Page 17 of One Small Spark
Her eyes lock on my movements, pink washing over her cheeks. Yeah. I thought so.
My satisfaction must betray me because she snaps out of her tattooed forearm-fog. Her gaze returns to mine, flustered but stormier than ever.
“What do you want, Callahan?”
“A cranberry silk pie, please.”
Her glare stays fixed on me, but her blushdeepens. I’ve been ordering pies that onlyshemakes for weeks on end. Surely, she’s figured out my pattern by now.
While Wren boxes up a pie, Jamie leans his palms against the countertop and addresses me. “It’s cool that you’re not ashamed to read romances.”
My attention shifts to him. I don’t care what he thinks about me, but for his sake, I hope Wren’s new employee isn’t judgmental. She’ll put a stop to that real fast.
“Why would I be?”
His expression crumples a touch. “I didn’t mean that you should be ashamed, just that some guys are. I read them, too. Uh, mostly M/M, but I’m accepting enough to read M/F sometimes.”
I laugh at that. “It’s always good to be open-minded.”
“What was the last one you read about?”
I glance at Wren, but she’s still focused on my pie. Might as well shake the hornet’s nest a little.
“It’s about a man who’s secretly obsessed with the woman next door, but she keeps resisting him.”
Wren’s head snaps up. “You already finished next month’s book?”
I hold her gaze. “No.”
We play eye contact-chicken over the front counter for a minute. Confusion swirls behind her eyes and I swear she’s going to ask me something, but her expression hardens again.
“Sounds like a stalker.” She slides the boxed pie to the front of the counter and gives me the total.
I tap my card and take the pie. “She’s secretly obsessed with him, too.”
Her blue eyes zero in on mine, her mouth set into a pert frown.
Not smart. I just whacked the hornet’s nest out of the tree, picked it up with both hands, and made a kissy face at it.
“That’s the thing about romance books,” she says, acid lacing her tone. “They’re full of stuff that would never happen in real life.”
“I know what you mean. What was that crazy scene in the last one? The couple got caught in the rain and took shelter in a castle’s ruins where they stayed warm by?—”
“Callahan!”
Her pink cheeks do something dangerous to me. Worse, they makemewant to do something dangerous.
“Not in front of the youth.” She gestures at Jamie, who’s watching us open-mouthed.
I forgot he was here.
“I’m twenty-three,” he says.
Wren goes on staring at me like sheneedsme to keep my mouth shut. I’m just not sure which one of us will regret it the most if I don’t.
“They lit a fire,” I finish.
“Is that…not something people do in real life?” Jamie asks.
