Lock it up. Bury it where it couldn’t hurt either of them.
Keeping her at a distance was safer.
For Lucy.
For him.
For her.
So why did it feel like he’d just blown his one shot at something real?
At something that might have been worth the risk?
Chapter 10
@TeaThymeNC:Attention, tea lovers: Did you know that excessive exposure to inferior beverages can dull the senses? Protect yourself. Choose wisely. #KnowYourWorth #BaristasAgainstBeanWater #TeaIsLife
Comments:
@TGDpub:Funny, I was just about to warn people about beverages that taste like hot perfume. Stay safe out there.
@WisteriaGeneralStore:Okay, I definitely see a T-shirt in the future. Maybe even #TeamTea and #TeamCoffee #OnIt #TeamBrew
@PastorNateNHC:I fear a church divided cannot stand... but if there’s a bake sale involved, I’m willing to mediate. #BlessedAndCaffeinated
@MapleRidgeFarm:As long as no one slanders hot cocoa, I’ll allow this debate to continue. #Switzerland
@MaggiesFlowerCottage:Just here for the inevitable showdown. Also, I volunteer as tribute to taste test both sides. #Peacemaker #PastriesGoWithEverything #SoDoesCaffeine
@TeaThymeNC:@PastorNateNHC I’m happy to provide a proper brew for the mediation. Finn is, of course, welcome to repent.
@TGDpub:@TeaThymeNC Never.
@WisteriaGeneralStore:Merch ideas are now pouring in faster than an over-caffeinated barista on a Monday. #BraceYourselves #TeamBrew #WinBothWays
Lindsay Monroe had contacted Daphne by phone for an immediate taste testing.
And since Flynn... er... Finn’s kiss had done practically nothing else but distract her for an entire day and a half, she welcomed the redirection back to basics. What was reliable. Constant.
And yet... ever since he left her apartment with Lucy in tow, her mind had detonated with flavor pairings and pastry combinations like a rogue episode ofThe Great British Bake Offhad hijacked her subconscious.
In fact, she’d stayed up all night long creating culinary masterpieces, from familiar favorites to brand-new offerings.
And all of them tasted phenomenal, if she did say so herself.
Rosemary, as her official taste tester, agreed.
“Whatever has inspired this sort of creativity,”she’d said,“I hope it sticks around.”
Daphne refused to confess to Finn as a part of said inspiration. But she couldn’t fully deny it.
A very productive, wildly inspired, completely unnecessary inspiration from remembering how his lips had felt on hers. How her knees had gone suspiciously jellylike. How the earth had briefly tilted, and all she could think afterward was,Oh no.
No, she’d never been kissed like that.
But it wasn’t just the kiss—it was the moment after. The way something had changed in his expression, in his eyes, like he was scared of what had just happened. Like he’d wanted to take it back. Like maybe... he hadn’t meant it?
Or... had meant it and didn’t know what to do.
