Page 52 of Sweets and Sycamores
“Is Tom the owner of the pharmacy?” she asked, struggling to grab the seatbelt, which was positioned farther back in this type of van.
“Yes.” Dominic leaned over to help her with the seatbelt after her next failed attempt.
Allie gasped and froze with her hand over her shoulder. He came so close he could count her freckles, could see the amber sparks in her eyes, the unruly red hairs over her forehead. Her shallow breaths tickled his skin, her chest heaving up and down rapidly, rubbing the inside of his arm.
Dominic made quick work of the belt, the closeness making knots in his stomach, then cleared his throat as he started the engine.
“And Andrew is the owner of Rogelio’s.”
“Not Rogelio?” she asked, a little out of breath.
“Rogelio was Andrew’s husband. He passed away a couple of years ago.”
“Oh.” Her expression saddened, and Dom didn’t like it one bit. He racked his brain in search of a change of subject, but the damn thing failed him. “I lost my mom four years ago,” Allie confessed in a low voice.
“I’m sorry, Allie.” He wanted to offer her more comfort than these words, but could he just touch her? Should he? He refrained from squeezing her bare knee and kept his eyes on the road.
So she had been entirely alone, struggling with her power. Although there must have been someone close enough to her to put that seal on. Maybe another Witch from the coven?
“Thank you.” She smiled softly, then asked him questions about the people coming to the wedding, Brandon’s farm, and the brides’ families. Dominic didn’t know if she had changed the subject for his or her benefit, but he was thankful not to see that sad look on her pretty face anymore.
When they arrived at the farm, Allie shifted in her seat to unclasp the belt. Her skirt rode up her thighs, and his eyes fell on a spot way higher than it was his business seeing.
Was that… Could it be…
Dominic frowned at the dark smudge, but Allie followed his gaze and pulled urgently at the skirt. He heard her mutter something about the freaking dress as she got out of the van, only to be welcomed by another gust of wind. He slammed an air shield around her just in time before she could offer the best view of the day to the guests that had already gathered.
A long fucking day.
Dominic abandoned all bakery duties and went to find Tom and Andrew to get the wind shield in place. Everyone else seemed content with the chill wind, even if Allie had spotted skirts shorter than hers. But without Dom’s shield, she would be freezing. With enough time, she might get accustomed to the cold weather, but there was little time left in Sycamore Falls for her.
This morning, she had decided to tell Dominic that she could leave the bakery earlier than Hallows Eve. But then he gifted her the corsage and made her heart flutter and knees weaken.
No, Allie.
The gift felt like it was directed by Mia, together with coordinating Dominic’s tie and her dress. Her boss had almost admitted to the tie. She sighed and stared at the corsage, the beautiful white rose sitting on a sycamore leaf, with small bits of pine leaves stuck under the flower, tied together with a white lace bow. The pearl bracelet was elegant and very comfortable to wear.
“Hey, you!” Mia put her arm around Allie’s shoulders. “You look great.” She looked her up and down, so Allie did the same. Mia had put her caramel hair in a high ponytail and more daring makeup than Allie’s pale lipstick.
“You too, Mia. Do you know what else is great? Dom’s tie,” Allie challenged, waving the corsage in front of her in case the jab was not obvious enough.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Mia said, then acted as if someone called her and bailed, although no other guests were around.
Allie stood by the van, waiting for Dominic to be done with shield duty so they could set up the sweets bar. Ekko hovered impatiently next to Allie until she gave him the go-ahead to roam around the place, but only after she fixed his bow tie. Brandon’s farm was huge, and her boss had told her it was vaster than the field set up for the wedding, stretching over the hills to the base of the mountains. On the other side of a fence, she saw a private driveway leading to a white house with a green roof that looked homey and welcoming.
On this side of the fence, where the wedding was taking place, white satin-covered chairs had been placed on each side of a red carpet leading to a flower arch. To the left was a huge tent for the reception, where they would install the sweets bar.
Dominic and Brandon, together with the other two air Wizards, headed to her and stopped at the back of the van. Tom and Andrew didn’t smile at her but didn’t sneer either, so she called that a win. Allie was in for a lot of sneers for the rest of the day.
“Allie, hi!” Brandon greeted her with his usual charming grin, wearing a white button-up shirt with dress pants, and his dark hair less unruly than usual. His heavy arm came around her shoulders in a side hug, and he surprised her by pressing a kiss on her cheek.
“Hi, Brandon.” The chuckle stuck in her throat at the sight of her boss, who glared at them with an intensity that made her hot around the neck. Dominic’s jaw ticked, and he punched the van’s door open.
“It sticks,” he growled in explanation. “Can you go get the table ready? It’s the long one on the right side of the tent,” Dom asked her.
Allie nodded and left. Tom might have said something about looks that could murder, but Allie heard nothing past Brandon’s howl of laughter.
She made quick work of the table, setting the cream white covers over it just in time before the four men came in carrying boxes and trays. They made two trips, and Allie had already started to arrange the display for the macarons, candy, and cupcakes before they returned with the second load. Dominic would take care of the chocolate fountain, and the cake would stay in the refrigerated van until it was time to cut it.
