Page 13 of Sweeter Than Honey
Beard smiled, handed her the suitcase, and disappeared behind the counter and out of sight.
Chapter Seven
“Goodmorning.”
Allie ambled over with a casserole dish wrapped in a cloth and set it on the table nearest the three-sided window.
Ruffled from her encounter with the strange hottie, again, Cara pointed in the direction he’d gone.
“Who is that Beard... I mean, that man?”
Allie glanced in that direction. “Who? Jett? He’s my husband’s brother.” She gave Cara a once over. “Are you wearing his jacket? I’m sorry; I didn’t realize you’d come in together. You’re… barefoot.What happened?”
She parked her suitcase and bag near the table. “I ran into him—bad choice of words—he passed me on the street and loaned me his coat because I was evacuated from my hotel room wearing this.” She opened the sides of the jacket quickly and closed them again.
Allie’s eyes went wide. “Oh, my. Evacuated? Why?”
“How about if I get dressed and I’ll explain.”
“Hurry. I’m dying to know.”
Cara made quick work of changing into a pair of joggers, lightweight hoodie, and running shoes, then pulled her hair into a ponytail and brushed her teeth. She took a moment to appreciate the cute décor of the bakery as she went back to the table, feeling a little awkward to be having a meal with a woman she didn’t know. It was probably low blood sugar. She always felt off when she didn’t eat, and since getting pregnant, the problem compounded. Crabby, grumpy, tired. But once she ate, birds would be singing and the woodland creatures would do a conga line, and all would be right with the world.
“I’m so glad you came. This will be fun. I hope you don’t mind if my father-in-law and Jett join us.”
How was Allie so chipper in the morning? Cara felt sluggish and grumpy without coffee. It was the only thing that saved her in the morning, and now she couldn’t have it.
Her stomach growled and she placed a hand over it. "Sorry."
Allie laughed. "Don't apologize. My stomach growls all day. Have a seat. I’ve got some orange peel tea with a bit of mint brewing. Do you have morning sickness? It will help. The rest of the food will be out in a second. Okay, tell me what happened this morning.”
Allie milled around, fiddling with the bakery cases while Cara told her about the hotel.
Cara didn't know if she should sit or help. It felt weird to sit here and do nothing. She couldn’t remember the last time her day wasn’t filled with something every hour. After the chaos of the morning—the past day and a half, really—it did feel good to just to be still. Even if she did look out the window every few seconds to see who was walking by and anticipating who might walk in the door.
Allie set down a teapot and poured Cara a cup. The amber liquid smelled delightfully of citrus and invigorating mint.
"Thank you for inviting me.”
"My pleasure.”
Allie went into the back and returned with a heaping platter of scones and bacon, along with a bowl of fruit and set them next to the breakfast casserole. Cara jumped up to help. "Wow, this all looks amazing. Please let me pay you for the meal."
The blonde shook her head and sat. "Us mothers need to help each other. I will refuse all payment." She laughed. "Just enjoy. My happy place is feeding people.”
Cara lifted the tea and took a sip. Amazing.
“We’re not going to wait for the men,” Allie said as she passed Cara a plate. “Dish up. They’re late, so they get what’s left.”
Cara hesitated before filling her plate. If she hadn’t run into Jett, she probably would have forgotten all about this breakfast. Honestly, she’d probably still be asleep if not for Olive’s phone call. Yet everything had aligned, in a not so good way, to bring her here today.
“How much do you know about the shifters around here?” She asked the question casually around a bite of casserole. It was delicate and buttery and OMG. Her mood was lifting.
“Considering I married into the Estes Park pack, quite a bit, I suppose. What do you want to know?”
How much should she divulge without sounding crazy?
“Just… do they tend to be more modern thinking around here, or do they follow a lot of their, I don’t know, old laws?”
