The Apple Tree (17 page)

“
Now, you have my number too,” Levi said.

His smile made her dizzy. She gripped the edge of the counter.

A teenage boy walked into the parlor, standing behind Levi and waiting for his turn at the register.

“
Did you want to order food, Levi?” she said.

“
I don’t have time today. I just came by to give you the eggs.” He glanced behind him. “I guess I’ll let you get back to work. See you tomorrow.” The goofy grin remained on his face as he stepped backward and nearly tripped over the boy behind him. Levi’s cheeks turned pink. “Sorry, man.” He turned to walk forward.

“
See you tomorrow.” She gave him a little wave and watched him walk out the door before turning her attention to the waiting customer.

When she finished talking the boy’s order, she joined Kate at the prep counter.

“
Did you just agree to go out with that stalker guy?” Kate eyed her.

“
Well…” She tried to come up with a reasonable excuse, but there was none. He was still the guy she found sitting outside her apartment. “Yes.”

Kate threw the extra pepperoni back into the container. “What are you thinking?”

“
I was thinking that he’s actually a pretty nice guy.” Bianca opened the cupboard to get some dough. “You don’t even know him besides what I told you of that one incident. It was a little weird, but everything else I’ve seen of him is really sweet.”

Kate rolled her eyes. “Nice guys don’t stalk women.”

B
ianca spent the next day mixing up new recipes, interspersed with digging through her closet trying to find the perfect outfit to wear for her afternoon with Levi. She shouldn’t have bothered since he’d already seen her in sloppy pajamas and unkempt hair, but she did. A pretty floral blouse caught her eye, similar to the one she’d been wearing the first time she met him, and she paired it with dark skinny jeans. Luckily, her green rubber boots would match the blouse perfectly. Setting the clothes across her bed, she went downstairs to check the cookies in the oven.

The scent of oatmeal and chocolate drifted through the kitchen. She’d made up a recipe that morning for a chocolate chip cookie sweetened with mashed bananas instead of white sugar. While scooping the warm cookies from the pan, her phone buzzed on the counter. It was a text from Peter.

Will trade camera skills for muffins ;) Just let me know when.

His camera skills would be really helpful. She glanced at the cookies cooling on the counter. He could probably make them look scrumptious. But it was his other skills that worried her.

She ignored the message and continued scooping cookies as Owen ran into the kitchen reaching and grunting toward the tray.

“
Hot, O, you have to wait for them to cool.”

Instead of waiting, he collapsed onto the floor, crying. She lifted him into her arms and carried him around until the cookies cooled. When she finally handed him one, he took it with greedy hands and a toothy grin. Little monster.

After setting Owen at the table, she took a cookie for herself to try. Not bad. Actually, pretty good. The chocolate chips added just enough sweetness so the sugar wasn’t missed.

She placed several cookies in a plastic container to take to the park and set the others on a plate to photograph. She took a deep breath, and aimed her simple, point and shoot camera at the plate. The photo was average. If only Peter hadn’t reminded her how easy it would be for him take the photos. Maybe it would be worth it, just for the blog’s sake. Surely he wouldn’t try anything again so soon. After all, he was trying to make it up to her and she really wanted this blog to take off.

She posted the picture along with the new recipe, and then ran upstairs to change for her date with Levi. Was it actually a date or were they just hanging out? She wasn’t entirely sure, but her swirling stomach made it feel like a date. After dressing and giving her makeup a touch-up, she headed downstairs to wait.

Her mother leaned back in the futon, watching TV. “Pretty, Bee. Where are you going?”

“
To play disc golf with Levi.” She shoved the cookies into her shoulder bag along with the discs.

“
Oh, good. I like him,” her mother said.

“
What are you doing today?”

Her mother pulled Owen up on the cushion to sit beside her. “I have a friend coming over later.”

A friend. Great.

A knock at the door interrupted them.

“
Okay. Well, have fun, Mom. Bye.” She opened the front door.

Levi stood on the porch, the goofy grin still plastered across his face. Had his facial muscles relaxed at all since the last time she saw him? He wore a crisp white button-up shirt with jeans and an unzipped, chocolate-brown bomber jacket that made her want to reach out and stroke the soft leather.

“
Ready?” he asked.

“
Are you ready to learn the thrilling game of disc golf?” A matching goofy grin spread across her own face.

“
Thrilling? If I wasn’t before, I certainly am after that description.”

She followed him down the stone path to his truck. The navy blue paint sparkled in the sunlight. Had he washed the truck for their date?

He held the door open and she slid into the khaki upholstered seat, waiting for him to get into the driver’s side.

“
I brought some cookies.” She held up her bag after they’d buckled.

“
Yum. Did you make them yourself?”

“
Sure did, I used bananas instead of sugar.”

He glanced toward her as he pulled out onto the road. “That sounds interesting.” A chuckle broke through him. “Actually, that sounds really weird, sorry.”

She shook her head. “I told you, you have to trust me. I know food. Have I told you about my blog?”

“
No, tell me.”

“
Well, I make up recipes for healthier food, using whole ingredients instead of boxes and mixes and stuff. Then I post them up on my blog and sometimes I do reviews on cookbooks or special interest pieces. The other day I wrote up an article about why everyone is going gluten free nowadays.”

He kept one hand on the steering wheel and pinched his arm hair with the other. “That’s like no wheat, right?”

“
Yeah, and barley and rye have gluten. Oats are usually contaminated also.”

His brows furrowed. “You eat wheat though. You ate pizza the other day.”

“
Gluten doesn’t bother me. But I like coming up with things for people who do avoid it. And my blog has all kinds of recipes. I just like playing around with different ingredients.”

“
Does that mean you’re going to make me dinner?” His eyebrows rose.

She laughed. “Isn’t that a little presumptuous?”

“
What? A guy can try. What is it they say? The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach?”

“
I believe that is what they say, but who says I want to get to your heart?”

His face fell.

Oh, God. Why had she said that? She’d meant it in a joking way, but obviously it’d hurt his feelings. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean—”

He waved his hand. “Don’t worry about it.”

She bit the inside of her cheek and sat awkwardly looking out the window until they pulled into the park, stopping next to the play structure.

“
Alright, let’s do this.” He reached behind his seat and pulled out two shiny discs.

He hadn’t needed to buy new discs. She’d brought extra for him. But this time, she kept her mouth shut.

They walked to the course behind a row of lanky trees and blackberry bushes. An open meadow with a wire basket target in the far corner made up the first hole. Their feet slogged through the wet grass and she was glad he’d listened to her about wearing boots.

She set her bag against a tree, removing a disc. “It’s basically the same rules as regular golf, but instead of a club and a tiny ball, you throw the discs into the basket.” With a flick of her wrist, she tossed the disc into the air, landing about ten feet from the goal.

“
Nice.” Levi waited for her to step aside and then pulled his arm back, sending his disc flying into a tangle of blackberry bushes.

She chuckled. “Good luck getting that back.”

“
What? You’re not going to help me?” he teased, walking toward the bushes and reaching his arm through the labyrinth of vines and thorns. His jeans pulled tight around his form and his jacket stretched across the muscles of his back.

She licked her lips and blinked, making herself look away. This was going to be ridiculous if she didn’t stop checking him out.

Levi wrenched backward, yelping like he’d been electrocuted, clearing the bushes by several feet.

“
What was that?” she asked, startled by his sudden reaction.

Hands on his hips, he leaned forward and closed his eyes, laughing, a deep pleasant sound. “Sorry,” he finally said. “I’m afraid of snakes. I always overreact.”

“
So, a mountain lion is no problem, but a snake has you shrieking like a little girl?” She laughed along with him.

Levi’s face grew serious as he studied a hole ripped in his shirt from one of the thorns. “My father was killed by snakebite. It’s an ingrained reaction, however illogical. And it is completely illogical. Let’s get back to the game.”

Her laughter stopped. He was all alone then. No mother and no father. She picked up her disc from where it lay on the grass. “Your father’s gone too. I’m sorry.”

“
Don’t be.” He motioned toward her disc. “Shoot.”

Weird, how quickly he could go from friendly to reserved. She threw, landing the disc in the target with a clang.

He learned the game quickly, keeping his disc clear of thickets for the rest of the time they played, but she still beat his score by several throws.

“
Good game.” He gave her a high five and they sat down at a picnic bench.

“
Alright, let me try one of those banana cookies,” he grumbled.

“
Well, don’t sound so excited about it.” She rummaged in the bag until she found the container. “Honestly, they’re good.” She handed him a cookie, taking one out for herself as well.

He examined it in his hand. “I’ve never been a very adventurous eater.”

“
I’ve noticed.” She broke a chunk off of hers, tossing it into her mouth. “Just take a bite.”

He sighed and shoved the entire cookie in his mouth.

She watched him chewing. It sure would be nice to be a cookie right about now. Okay, that was just weird. Get a grip. She was acting like a sex-crazed sixteen year old.

After swallowing, he said, “You’re right. I need to start trusting you when it comes to food.”

She gave him a smug smile.

“
Just don’t eat too many of those. I was counting on you being hungry,” he said.

“
Hungry for what?”

He raised an eyebrow. “For food, of course.”

She blushed, suddenly aware of the double meaning. “I mean, did you want to get some food?”

“
Yes, I was hoping we could go have dinner.”

“
I’ll have dinner with you, but under one condition. I get to pick what you order. Call it a little trust exercise.”

He sighed. “I must be extremely desperate to spend time with you.” Then he chuckled and gave her a gentle shove. “Okay, you can pick out my food.”

She chose a little café, nestled among the coffee shops and bookstores near the Oregon State University campus. Harmony Café was one of her favorites because it served only local and organic food and the atmosphere was relaxed compared to some of the more romantic places nearby. It wasn’t that the thought of being romantic with Levi didn’t give her all kinds of tingles, but she didn’t want the extra pressure.