Page 21 of Flake It Til You Make It

“Which part?”

He hesitated. He didn’t want to lie. But he couldn’t exactly tell him the truth either. Maybe he could stick to aversionof the truth. “I don’t think I’d ever like anyone enough to drink coffee, but if there was a chance, it would probably be Rocco Moretti.”

Hayden shot him a knowing look. “So youareinterested, then.”

They turned down St. Nick Avenue, and sped up a little, both of them fully warmed up now, despite the chill in the air.

“He seems like a cool guy.” Playing things close to the vest was too much of a habit, Taylor knew it. He should be more effusive. But he didn’t knowhow, without giving everything away.

Hayden raised his eyebrow. “A cool guy?”

“Okay, ahotcool guy,” Taylor admitted.

“Better,” Hayden said, giving him an approving nod.

“I don’t . . .I don’t date much.”

Hayden patted him on the shoulder. “Yeah, we know. If you want advice, you know who to come to.”

“You?” Taylor said, his voice full of faux disbelief.

“I ended up with the guy, didn’t I?” Hayden said, referring to Joel, who ran Ginger’s Breads.

“You literally tripped and fell onto him,” Taylor joked. “I’m not sure that counts.”

“Hey, it definitely counts. Honestly, though, you’re gonna do just fine. Rocco does seem like a cool guy. Pumpkin spice notwithstanding.”

“God, not you, too.”

“It wasn’t me. Mrs. Lil was complaining about it. She wondered if maybe she could ask you to persuade him to put it back on the menu.”

“Tell her it’s already back. Not only that, he’s part of this town now. Deserves a second chance, same as us all.”

Taylor hadn’t realized how insistent he sounded until Hayden laughed. “Oh, I can see it now. Your freaking enormous crush is visible from space.”

He almost said,no it’s not, not remotely,but 1) that was not what someone who’d be very publicly dating the guy would say, and 2) it sounded a whole lot likehe doth protest too much.

“Uh, yeah,” Taylor admitted bashfully.

“Aw, it’s cute. I’m happy for you, Taylor. This is good.”

Taylor sure hoped so.

Hayden peeled off two miles later, to visit Joel at the bakery, and instead of cooling down, Taylor did an extra mile to try to compensate for the visions of Rocco still insistently dancing in his head and then on his way home, stopped by the Arts and Crafts Fair to make an appearance.

It was the first day and that meant Murphy was in his booth, alongside Tasha who ran his carved gnome business.

Taylor waved to Murphy, talking earnestly to a customer, showing her all the different-sized gnomes. Tasha was hovering close by, a tablet in her hands, probably ready to show her all the available inventory.

Murphy’s booth was the centerpiece of the festival every year, but it felt like each successive year, as the event grew, the waiting list for vendors who wanted to display their wares was growing more and more competitive.

Taylor walked through the narrow aisles, taking in all the sights and smells. Hand-dipped and hand-poured candles in dozens of holiday scents, hand-built birdhouses decorated in festive colors, and even a few decked out in professional sports team colors, including one in the Charleston Condors’ signature red and orange. No doubt that vendor was hoping that Jem, retired from the Condors, might walk by and buy it for the new house he was building just outside of town with Murphy.

Knowing Jem, he might do just that.

Speaking of Jem . . .there he was, walking in the opposite direction, next to a woman with dark hair the exact same shade as his and a nose and cheekbones that Jem had been lucky enough to win in the genetic lottery. Sophie Knight he’d met lots of times before this, but Jem had only recently moved back to town.

“Oh, hey, Taylor. Out for a run this morning?” Jem asked, and they shook hands briefly.

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