Page 63 of Banter & Blushes

“Thanks.” I hurry toward Tiffany before she disappears. I catch up to her by her truck. She’s handing out cookies to a few of the crew members and promising a fresh batch for tomorrow.

“Hey.” My voice is airy. I’m a little out of breath from jogging toward her in my boots. A clear sign I haven’t been getting enough cardio.

“Hey. You looked good on the beach.”

“Really?” My face lights up involuntarily.

She blushes. “You know, the beach scene and all. It will look cool in the video.”

She can backtrack all she wants, but I already heard me looking good on the beach come from her lips. Those bright red lips.

“Anyway . . .”

When her lips move, I come out of my temporary coma.

“We’re about to head out. But I’ll see you tomorrow?” She smiles shyly.

“Of course.”

She turns and opens the back door to the truck.

“Tiffany?”

She stops and looks my way.

“Thanks for the chocolate cookies. It was nice of you to think of me like that.”

“No problem. I’ll make more tomorrow.”

“You don’t have to if it’s too much trouble.”

“No, I want to.” She climbs into the truck and smiles at me.

I do some kind of goofy little wave as she closes the door. And I’m sure whatever kind of sappy grin I’m wearing wouldn’t pass Mackenzie’s smolder test.

The truck lights come on and she drives off the lot. I shove my hands in my pockets and watch her leave before heading for my own truck.

Only when I get in and look in the rearview mirror do I realize I’m still wearing makeup.

Just great.

CHAPTER 5

TIFFANY

Few things are as peaceful as a morning on the beach. The sand, sun, and wind before everything gets crowded instantly calms me. Even when I have a long day of work ahead.

I may regret opening The Sandbar at our usual locations while also feeding people on the music video set. However, I don’t want to disappoint any customers or appear like we’re gone.

In a touristy place, when a restaurant closes for more than a week, people take notice. Especially when you’re a food truck that’s always on the move.

My griddle is hot for waffles, and the bacon sizzles in the oven. It’s time to open the window and prepare for orders.

I stick my head out to get a better view of the beach. There aren’t a lot of people out yet, but I hope to catch them on their way down for the day.

One person out of the ordinary catches my eye. A guy jogging on the shoreline. Is that Colt? I laugh at myself. It’s probably a mirage, thanks to yesterday’s surprise.

I stare at him a little longer until he raises his sunglasses and stares back. Oh shoot, I’m caught. I jerk my head inside the window, grazing the top of the opening. Ouch. I rub my head and open the freezer for something cold.

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