Page 23 of Sultry Nights

"I'll pick you up at home."

She cleared her throat, and he watched her cheeks turn pink. "How about here? I normally work until the evening, anyway, getting ready for the next day. And I'll be honest with you. My place is a mess. I've been remodeling and I just... it's not fit for company."

His hand flew over his heart. "Ouch! You're remodeling and you didn't have me look at it?"

She laughed. "Well, I didn't have anybody look at it. I'm actually doing it myself."

He shook his head. "You're remodeling yourself. So you bake these wonderful cinnamon rolls and you can remodel a house?"

"Well, I don't know how good I am at it, but I'm trying. Again, money, my ex, and all that. So I just found it necessary to have to do some things on my own."

Quinn nodded. "It's all right. I can see that it's maybe too soon for that conversation. So how about this? I'll pick you up here. Will six-thirty work?"

Her cheeks turned an adorable pink. He saw a color tint under her chin and in the "V" of her blue t-shirt.

"Yes, six-thirty will be fine. Thank you for understanding."

He nodded. "You know, I've been in situations similar to what you're in, where money was tight and things just had to be done on a shoestring. I'm still open to helping you, but I'm not going to push."

She smiled. "Thank you. I do appreciate it. It won't be forever. And I'm actually getting a lot of satisfaction out of doing things on my own. I'm learning that I'm pretty darn capable."

He chuckled. "I have no doubt, Hanna Valentine. I have no doubt."

"Okay," she half giggled. "What can I get for you this morning?"

He smiled, "I'd like a dozen of your cinnamon rolls, and I need six coffees to go, please. I'm treating the crew."

Her smile grew wide, and he thought she was the loveliest woman he'd seen in, well, forever. She was adorable with those dimples. She was beautiful inside and out.

"You're going to be popular at work today," she replied cheerfully, as she deftly pulled the cinnamon rolls out of the case and lined them up in a box.

She closed the box with nimble fingers, grabbed a tray for the coffees, and slowly filled the six cups, pushing them into the little slots in the tray to hold them in place.

She tapped lids on top. When she looked at him, she asked, "Do you need cream and sugar?"

He shrugged. "You know, I guess this is bad of me, but I don't know. So let's just say yes, just in case."

She chuckled, "No worries. I'll add enough for everyone, just in case."

She bagged things up for him, putting the cream and sugar in a separate little bag with some stir sticks, and then she rang up his order.

He paid quickly with his credit card and then he winked at her. "I'll see you at six-thirty, Hanna Valentine."

She nodded and those cute pink cheeks brightened. "I'll see you at six-thirty, Quinn Kurtz."

13

Hanna's morning flew by. Customers came in steadily. And her baked goods were coming out of the oven perfectly.

Her mom stopped in for a little while, around ten-thirty, and helped her get the case refilled. She did a few miscellaneous things in the kitchen. And Hanna always appreciated that so much.

"I really do thank you, for doing the dishes, Mom."

Her mom chuckled. "It's all right, dear. The warm water helps my hands feel a little bit better. So I don't mind doing them at all. And besides, you're doing a fantastic job here, and I love watching that. And this gives me a little something to do, but not on a schedule. So it works out perfectly. Also, I can be here when your dad takes you over to see Grant today."

"Thank you, Mom. Daddy said he would be here at three o'clock, so you don't have to stay the whole afternoon. But if you want to come back with him, I sure would appreciate it. That way, I don't have to close the doors. And I'll have some bread in the oven that you can pull out by then."

"Sounds good, honey. Now you go on out and do what you need to do. I'm fine here in the kitchen."

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