Page 36 of Home Changes
“Seth Hansen?”
Seth blinked, his mind jerked back from his less than moral thoughts. “Yes, sir.”
The man extended a hand. “Frank Marshall. Wondering if I could bend your ear for a minute.”
Seth shook his hand. “Of course.”
Frank nodded toward the truck. “Sometime when you’re not busy. Maybe Monday? One o’clock? Over at the diner? We can get a table away from everyone and talk.”
“I’d like that, sir. I just spoke with Kate Johnson, excuse me, Wells, and she mentioned the situation.”
“Then I’d like to give you the facts and get your thoughts.”
Seth nodded. “Yes, sir. I can do that. I’ll see you atone on Monday, but only if my dad is doing okay that day. He controls my schedule.”
“Good man.” Frank smiled, then turned to help his wife load up the last of her bakery order. Seth watched them for a moment before stepping inside, ready to see Allison and grateful for the moment of normal in a day that had already held more shock than anything else.
Seth opened the back just as Allison braced her knees to lift a bulk bag of flour from the bottom shelf in the storeroom.
“You really gonna try to lift that on your own?” Seth’s voice drifted in, rich and full of amusement.
Allison let out a huff and looked over her shoulder. “I’ve been doing this a while, Seth Hansen. I’m stronger than I look.”
“I don’t doubt that,” he said as he stepped closer. “But there’s strong, and then there’s sensible. Let me get it.”
Before she could argue, he bent and effortlessly lifted the fifty-pound sack, settling it against his shoulder like it weighed nothing.
Allison stood and wiped her hands on her apron, watching him carry it through the prep kitchen with practiced ease.
“Where do you want it?” he asked.
“Next to the mixer,” she said, moving to clear a space.
He set it down gently, then straightened and grinned at her. “You’re baking for the entire county this week?”
“Pretty much. I’ve got two birthday orders, a church breakfast, and I’m starting to bake the rest of the items for the Fall Festival. Don’t worry, though, I’ll be free on Saturday.”
Seth leaned a hip against the counter and crossed his arms. “Saturday, huh?” The thought of them spending some time together, alone, in the dark hadn’t been on his mind much. Just every other second of the day. He smiled.
“Yeah,” she said, opening the bag and pulling out a scoop. She looked up at him. “You remember our date, right?”
He tilted his head. “You mean the one I’ve been thinking about every day since we set it? Yeah, I remember.”
That earned him a smile, small and soft. “Good,” she said, cheeks coloring faintly. “I’ve been looking forward to it.”
He took the flour scoop from her and pulled her into his arms. “Me, too,” he said. Then, more quietly, “More than I probably should.”
Allison looked up. “Why do you say that?” Her eyes moved from his to his lips.
He smiled, and he knew he looked like a predator, but he didn’t care. “Because this thing between us? Feels like the kind of thing that doesn’t just go away.”
The kitchen stilled for a moment. Outside, a pickup rolled past, the tires crunching gravel on Main Street. Inside, the air felt warmer, closer.
“I don’t want it to go away,” she said, pressing closer against him. “But I’ve got baggage, Seth. I’m a mess half the time. And I overthink everything.”
He held her tighter.
“Good,” he said. “Then we’ll match just fine.” He lowered his head and kissed her. The flame he’d imagined leaped into a raging fire. He pulled away. “Damn, you are delicious.”
