He lifts up the bright purple mug that he’d been holding at his side. Chunky white letters read:1) Fill With Coffee 2) Stand Back.I fill the mug with coffee, then hand it back. “Anything else? Muffin, scone, maybe a tart?”
“Nah, I’m good, thanks.” He drops a five on the counter, flashing me a grin.
He hesitates, slowly turning to leave. Then he stops in his tracks so fast his coffee nearly spills. He sets his mug down and dashes behind the counter at a frightening speed.
I follow him to the kitchen, where he’s taking something out of the oven with tongs.Oh no.It’s a completely scorched muffin, smoking something fierce.
He opens the back door, getting the sad, smoldering pile of oat cinders out of the kitchen in seconds. “Open the windows quickly, so the fire alarms don’t go off.” He strides to the end of the back parking lot and deposits the blackened blob near the end of the pavement.
“Thank you so much.”
He follows me inside, turning on the oven and ceiling fans. “You’ll want to run those for just a few minutes so the smoke doesn’t settle.”
“Okay. Thanks.” I head toward the front, hoping the smoke doesn’t follow me.
“Hey.” Crow stops me in the narrow passageway between the kitchen and the front counter. His body feels huge so close to mine. “It’s okay. It can happen to anyone.”
“Thank you.” My hands nervously twist my apron. “I just can’t believe you smelled such a small bit of smoke. Have you had a lot of baking accidents or something?”
Crow chuckles, and my heart nearly stops when he reaches out to flatten the piece of my hair that always kinks into a freaky wave. “I’m a volunteer firefighter. We learn to use our noses as much as our eyes. We just finished our big annual training shindig, actually.”
He fixes a different piece of my hair… Is it just an excuse to touch me? I’m completely flustered from being this close to him.
Man,I hope I’m not blushing. He’ll think that I’m hopeless.
“I’ll see you in around an hour.” Crow grins, then winks rakishly. “I’m going to come back and ask you out tonight. Are you going to say yes?”
It takes me a moment to swallow. To breathe. Blink. Focus. “I probably know how to say yes in two or three languages, for what it’s worth.”
I love the way his entire face lights up when he grins. “Good.” He strides out of the shop, grabbing his mug on the way.
I’m going to have to serve the people who are just pulling up out front. But for ten more seconds, I’m going to downright ogle Crow’s muscular butt as he walks away.
You’re going to love Emma and Crow in
She’s Got That Spark
