Page 40 of Merry Little Sugar Rush
“Yes.”
I take a quick second to assemble the box before adding, “Well, I’ll send you with two so you can enjoy them together.”
“Thanks,” he says, propping a hip against the counter and watching me. “I’ll probably add a few cookies too.”
“Of course.”
“Gram said not to buy him those processed Christmas tree cakes he loves so much, but why would I do that when he can have a delicious homemade treat instead?”
I stick out my tongue. “Those things taste like wax. I used to love them when I was little, but now that I’m older and make my own treats, I can’t even stomach eating them.”
“I think you’ve ruined me too, Easy-Bake,” he states, taking the small box that holds two cupcakes perfectly.
“That just means when you need a sweet fix, you have to come here to get it,” I tease, realizing immediately my mistake. Burk’s only here for a few more weeks, and then he’ll be back home in South Carolina. Him dropping by the bakery will end, and I don’t like the way my stomach—and my heart—feel at that thought.
He just grins back at me and doesn’t dwell on the fact his time here has an expiration date. “So,” he starts, rocking back on his heels, “I’m nervous.”
“Why?”
“Because I haven’t seen him in fifteen years.”
“But he’s so excited you’re coming to visit. Your gram told my dad that. He wants to mend your relationship.”
He nods. “I know. She basically told me the same thing last night at dinner, but, I guess, what if we don’t reallyhave anything in common? What if it’s just awkward and uncomfortable?”
“Well, then you leave,” I tell him bluntly. “But honestly, I don’t think it’s going to be. You’re a lot more like your grandpa than you think. You’re both hard workers and love to do things with your hands. Once that initial tension is broken, I truly believe you’re going to fall into easy conversation, and it won’t feel like the last fifteen years have passed at all.”
He gives a grateful look, as if I said exactly what he needed to hear. I know he’s anxious to see his grandpa, and I don’t blame him. It’s been a lot of years. But I believe wholeheartedly that everything will be just fine.
“Oh, I talked to my uncle about leaving early Saturday. I’m off at four, so I’ll run up to the house and shower and change. I should be to your place around five.”
“Okay, great. Do you have skates?”
He groans and shakes his head. “I knew you were going to ask that, and no. I’ll have to rent them.”
“But youwillskate with me, right?”
“I will. I haven’t done it since I lived here, and something tells me it’s not quite like riding a bike. Especially since I wasn’t that good at it the first time around.”
I just beam up at him with excitement. “I can’t wait. Eve skates with me but complains the whole time. She’d much rather ride all the spinny carnival rides than go ice skating.”
“Well, no worries, Easy-Bake. We have a date. Maybe if I slip and fall every four minutes you’ll take mercy on me and give me a good rubdown,” he replies jovially, but then sobers.
I can tell the moment his words infiltrate his brain, and he catches his innuendo. Of course, my own brain has zeroed in on his words, and I can’t help but think about giving him a goodrubdownafter skating. In my mind, we’re both naked—or well on our way to being—when it happens.
“Anyway,” he mutters, a faint blush on his cheeks. “I should get on the road.”
“Let me know how it goes,” I start before adding, “if you want.”
He flashes a quick grin. “I want. I’ll chat with you later,” he says, picking up the two cupcakes and adding, “Thanks for these.”
“You’re welcome.”
“I’m gonna stop up front and grab a few cookies to go with them. That’ll be sure to give him a sugar rush before I leave.”
“Mmmm, I love a good sugar rush,” I tell him.
He chuckles. “I bet you do.” Then, he leans in and brushes his lips across mine. “If that’s the kind of sugar you’re offering, I do enjoy a good sugar rush myself.”
