Page 3 of Falling for You
Evan wanted to argue, but instead nodded. Max had never led him wrong before, and Evan wasn’t about to start doubting his mentor. As he walked into the kitchen, Max snatched the paper, balled it up, and tossed it in the trash.
“Something is definitely up,” Evan muttered as he watched his boss stomp up to the grill. Max was normally so quiet and easygoing. It jarred Evan to see him wound up.
Helen approached with an empty coffee carafe and sighed. “Tables five, six, and seven need more coffee, and I forgot the side of bacon for table four.” Taking the coffee carafe, Evan refilled it and got into work mode. He knew there would be time to ask questions about the article, but that certainly wasn’t during their breakfast rush.
When the diner closed after lunch, Evan was exhausted. He and Max installed a new tabletop in one of the booths before finally calling it a day.
“Thanks for staying late for this,” Max said as he wiped sweat from his forehead. “It’s one of those things you put off until it’s too late.” The old tabletop was propped against the wall, a crack marring its otherwise smooth surface.
“No problem.” Evan heard the front door open and Ginny walked in. Max’s face lit up, and he quickly joined her by the entrance. Evan felt a tug in his ribcage at the sight. He was so happy that Max had found his way back to Ginny, but he was also envious of that type of connection. Evan yearned to have someone who looked at him that way—someone who couldn’t wait to be closer.
Growing up, Evan had seen his parents’ marriage ebb and flow. They were still together, but he would guess they wouldn’t say they were still in love. Raising four children and spending thirty-five years together shapes people, but it didn’t seem to bring them closer together. When Evan did visit home, his mother was her normal self, but his father wouldn’t bother with much, if any, affection toward his wife or kids. Evan always knew he wanted more from life, from a partner.
“Hi, Evan,” Ginny greeted from Max’s side. Her hand sparkled as the light caught her engagement ring. “Thanks for covering this morning. You really are a lifesaver.”
Evan flushed at her praise. “You’re welcome. You know me, happy to help.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and watched Max wrap an arm around his bride-to-be. “Want me to take this out back for trash day?”
Max shook his head and gestured toward the kitchen. “Nah, we got it. You’ve done more than enough today. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Evan nodded, waved to Ginny, and made his way back toward the back. “Wait!” Ginny shouted from behind him. She caught up to Evan and fished in her purse for something. Pulling out an ivory envelope, she handed it to Evan. His name was written in swirls of calligraphy. “It’s your invite to our wedding. I hope you can come.” Ginny’s smile was so sweet it melted Evan’s heart a little.
“Wouldn’t miss it.” He peeled open the envelope to see it was addressed to Evan and a guest. Staring at the plus-one, he wondered who he would actually take. He knew who hewantedto take, but he didn’t want to make assumptions.
“And you’re not working the event,” Max teased, joining Ginny and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. It was as if they couldn’t survive in the same space without touching. “We’re going with a caterer from outside Buckeye Falls.”
Ginny interjected, “Highly recommended by Natalie, so we know it’s good.” Natalie was the mayor’s wife and founder of Buckeye Fall’s only event planning business. Ginny had joined Natalie’s team at the beginning of the year as their head of marketing. Evan knew Max was proud of his wife-to-be for starting over, especially since it brought her back into his life.
“I’m sure it’s going to be great. I’ll RSVPyesright now.” Evan beamed at the pair.
Ginny lowered her voice and bowed closer. “You can bring a date too. Just let us know.” She winked, and Evan felt his heart sink. CeCe was the only person he wanted to go with, but he couldn’t ask her outright. With CeCe, patience was key.
“Uh, yeah, I’ll let you know.”
Max waved as Evan backed into the kitchen. Expecting to find it empty, he was surprised to see CeCe measuring a spoonful of vanilla and standing over a pot of boiling sugar. “You sure that’s a good idea? Shouldn’t you be resting?” he asked as he joined her.
CeCe didn’t look up; she kept swirling the pan as the sugar turned amber. “I’m fine, just needed to get started on these candies.”
Evan surveyed the detritus on the counter, proving CeCe had a long day ahead of her. “What are they for?” He picked up a bowl of something beige and sniffed it, nearly choking on the strong orange scent.
For a moment, CeCe didn’t reply. She plunged a thermometer into the molten sugar and pulled the pot from the heat. “I’m trying some candies for Max and Ginny’s wedding. I thought it could be their favor.”
“That’s really nice of you, but the wedding isn’t for a couple of months.”
Lifting a shoulder, CeCe never took her eyes off the sugar. “Yeah, but Natalie wants to see a few of them to decide what the centerpieces will look like. Now seemed as good a time as any to get cooking.”
Evan looked at the clock on the wall. He had hours of nothing ahead of him and hated the notion of CeCe overdoing it. “Can I help with anything?”
He braced himself for CeCe to say no, to wave him away like she usually did. Instead, she gestured to a stack of colored papers on the counter. “Can you cut those into two-inch squares? I’m testing the wrapping as well as the candies.”
With a nod, Evan washed his hands and got to work. At first his big hands were too much for the delicate paper. A few sheets stuck to the pads of his fingers; another had fused to a blob of sugar on the counter. Finally CeCe came over and cut out a template.
“Let me show you,” she said, taking the scissors and deftly cutting the shape she wanted on the first try.
When Evan reached to take the scissors, their fingers grazed and a shot of awareness jolted him. It reminded him of the time he stuck his hand in a bug zapper on a boy scout camping trip, the sensation nearly singeing him. He blindly hoped CeCe felt the charge, but she didn’t show any indication that she had. Her attention was on the candy, and he needed to focus on the matter at hand. Otherwise he’d be cutting more than paper with those scissors.
Twenty minutes later, the papers were cut and CeCe poured out the last of the candy to cool. “Thanks for your help. That saved me some time.” She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and surveyed her work. A dozen rows of tiny candies shone in the fluorescent lighting. A smug look of satisfaction crossed her lovely face, and Evan had to stop himself from documenting the moment with a photo. Nothing looked as gorgeous as CeCe after a successful day in the kitchen. As far as he was concerned, she was the eighth wonder of the world.
Evan loved watching her come alive like this. Her normally gruff exterior vanished when she created sinful confections. She practically glowed, radiating a heat that brought him—and his appetite—to life. And there was a particular smile CeCe had when she cooked—her nose wrinkled and her bottom lip jutted out slightly. He’d only seen it outside of work a few times, and he’d give anything to be the reason it was on her lovely face.
