Page 78 of One Small Spark
“Are you sure you’ll be that hungry?” I aimed for skeptical but hit ‘bated breath’ instead.
“I’m always hungry, Krause.”
Just like that, I am a fireball soaring into the sky. He’s always been able to set me off, but now he’s achieving much more enjoyable results.
Before I can come back down to earth and offer up a sassy response, his sister walks through the door with Leo Dalesandro right behind her.
“Oh, hey.” Charlie doesn’t sound thrilled to see Shepherd here, but Leo slaps him on the shoulder in bro-greeting on his other side.
“Getting a sweet treat to help you through your day?” Leo asks him.
Shepherd’s gaze locks on mine. “It’s the only thing that keeps me going.”
Unfair of him to do that when I’m still smoldering.
“What are you two doing here?” he asks.
“Icame to place a special order.” Charlie jabs her thumb Leo’s way. “Heinsisted on tagging along.”
“Hey, we’re a team. It’s important for us to work together.” He winks at her as if they’re the only two people in the room.
Meanwhile, she fixes her attention on me as if heisn’tin the room. “You know all about our new wedding venue. We’rehaving a grand opening celebration in a few weeks. It’s a mix of showing off the space and a fundraiser for the children’s hospital.”
“That’s sweet to add that part.” I don’t follow Leo’s career closely, but I know he’s always doing fundraisers for kids. He’s got the right persona for it—loud and full of enthusiasm.
“We got the idea to have a dessert bar?—”
“My idea,” Leo says. “FYI. I’m the ideas man.”
Charlie takes a deep breath. “Leo got the idea to have a dessert bar?—”
“Thank you.” He gives a little bow.
Charlie looks like it’s taking all her patience not to dropkick the man. Considering he’s as tall as Shepherd and almost twice as wide, it’d be a Herculean feat. But the way steam’s practically rising off of her, I’d say she’s up to the task.
“So we need to order pies,” she continues. “The event’s the first weekend after Thanksgiving, and I know you guys get busy around the holidays so I wanted to get our order in early.”
“Friday or Saturday?” Shepherd asks.
“Friday.” Leo slings an arm around his shoulders. “Want to be my date? I’ve tried to find somebody to go with me, but I keep getting shot down.”
I’ve always marveled at just how different Charlie and Shepherd are in looks and personality. She’s petite, with red hair and a spirited attitude. He’s tall, dark, and broody. But right now, they’re wearing the exact same smirk.
“It’s hard to imagine somebody turning you down,” I say. Leo would probably have a line of women out the door if we just gave it a few minutes. There was brief talk about him starring in a reality dating show after retirement, and his fangirls lost their minds.
“Maybe you could be his date,” Charlie says.
“No,” both Shepherd and Leo answer simultaneously.
I don’t even care that the handsome, famous, and flirty Leo Dalesandro just rejected me so blatantly. Shepherd’s deep “no” turns my body up to a simmer.
“Then I guess you’re out of luck,” Charlie says. “Can we focus on the pies, please?”
Leo whacks Shepherd on the chest, one arm still around him. “Charlie told me the wedding venue was your idea. I didn’t know you had marriage on the brain.”
Shepherd watches me as if he’s completely unaffected by his friend’s teasing.
“It was her idea to turn the barn into a wedding space,” he says. “I just encouraged her to make it happen.”
