Page 46 of Meet Me at the Fudge Shop

“Chocolate.” Her brow quirked.

“You can’t go wrong with chocolate fudge. It’s a classic.”

“You’re right. That’s exactly right.” She pressed her lips together to smother a smile, then waved her hands toward the kettle. “Please proceed.”

He stared at her for a long moment before grunting and getting back to work. She watched at his side, speaking up if he needed a reminder, but for the most part, he took her advice to heart.

The first sign of trouble occurred when he removed the metal framing and the fudge started to run every direction. “Shoot.” He ran around the table trying to catch it, but his frantic movements only scattered the warm chocolate faster. It ran over the edges of the marble table and dripped onto the floor.

What was the saying? Like a chicken with its head cut off? That was Declan—if the chicken were really fit and wore a frilly pink polka dot apron.

And Lily couldn’t help it. Giggles just erupted from her. And oh, it felt good after so much tension over the last month.

She glanced up at Declan again. He’d abandoned the paddle at the center of the table and just stood there, arms crossed over his chest, clear amusement on his features despite the mess behind him. “You done?”

Lily pressed a hand to her mouth. “Mm-hmm.” But then she bent in half, laughing some more.

“I’ll give you something to laugh about, Lil.”

Unfolding, she glanced up at him, at the way his eyes glinted with something dangerous as he rushed toward her.

What—? “Stop, Dec!” She raced around the dirty marble table, nearly slipping in the pooling—and now cooling—chocolate on the floor. Her sneakers squeaked as she tried to outrun him, but then he caught her around the waist, pinning her back against the table.

His laughter was deep and warm and full of…delight? The sound of it settled over her as warmth soaked the back of her shirt.

And then his laughing stopped. And her heart thundered against the quiet intensity of his stare.

Both of their breathing turned ragged, and time suspended in that moment. It was almost like she was transported back to that day at Disney World, when they’d been paired together on their senior trip scavenger hunt—the day that had changed everything in Lily’s world.

Even though they’d been in second place, she’d convinced him to skip the rest of the list. To make their own adventure. After all, they were only there for one day.

And what a day it had been.

The rides. The cotton candy. The coy smiles. The laughter.

And their first kiss, as they snuggled on a bench under the fireworks.

He hadn’t been a Kelley, and she hadn’t been a Hart. And they’d returned to Jonathon Island, decided to try. To continue the adventure at home. To see if it was possible to undo the last fifty-five years of family feuding.

It hadn’t worked then, and it wouldn’t work now.

But for some reason, the thought didn’t move her. She was frozen, wondering. What if…

“Lil.” The whispered word was like a caress against her cheeks. But no, that was Declan’s actual thumb, stroking softly upward until he tucked a loose piece of her hair behind her ear.

Just what was she supposed to do with that? Her entire body heated at his nearness, and slowly her hands—which had somehow gotten pressed to his chest—worked their way up and around his neck. “Dec.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed, his jaw tightened, and then he was moving closer.

“What’s going on here?”

They both turned their heads to find Declan’s younger brother, Isaac, standing just inside the kitchen.

Declan jerked away from her so fast, she might be made of flames. Lily’s elbows slumped backward in a pile of mostly cooled fudge. Ugh.

Grabbing a towel, Declan tossed it her way. “Nothing’s going on,” he said, his attention on Isaac. “Lily just fell, and I was helping her up.”

“Is that what the kids are calling it these days?” Isaac shook his head, tsked. “I warned you, brother. But did you listen? Nope.”

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