I grinned at her. The farmers’ market was a Saturday ritual and she saw me every week, so I was sure she’d become accustomed to my face. Madam Winters was a beautiful older lady, with a kind of class I didn’t think many people had anymore. She reminded me of someone out of the 1920s with her curled blonde hair pinned high to her head and a satin dress that clung to her body in all the right ways. In the winter she routinely wore a fur coat and matching high heels, and everything about her shouted Southern.
“Ma’am,” I returned with a smile.
“Ah, such a gentleman.” She giggled, and her son rolled his eyes. “One batch, sugar?”
“Make it two this time, please and thanks. I told my friend here that he justhadto try your home-baked bear claws.” I waved to Logan and he grinned in response.
“Well then, let me give you a bag for free. Darcy, give me three.”
“Mother….”
“Darcy.” She raised her eyebrows at him, and he heaved a massive sigh, grabbing three bags. I pulled out my wallet and handed her a ten-dollar bill. “You go enjoy these. Tell that gorgeous husband of yours I said hello.”
“Sure will. Thanks.” I gave her a grateful smile and moved out of the line that was starting to build up behind us. Logan followed me as I headed toward the lake and stopped just before we reached the beauty of the ice-covered water’s edge. The sand squished beneath my sneakers, but I didn’t care as I took a seat on a bench. Far out, the waves rolled.
Logan didn’t even hesitate to take a seat beside me as I opened one of the paper bags and handed him a bear claw. “Let me know what you think.”
He took a big bite, and I saw the moment when the taste resonated with him. His face transformed, pure bliss sliding across his stoic expression. His eyelashes fluttered and a moan slipped from his mouth, immediately giving me dirty thoughts about what else would lead him to make noises like that.
“Oh my God,” he groaned out, taking another bite so big that it took at least a minute before he could speak again. “This is orgasmic.”
I cackled and took a bite of mine. The sugary taste invaded my mouth, and I had no regrets, even if it meant I had to run that extra mile to get rid of the fat this was putting on me. “The best, right?”
“Hell yeah,” he said between another bite.
My phone chose that moment to go off, the jovial sound filling the quietness around us as it buzzed in my pocket. I reached into my jeans and pulled it out, hitting the green Answer Call icon. “Sweetheart! Are you coming to the market?”
“Shit! Fuck!” The sound of something crashing through the phone line had me sitting up straight.
“Dec, are you okay?” Concern curled in the pit of my gut and the hairs on my arms stood up in fear.
“Ope. Sorry. Fell over while trying to put on pants. Listen. I just got home to grab a few things for a picnic, and we got a call from your dad. Elsie had her baby.”
“The baby?” I yelled louder than I’d meant to, and a lady who was walking near the lake with her child stopped to look at us. I smiled in apology. “She had it?”
“Him. It’s a boy.” Dec cursed some more, and I heard the jingling of keys. “We can’t visit yet, but your dad wants us to go to his house.”
“Now?” I asked in surprise. Dad had been working a lot lately, and we’d barely spent any time with him. He was a doctor, and since Mom’s death from cancer, he spent the majority of his time at the hospital to keep his mind off how much he missed her. “But we’re at the farmers’ market eating bear claws.”
“He wants to celebrate,” Dec said. I didn’t miss the apology in his voice. He’d been looking forward to spending time with me and Logan as much as I had. “I told him we had a friend staying with us, and he said to bring him. You know your dad. He probably invited the whole neighborhood around for a big lunch. I bet my ass that your nonna is there, and my mom, too.”
“Fuck.” I ran a hand over my face and nodded. “Maybe we should tell him no?” Glancing at Logan and his curious gaze, I continued. “I don’t think Logan is ready for our family yet.”
Dec laughed. “Do you want me to tell him no?”
“I’ll call him. I want to spend time with you, and Logan, too. We said we’d show him around the city, and I want to do that thing I love to do, since it’s snowing today.” I wiggled around in excitement and could barely contain myself as I glanced up at the heavy gray clouds overhead rolling in from the lake.
“I don’t mind,” Logan intervened, but I shook my head and held up a finger to shush him.
“You know what, I’ll message Dad. If I call, I’ll never get off the phone. Come get your bear claws and bring the gear we’ll need. Raid my closet for things for Logan. We’ll meet you at the hill.”
“Sure thing. Love you. Happy early anniversary.”
“Love you, too. Same!” I ended the call and immediately texted my dad. He’d be disappointed, but he’d have so many people at his house he wouldn’t have time to miss me. I knew I was right and that our family would be way too much for Logan to handle, and I didn’t know how long he was hanging around. I rose and dusted some snow off my ass before I picked up my bags. Logan followed me. “Come on. I have something really fun in mind. It’s not here, though. We’ll have lunch there.”
Logan hesitated, then smiled. “Sounds good.”
10
