Sweet Delights

by P. L. Harris

  “Anna, get out of my way,” he said.

  It was clearly working a treat.

  I wasn’t sure where exactly I was headed. Canada maybe. I was halfway across the parking lot when I heard the back door swing open and Matt’s boots land on the gravel.

  “Liz!” he called out. “Where are you running to?”

  At the edge of the parking lot was Mr Carson’s paddock, and in that moment a marshy paddock with a few stray cows seemed like the ideal place to hide.

  “You might be able to outrun a twelve-year-old, but you can’t outrun me!”

  Anger flushed across my cheeks. “Laugh it up, Matty!” I yelled, as I jumped the wooden fence. Mr Carson’s paddock had two resident cows, Bertha and Maude, both of which mooed disapprovingly at me as I traipsed through their grassy turf.

  “Nice manoeuvre, especially in a dress,” Matt laughed.

  The morning sun was heating up the town, but nothing like the heat radiating across my cheeks. My nails were making nice little indents in the palms of my hands, and if Matt didn’t turn around, he was going to cop the brunt of my bad mood.

  “I didn’t realise you liked ’em so young,” teased Matt. “And so...nerdy.”

  “I’ll have you know he’s going places!” I retorted.

  “Sure,” Matt laughed. “He’s a regular Steve Jobs.”

  I twisted around, almost giving myself whiplash, ready to unleash the tirade of abuse swirling around in my head. Unfortunately Matt had chosen this morning to tidy himself up, and I was momentarily taken aback. His dark blue jeans were annoyingly snug against his hips, while his fitted white tee pulled taught across his broad shoulders and biceps. Even his brown curls seemed to be glistening. Great. Just great.

  Matt’s smile widened, dimples appearing across his tanned skin. “No witty comeback from the town’s golden girl, Elizabeth Trenton?”

  I gritted my teeth, narrowing my eyes on him. “What do you want, Matt? To gloat?”

  He pursed his lips together in an attempt to stop laughing, as he closed the distance between us.

  “You think it’s funny, a twelve-year-old asked me on a date?” I said, my hands finding the edges of my waist, and my nostrils finding the perfect amount of flare. “You think it’s amusing that I set up champagne glasses for a kid who can’t drink for another six years?”

  The corners of Matt’s eyes wrinkled as he unapologetically laughed at my expense.

  “Go on then, tell me how pathetic I am.” I dared him.

  “You’re hardly pathetic, Liz.”

  “You know what the worst thing is?” I continued, really riding the momentum of my frustrations. “The absolute worst thing about this morning?”

  Matt stared back at me.

  “I should’ve known. I set myself up for this. Telling myself it didn’t matter, telling myself it was just a bit of fun.”

  “What was it then?” Matt asked, his tone changing. “If it wasn’t just a bit of fun? What did you want it to be? Who did you want it to be?”

  Matt’s name was on the tip of my tongue, but I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. I shook my head and turned away from him, only to feel his hand wrap around my wrist.

  “Liz.” His voice was deep and all too familiar as he pulled me back to him, the scent of hay and diesel filling my nostrils. “Tell me.”

  My breath quickened at the closeness of our bodies and the sensation of his breath along my neck. I leaned back against him, trying to steady myself.

  “You don’t get to ask that,” I said quietly.

  His hand let go of my wrist and slid down so his fingers lightly cradled the tips of my own. “You are infuriating, Elizabeth Trenton. You were infuriating when you were three, diabolical when you were thirteen, and utterly insane by the time you hit eighteen.”

  “Wonderful pep talk,” I breathed, my chest rising and falling as his fingers traced the edges of my arms.

  “You’ve always been too big for this town,” he continued, letting his hands fall to my waist and turning me around to face him. “Intimidatingly so.”

  I looked up at him, my heart thudding beneath the blue cotton of my dress.

  “I knew you were important in high school. Christ, I almost caught pneumonia trying to keep Evan out of your tent.”

  Damn, Anna was right again.

  “Then I came back to find you with that Loui kid,” a lump travelled down his throat as his hands pressed tightly around my waist, sending heat ricocheting around my body. “That night on the porch, God, I don’t even know if you remember. But I felt like you pushed me away, like we didn’t want the same things.”

  “Matt...” my voice caught at the end.

  “Then you left. Paris. And I knew you should. I knew you were bigger than this place, bigger than me. But when you came back and opened the shop, I thought maybe.”

  Matt’s hands, calloused and weathered, slid up my back, pulling me against him. His face no longer held the humour it did a minute ago. Beneath his bronze etched skin, patches of red appeared along his cheeks, as dimples pressed into his jawline.

  Without realising it, my hands had moved up to Matt’s stomach and were wrapped tightly in the fabric of his shirt. My breath hitched in my throat as I waited for his next words.

  “It’s taken me long enough, Liz. But it was me,” a small smile twitched at the edge of his mouth. “I wrote the note. I wanted the date. I...I want you. I’ve always wanted you.”

  My lips parted as my heart threatened to explode beneath my chest. Matt leaned in towards me, heat radiating from him, overwhelming my senses as his lips gently pressed against mine. The scent of him, the shape of his body, the feeling of his arms wrapping around me all were so familiar, so perfectly natural. My hands unravelled from his shirt as my fingertips splayed across his hardened stomach. Matt groaned against my mouth as our kiss deepened, his hands moving along my body, finding their place at the nape of my neck, his fingers digging into my hair. A few, sweet, hot, minutes later, Matt pulled away leaving me breathless and light-headed. I rested my forehead against his cheek, my eyes still pressed shut, a warmth spreading through every limb in my body.

  “Liz,” Matt’s voice was low against my ear. “I hope this means you feel the same, otherwise it might be a bit difficult explaining it to the rest of the town.”

  “Huh?” I said, forcing my eyes open, and looking up at him.

  Matt had a twisted grin as he nodded to the fence line where quite a crowd had gathered. Mrs Hask with her frizzy grey curls was cheering wildly, as Anna whipped a tea towel over her head and whistled. Another dozen people from town were hooting and howling and even Bryce was standing on a wooden post, fist pumping the air.

  “Oh,” I gasped. “What about Bryce?”

  Matt raised an amused eyebrow. “I think the kid’ll understand.”

  I nudged Matt with my fists. “I mean why was he all dressed up?”

  Matt shrugged. “Last I heard he was looking to expand, magazine distribution or something. You really could do worse, you know, apparently he’s going places.”

  I bit down on my bottom lip, staring up at my rugged boy next door. “I think I’m good for the moment.”

  “The moment, hey?” Matt smiled, his fingers grazing my chin as he raised my lips to his.

  I didn’t want to give Matt too big a head, so I didn’t bother telling him that I had no plans on letting him go, not in this moment, or the next.

  The Bake Sale Reunion

  Belle Griffin

  “Baxter, no!” Will watched in horror as the dog hurtled towards the table of cakes, paying no attention to his panicked cries to halt. He lunged in a futile attempt to catch him, dropping the plate from his hand in the process. By the time he managed to catch hold of the leash, the scene in front of him was a disaster. Baxter looked pleased with himself, his mouth covered in cream and pastry, while the teacher looked at Will with barely concealed anger.

  Through gritted teeth, she called out to someone in the b
uilding behind her, “Miss Armstrong, we have a problem with your bake sale.”

  “What’s wrong? I thought I heard...” the woman stopped mid-sentence as she walked out of the classroom and saw Will standing there. They both froze, staring at the other. It couldn’t be, could it?

  “Annie?” He said softly, his voice trembling slightly.

  “Will?”

  Neither of them had a chance to say anything else as the older teacher interrupted, clearly unamused by their reunion.

  “Miss Armstrong, I said from the beginning that bake sales always end in disaster. I wanted no part in this, so I suggest you cancel. Clearly there is nothing here to be salvaged,” she said, stabbing her finger towards the mess.

  “I’m sorry, this is all my fault,” Will jumped in quickly, speaking to the older lady but his eyes firmly planted on Annie. It had been nearly ten years since he’d set eyes on Annie Armstrong in person and he couldn’t bring himself to look away yet. He had spent enough time picturing her face over the years and wondering if she’d changed, he was afraid he might be imagining her.

  If the older lady picked up on any of that, she didn’t seem to care, barking at Annie, “yes well, that doesn’t really matter, does it? The fact of the matter is that the bake sale is supposed to be tomorrow morning at the school fair, and last time I checked a bake sale required baked goods.”

  “It’s okay Mrs. Stanfield, I’ll fix this,” Annie said slowly and unconvincingly. The older teacher simply looked at Annie, smirked and shook her head.

  “I’ll help.” They turned towards him simultaneously, eyes widening at his offer. He tried to keep a straight face, where had that even come from? He’d definitely not thought that through before the words tumbled out.

  “I’m actually a baker by trade. And it was the dog’s fault after all. The least I can do is help,” he insisted, knowing that if Annie was as feisty and independent as she had been in the past, she wouldn’t give in easily.

  “Well, I suppose if there’s two of you, it might be possible,” the woman said reluctantly.

  “Oh no, I don’t need any help,” Annie said quickly, eyes wide in horror. Ouch.

  “Miss Armstrong, you are on thin ice at this school. I suggest you let this young man help you.”

  Sighing, Annie said, “If you’re sure then?” But he could see she was unimpressed.

  “I am,” he said hurriedly. He wasn’t quite over the shock of seeing her and he would like to have a conversation that didn’t involve the other teacher or a school bake sale.

  At that moment he heard a little voice yelling out, “Uncle Will!”

  “Hey Sadester,” he said, greeting his sweet little niece with a hug.

  “Uncle?” Annie said softly, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

  “Sadie is my sister’s daughter,” Will said. Seeing her grin widen it suddenly hit him that she had probably spent the last five minutes thinking he was a parent since he’d arrived at a school with bake sale goods.

  “Ah, of course!” She spoke brightly this time, smiling at the little girl.

  “Come on Uncle Will, you said we could get ice-cream today,” Sadie yelled, her face pure joy and anticipation. His smile was nearly as wide as his little niece’s at the thought of more time with Annie.

  “I need to get Sadie back home, and I’m staying with my sister so I don’t have too much space for baking, could we do it at yours?” he asked Annie, holding his breath as the word’s left his mouth. He had to stop himself crossing his fingers as he waited for her answer.

  “Yes, okay. Meet me at five? I’m in my dad’s old house. You think you can remember it?” she asked, a hint of laughter in her voice. He let out his breath and laughed, nodding. They’d only spent almost every day there together in their final year of high school, and a couple of summers during university. He could find his way there with his eyes closed. Plus, Cooyello wasn’t exactly a big town so nothing was hard to find.

  “See you then.”

  “Bye,” Sadie called cheerfully over her shoulder as she skipped along by his side. While Sadie was excited for the promised ice-cream, Will’s stomach currently reminded him of washing machine, churning away. The last thing he wanted right now was food.

  JUST BEFORE FIVE, WILL checked himself one last time in the hall mirror, smoothing down the plain black tee that he knew clung to his shoulders, glad he’d been working out recently. He ran a hand through his hair, suddenly conscious that it was a little long, bordering on unkempt. He’d not had it cut since he left London six weeks ago, maybe he should have gone into town after he’d dropped Sadie home. Too late now.

  Shake it off Will, this is purely about fixing the school bake sale, she doesn’t care how you look.

  But on the drive over his mind started to wander. Had Annie’s stomach been in knots all afternoon, or was it just him? Had she stood in front of her closet wondering what to wear, would she check herself in the mirror one last time as she heard his car pull up? Probably not. She hadn’t shared his feelings when they were kids, so it was ridiculous to think she would be nervous about their reunion. He shook his head in frustration, knowing he was already falling into old habits. He should know better now than to imagine her feeling something that she had made clear once before she never had.

  He knocked on her door a few minutes later, smoothing his shirt one last time for good measure as he heard movement inside the house.

  “Hi,” she said, not quite meeting his eye, as she pulled open the door.

  “Hi,” he said, perhaps a little more enthusiastically than he’d intended.

  “Just through here,” she said, motioning towards where he already knew the kitchen was.

  “Place hasn’t changed much,” he said, glancing around as they walked through.

  “No, I like to keep Dad’s memory alive, I haven’t had the heart to change anything yet.” He kicked himself metaphorically—he’d heard her dad had passed last year but had pushed it from his mind.

  “I was so sorry to hear,” he said, reaching out instinctively to touch her arm as they stood beside the bench. A bolt of electricity ran through him as they touched, his skin tingling. Annie on the other hand recoiled as though struck with a branding iron, flinching, and stepping away. It was like a shot through his heart. He might not be a lady’s man, but women didn’t usually fling themselves away from him when he got close. In fact, he’d been gently trying to reject women’s advances for years. No-one had ever come close to capturing his heart. Not like she had.

  “Thank you,” she eventually said, her lips hardened into a straight line. He simply nodded. Clearly, he’d best stick to what she had agreed to have him here for, helping with the baking, and nothing more.

  “So, where should we start? I’ve got all the basic ingredients we should need for cookies, cupcakes and some slices laid out,” she said, gesturing to the neatly lined up items behind her. Just like in school when she’d lay out her pens and highlighters on the desk, ordered by colour. At least some things didn’t change. A small smile lifted his lips.

  “Why don’t we start on cupcakes since we’ll need them to cool before we ice,” he suggested.

  “Sounds good.”

  For the next hour they worked side by side almost in silence. He occasionally snuck a peek at her when she wasn’t looking, taking in her long hair, the same golden locks he’d watched flow in the breeze a thousand times before. Those hazel eyes that mesmerised him, as did her smile. But while he admired her, the only words they shared were practical ones, about the baking itself. He followed her lead and didn’t try to make small talk, hoping that she would eventually start a conversation. It was better not to push her when she wasn’t in the mood to talk, experience had taught him that much.

  Another half an hour passed, but his patience proved virtuous when she suddenly asked, “So, what have you been up to the last ten years?”

  He laughed, looking towards her, she too had a light-hearted smile on her face no
w. She was clearly getting more comfortable in his presence and the feeling made his heart soar, though he tried to control it.

  “Oh gosh, well—finished university. Ran away to Europe. Did a baking course in Paris. And I’ve been working in different places around Europe for the last six years or so.” He’d moved around at least yearly, never quite finding anywhere that felt like home. Something was always missing, and he’d not really been able to work out what. He missed his parents, sister, and Sadie but whenever he’d returned to Cooyello, it hadn’t felt like home either. Not that he’d spent much time back here recently. “You?”

  “I heard you’d been moving around Europe, sounds amazing. Um...I also graduated obviously, started teaching at a school in Melbourne straight out of university, then when dad got sick a few years ago I moved back here and started teaching at the school just this year. I really love teaching,” she said sincerely. He’d always known she’d be an amazing teacher; it had been her dream since they were fourteen. She was the most kind, caring and patient person he’d ever known so it’s no wonder teaching came so naturally. She continued, “I can’t believe I didn’t realise Sadie was your niece,” a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

  “Why?”

  “Because now that I know, I can see that she looks like you, and she’s as mischievous as you were when we were young. I can see she has the same enormous smile that lights up her whole face,” she said wistfully, blushing when she noticed him staring at her.

  “Mandy says she’s a lot like me too. Mostly when she’s in trouble,” he said, smiling back, his eyes not leaving hers. This time she wasn’t avoiding eye contact and he was able to gaze into them properly, the way he had the last time he’d seen her. Hazel wasn’t even quite the right word for Annie’s eyes. In certain light they were as golden as her hair, flickering in the sun. And in other’s the green took over, a muted soft green that was as gentle as she was. They were unlike anything he’d ever seen before or since, just purely her.