Page 21 of Gumdrops and Garland

I glanced over at the woman walking next to me and smiled. She was so damn gorgeous that every time I went to ask her something, my tongue would trip over itself until I sounded like a complete idiot. Like earlier, when she was sitting on the hay wagon holding a sleepy Lucy as the sun shone down on her face. She glowed from the beauty of it, and I wanted to tell her how amazing and special she was, but I couldn’t get it out. I just stuttered about until I finally closed my lips and gazed out over the vast tree grove.

The truth was, Indigo Dickson looked ethereal holding a baby on her lap in the waning November sunlight. When she laughed, it was with her whole being, tossing her head back and filling my heart with sunshine.

Dammit, Lance. Get yourself together. You’re lucky she agreed to a first date. Filling your heart with sunshine comes a lot later in the game, or more likely, in your case, never.

“Lucy sure does love her Auntie Wumdwop,” I said, shoulder bumping her.

She laughed and gave me the palms out. “What can I say? I’m the cool aunt.”

“Now that’s the truth, but we won’t tell Becca or Mel. No sense hurting their feelings.”

“Sure, Uncle Lancie,” she said in the sweetest imitation of Lucy I’d ever heard.

It was my turn to laugh at her antics. “It’s always great to spend time with Lucy. She instinctively knows who needs their bucket filled with love and joy and makes it her mission to have it full by the end of the encounter. My bucket is overflowing after spending the day with you and her. Thanks for letting me tag along.”

“No thanks needed,” she promised, stopping in front of Crystal’s Coffee Bar. “You spent half of the time on the farm with her so I could get business done. I appreciated that. So did Becca and Stephan because they didn’t have to clean up the store after the meeting.”

I held the door open to the coffee shop for her and smiled. “True, she does love the store at Evergreen Acres.”

“Well, if it isn’t Indigo and Lance,” Crystal said from behind the counter.

“Hi, Crystal,” I said, waving and then I noticed her mini-me at the counter coloring in a book. “And look who else is here. It’s Sailor.”

“Hi, Indie! Hi, Lance!” the little girl said, looking up. She was four now and going to preschool. “Did you bring me any pancakes?”

Crystal laughed along with me and Indigo. “I didn’t, sweet pea. I wasn’t working today, but the next time you come into the diner, those pancakes are on me, okay?”

“Okay!” she said happily and went back to her coloring.

“Do Lance and Indie need coffee? I was just about to lock up.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Indie said, frowning. “We can come back another day. I’m sure Sailor wants to go home.”

“Nonsense,” Crystal said, grabbing her pad of paper. “You’re here and I’m here, so tell me what you want.”

“You already know what I want,” Indie said with a chuckle.

“A brown bear honey pot latte,” they said in unison.

Crystal’s eyes crinkled when she laughed. “What size?”

“Gallon?” Indie asked. “We spent the entire morning with Lucy Lund.”

Crystal bit back a snort and held up her hand. “Say no more. I got you, girl. What about Lance?”

I shook my head to get it back into the conversation. I’d been so focused on Indigo and her sweet lips that I’d lost track of the conversation somewhere in the middle of it.

“I’ll have a black coffee with fourteen creamers.”

“Oh, that’s right, Lance Garland is not a coffee fan,” Crystal said.

“What gave it away?” Indie asked. “The fact that he asked for a black coffee or that he then wanted fourteen creamers?”

The women laughed so hard I was afraid I was going to have to thump Indie on the back to get her breathing again. Once they had themselves together, I stuck my hand on my hip. “You guys should do stand-up comedy.”

“We’re kidding, Lance, but I’m not going to make you creamer with a little bit of coffee. How about a S’mores Hot Chocolate?”

“S’mores Hot Chocolate?” I asked, a brow raised. “I’ll say yes if there are marshmallows involved.”

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