Page 9 of Jasper

She glanced at her suitcase full of cameras. The rest of their things were in the truck bed, but she’d refused to put her equipment back there.

“I’ll lock the truck. They’ll be safe. I promise. And if someone breaks a window to steal a random suitcase, I’ll replace everything in it.”

“Sorry, it’s just those cameras are how I make my living, and they’re like my babies. I worry.”

“No need to worry. Scout’s honor.”

“Were you a scout?”

He shook his head and gave her a sly smile. “I was too ornery for Boy Scouts. My mama told me she didn’t know what she was going to do with me.”

She laughed, and the sound warmed him. He tramped down that feeling as soon as it surfaced. Nope, he wasn’t going there. She was Jarrod’s family.

They got out of the truck, she went into the store, and he crossed the street to the very busy coffee shop. There was a bakery right next to it. His stomach growled, alerting him he hadn’t eaten in hours. He’d bet Sloane hadn’t either. He decided to get delicious donuts first. Coffee and donuts…you couldn’t beat the combination.

The bakery was in a building that looked more like a house turned general store than an actual bakery. Hometown Homemade. The place looked it on the outside, that was for sure. The door had bells over it, announcing his arrival when he opened it. The sound reminded him of cowbells.

The moment he stepped inside, however, he forgot about how mundane the outside looked. It smelled like heaven.

To either side were small gift sections that held candles, jewelry, home decor, bath gel, and whatnot. A large cooler sat against one wall with some wicked-looking cakes. He wandered over and looked at these, his stomach growling. He loved cake as much as he did his gun. There were also cupcakes and fat bombs prepackaged for easy grab-and-go.

But he was here for donuts, not cake. Cake would come later.

He walked through a large, open wooden doorframe and into the next room filled with display cases holding donuts, more cupcakes, and pastries he’d give anything to try. There were also a few scattered gifts like purses and a little more home decor here and there. It didn’t detract from the delicious smells tickling his nose.

Toward the back, he could see they also sold honey, jam, and barbecue sauce. Definitely needed to pick up a few of those. He walked back there and picked out blackberry and strawberry. He always made his own barbecue rub, so he skipped that. His eyes were drawn back to the cookies he’d passed. He also noticed they sold bread and other baked goods, as well as a soup of the day. The menu offered a few fresh items like sandwiches too. This could be his home sweet home for life.

He might talk himself into more than donuts and jam.

“Hello!”

He glanced up at the sound of the booming voice. A woman who was probably in her early thirties stood behind one of the display cases. She reminded him of his sister. Reddish-brown hair and eyes so blue they would make the summer sky weep were framed in a heart-shaped face. She was a little overweight, but that didn’t detract from her beauty. She was smiling in a way that told him this was honestly a happy person. But then again, she got to work with all this sweet deliciousness on a daily basis. He’d be happy too.

“Hey, beautiful.”

She blushed, but she kept on smiling. “What can I get for you?”

“Everything.” His own smile widened as he took in all the glorious cookies, cakes, and donuts displayed before him. How was a man supposed to choose?

“How about I set you up with a variety box?”

“How about you set me up with two or three variety boxes?”

“Will do. I’m Dorothy, by the way.”

“I’m Robert, Miss Dorothy, and I promise you will see me every day.”

Dorothy collected a few white containers and started shaping them into boxes. “You new in town?”

He nodded and watched her like a hawk with his baked goods. “I’ll be here for a few months. Helping out a friend with some chores around the farm while he’s deployed.”

“You’re talking about Jarrod McDaniels?”

He nodded. He’d already decided to tell the truth about his relationship with Jarrod. The man grew up here, and everyone was sure to know him. If Jasper made his cover too complicated, it’d ring untrue. Sometimes the truth was your best lie.

“He and I served together a while back. I got out, and he redeployed. I needed some time before I rejoined the workforce, so he offered me to stay at his farm, and I told him I’d save him some money and look after the animals. Win-win for us both.”

“Thank you for your service.” The woman started loading up the boxes, and his nose started twitching.

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