Amber laughed. “I thought so. You make a good team. The man can’t keep his eyes off you.”
“I feel the same.”
Amber leaned in. “It’s wonderful to see you’re both enchanted. Gray tells me Seth is an honorable man who’s been through a lot. I don’t know the details, but it’s obvious you and the farm are good for him.”
A soft chime alerted them to the door opening. It was a short version of “Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree” by the Andrews sisters from almost a century before. The song was light and sweet, and it fit the inn perfectly.
Amber grabbed her hand. “Thanks for the song suggestion. It’s going to make me smile every time I hear it.”
Amber controlled the chime from an app on her phone. She’d had a dull ding-dong sound. Mara liked this better.
Feeling extraneous, Mara walked over to the displays as Gray walked into the lobby with a couple in their forties.
Mara listened with half an ear as Amber morphed into her innkeeper mode. She offered drinks from the espresso machine and told the guests to select from the basket of goodies.
The couple, Paul and Lynn Carrington from Albany, exclaimed over the apple lattes and the fritters.
Mara couldn’t contain her grin. Her treats were a success. After hearing the couple was staying in Apple Blossom, Mara ducked into the kitchen. She added two extra fritters to the basket and rushed up the stairs to place them on the dresser in their room.
Feeling a little like a Christmas elf, she scurried down the back stairs as she heard Gray leading the couple up the front.
Mara bounced into the kitchen to find Seth had returned and was stirring what smelled like the soup of the gods on the stove.
His eyebrows shot up as he took in her mood. She didn’t bother to rein in her excitement as she danced his way and reached up to brush her lips over his.
His eyes flared with desire, and she had to kiss him again. “The first guests are here. They loved the fritters and the lattes. They’re sweet, and such a good indicator of the people who are going to love the No Phailed Apples Inn.”
His chuckle warmed her right through to her bones, and then he framed her face and kissed her until her knees wobbled.
“You’re very good at that.”
He barked out a laugh at her breathy words. “Right back atcha.”
So they did it again.
Her phone beeped with an alert from Gray. The Balfours were in the lobby. She grabbed another basket and another kiss. “I’m off to deliver this to Apple Pie.”
Amusement and desire shone from his eyes as she scurried out of the room, and up the back stairs with the treats.
The other guests arrived in a flurry, and Mara hugged Amber when she returned from putting the final basket in Appley Ever After. “They’re all so happy, Amber. You did it. You’ve got guests. Happy guests.”
Amber squeezed her back. “Thanks to you and Seth, they’re going to remain happy. I can’t believe it’s real.”
Gray descended the stairs and took Amber’s hand, spinning her into a dance in the lobby. Her friend’s face flushed, but her smile lit up the space.
Gray leaned down to whisper in her ear, and Amber’s smile widened further.
Mara sensed Seth walking into the room from the kitchen entry. His voice held amusement and affection. “Put up your sign that you’re in the kitchen, Amber. I’ve got soup and quiche for us for lunch. Time to put up your feet for a few minutes.”
“But what if?—”
Gray solved the matter by kissing her until she dropped her protest. He leaned over and took one of the signs they’d prepared and set it on the desk.
The signs matched the plaques on the rooms showcasing the room name. These signs let guests know where to find Amber and which number to call with questions or requests.
As they sat down in the kitchen, Ford and Jolie entered from the back door. Jolie grinned. “Well, are they all here? Do they love the place? If not, we can kick them out for you.”
Amber laughed. “They’re all here, and they’re friendly and appreciative. The lattes and treat baskets are a huge hit.”
