Page 19 of Banter & Blushes

He laughs. “Please do that. You’re a very creative and resourceful business owner, aren’t you?”

Arching an eyebrow, I say, “In what way?”

“You’re always looking for ways to expand your business. That’s being smart and savvy.”

Huh?All I ever focus on are my failed ventures, but I guess he’s right. I’ve had some great successes too. My essential oils are my bestsellers. Hopefully these candles will also be one of my smart and savvy moves.

“Thank you,” I murmur as my heart flutters at his compliment.

A grin splits his handsome face. “So what else? Surely soy candles with clever sayings weren’t the highlight of your day?”

“True, but it was mostly the usual things.” He arches an eyebrow, encouraging me to elaborate further. “A kid knocked over the crystal jewelry display. A lady returned a half-empty vial of an essential oil claiming it didn’t work. Oh! And I agreed to try one of Zoe’s new recipes. That was my excitement for the day. Not exactly on the same magnitude as handling a corporate merger.”

“Hey, don’t underestimate yourself,” Cade says, his expression turning serious. “I bet you handled all of those with grace and a smile. Unlike my date,” he adds with a grimace.

Another warm feeling flows through me at his compliment. “I did have to count to ten after the crystal jewelry flew all over the floor.”

Chuckling, Cade says, “Understandable. But don’t keep me on the edge of my seat. What was Zoe’s new recipe? Sugar-free, I assume?”

I nod sagely. “Sugar-freeandgluten-free.”

“A double whammy,” he jokes. “Well?”

“Tahini almond cookies with pomegranate seeds.”

He wrinkles his nose. “Are they any good?”

“They sold out and there were no complaints.”

“You didn’t try one, did you?”

We swap knowing smirks, then a teenager saunters up to our table, delivering the steaming pizza along with plates and forks. “Enjoy!” he says as he drops the tray on the table with a loudthunk!

“Dig in!” I say as I slide a slice onto my plate.

Cade snags his own slice, and we both savor the cheesy tomato goodness, the pepperoni and spicy peppers adding just the right amount of zest.

“I love this combination,” Cade says after a couple bites.

“What did I tell you?”

For the next while, we’re too busy snarfing down the pizza and teasing each other about weird pizza toppings, my quirky customers, and Zoe’s unique bakedgoods to dwell any further on Cade’s crummy date. Tonight, I’m not his matchmaker, I’m his date.

“Whew! I’m stuffed,”I say, fifteen minutes and four slices of pizza later. In fact, Cade just ate the last slice, polishing off the entire large pie.

“How about we walk down the pier? I hear it’s a great place to watch the sunset,” Cade suggests as we stand to leave.

“I’d love to.”

We stroll down the sidewalk along with a smattering of families and couples. Cade reaches out and grabs my hand. My heart skips a beat.This really is a date.It feels natural to hold hands with him, like we’ve been doing it for years. I love the feeling of my small hand nestling in his much larger one.

“Hugo reminded me that I should take advantage of living on the beach. How would you like to join me on a beach walk tomorrow morning?” Cade asks after we’re settled on a bench at the end of the pier. The sun is starting to set—orange, yellow, and pink streaks cross the sky like paint left by a brush.

I turn towards him. “I’d love to, but we’ll have to go plenty early so I can open the shop by nine.”

“What’s early?” he asks.

“Just after sunrise. Around six?”

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