Page 29 of Playoffs & Promises

Feeling like an overcooked, wet noodle I reached for a basket just as a large hand reached for it as well.

"Oh sorry." I pulled my hand back and looked up. Then up some more. The man who reached for the basket was easily the tallest and most gorgeous guy I'd ever seen in my life. If someone had plucked the top ten blond models from my favorite novels, mixed them together, and baked at 350 until golden, the results would be him.

His wet blond hair hung down and he brushed it away from his eyes with a casual swipe of his hand, but oh, his eyes, his honey-colored eyes reminded me of the lemon honey I got from the local farmer's market. He finished picking up the shopping basket and held it out to me with a warm smile. A shiver ran through me, though I was pretty sure it was not because of the rain.

His deep voice had a bit of a rumble to it as he asked, "Do you want this?"

I nodded and took the basket from him, our hands brushed, and tingles rushed up my arm.

"Have a great day." He walked away, and I let out a dreamy sigh.

The world needed more men like tall, blond, and gorgeous in it. I'd have bet that he would've handed over anything in his basket if someone else needed it. He was just that kind of person.

As I headed to the baking aisle my thoughts shifted away from the handsome stranger to the competition looming ahead. I needed sugar and cream of tartar for the lemon meringue. Grandmother's recipe was about to make me a blue ribbon winner and I couldn't wait to hang it up on the wall.

Today would be that day though. Today I would get that ribbon at the fall festival.

Grinning to myself I finished with the dry goods, and moved to the dairy area.

I needed eggs, before I could head to produce. To my pleasant surprise the gorgeous man from before was adding eggs to his own basket. He stopped and handed them to me instead.

"Thank you," I told him, as I checked them over to make sure none of them were cracked before adding them to my basket. I was happy that my prediction was correct and he would give something from his basket to help out a stranger.

A wide smile spread on his face, "She does speak."

"I'm not normally so star-struck," I replied, blushing furiously.

The smile on his face dimmed, and I immediately wanted to fix it.

"Crazy weather right?" I said, then wanted to kick myself. I was not trying to make small talk at a party.

"Pretty normal for this time of year," he said, and grabbed a different egg carton off the shelf. "New to the city?"

I shook my head no.

"Right, well, have a good day." He hurried away from me.

I couldn't blame him. I'd run from someone trying to trap me in small talk too. I couldn't help but admire though when he paused at the end of an aisle, and was able to grab something off the top of a shelf without struggle. If only we'd met in the baking aisle and I could have asked him to reach something for me. Then I could have offered to thank him with a baked goodie, and asked him for his number. Instead, I'd asked him about the rain. Rain I know is normal for fall in Glacier Bay, but what else should I have said to him? Nice chicken thighs? He had a package of those in his basket as well as some good-looking steaks.

Yeah, good thing he left before I could embarrass myself more.

I wandered through the bakery section briefly and let the smell of flour and sugar calm me. I needed all the calm I could get to get my head back on what was important. Winning that fall fair blue ribbon to hang on the wall. Focused and calm I headed to the produce section for the last of my ingredients.

It was there that I saw him again. His basket was full of vegetables now, and I tried to not make an idiot of myself, by avoiding him.

I went for the loose lemon and orange section on the far side so I could pick the ones I needed. Unfortunately, the area was empty, and I was forced to go to the section he was in with the bagged ones. The pre-bagged ones were a mystery as to the quality inside, and not how I wanted to enter a competition. Much to my surprise, there was only one bag of lemons left, and he reached for it just as I did.

He was fast, he snatched the bag just as my fingers brushed the netting.

Blinking up at him, I said, "Wow."

"Oh." He looked down at me. "Did you want these?"

"Yes, thank you." I reached for the bag, expecting him to hand it over like he had the eggs. He was definitely kind and generous, like all men should be.

He pulled them out of my reach. "That's too bad, I got them first."

My jaw dropped, "We were reaching for them at the same time."

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