Page 19 of Sweet Summertide

“Buonasera,” he said and placed the tray where America had indicated. Standing back, he took in the women. “Wow. So much beauty in one place.”

“See, he gets it.” America joked. “Thank you, Alfonso. Put it on my personal account, okay?”

“I charge free for this view.” Alfonso fanned himself and pantomimed fanning the women.

“Oh, stop it. You’ll make us all blush and fall in love with you instead of our husbands,” Vi said and put her arm around the chef. “What are the guys up to tonight?”

“Alfonso no tell.” He zipped his lips shut. “Okay. I tell a little.”

“I told you he can’t keep anything to himself,” Millie whispered to Holly. “I bet they’re out plotting against you.”

“We paint and build shelves.”

“Promise to keep Pa clean. I don’t want him tracking in paint all over the floors again,” the older woman with silver hair said. “You know I just had them varnished.”

“How dirty can he get, Carol?” America said.

Carol laughed. “That man is like a magnet to anything greasy or grimy. If there’s a mess, he’ll find it.”

“You’re helping at Teddy’s?” Holly blurted out and immediately regretted bringing him up.

“Si. And clean windows.” Alfonso stared her down and raised one eyebrow practically to his hair line. He knew about what she and Millie had done.

The whole room stilled, and the women looked at each other for answers at the Italian’s change in demeanor from jovial to serious. She shrugged as though she was at just as much of a loss as they were.

America finally broke the tension. “I’m sure whatever you boys are doing, will be a good time. Do me a favor and make sure Cam doesn’t get too crazy tonight. He has a special job to do at home later.”

“America Thorpe! You stop that right now,” Vi reprimanded her again.

Alfonso, not understanding, grinned and nodded. “Alfonso go now,” he said and removed the cellophane from the snacks before leaving.

“What the heck was that about?” Thandie asked. “I work with him every day, and I’ve never seen him get so intense so fast.”

“It was a misunderstanding,” Millie said.

“It wasn’t,” Holly corrected, ready to finish her story. “Teddy, he’s opening the chocolaterie across the street from me.” Holly sat on the edge of the marble table and took a tiny triangle cucumber sandwich. “Let’s just say, we’re taking winning the grant money seriously. I may have painted over his window sign and stolen his workers one day.”

“And what has he done to you?” Millie asked, knowing the answer full well.

Holly considered for a moment. “Nothing actually.” Guilt began to twist in her gut, but she ignored it. “That’s how I know I’ll beat him.”

“Please tell me you’re done tormenting that nice man?” Thandie said.

“Not in the least. He’s expecting his shipment of cocoa beans in a couple days, and I plan to put up a roadblock that will have his driver snaking around the entire county,” she laughed. Alone. “I’m afraid he won’t be getting his beans in time.” Holly shoved a whole sandwich quarter in her mouth, wishing the chewing would ease her conscience.

“If I were you, I’d take things down a notch. You don’t want to do anything you’ll regret,” Millie said. “You know I’m your ride or die, but this might be crossing the line.”

Holly nodded. Maybe Millie was right—she usually was. She asked herself, if sabotaging her competition was the only way she could win, was it really a win at all? Perhaps she did need to cool it. Teddy had been nothing but kind to her, and she didn’t wish to end their flirty and budding relationship over something silly like spray paint.

No matter how much she wanted him, however, she wanted to get out from under her parents’ control more. “Let’s just talk about something else.”

CHAPTER 10

To saythat Theodor was a city-kid was the understatement of a lifetime. The truth was never more evident as he pushed through the lower pine branches and undergrowth of what he could only describe as a haunted forest. Haunted, not because of any particular creepy folk-story about the area’s history, but from the lingering fog playing tricks in the glow of the fading moonlight. Like a scene from a Robert Frost poem, the sky was dark, but for the waning-moon hanging below the fog and kissing a distant hilltop.

Theodor, having departed his cabin at the Foundry under cover of darkness, hiked to the location of Blake Holly Hollis’ latest attempt to thwart him. He’d come prepared wearing his cargo pants that he’d never worn for any outdoor pursuits, and a crisp navy-blue T-shirt. He had his nosy friend, Alfonso, to thank for the advance notice of her subterfuge. When Alfonso had delivered some food to girl’s night, he had inadvertently overheard Holly boasting about stopping Theodor’s bean delivery. Some detective work by America’s husband, Leo, revealed the site. Theodor possessed the other crucial piece: he knew exactly when the truck would be passing this stretch of road.

He could have just called the delivery company and had them go another way from the start, but he needed to catch Holly in the act. He didn’t even care how she came to know about his delivery. It didn’t matter whether she overheard the information or sought it out. She had decided to use what she knew to hurt him, and he planned to chastise her for being so rotten. The look on her face when he caught her would be the cherry on top.

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