Page 43 of A Taste of Christmas Magic

Chloe felt crushed that Jessica thought she didn’t want to do it with her this year. “It’s my favorite part of Christmas,” Chloe barely stifled her wail. “And I’m getting better. I’m good with the cookie cutters. I always set the timer last year without any reminders and even took out each tray when it buzzed without using my ‘intuition of doneness.’ And we decorate your tree at the Cramer House and listen to Christmas carols, and I spend the night, and—”

“Okay, okay,” Jessica chuckled. “I love it too, Chloe. We’ll bang out a lot of cookies, get a smidge buzzed, and you do a much more festive job decorating the house than I do. I’ll check in with Meghan and Sarah to see if they can join us. You’re sure you aren’t going to bake with Rustin, or is he too busy?”

Chloe grinned. “I hadn’t thought to ask. He doesn’t really exude a cookie vibe, does he? But spending time with him in the kitchen has been dreamy, although humbling and humiliating because I get so distracted watching him chop and finesse. And his focus!” She fanned herself. “Dreams do come true. He has the sexiest forearms.”

Jessica stared at her.

Oops.

“TMI?” Had she been too loud? There were still a lot of families milling around the market and Main Street since everything was open late tonight. “But Christmas cookies areourthing.”

“Chloe, are you really dating Rustin for real?” Jessica demanded.

“Um…” Why did she feel defensive? Rustin had finally asked her out on a real date. “We’ve spent time together,” she said, unable to cork the happiness bubbling through her. “But we haven’t really had a date, yet.”

Jessica looked astonished. “Chloe, be careful.”

“What? Why?” she asked, hating to see Jessica upset and not understanding it. “Everything we’ve done has had a purpose: the Movable Feast, where he taught me some cooking skills, how to exactly follow the recipe in theSouthern Love Spellsbook.”

“Love spells?” Jessica repeated, eyes wide and staring. “That’s the book you found and used? Love spells? Really, Chloe.”

“It’s not really spells,” Chloe defended, feeling like she was ten again and had messed up. Belatedly she remembered that Jessica, along with Grandma Millie, was the most enthusiastic churchgoer in the family. Well, most of them attended, but it was more obligation than a joyful choice.

“It’s not like I was incanting anything while lighting candles. Well, I did light candles for one recipe and another time when Rustin and I made a cherry bounce, but I wasn’t summoning ghosts or pricking fingers or…” She trailed off, daunted by Jessica’s shocked expression. “Jessie, I’m kidding. It’s really tame with lots of love advice about cooking and presenting food to men. Sort of a hoot really.”

“You said you’d show me that book.”

“Yes, I will,” Chloe said quickly. “I promised Rustin he could use it; he wanted to study for inspiration on the Roots section of his menu. When he returns it, you can see it. A deal’s a deal.”

“You could be giving away Maye family secrets.”

“Please.” Chloe rolled her eyes. “I know I found the book in Grandma Millie’s little library. But Grandma Millie hasn’t written in it.”

“Did you ask her?”

“Noooo,” Chloe drawled out, wondering why she had been so private and protective about the book. “It wasn’t hers.” She infused her voice with confidence. “Anyone could have put it there.”

“And you just impulsively closed your eyes and picked a recipe or two and then had everyone in town eat the food?”

“It’s a cookbook, Jessica, not voodoo or whatever.”

“I want to see it.”

“See what?”

Rustin had strolled up behind them, and Chloe felt herself light up. She stifled the impulse to touch him.

“Jessica wants to borrow the cookbook.”

Rustin’s gaze flicked to Jessica and then back to hers, and Chloe felt heat curl in her toes and pulse up through her body, warming her to the point that she thought she just might melt in her white puffer jacket.

“She does, does she?”

He has the sexiest mouth.

“Uh, huh. For cookies.”

“Cookies?” Rustin smiled, and Chloe thought she’d liquify onto the sidewalk, despite the chilly night. She could feel Jessica’s scrutiny but didn’t care. Maybe she and Rustinwerereally dating.

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