak up on him like that? He started cleaning it up again. “Yeah, the demolition is done. Monday, I’ll start putting stuff back in.”
Bridey frowned. “About that. How early would you be able to start? I’m worried about all the noise bothering my customers. I probably should’ve thought of that sooner.”
“How early are you here?”
“I come in at four thirty, but the shop doesn’t open until seven. I close at six in the evening.”
“I’ll come early Monday and leave when the shop opens, if that’s okay. You sure put in a long day, though.”
“That’s the price I pay for being my own boss. I only recently hired Fiona. Once she’s fully trained, she’ll take over closing for me at least a couple of days a week.”
He understood the strain of being the only one on the payroll all too well. “Good. You don’t want to burn out.”
Bridey shot him an odd look as if he’d revealed something important. “True. And with that in mind, it’s time for both of us to get out of here. We’ve both put in enough hours on a Saturday night.”
Once Seth finished sweeping, he packed up his tools. Bridey was waiting for him by the door. “Thank you again for doing this, Seth, and for working around my schedule.”
“Glad to do it.” He smiled. “I’m new to Snowberry Creek, but there’s a lot I like about the town. It’s warm and friendly, especially your shop.”
His remark clearly pleased her. “I’m glad you feel that way. I wanted to create a place where people felt welcome to linger over a cup of coffee and their favorite pastry.”
“Well, you’ve definitely succeeded.”
They walked out into the brisk air together. Seth had parked close by, so they came to a parting of ways all too soon.
“See you on Monday, Seth.”
As she walked away, he put his toolbox into the back of his van and tossed his tool belt in beside it. He slammed the door and gave in to the temptation to watch Bridey a little longer. A flashing light down the street caught his eye and gave him what might be an excellent idea.
Hoping he wasn’t making a major mistake, he loped after Bridey. She heard him coming and stopped, her expression curious but not worried.
“Did you forget something in the shop?”
He shook his head and pointed across the street. “My fridge is pretty empty, so I thought I’d grab dinner across the street. I hate to eat alone.”
Okay, that was a lie. He’d rather eat alone than spend time trying to carry on conversation with most people. Bridey was an exception to that rule.
She looked across at the Creek Café. “You know, that sounds good to me, too. I think tonight’s special is Frannie’s pot roast, which beats the heck out of leftover soup.”
He did a mental victory dance but kept his response a simple. “Good.”
As they cut across the street to the Creek Café, Bridey looped her hand through Seth’s arm. The small contact carried quite a wallop, sending a jolt of hungry awareness rattling around inside his chest. If she were aware of the effect her touch had on him, she gave no sign of it.
Inside the café, she let go, but he didn’t blame her. These people were her friends and customers. Seeing the two of them together could cause rumors to fly across town, especially if they acted like a couple instead of two friends grabbing a quick meal together.
Luck was with them. The busboy was just clearing a booth in the back corner. “There’s a spot.”
Bridey followed in his wake as he wound his way through the crowded diner. As he did, it occurred to him that a booth might not have been the best choice. Should he sit across from her? Yeah, he probably should. What he really wanted to do was slide in right next to her, but he didn’t want to crowd her.
Damn, why was this stuff never easy for him?
They’d almost reached their destination when someone called Bridey’s name. Seth would have preferred to ignore the summons, but Bridey caught his hand in hers and tugged him over toward another booth. He recognized the woman from the other day in the coffee shop. Bridey performed the necessary introductions.
“Seth, this is my friend Callie Redding and her fiancé, Nick Jenkins, most recently of the U.S. Army.” She paused to smile at the couple before adding, “And this is my friend Seth Kyser. Looks like we’re not the only ones who decided to let Frannie do the cooking tonight.”
Seth nodded at Callie and shook Nick’s hand. “Nice to meet both of you.”
The other man turned his attention to Bridey. “Callie mentioned you wanted me to stop by your shop. Something about shelving you need done. Would Monday work?”
Bridey grimaced. “Sorry, Nick. I should have called Callie before now. Seth offered to build them for me.”
Nick looked relieved. “No need to apologize. I’m glad you found someone so quickly.”
On the other hand, Callie’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Why don’t the two of you join us, and you can tell us all about what you have in mind, Seth. For Bridey’s shop, that is.”
Although clearly that wasn’t what
she meant at all. The last thing Seth wanted was to be grilled by one of Bridey’s friends on their first not-quite-a-date. Thankfully, Bridey headed her friend off at the pass.
“We don’t want to intrude. Besides, Seth and I will be talking business, which I’m sure you’d find boring.”
That might have been true for Nick, but it was apparent that Bridey’s refusal only heightened her friend’s curiosity. “If you’re sure. Maybe I’ll give you a call tomorrow so we can catch up on things.”
“Sounds good. See you two later.”
Bridey held his hand firmly as they walked over to the booth they’d been aiming for. She took the seat that faced away from her friends while he took the opposite side.
Should he be concerned that Bridey had refused her friend’s invitation? As much as he’d like to think it was because she wanted to have him to herself, it was more likely that she wanted to maintain the image that this was strictly a business meeting.
She answered his unspoken question. “Callie is one of my best friends and I really like Nick, but it’s been a long day. I don’t have the energy to hold up my end of a four-way conversation.”
Her eyes slid to the side briefly before once again looking directly at him. “I’d rather spend the time with just you. I hope that’s okay.”
It was well beyond just okay. “I’m not a big one for talking.”
She smiled at his comment, looking a bit shy. “I’ve noticed, but I like that about you. It’s soothing. Most people don’t appreciate the value of silence.”
“I like being with you, too.”
“That’s good, Seth, considering how much you’ll be doing around my shop for the foreseeable future.”
Before he could figure out what to say to that, she turned her attention to the menu, studying it as if she’d never seen it before. He gave up and scanned his as well.
When the waitress arrived to take their orders, Bridey handed back the menu. “I’ll have the pot roast and iced tea with my dinner. Seth, have you decided?”
“The same.”
As the waitress walked away, he had a small bout of cold feet. What if Bridey chose this moment to grill him about his past? He didn’t want to lie to her, but he wasn’t yet ready to fill her in on all the details about his long dry spell. It was easy to see that she was working herself up to asking him something. He braced himself and waited.
“So, tell me, Seth. Why nutmeg instead of cloves?”
He laughed. “B-because my grandmother was famous in our family for her plum tarts. No one else could duplicate her secret recipe, although they tried. All I know for sure was that she preferred nutmeg to cinnamon, and something gave her tarts a little extra bite.”
Somehow he thought Bridey would understand his grandmother’s stance. He was right.
“I get that. I used to be the pastry chef in an upscale restaurant down in California. Other places were always trying to rip off my recipes.”
She looked pretty fierce there for a second, but then her expression softened, saddened. “There was a time I thought about publishing my own cookbook. That way people would at least pay for the privilege of using my creations.”
“You should still do that.”
“That’s sweet of you to say.” She sighed and toyed with her silverware. “I was never a big enough name, so most likely no one would care enough to buy the book.”
He would bet his last dollar that she was parroting someone else’s opinion on the subject. And that someone had meant so much to her that his words carried enough weight to destroy her dream. Feeling daring all of a sudden, Seth reached over to take her hand in his. He brushed his thumb back and forth across her knuckles. “He was wrong, you know.”
Bridey looked puzzled. “Who was wrong, Seth?”
“Whoever told you not to try. Failure hurts, but it won’t kill you. Not trying at all is what sucks your soul dry. Don’t underestimate yourself, Bridey. You have a real gift for what you do.”
Although she didn’t say so directly, her soft smile proved his comment pleased her. Bridey stared down at their hands for several seconds before looking up. “You’re a nice man, Seth Kyser.”
He laughed again. “G-glad you think so.”
Unsure what more to say, he turned the conversation in another direction. “So what other goodies do you plan to add to the menu for the holiday season?”
Bridey gave him a wide-eyed look. “Why, Mr. Kyser, are you volunteering to be a test subject again?”
He leaned back, doing his best to look innocent. “Anytime, but right now I’m just being curious.”
Bridey frowned a little. “I do want to change things up a bit, but it’s hard to come up with a lot of different ideas without making things too complicated. Although now that I have Fiona to help, things should be easier. I’ll be adding a couple of seasonal drinks. Eggnog and a pumpkin spice drink, for starters, and a new spice tea, as well. I’ve already started baking gingerbread cookies and some cream cheese spritz cookies you might like. I’ve also gotten quite a few orders from people for boxes of my cookies to give as gifts. I started offering those last year, and people seem to really like them.”
Seth made a mental note to order a few boxes for his agent and some other people he did business with. “I can see why. They get to enjoy Christmas cookies while you do all the work.”
She laughed. “There is that, but really I don’t mind. I love this time of year. Everybody seems friendlier, and all the decorations make the world a prettier place. As far as I’m concerned, you can never have too many lights or candles. I inherited my mother’s snowman collection. I really don’t have room in my apartment for all of them, but I don’t care. I put them out anyway. Unpacking them is like seeing a bunch of friends I haven’t seen in a while, and they remind me of her. How about you? Do you have any favorite traditions?”
He shook his head. “I haven’t even put up a tree in ages. However, I have to admit helping you put up the decorations in the shop might have inspired me to make more of an effort this year.”
Then their dinners arrived, and the conversation became more intermittent. But even when the silence stretched out as they ate, just sitting across from Bridey made the time special.
4
The shelves in the storeroom were nearly done. Bridey wouldn’t miss the noise and the clutter, but she would miss Seth. Until she came up with another project for him to tackle, their morning time together, which she’d come to look forward to each day, was about to come to an end. Granted, moments after letting him in every morning, she’d been up to her elbows in flour and sugar, getting the morning’s baking done while he drilled and hammered and sawed away in the storeroom. And yet . . . simply knowing he was around made her happy.
He was definitely a hard worker. To get him to take even a short break, she had to resort to bribery, usually her next attempt at the perfect gingerbread cupcake. With Christmas getting closer by the day, she had only a short time to refine her recipe.
Today, however, she had planned a special surprise for him, an almond kringle, another of the specialty desserts she wanted to serve during the holidays. It was a traditional Scandinavian coffee cake, one she’d never before tried to make. Once Seth became engrossed in his own work, Bridey cranked up her favorite Christmas music, collected all the ingredients, and got busy. Ensuring the crust would be flaky and light was a three-day process, which involved adding another layer of butter each day and then chilling the dough overnight. Now all she had to do was roll it out and add the filling. After the crust was the right size, she spooned a mixture of almond paste and butter along one half of the dough and folded it over to seal in the filling. The last step was to brush the top with butter and then sprinkle it with sliced almonds. While the kringle baked, she finished decorating a batch of sugar cookies that were cut into Santa and snowman shapes as she sang along with the music.
An hour later, the kringle had cooled enough to eat. What would her favorite test subject think
of it? She waited until Seth finished what he was working on before knocking on the doorframe to get his attention. “Ready for a break?”
“Always.”
He removed his safety glasses and set them aside before following her out into the kitchen. They’d taken to sharing a cup of coffee and a snack about this same time every morning. Something else she would miss when he was done.
After he settled himself at his usual spot at the counter, she set a small plate down in front of him. She’d covered it with a napkin to hide the surprise.
“What’s this?”
“My first attempt at making an almond kringle. I researched online for some traditional recipes to use. I don’t expect to have hit perfection, so please think of this as my opening salvo.”
Seth looked positively reverent as he studied the small slice of coffee cake. “It looks wonderful, but I have one question for you. How did you know it was one of my favorites?”
“Oh, I didn’t. I just wanted you to be the first to try it.”
She blushed and gripped the edge of the counter with her shaky hands to hide how much this meant to her. If she could put her own individual stamp on the recipe, it might be the first step in a new project for her: that cookbook she’d always wanted to do. Doing a whole section on holiday desserts seemed to be the perfect place to start. For now, though, she wasn’t ready to share that idea with anyone, not even Seth.
Seth took a bite and then a second. Eyeing the rest of the kringle on the counter, he said, “Damn, that’s good, Bridey. I hereby volunteer to eat that whole thing by myself!”
His honesty soothed her nerves enough that she could release her death grip on the counter. “Great! That gives me a starting point.”
To her surprise, Seth set his fork down and stood up. He took a slow step toward her, getting close enough that her entire field of vision was filled with the red and black plaid of his flannel shirt. His big hand rose up to gently lift her chin until she met his gaze.
“Thank you for trusting me with your creations, Bridey.”
While he spoke, his gaze zeroed in on her mouth. Thanks to the demands of running her own business, not to mention a definite skittishness when it came to men since her divorce, her dating skills were a bit rusty. Even so, she was sure that Seth was about to kiss her.