Page 3 of In the Arms of a Hero

“Thanks, Belinda! I’ll get some more out there,” Bess called through the open door leading into the kitchen.

As the woman turned back to him, her eyes were sparkling, her smile still wide. “Okay, so much for looking for clues. I suppose if you were listening, you heard what my sister said.”

He pulled out his wallet and grinned. “The beautiful woman has a beautiful name… Belinda.”

She waved her hand in a shooing motion. “County first responders in uniform don’t pay for coffee,” she stated, pointing at a sign announcing the policy.

Aaron was aware that several businesses along the Eastern Shore offered first responders in uniform a discount or maybe even a free coffee. Still, it felt like taking advantage of a new business to take them up on the offer. He especially wanted to leave a tip for Belinda.

As though she could read his mind, she shook her head. “No, seriously. My sister is very strict about not making the sheriff’s department and rescue workers on duty pay for their coffee.”

“Okay, what about the éclairs?”

She leaned forward and grinned. “Those aremygifts to you,” she said, pulling out some bills from her pants pocket and putting them in the cash register.

“You can’t do that!” he protested, not believing she was paying for his éclairs.

“Don’t worry,” she said, tossing out a wink along with her smile as she leaned her elbows on the counter. Now that she wascloser, he could tell her blue eyes were darker, giving them an almost violet hue. “Just tell all your friends about Bess’s Bakery, and that will more than make up for the cost of a couple of éclairs.”

When he walked in and saw her light blush, he wondered if she would be shy or intimidated by his overt flirting, but as she turned her twinkling eyes to him, he realized she was in the moment with him.

Encouraged, he leaned on his elbows and nodded, putting his face closer to hers. “Then I’ll make sure to stop by here when I’m not in uniform, and I can give you what you’re owed.”

The bell over the door rang, and she straightened, her gaze moving from the newcomers to him. “I’m only here in the early morning hours to help out my sister. After that, I have my own job.” She scrunched her nose and added, “Although my job doesn’t have steady hours, so who knows? I might be here after all.”

He started to ask her what her other job was, then decided he would wait until the next time he was at the bakery. His radio squawked, and he shoved a couple of dollars in the tip jar before turning and calling out his goodbye as he jogged outside, knowing he’d be back. He’d see the beautiful Belinda again if things went as he hoped. Very soon.

Belinda looked over as Bess came bustling from the back, carrying a tray loaded with filled croissants, éclairs, and apple fritters. Hurrying to help her sister place the items in the case, she said, “You’ve had a good day so far. It seems your advertising has paid off.”

Bess beamed as she nodded. “I can’t thank you enough for helping out.”

“It’s no problem. I can be here most mornings, and it gives me a chance to spend time with my favorite sister.”

Bess popped her with a dish rag. “You’re my only sister.”

“So that also gives you the title of being my favorite!”

Bess shook her head. “Who was the cute deputy you were flirting with?”

Unable to keep the blush from crossing her face, a curse from being a redhead, Belinda sighed. “That was Aaron Bergstrom. He would’ve been a senior when you were a freshman at Baytown High School. He was one grade ahead of me.”

Bess startled slightly, still smiling. “So you two know each other?”

“You must be nuts!” Belinda rolled her eyes. “Lest you have forgotten, my dear sister,” she replied in an imperial voice, “I was one of the nerds. A guy like Aaron Bergstrom—Mr. Athlete, Mr. Personality, and Mr. Popular—would hardly have given me a second look.”

Bess scrunched her nose and nodded. “I hear you. You were the nerd in the photography class, and I was two years behind you as the nerd in the chemistry class and vocational culinary arts class. No one could understand how I loved the idea of the chemistry of cooking and baking.”

Belinda walked over and wrapped her arms around Bess. “Well, I think you’re brilliant!”

“Somehow, we got to talking about me. What I want to know about are those looks I saw Deputy Bergstrom giving you.”

“It was a little harmless flirting on his part with a woman he didn’t know. And a little flirting on my part, knowing that I still might be a photography nerd, but I’m no longer a shy teenager afraid of bantering with the hottie.”

Bess hugged her back and grinned. “We’re two kick-ass sisters who are no longer held back by the constraints of adolescence!”

“Hear, hear!”

The bell rang over the door, and another group of women walked in. The sisters separated to greet their old friends. “Belle! Carrie! Welcome!” Belinda called out.

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