* * *
Hazel wasgiddy when we drove up to her café. "I can't believe this is really happening!"
When we parked behind Josie's car, I pulled out a sign that said, GREY DOVE BISTRO.
"What is that?" Josie asked, pointing to the hand-painted sign.
"This is Hazel's new temporary sign. I painted it myself."
"It looks like something died on it."
"I thought you were in art class, Archer," Mace commented.
"He spent most of the time drinking and loafing around," Hazel said, unlocking the door.
"Why am I not surprised?" Mace asked.
I grabbed Hazel and kissed her, tipping her over like we were in an old Hollywood film.
She yelped in surprise then kissed me back.
"Welcome to your new old restaurant," I said, picking her up and carrying her over the threshold.
* * *
"So you all just pouredfruit juice and candy into molds?" Hazel asked uncertainly as Peyton laid out the popsicle molds. "I think we need to up the wow factor, don't you?"
I was making popcorn. "Don't mind me. I'm over here slaving away."
"Don't let it burn. Spin it a little faster," Hazel said, holding my hand.
"Aww, Hazel, if you wanted to hold hands, you should have just said." I thought for a moment. "I should have snuck a ring in this thing of popcorn."
"If you propose to me with an expensive ring covered in oil, we're going to have a problem."
"Can you make boozy popsicles for the adults?" Josie asked. Her bare feet were up on Mace's lap, and she was tapping away on her laptop. For once I didn't feel the pangs of longing—I had Hazel right behind me. I bumped her hip.
She jumped up and kissed me on the neck.
"This is so cozy."
"Hurry up with that popcorn!" Josie said to me, snapping her fingers.
"You corrupted her," I said to Mace.
"All right," Hazel said, "let's try something a little more upscale than fruit juice."
She placed various ingredients on the counter.
"Since you're there at the stove already," she told me, "stir these raspberries."
"Aww, Hazel, are these our love berries?" I asked.
"Yes, though let's not ever call them that again, shall we? They are on their very,verylast leg, so they'll be good for popsicles. We're going to make raspberry lemonade popsicles with a hint of mint."
Peyton was tasked with squeezing lemons, while Nate carefully cut up the mint. Hazel mixed up a batch of bright-yellow lemonade and a batch of pink raspberry lemonade.
"Were going to freeze them in batches so we get a nice swirl."
