Page 38 of The Gingerbread Cafe
‘OK,’ Gretel agreed to Amber’s quickly disappearing rear view, her heart feeling heavy. She hoped her friend was all right; plus she was reaching the stage where she didn’t want to keep secrets from Lukas. She’d get to the bottom of this at some point. But for now, she’d keep her word.
‘Something I said?’ Lukas stepped up behind Gretel, his warm breath tickling her ear and sending a ripple of delight down the side of her neck and across her shoulder. As though he knew the effect he was having, he placed a steadying hand on her arm. Gretel sighed. It was probably just as well. Who knew where that errant ripple would have ended up without some gentle guidance?
Gretel felt her eyes close momentarily as the warmth of Lukas so close against her back made her insides jiggle. Since their intimate evening of stained-glass crafting together and the way he’d opened up to her, she was melting. ‘Nothing yousaid,’ Gretel replied with a gulp, suddenly realising that in that moment, just about anything he said would make her liquify like solder. The depth of his voice, those tiny vibrations across her skin, his closeness.
Then, as though sensing the air between them was getting far too heated in front of all these strangers, he backed away. The space behind her felt cold.
‘I don’t think you’ve even met her to offend her,’ said Gretel with feigned breeziness, trying to regain some sort of composure as she turned to him.
‘She seemed familiar,’ he said absently. ‘That striking red hair …’
Gretel felt a burst of jealousy shoot through her, and then instantly disliked herself for it. Amber was surely too young for Lukas and he hadn’t meant it in that way. Gretel knew what was really setting off this odd envious streak was Miss Whimple’s suggestion that Lukas wasgame.
‘Your friend Francesca Whimple was just here.’ She blinked at him, hoping she didn’t seem like a needy, green-eyed weirdo. He could befriendswith whoever he wanted, but something inside her was nagging to know more. ‘God knows why she was driving her silly flash car down a pedestrianised street, but she enjoyed mocking our efforts at trying to breathe some life into the place.’
‘She probably wondered what you were up to.’ Lukas shrugged. ‘I’m wondering the same. Whatareyou all up to?’ He held her gaze for a moment before turning around to take in the various crafting huddles. Lukas had helped Gretel come up with the idea of redecorating the central Christmas tree the other night in the café, when he’d helped her take down the decorations. But the ideas to decorate the whole street with bunting, painted A-boards and more welcoming shopfronts hadonly taken shape today. Gretel explained their new plans to Lukas.
‘And then I blurted out to Francesca Whimple that we were bringing back the Mistleton February Fair.’ Gretel laughed into her hand. ‘I have no idea where that came from, but the idea’s growing on me.’
‘The February Fair?’ Lukas mussed his light beard. ‘We haven’t had one for years, but it’s a brilliant plan. I remember those warming winter-spiced soups and hot rolls, although you’re probably picturing toasted marshmallows and extra thick hot chocolate.’
Well, now she was. She smiled, before remembering something was still bugging her.
‘Though Miss Whimple basically said whatever efforts we made, she’d still get her hands on The Gingerbread Café, because you and her goway back. And that you’regame.’
Against all logic, she just wanted him to hold her and take her strong feelings away, even if he wasn’t hers to be jealous about and even if her new friends would be right there gawping and giggling.
As her eyes began to seek out the floor in embarrassment, Lukas put a gentle hand under her chin and lifted her gaze back up to meet his. ‘Is that a flash of envy I see in those striking green eyes of yours?’
He leaned his face down, his sweet spiciness tickling her nose, his lips teasingly close.
‘I hope so, Gretel, because quite strangely, I like it.’
She’d always wondered what love stories meant when they talked about quivering lips, but now she knew. Hers were trembling mid-air as though they’d forgotten how to speak and just wanted to yelpkiss me.
‘Well now, is this that hot chef of yours?’ The unmistakable sound of Zekia’s voice approaching broke the moment.
Lukas jumped backwards and raked a hand through his hair, looking a little awkward. He turned to face Zekia and the others, who were now quickly gathering like bees to the honey, and was soon introducing himself with a confidence that made Gretel wish they could get back to that chat about herstriking green eyesvery soon.
Chapter 32
‘Mmm hmm, Mr Hot Chef. You can join us more often.’ Zekia licked her lips as she sampled one of Lukas’s gingerbread muffins, the sweet apple sauce centre oozing out gloriously. ‘Just the right amount of spice for me.’ She gave him a friendly poke in the chest, just as her husband Kingsley came by serving up his spiced coconut rum in small yellow glasses.
‘Woman, keep your hands to yourself!’ Kingsley laughed, his bright eyes shining and his white beard shaking with his chin. ‘Give the other ladies a chance.’ He winked at Gretel, who’d been trying her best all day not to look toointoLukas. Clearly she was failing.
Lukas followed the trajectory of Kingsley’s wink and Gretel felt her cheeks flush. She busied herself with her dinky glass, pretending it was just the heat from her rum.
‘You’ve got a fine lady there, Kingsley.’ Lukas patted the older man on the back. ‘They’re not easy to come by.’
Lukas continued his rounds dishing up lunchtime muffins to the crafters around the tree, taking time to talk to them and find out what they were doing, and sharing his own creative suggestions as he went. Gretel pretended to busy herself rearranging the new decorations on the tree, but really she was marvelling at this interesting new side to him. She rarely saw him with people, although she knew he led a team in the kitchenat La Carotte Rôtie. Her early impressions had been that he was stern, obsessive and moody, so she’d imagined him to be the same in a group. But either she’d got him all wrong or hewasbeginning to mellow. Perhaps it was a bit of both. Being around so many lovely people was certainly warming her own reluctant heart.
And yet … She shook her head. She didn’t want to feel guilty about enjoying people’s company, but she kept getting the suffocating panic that the more she opened up to new people and things, the less often she thought back to old ones. Was she slowly losing those vivid memories of her family and Nell? They used to be right there with her every day, in the fabric of festive woollens and the glint of a fairy’s wing. But now …
‘Penny for them.’ Eve arrived at Gretel’s side with a couple more pots of daffodils to place around the tree.
‘I can already tell exactly what’s on her mind. Or who.’ Phoebe arrived at Gretel’s other side, armed with a watering can and a packet of rose quartz chips. If only it was that simple.
Phoebe had been sprinkling the tiny crystals around Eve’s flowers to give them loving energy. Her bracelets jangled as she popped a few into Gretel’s pocket, where once upon a time she may have kept a gently wrapped glass fairy. Well, at least it was somewhere safe.
