Page 18 of A Little Harmless Pleasure

Instead, she shrugged. “I enjoy it. I always have had a knack for baking.”

Anna took a bite of her cookie as Max noticed her banana nut muffins. Anna moaned in obvious appreciation.

Max bit into a muffin, then looked at his wife. “You don’t seem surprised.”

He didn’t seem mad.

Anna shook her head. “No. Cynthia didn’t want anyone to know.”

“Know that she could bake?”

“Or that she’s the one who worked up some of the new recipes in the café.”

Anna’s café,The Last Drop, featured great coffee, unique tea blends, and some of the best desserts in Georgia.

Max looked between the two of them. “So, keeping secrets from me? Not cool.”

Then he grabbed another muffin.

“Seriously, when are you going to work for me?” Anna asked as she snatched a second cookie. Before Cynthia could answer, she faced Max and said, “Don’t you think three pancakes, eggs and sausage were enough for breakfast?”

He wiggled his eyebrows at Anna. The gesture reminded Cynthia just how much Anna had loosened Max up. He never would have teased her like that. “I worked up quite an appetite last night.”

Anna rolled her eyes and grabbed Cynthia’s arm. “We have to have some girl talk.”

“But my cookies—”

“You have the timer on, right?”

Cynthia nodded.

Anna looked at her husband. “Max, take the cookies out when the timer goes off.”

She tugged Cynthia along, practically dragging her upstairs. When they reached her old room, she pulled Cynthia inside and shut the door behind her.

“You know one thing I’ve always liked about you, Anna?” Cynthia asked as she watched Anna open the closet door.

“What?” Anna ducked her head inside, rummaging around on the floor for something.

“You know how to be subtle.”

Anna swiveled around so fast she fell on her rear end. She frowned up at Cynthia, then smiled when she realized Cynthia had been joking.

“Can’t be subtle with Maxwell. Subtle for him is a two-by-four to the head.”

Cynthia laughed and sat on the bed. “What are you looking for?”

“I have this great pair of flip-flops with cherries on them.” She began to look around again. “So, you going to tell me, or am I going to have to ask?”

Cynthia sighed. She’d known this was coming and that Anna would expect to gossip. Girl talk wasn’t something Cynthia did. She’d had acquaintances, but never any kind of girlfriends she would divulge secrets to. Not that she’d had anything really shocking to talk about before now.

BeforeChris Dupree.

“I took Chris to his hotel room.”

“A-ha!” Anna stood, her hair hanging in her face. Triumphantly, she held up a pair of red flip-flops with a set of cherries dangling from each thong. She shoved her hair out of her face with the other hand. “I knew they were here. Max went on and on about how it didn’t matter, I could buy more, blah, blah, blah. So, what happened?”

“With Chris?” Cynthia tried to act nonchalant, but she could hear her voice rise.

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