Kate's Kisses (Sweet Treats Bakery) (3 page)

“For sure—yes.” She sighed, imagining all the books that would fill the shelves. She and Adam could easily spend hours inside.

“You’ll need a library card.”

“No problem.” She grinned. “I might have a connection in that department.”

“You think?”

“Your parents have always had a tender spot for me, Logan.”

His eyes softened. “I know.”

“It was generous of them to fund so much of this project. They’ve worked so hard all their lives, running their restaurant. They should enjoy their money.”

“They are enjoying it.”

“I guess so. I think your mom’s the only one I know—except for Adam—who likes books as much as I do.” Kate turned toward a row of tables set up behind them that held drink coolers and platters of sandwiches from the restaurant Logan’s parents owned. “I brought the cherry kisses you ordered. I think your dad’s already sampled a few.”

Logan laughed. “I see. I’d better get over to the table before he eats them all.”

“Wait,” Kate called after him. “About tonight—”

He turned to glance over his shoulder. “I’ll pick you up at six-thirty, and I promise not to keep you out too late. Don’t worry, because Mattie gave me directions to your place.”

“She…what?” Kate groaned inside.
The traitor.

He winked. “See you later, Katie.”

****

Logan filled a paper cup with ice water from one of the coolers as he watched Kate talk with his mom. The two had always gotten along well, from the first time he brought Katie by the restaurant when they were in the fifth grade to share a platter of cheesy fries and lay the groundwork together for a science fair project. And, from what he understood, they still enjoyed each other’s company from time to time, whenever Kate stopped into the restaurant for a meal.

He drained the cup, turned to refill it, and nearly stumbled into Tessa.

“Fancy meeting you here.” She reached for a chocolate kiss, tossed it into her mouth and gave him a sidelong glance. “I thought you hated Mount Ridge.”

“Hey, Tess.” He guzzled the water as she gathered her hair and twisted it into a knot, then secured it with an elastic band. Tessa had never been one to mince words. Being the youngest of the four sisters, he knew she was used to getting her way, and she made no bones concerning what she wanted. “Hate’s a strong word.”

“So you say.” She shrugged and a few strands of hair fluttered around her neck. “But you sure high-tailed it from here like your pants were on fire—hurt my sister bad, you know.”

Logan turned to face her, and was surprised to find she now reached his shoulder. Of course, the spike-heeled sandals added quite a bit of height. What had happened to the scrawny, pig-tailed kid who ran around in faded blue jeans and T-shirts, without a care in the world or hint of makeup?

He nodded and answered quietly, “I know.”

“You’re not gonna deny it, huh?”

He shook his head. “Why should I?”

“Points for you, then, I guess.” She kept a close eye on the towheaded kid at her side as she spoke. He scrambled along the dirt with a toy dump truck, mimicking the sounds of the heavy equipment. “Did Kate hurt you, too?”

The question took him by surprise. He nodded and sucked down a breath as the memory jolted. “Yes, she did.”

“Thought so. That’s usually how it goes. I don’t know why, but adults always seem to mess up a good thing somehow. I guess I’ll find out why, since I’m about to enter that realm.” She turned. “Hey, Adam, don’t wander too far. And get out of the dirt unless you want to take another bath.”

“Cute kid.” Logan reached for one of the cherries. “He’s not yours, is he?”

“No way. I haven’t even finished high school yet,” she sputtered, and then laughed. “A kid’s certainly not on
my
agenda. That little guy belongs to Grace. She had a rough night, so I’m picking up the slack. Goes with the territory.”

“Rough night?” Concern flooded him. “Why? Is everything OK?”

Her honey gaze leveled with his and she lifted one shoulder in a flippant little shrug. “Boy, you really
are
out of the loop. So what are you doing back here in Mount Ridge…besides overseeing the library project, I mean?”

“Isn’t that enough?”

“You tell me.”

He shrugged. Maybe she’d grown up on the outside, but she was still the nosy and pretty much annoying kid sister he remembered. “I’m not sure I get your meaning.”

“You still have a thing for Kate, don’t you?”

“I don’t think that’s any of your business, Tess.”

“Maybe not…unless you hurt her again.” She propped a hand on her hip and lifted her chin in a defiant pout. “Then it becomes my business—fast. Get my drift?”

“Got it.” Inside he grinned. She wasn’t even eighteen, yet she seemed to have no qualms about going toe to toe with him. He had to admire her spunk—and her family loyalty. Loyalty—and a sense of duty— always did run strong and deep among the Spencer girls. “Friends?” He offered her a hand.

“Maybe.” She took it grudgingly, gave it a slight shake. “We’ll see.”

“Good.” He laughed and crumpled the paper cup before tossing it into a trash can. “Fair enough.”

“So, what’s it like on the outside…away from here?”

“Not what you’d think.” He shook his head, because he saw the wandering gleam in her eyes, same as he’d seen in his own at that age, every time he looked in the mirror. “But you’ll have to find that out for yourself, when the time comes.”

“I guess so.” Tessa reached for another kiss. “Boy, these things are good. Just one more and I guess it’s time to herd the kid, scrape the dirt off him, and run him home for a nap. I’ll see you around, then?”

“Count on it.”

****

That evening, Logan surprised Kate with her favorite flowers…daylilies accented by lavender tulips, tied with a shimmery pale pink bow.

“You remembered.” She pressed her face to the blooms and inhaled their springtime-sweet fragrance.

“Of course. You used to pick them by the bushel in the fields when we took long walks together.”

“And at your parents’ house,” Kate added. “Your mom kept a garden. She always let me fetch a bunch to take home to my mom, before…”

She paused, because as welcome as the memory was, the unexpected loss of her parents still hurt.

“I remember.” His eyes told her he felt the loss as well. He’d been close to her parents—especially her dad. He’d spent countless afternoons helping her father work in the shop he’d built out behind their house, heads bowed over this project or that. Sometimes Kate felt Logan’s passion for designing buildings was borne in that workshop, where her dad had fashioned fine furniture while her mother hummed in the kitchen, baking the afternoon away.

“Come in.” Kate took a step back from the doorway.

“Do you have a vase?” Logan eased past her and entered the house, bringing a brush of cool air that clung to his clothes.

“In the cabinet above the kitchen sink, just down the hall to your left.” She followed him through the living room and into the kitchen, and motioned toward the far wall. He found the vase, filled it with a bit of water, and let her arrange the flowers to her liking before he set them in the center of the small kitchen table for her to admire.

“Smells like bananas and oranges in here,” Logan sniffed the air and gazed at the walls she’d painted a cheerful yellow.

“I was trying out a new bread recipe.” Kate nodded toward a platter on the counter where a nicely-browned loaf cooled beneath the last rays of a waning sunset. “Wanna sample?”

“Sure.”

She sliced a piece for him and waited while he tossed a bite into his mouth, chewed.

“So…?”

“It’s…fabulous.” He nodded and bit off another chunk. “Wow.”

“Well, that’s certainly a nice stamp of approval.” She laughed. “OK, I’ll add it to the line.”

“You’d better. And send a dozen loaves over to the construction site tomorrow, sliced, of course. The workers will thank you.”

“I’ll get right on it.”

“After dinner,” he said. “No more work now—for either of us.”

“Where are we going…for dinner, I mean?” Kate asked.

“Where would you like to go?”

“Your parents’ restaurant. I want to thank them again for the library.”

Logan nodded and took her hand. “Then that’s where we’ll go. They’ll be happy to see you.”

The aroma of grilled onions and barbecued chicken made Kate feel at home as soon as she stepped into the bustling lobby. She could almost taste juicy, melt-in-your-mouth grilled shrimp.

“Kate!” Logan’s mother rushed over. “Oh, don’t you look pretty.”

“Hi, Mama Daniels.” Kate closed her eyes as the woman wrapped her in an embrace. A hint of garlic mingled with lavender and brought comforting memories. “It’s good to see you again, too.”

Logan bent to plant a kiss on his mother’s cheek. “Where’s Dad?”

“In the kitchen, harassing the new cook. He thinks no one can manage the menu as well as he does.”

“Retirement won’t come easy for him.” Logan laughed. “Hope he doesn’t chase the guy away.”

“Me, too.” She turned to Kate. “Hungry?”

“Very.”

“Your table’s waiting.”

She led them across the crowded room to a table overlooking the creek. Flowering Bradford pears bloomed brilliant white along the rocky bank. Kate’s breath caught. How many afternoons had she and Logan sat here talking about their future?

As they settled into their seats, the restaurant lights dimmed and small lanterns flickered on at each table, bathing the room in a warm glow. Kate had forgotten the seven o’clock evening ritual, and her breath hitched again as Logan studied her across the muted light.

He didn’t bother with a menu. “Would you like the regular?”

Kate nodded. She knew exactly what he meant. “Shrimp platter for two?”

“With grilled vegetables—minus the mushrooms—and extra yeast rolls.”

“That’s right.” Suddenly her throat felt parched. “You remember.”

“Of course I do.” He placed his elbows on the table and leaned into her. His breath warmed her neck. “How could I forget, Katie?”

“I…um…” She reached for her ice water.

“I gave you my class ring right…here.” He took her hand. “The trees were brilliant with fall colors, and you said they looked like a patchwork quilt.”

“Don’t, Logan.” She saw the ring now, back on his finger. She’d returned it to him along with the engagement ring he’d given her the night before he left for California. “It’s in the past. Let it go.”

“We’ll see.” He lifted his head and turned as the server arrived to take their order. “We’ll see, Katie.”

4

“This is becoming a habit.” Kate tossed a potholder on the stainless steel pastry table and blew a stray strand of hair from her eyes. “That oven has always worked perfectly.”

Logan’s eyes smiled over the rim of his coffee cup. “Let me take a look-see.”

“Go ahead, but I’m going to have to call the technician. I’m sorry, Logan, but I’m not going to be able to get that bread baked for you today.”

“Not so fast,” he said. “Maybe I can fix it.”

He fell to his knees and surveyed the underbelly of the oven. “Has someone been messing around back here? It looks like the heating elements have been disconnected.”

“That’s impossible.” Kate stooped to peer over his shoulder. “How could that happen?”

Logan shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe it just jostled loose over time.” He popped an element into place, then another. “Try it now.”

She turned a knob and stifled an oath. The oven began to warm almost immediately. “I’m starting to think we have a prankster afoot.”

“Maybe one of your sisters?”

Kate pondered a moment, and then shook her head. “The business is far too important for any of them to mess around like that. It’s our livelihood.”

“Adam?”

Again, she shook her head. “Too young, and we never let him back here alone. It’s far too dangerous.”

“Just coincidence, then,” Logan agreed. “Anyway, it’s fixed. Anything else you want me to take a look at?”

Kate shook her head. “That’s it…for now. I’ll start that bread. I’m sure glad you stopped by.”

He reached for her hand. “Me, too.”

She felt rough callouses on his skin, borne of hard physical work. Not only had he designed the new library, but he carefully oversaw each step, pitching in wherever he was most needed. “I should get to work.”

“What time do your sisters come in?”

“Mattie’s usually here by now, and Grace arrives around eight. As for Tessa, your guess is as good as mine. She comes and goes like the wind.”

“Have one of them cover at the shop for you when you drop the bread by, and we’ll share lunch.”