“That’s a fabulous idea. Can I look at the catalog after I’ve been to the café with Peter?”
“Sounds great.” Daniella smiled at Peter. “If you want to impress Katie, buy her a hot chocolate with cinnamon sprinkles. It’s her favorite drink.”
Katie grinned. “And if you include a Christmas cookie, I’ll be your friend for life.”
The knot in his chest unwound. If all it took were a few cookies, he’d buy her a lifetime’s supply. “You can order as many as you like.”
She stepped toward him, then stopped. With a barely audible groan, she motioned toward a doorway surrounded by giant flowers. “If you’re ready to go into the café, it’s this way.”
He looked into Katie’s troubled eyes and sighed. He’d never been more ready for anything.
* * *
Katie steppedinto the café and tried not to focus on her almost touching moment with Peter. Before she left the inn, she’d decided to keep her hands in her pockets. That way, she wouldn’t touch him and make him feel uncomfortable. But, she was so focused on what she’d decided to do, she hadn’t seen him when she walked into The Fairy Forest.
One moment’s inattention and she was nearly back to where she’d been yesterday. Luckily, this was her favorite place in town. She couldn’t worry about much when she was sipping a delicious mug of hot chocolate and listening to Christmas carols.
Taking a deep breath, she let the magic of The Fairy Forest Café wash over her. Daniella had poured her heart and soul into creating a whimsical, magical environment for people to enjoy, and she’d succeeded. Sunlight poured through the double-height windows and most of the tables were crowded with adults and children. Even when she was feeling a little down, the bright rainbow of flowers painted on the walls lifted her spirits.
Peter seemed surprised when he saw the green, leaf-shaped tables and the buttercup light fittings. “Apart from when I visited Disneyland, I’ve never seen anything like this.”
“It’s amazing, isn’t it? Daniella has a friend who builds props for movie sets. Most of the furniture and decorations came from him, but some of the furniture was made locally. We bring all our guests here.”
“I bet they enjoy it.”
“They do. If they have children, it can be the highlight of their visit, especially if they go to one of the fairy events.” She smiled at the waitress who took them across to a table. Dressed in a purple fairy costume, her wings fluttered with each step she took.
Peter leaned toward Katie and whispered, “I feel slightly under-dressed.”
“Don’t worry. You aren’t the only one who isn’t dressed as a fairy or a goblin. There are at least ten Muggles in the room, if you don’t count the pirates.”
“It’s just as well I’ve read the Harry Potter books. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have known you were talking about our non-magical abilities.”
A bubble of pleasure skipped along her spine. “Do you realize how perfect you are? Not only are you kind, intelligent, and handsome, but you read children’s books.” When she saw Peter’s surprised expression, she groaned. “I’ve done it again, haven’t I?”
Instead of being embarrassed, he laughed. “You can tell me those things as often as you like. But, if my ego gets too big, I’ll tell everyone it’s your fault.”
Before she could reply, the waitress stopped at a table. Katie quickly sat down. So much for being careful about what she did and said around Peter. If her sisters could see her, they’d be laughing at her by now.
After they’d placed their order, Katie cleared her throat. “As well as apologizing for what I said, I’m sorry for hugging you yesterday.”
Peter’s eyebrows rose. “You don’t need to apologize.”
“Yes, I do. Sometimes I get overexcited and do things I shouldn’t.”
“And hugging is one of those things?”
Sadly, Katie nodded. “A lot of people don’t like being touched by someone they don’t know. I try really hard to keep a few feet away from people, but it isn’t easy.”
“You don’t need to worry about me. I’m okay with being hugged.”
Katie breathed a sigh of relief. “I was worried I’d spoiled our friendship.”
“It would take a lot more than a hug to make me think any less of you. Besides, you aren’t the only person in Sapphire Bay who likes hugging people. I was walking along Main Street last week and a woman was giving people hugs as a fundraiser for a Christmas program.”
“That sounds like the perfect job for me.”
Peter laughed. “It could be, if you didn’t want to be a writer. Which brings me to one of the reasons we’re here.” He opened the laptop he’d brought with him and turned it around. “I read the information you sent through about self-publishing. It sounded reasonably straightforward, so I downloaded some formatting software and tried it. This is how a report I wrote came out as an e-book.”
