Page 26 of The Sheriff's Mistletoe Bride
Jillian laughed, while untying her apron.“She got you on that one, Dad.”
“You need to wait on the porch for your aunt, so she doesn’t have to get out of the car in her condition.”
“Yes, sir.Bye and thanks a bunch for doing the cookies and all,” Jillie said and gave Ally a quick hug before she headed down the hall and outside.
“I can’t believe my daughter did that,” Matt said with a shake of his head.
“I’m sorry.”Ally felt unsure what to say.“She’s just a sweet girl and she likes to hug people and—”
“I can’t believe that she totally skipped me.What about my hug?Just because I’m standing here in a mess being the butt of jokes for my cookie-making skills and all.It has nothing to do with her hugging you.”
Ally felt more at ease.She gave him a rueful smile.“I see.It’s the male ego thing.”
He gave her a long look then walked around the corner of the wide island work area.She looked at him with a silent question.His hand rose and one fast finger slid down her nose, leaving a white line of flour in its wake.“You look better sharing in some of the messiness.”
Ally was at first speechless.Then something overtook her.She raised her hand and with two fingers planted a trail of flour mixed with a bit of cookie dough across his cheek.Then there was a dawning sensation of what she had just done…about the same time his gaze darkened to jade and dropped to her mouth.Was there any air in the room?Would he?He wouldn’t dare…or would he?And then she had her answer when his lips brushed hers…once.Then twice.And then he stepped back.Perhaps just as shocked as she was?They both looked at each other in silence.
“You had some cookie dough on the corner of your mouth.”
“Thank you.”Then there she went again…the little devil inside herself that couldn’t stay hidden.She took a step and went up on tiptoe and her lips brushed his cheek.Then she stepped back.“Sorry, but you had some dough on your cheek.”
A small gleam appeared in his eyes and a corner of his mouth lifted at some unknown thought.“Maybe we better just use paper towels next time…or the rest of the dough might get used up.”Then he winked and she felt her cheeks grow too warm.
The timer on the oven went off like a loud clanging church bell in her brain’s way of thinking.Ally jumped back and grabbed for a potholder.“Must save the cookies.”
That sounded ridiculous to her the moment the words left her mouth.She was not going to give him the satisfaction of looking at him anytime soon.So, she kept busy on the other side of the kitchen.He did the same.
What had she gotten herself into by a sudden little mischievous prank?She knew better.Or did she?
Chapter Thirteen
“Well, Tillie, isthis your latest hired employee?I heard you found someone who got stuck here after almost running over our poor little Jillie Parker.Her father must be SOOO furious.The poor man.I’m surprised she isn’t in one of his jail cells.”
Ally’s back was to the counter when the words were spoken but before she could turn around, Tillie was putting the speaker straight.
“No.Ally is a baking marvel and absolutely a godsend.And your information source is erroneous as usual.If anything, she took action that saved Jillie from any harm and ended up being the one in the hospital.We’re all surprised Matt Parker was able to keep from giving her a medal on the courthouse steps for her bravery.Ally Jones, meet Frannie Willis, just recently back from a few months in Dallas.”
Ally was a quick study of people most of the time.She was able to realize as she turned to the counter that by Tillie’s tone and body language, this was not one of her most endearing customers…to say the least.The woman sat on the barstool at the counter as though she might be perched on either an ivory throne or a stack of rotten garbage—her attitude and bearing could go either way.Her hair was piled on top of her head in some type of hairstyle that was either done by a novice in a beauty school or someone fleeing from a windstorm.She wasn’t certain if the woman was attempting to allow her dark roots to grow out or thought the blonde color from the bottle was enough to cover them all.But the makeup was a bit much for the morning hour, or any hour of day at that.
Was her drawl that natural or was she trying to fake it?Ally had a feeling that there wasn’t much on the person in front of her that would be the genuine article.
“It’s Francesca—how many times must I correct you?”
Before Tillie could shoot back with whatever was on the tip of her tongue at the woman’s response, Ally stepped into the breach.She smiled at the woman who instantly responded with a frown.
“Francesca is a lovely name.And it’s a pleasure to meet another citizen of Destiny’s River.You’re lucky to live in such a beautiful place with so many lovely people.”
“I don’t live here in this small town all the time.I prefer our house in Dallas.I can see you’re a small-town girl.”
“I only wish I were.I come from New York City.It truly is the city that never sleeps…Broadway, The Met, Manhattan…so much to do and on the go constantly.It gets boring after a few years.”
The woman wasn’t quite sure which way to respond but the bell above the door of the café signaled another patron had entered.This one elicited a squeal of pleasure from the woman who left her throne and immediately threw her arms around the man’s neck and planted a kiss on him in a movement that clearly caught him off guard.His arms went up and extricated hers from his neck and put some space between them.
“You’re back in town,” he said, darting a quick glance in the direction of Ally and Tillie.“What a surprise, Frannie.”
“Francesca,” the woman corrected, and Ally stifled a smile when she could visualize a stomp of her foot going along with her correction of the sheriff.
“You’ll always be just Frannie to those of us who have known you a while,” he said and moved toward the counter.
