Page 45 of The Pink House

Charlie twirled the stem of his wineglass back and forth between his fingers. “I recall Leon wasn’t much for change, especially not once he had what he considered the right item in the right space, but he and Sandie are still young. Furniture wears out. And hey, sometimes you just want to change things up.”

“Perhaps he’ll be different with Sandie. I hope so.” Hannah picked up her fork, but only moved the lasagna around on her plate. “Growing up, whenever I wanted to move around the furniture in my room, he wouldn’t let me. He insisted the layout was perfect just the way it was.”

Charlie pointed his fork at her. “It may have taken a decade, but you eventually got your way.”

Hannah cocked her head, not understanding.

“You moved in and got rid of it all.”

“I guess that’s one way to look at it.” Hannah laughed and glanced out the window, pleased to see the rain was letting up. “Small changes are easy for me. Big changes are sometimes more difficult. I find myself second-guessing my decisions.”

“Still, you make them.” Charlie took a contemplative sip of wine and studied her over the rim. “Got any big ones you’re considering now?”

Hannah hesitated, then reminded herself that if anyone would understand forging your own path, it would be the man sitting across from her.

“Instead of getting a job at the college in the fall, where I’d have good pay and benefits, I’m thinking I might want to work in a bakery.” Simply thinking of inhaling the tantalizing scents of yeast, cinnamon and powdered sugar all day made her smile. “I love everything about baking. I especially enjoy experimenting with ingredients.”

"Like the cupcakes you brought over for us?”

“Yes, like those.” Hannah sat back in her chair, her spirits buoyed by the fact that the rain had finally ceased, and a ray of sunlight now streamed through the window. Or maybe it was the spark of interest in Charlie’s eyes.

“Those were incredible.”

The heartfelt compliment had blood rushing through her veins like warm honey. “That experiment worked. Others, well, not all are successes.”

“Hey, Edison failed ten thousand times before he perfected the first modern electric lamp.”

Hannah inclined her head. “Is that really meant to be encouraging?”

Charlie’s easy smile reached his eyes. “Why a bakery? From what I understand, bakers start work at three a.m., or some other equally crazy hour.”

“I’m talking about working the counter. It’d give me an opportunity to meet lots of new people. You know, reconnect with the community. I’d also be able to observe firsthand how a bakery operates.”

The interest in Charlie’s eyes now shone even more brightly. “Are you thinking of eventually going into business for yourself?”

“I am.” The thought had been rolling around in Hannah’s mind, but being her father’s daughter, she was cautious. “I’m gathering information and exploring options. I’m considering specialty cakes, like for weddings and birthdays, with cupcakes on the side. I don’t know exactly how my business would look. What I do know is, whatever I do, I want to be happy.”

A slow smile spread across Charlie’s face. “A worthy goal.”

“You don’t think I’m being foolish?”

“How can spending your time focusing on something you love ever be foolish?”

CHAPTERTWELVE

Charlie helped Hannah clear the table and load the dishwasher. He moved slowly, sensing the evening was coming to a close. Though they’d spent hours together, he still wasn’t ready for their time together to end.

“Looks like the rain has finally moved out of the area,” Hannah observed, shutting the dishwasher.

Though Charlie had a perfect view from where he was standing, he moved beside her and peered out the window. “Did Brian ever tell you about how we used to sneak out at night to go camping when we were in high school?”

Hannah swiveled, which brought her so close he could see the flecks of gold in her eyes and smell the enticing citrus scent of her shampoo.

She pushed a strand of hair back from her face and gave a nervous-sounding laugh. “That surprises me. Brian insisted on staying in four-star hotels whenever he traveled. He always said staying in low-end chain motels was like camping. The comment led me to conclude he didn’t like camping.”

As if thinking she’d said too much, Hannah clamped her lips together.

“Who doesn’t prefer the luxury life?” Charlie resisted a sudden urge to slide his hand down her hair to see if it was as soft as it looked. “I don’t know if he lost his taste for it or not. I only know he used to love life in the great outdoors.”

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