Lila could only blush as the woman winked and strolled off toward the jewelry booth.
As the day wore on and twilight deepened, the festival crowd thinned. Strings of lights swayed overhead in the gentle breeze, and the smell of roasting nuts drifted past. Lila wiped the counter in slow circles, pretending to focus while every nerve in her body tracked TJ’s nearness.
He hummed along to the band’s soft tune, then caught her eye with a grin. “I love this sort of music, don’t you?”
She smiled. “Yes, it’s nice.”
He turned a full circle, surprising her, and closed the distance between them. “Come on, you’ve been working all day!” He took her by the hand. “We should dance!”
“What?” she squeaked. “Here?” Her laugh came out breathless as she pulled her hand from his.
He shrugged. “Why not? Everyone’s packing up. No one’s watching.”
“That’s what you think,” she shot back.
He stepped closer, his gaze warm. “Then let them.”
Her jaw dropped. “You’re serious?”
“Of course I am.”
“So, is this what you do in Cornwall?”
He nodded. “Yeah, pretty much. Sometimes with the neighbor, the one who takes care of my fish.”
Lila laughed, and against all common sense, let him take her hand again. His palm was warm and steady, and when he drew her near, the world seemed to hush. The laughter, the music, even the rustle of leaves blowing past the booth.
They swayed in a slow rhythm. She tried not to laugh; this was ridiculous… but her heart tripped anyway. Maybe living in Europe had changed him. This couldn’t be happening. Not to her, not with him. Besides, he was leaving.
He pulled back and looked at her like there was nowhere else he’d rather be. Lila’s breath caught as TJ leaned in, and for one dizzying moment she thought he might actually…
“Hey there, you two! Making coffee or memories?” Titus Cooke’s voice boomed from his golf cart as it rattled past.
They jumped apart. TJ bit back a laugh while Lila covered her face. “I am never forgiving him for that.” Then again, it was a blessing in disguise. She didn’t dare let TJ kiss her.
He chuckled softly. “I thought it was a good memory in the making.”
Her pulse refused to settle. “We need to finish cleaning up.”
He smiled, eyes dancing. “Very well, Miss Comfort.”
After another minute, the music stopped. Lila stacked empty cups while TJ packed away the syrup bottles. They moved easily together now, and wordless, thank heaven. Yet beneath the silence, the rhythm built over hours of teamwork, and that almost-moment still hummed between them. It left her both satisfied and nervous.
“Hey, we didn’t do too bad for two amateurs,” TJ said, brushing coffee grinds from his sleeve.
Lila smiled. “Yes, but we still have to get through tomorrow, remember?” She brushed at her jeans just to keep her handsbusy. Every time she faced him, she thought about their almost-kiss. Or was it all in her head? Probably the latter.
His eyes met hers, and he smiled. “I had fun, lots of it. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable earlier. I guess I get carried away. In the little village where I live, everybody knows everybody else, and we’re all too comfortable with… I don’t know… just having fun. You’d be surprised how fun the British can be.”
Lila had to smile, then looked away, busying herself with the cashbox. “One day I’ll visit there.”
“Yeah, that would be nice,” he said softly. “I have to say, though, I’m glad I came home.”
The quiet that followed wasn’t awkward, it was companionable. Somewhere nearby, Grandma laughed, followed by Titus Cooke’s booming voice. Lila had no idea what they were talking about until Irene barked something back at him, sharp enough to make TJ grin. They’d brought more pies, having talked the others into covering the last few hours of their shift. They’d been hanging around the festival ever since.
He closed a box and added it to the stack at the back of the booth. “You ready to leave?”
“Yeah, I guess.”
