Page 70 of One Sweet Match Up

And she was a great cook, dammit! So what if she didn’t have a chef credential.

She straightened her shoulders and moved past Will to the front door, flipping the closed sign to open. “Heavenly Soups minus D. Foster is open for business.”

“That’s my girl!” Will came up to her and gave her a hug. “I’ll be back for lunch.”

“Not so fast.” She clutched his arm. “I need a server.”

19

Donovan pickedup the yellow rubber chicken and examined it for the umpteenth time, flicking its red neck with his finger.

“I don’t think you should try cooking that.” Abby stood in front of him from behind the Sugar Spoon’s shiny pink counter.

He set it down. “Probably not.”

“So, why are you hiding out in the corner?” She cracked open a soda can and set it in front of him, holding up the yellow bird. “Feeling chicken?”

“Ha, ha.” He pointed to Chris, a popular biology teacher, who was the selected bachelor for tonight’s Batter Up night. “Just supporting Chris.”

She lowered her voice. “It’s going to be Rhonda. I know it.” Just then Emma called her over to retrieve sprinkles from the kitchen. She handed Donovan a purple-frosted cupcake. “Duty calls. I’ll be right back.”

He set the rubber chicken aside and took a bite of the cupcake. She was right. He was a coward. He’d purposely stayed away from Main Street all week, not wanting to run into Zoe.

Going stir-crazy at home, he went to the one place he knew Zoe wouldn’t be: the Sugar Spoon for Batter Up night. Emma and Abby would be the only women in the bakery for the weekly male gathering.

It’s not where he wanted to be. He missed Zoe. He wanted to be in her kitchen, finishing up the dishes from the Ice Heaven’s dinner crowd and brainstorming his specials for the next day—all with Zoe close by his side.

He’d royally f’d up. He wasn’t sure if Zoe would let him back into her kitchen let alone back into her life.

His muscles tightened. He was a jerk and every other curse word Will and his sister had called him. He never should have gone after Zoe like he did. What he should have done was be a man and give her the opportunity to explain.

With each passing day, he knew what he accused her of doing wasn’t possible. Spiteful? Revengeful? She hadn’t been either of those things. Deep down, he knew she wasn’t that woman.

Zoe wasn’t out to ruin him. No, he’d done that all on his own. She was right. He’d lost his spark way before the night of the blizzard. It was the primary reason he was drawn to hers.

Would she ever forgive him? He picked up a small pink pet collar he’d set next to the rubber chicken, jingling its bells. When Rachel had suggested he try opening the magical old trunk on the second floor of the Lakeside Inn, he had nothing to lose.

That night, he pulled out three items that were now spread out on the Sugar Spoon counter: a rubber yellow chicken, a pair of wire-rimmed eyeglasses, and a pink cat collar.

“So, what gives?” Abby asked, returning to her place behind the counter. “Are you opening up a magic shop?”

“Maybe I should. Give Emma a run for her money.” Speaking of . . . he nodded in Emma’s direction. “How’s your cousin?”

“She’s good. All wedding all the time . . .”

He lowered his voice. “Has she heard from her dad?”

“No . . .” Abby sighed, grabbing a cupcake from behind her and taking a bite. “I guess some people want to stay hidden. I have hope that Uncle Jesse will show up before the wedding.”

Jesse.Donovan sat up, recognizing the name. The old man he’d helped out with the car oilwasEmma’s father. Where had he taken off to? He started to share with Abby what he knew but held back. If this man wanted to keep his whereabouts a secret, who was Donovan to expose him?

He’d done enough public exposing of secrets. He’d find another opportunity to tell Emma privately, or maybe first Sheila. He picked up the wire-rimmed reading glasses and put them on. “I found them in the trunk.”

“You look very smart. I take it you found the rubber chicken and the cat collar in there, too.”

He nodded and took the glasses off, setting them on the counter. “Yep.”

“Any idea what they mean?” She added, “Besides the magic shop?”

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