Page 29 of The Dating Dare

It was just about one o’clock, and she pedaled her bike to Comfort Zone and parked it outside. Why was she so excited? It wasn’t like her excuse allowed her to see Seth immediately. She needed some coffee and sweets to fuel her brain. She had to plan how she could offer Seth her help without seeming like she was desperate to spend more time with him. She walked into the busy bakery and seated herself at the counter. Justine and Lily were both in the back, but the new part-timer recognized her.

“Hi, Tara,” she said brightly. “What can I get for you?”

“Can I just get a cup of Americano for now?” she asked, her thoughts elsewhere.

“Sure thing.”

She took a big breath and pulled her cell out, but after a moment’s hesitation, she put it down on the counter. She couldn’t just text him. He didn’t need to know how much she wanted to see him.

She stared down at her phone for a long while, both excited and uneasy about luring Seth out. There was a desperation there she remembered. The last person she’d felt that way about was her college boyfriend. Even though she’d seen Jason the day before, the hours had seemed to stretch miserably long until she’d gotten to see him again. Her heart had ached just like it did now as she waited for the next time she met Seth.

It was unacceptable for her to feel that way about him. About any man. Tara had learned her lesson the hard way about what lay that way. Such emotional vulnerability could open her up to the kind of hurt she never wanted to endure again. But this was different. She made a conscious effort to draw her shoulders away from her ears.There was no need to panic. No harm could come of her seeing Seth. He was flying off to Paris in less than four weeks. Things couldn’t possibly lead to a toxic relationship. She wouldn’t let it.

The dating dare was all about fun and forgetting her woes. Seth had a way of making her feel seen, respected, and valued. The hollowness that had been eating away at her since Aubrey’s wedding was receding, and she felt far less alone thanks to his entertaining ways. She simply enjoyed spending time with him. That was all. Nothing more.

“Tara, when did you come in?” Justine walked out of the kitchen wiping her hands on a pristine white towel that she tucked into her apron once she finished. “Why didn’t you come back to say hi?”

“Oh, I knew you guys were busy with your afternoon bake. I didn’t want to distract you.” Tara got off her stool and went around to give Comfort Zone’s sous-chef a big hug.

“Well, you’re always welcome in the kitchen whether or not Aubrey is here. I miss her already, and it’ll help if you came in to chat with us. Lily still barely talks.” Justine laughed. “She would rather scowl or roll her eyes at my attempts at jokes.”

“She probably misses Aubrey, too.” Tara missed her best friend like a toddler missed her binky. “Why don’t you stop by the brewery tonight. We can catch up.”

“I’d love to.” The lovely baker’s smile widened. “Can I get anything for you?”

The salted caramel brownie was the first dessert to pop into Tara’s mind, and she blushed furiously. No. She wasn’t going to order that, or else she would be daydreaming about their kiss for as long as the taste of the brownies stayed in her mouth. She needed to plan, not daydream. “I’ll have two… no, three… cherry-almond cookies.”

“I have a fresh batch coming out in five minutes. I’ll bring it over when it’s ready.” Justine winked at her.

“Ooh.” She rubbed her hands together in anticipation. “I’m going to snag that corner booth.”

Just then the part-timer returned with a steaming mug of Americano and Tara carried it with her to the cozy diner-style booth. She planned on hunkering down for a while to iron out her plan, and the booth was much more comfortable. Her eyes slid shut with her first sip of coffee. The warm aromatic brew wrapped her in a comforting hug.

“Tara.” Seth’s voice appeared from somewhere over her head. Was she imagining things now? She slowly turned to find a tall gorgeous man with windswept hair standing by her booth, grinning at her as though she was a surprise birthday present. “This must be my lucky day.”

“What are you doing here?” Her heart squeezed tightly as though the burst of joy at seeing him was too much for her. It was all she could do not to throw her arms around his neck and hug him. It was disconcerting as hell.

“The contractors put in the bar this morning, and I wanted a little break from the wood dust.” Then he pointed to the laptop case he held in one hand. “And I really need to work on the restaurant’s website.”

How was this happening? Her chance to offer him her help just fell onto her lap. Hiding her glee, she asked casually, “How’s that going?”

“It’s going,” he said a bit glumly. “I’ve been more focused on getting the photographs ready.”

Time to make her move. “Did Aubrey mention that I have a degree in graphic design?”

“Do you, now? Well, isn’t that handy.” His eyes lit up. “Are you volunteering to help me on Landon’s website?”

“Actually, Aubrey asked me to help out if I can. I’ve just been so busy.” She was lying through her teeth, but this was about saving face. He mustn’t know how much she wanted to spend time with him.

“I would love it if you could lend a hand,” he said with puppy-dog eyes as if she’d say no.

“Well, you’re in luck. I have some time before I need to go back to the brewery.”

“Oh, thank God.” His shoulders sagged in relief. “I really appreciate your help.”

Muahahahaha.She had him.

But her excitement turned to self-consciousness when he slid into her side of the booth and stopped a hand’s width away from her. She only had to shift her leg a tiny bit for her thigh to press against his. The bakery turned sweltering hot.

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