He opened her car door for her again. “You know,” he said as she got in. “You’re really good with them.”
She glanced up. “Thank you. I guess they’ve grown on me. At first, they were annoying, and I was worried about the chaos. But now that they’re getting the hang of everything, I’m beginning to enjoy them.”
“I enjoy them too,” he said softly. “And you.”
She gave him a shy smile, then hurried to get in the car. He closed her door, sauntered around to the passenger side, and got in.
They didn’t say much on the drive back to the hotel. Lila did her best not to sneak glances at him. That led to turning her head outright and staring at his handsome face. He caught her doing it and her cheeks flamed.
They parked behind the hotel to load the folding tables into the back. When they returned to the festival lot area, more people were setting up their booths.
“This place has livened up,” TJ said as he climbed out. He opened her door and offered a hand. Before she could think, Lila took it and a jolt of something electric raced through her.
He met her gaze with a bright smile, then helped her out of the car. She didn’t know what that was, but she liked it far too much.Okay,she told herself,you just have to survive tomorrow and the next day. That’s it. That’s all you have to do.
She prayed her little chant would make it through her thick skull. Otherwise, this was going to be a very long weekend.
Chapter Twelve
The next day, Lila got up, dressed, fed a wailing Ulysses, and headed for Pleasant Beans. There was equipment to move, coffee to brew, and she had to take stock of whatever pastries and goodies Grandma, Irene, and Mary had come up with. All three were excellent cooks, and she should snag a few recipes from them while she had the chance.
TJ was already waiting at the shop when she arrived, and her heart fluttered.No, you don’t,she told it.Just behave yourself.
She got out of the car and forced a smile. Good grief, her heart was pounding now. “Good morning.”
“Good morning.” He flashed a grin. “Ready for today?”
“I will be once we get everything moved to the booth.” She unlocked the door, and they went inside. Lila focused on gathering what they’d need. By the time Cyrus, Polly, Paddy, and Mary arrived, they were nearly done loading the car.
Lila eyed the little group. “Where are the pies?”
Polly smiled. “Grandma and Irene are bringing them to you.”
Lila frowned. “They aren’t going tocarrythem to Old Town, are they?” She had to remind herself that none of them drove, at least not that she knew of.
“They talked one of the guests staying at the inn into driving them,” Polly said. “She and her husband are the only guests there right now, so there’s been plenty of time to bake.”
The thought there might be a mishap along the way made Lila nervous. She should have been clearer about wanting to bring them herself.
“Hey,” TJ murmured, lowering his voice. “Everything will be fine.”
Lila pressed a hand to her chest and nodded. “Of course it will. I just get nervous when things don’t go as planned. I’ve always been that way.”
“You sound like my mother,” he said, amusement softening his tone.
“Is that good or bad?”
“Hmm… maybe a little of both?”
She smiled despite the upset. “All right. We’ll see Grandma and Irene a little later. They know to have everything there before nine?”
“Yes,” Cyrus said with a wink. “Don’t worry, they’ll deliver the goods.” He disappeared down the hall.
“You should have let them run the booth,” TJ said. “I bet they’d be good for business. They have been so far. Folks love coming in to hear how they almost wrecked the place with espresso and popcorn.”
Lila cracked up. “Oh, please say it isn’t so!”
“My brothers stop in sometimes when the old folks are on shift. They love their stories.”
