Kate's Kisses (Sweet Treats Bakery) (7 page)

“He did?” Her breath caught, and her pulse quickened. “What did you say?”

“I told him I’d think about it.”

“Oh.” She sighed.

He drew her to him and his arms sheltered her from the slight evening chill. “What would you like, Katie?”

“I can’t answer that, Logan. This decision is yours.”

“But I’m asking…what you think.”

She shook her head slightly and pulled away from him. “Let’s keep walking, Logan. I think we need to keep walking.”

“Wait.” He reached for her, and she paused and turned back to face him. “I want to say something to you first—I
have
to say something.”

“I’m listening.”

He took her hand again and twined her slender fingers with his. When he spoke, his voice was gentle and sincere. “I was wrong, Katie, to leave you the way I did. I was impatient and immature and…selfish when you needed me the most.
I’m so sorry. I wish I could…go back and do it over again. Maybe things—”

“But you can’t, Logan. Neither of us can. It is what it is.” She held his smoke-gray eyes with her gaze. “It’s all so blurry now, like a dream. But, for the record, I was wrong, too. I made a promise to you, and I broke it. I was trying to do the right thing, given the circumstances, but maybe I was selfish, as well. I’m sorry, too, Logan. Truly sorry.”

“You weren’t selfish, Katie. You love your sisters, and you wanted to help. I understand, really I do.”

“But I loved you, too, and I hurt you. I hurt…us.”

Her words drifted on the breeze and were lost in the darkness. Funny how a few simple letters—the tense of a word—could change everything. She
had
loved him. She was certain of that. But did she love him now? Each morning she told herself she didn’t, but each day she felt that was more and more like a lie.

“I have something for you.” He reached into his pocket. She waited as he pressed two cool squares of plastic into her hands. “I asked Mrs. Mckeever to issue them early, especially for you and Adam, since I know how much you like to take him to check out books.”

“Oh, Logan.” Tears filled Kate’s eyes. “New library cards.”

“Wear them out, OK?”

“We will.” She brushed tears from her cheeks and sniffled. “Oh, we will.”

9

The morning of the library’s dedication dawned warm and sunny. Kate almost wished it would rain, her heart felt so heavy. Logan had mentioned no more about the crisis center project, and she knew that meant he’d most likely declined and would return to California as soon as the dedication was over.

Normally the bakery was closed on holidays, but she had a special order to fill for the dedication. Kate pulled on a sleeveless flowered sundress and low-heeled sandals and combed her hair into a neat ponytail to ward off the heat. It was going to be a long day.

The walk to the bakery cleared her head. She had a few hours to gather everything Logan had ordered for the celebration and to prepare a fresh batch of her cherry kisses. Mattie would drive over soon with the delivery van, and then all four sisters would load up and deliver the goods.

She unlocked the shop and was greeted by the rich aroma of hazelnut coffee…and Logan.

“Good morning, Katie.” He handed her a cup of coffee. “Wow, you look amazing.”

She smoothed the fabric of her dress and brushed stray hair from her eyes. “Logan, what are you doing here?”

He slouched against the counter. “You didn’t think I’d ask you to work on the Fourth of July and not help, did you?”

“But it’s…barely six o’clock.” She sipped the coffee, felt the familiar caffeine jolt. “I…don’t know what to say.”

“No need to say anything.” He smiled. “The delivery van’s parked out back. Mattie gave me the keys last night and I drove it over to give you a head start.” He slipped an apron over his head and tied it around his waist. “Just tell me what to do.”

Kate laughed. “Can you boil chocolate?”

He shook his head. “But I’m a fast learner.”

“Strike that…” She remembered the time Tessa had tried to warm chocolate and scorched it instead. The repulsive odor lingered for days. “You can slice the bread and box up the pastries…and fix anything that might break around here in the meantime.”

****

They made a good team, he and Kate. Logan watched her dip the cherries into sweet cream and then the gently-bubbling chocolate and smiled. She had a knack around food—that was for sure. Thoughts rolled through his head, and he fought to keep them from dampening the mood. Change was imminent…one way or another.

“I wonder where Mattie is…and Grace.” She glanced up to smile at him, and he brushed a smudge of chocolate from one cheek. “I figured Tessa would come romping in just as all the work was finished—she’s definitely not an early riser—but the others, no.”

“When I picked up the keys from Mattie yesterday I might have mentioned I’d drop by to help…and for them to take their time this morning.”

“Why?”

“Don’t you know?” He grinned and shook his head. “I wanted to spend a little time alone with you.”

“I appreciate the help…
and
the alone time.” Kate stirred the chocolate. “But a walk together would have been a lot less work for you.”

“And a lot
more
work for you. Besides, this is fun and it offers appealing fringe benefits.” He popped one of the cherries she’d just prepared into his mouth. “Mmm…delicious.” He reached for another.

“No more sampling.” She gave his hand a gentle tap. “Save some for the dedication.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“You can box up the cupcakes while I finish these, then maybe Mattie and Grace will arrive to help load the van.”

****

“Your kisses are a hit.” Logan loped over to the oversized party tent that sheltered a buffet of food from the sun. “Look, they’re almost gone.”

Kate glanced at the table, and then busied herself straightening the platters. “I hope we made enough to last the whole event.”

“It’s almost over. You did fine.” He took her hand. “Leave that, and come with me. The fireworks are about to start. Your sisters have reserved a place on the lawn.”

“OK, I’ll be right there.”

She glanced up to see Grace chatting with Brent Peterson in front of the library. Adam ran in circles around their legs until Brent reached for him and hoisted him onto his shoulders. Adam whooped and tugged at his tie, then held on as they started down the walk toward Mattie and Tessa, who’d spread blankets and lawn chairs over the grass.

Kate sighed. Lights inside the library glowed like beacons, illuminating neat rows of books. She could hardly wait to take Adam there and curl up in the children’s section to read. It would fill the time after Logan left tomorrow. Kate’s heart ached with the thought.

Logan…he motioned her over as he settled in among her sisters, and then pointed to the sky. Darkness enveloped them, revealing a velvet canvas that would soon be filled with brilliant displays of color in honor of Independence Day.

She strode across the square to join him.

“Sit with me, Katie.” He patted the blanket. She settled beside him and crossed her legs as Adam crawled into her lap to snuggle.

“Can we go to the library tomorrow, Auntie Kate?” Adam murmured.

“Sure, sweetie. I’ll take you after I finish at the bakery, OK?”

“OK.” He covered his ears as the first explosion of fireworks illuminated the sky. “Thanks, Auntie Kate.”

Logan took her hand. “Do you have any other plans tomorrow?”

She lowered her gaze as tears filled her eyes at the thought of letting him go, and slowly shook her head.

****

Logan heard the jingle of the doorbell and knew Kate had entered the bakery. Lights flooded the sales room as she hit the switch beside the entrance, and then her sandals tapped across the tile floor to the coffee machine. He heard her sharp intake of breath, sensed the hesitation when she noticed hazelnut coffee was already brewed.

“Mattie…Grace?” she called.

“Logan…in the kitchen,” he called back.

She rushed to the doorway, her shoes clacking like gunshots. She leaned in, breathless. “But I thought you…left.”

He offered her a cup of coffee, but she shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

“I baked you something. Come see.”

She entered the kitchen and then stopped short, staring at the box of cake mix and tub of frosting strewn across the pastry table along with egg shells, a bottle of cooking oil, and a variety of soiled mixing bowls and rubber spatulas. She glanced from him to the platter of cupcakes that he’d decorated.

“Cupcakes? You made cupcakes? Why?”

“I know they’re not as pretty as the ones you make, and they came from a mix—in a box.” He shrugged. “And I don’t think I mixed the batter enough, because it was kind of lumpy. But maybe you’ll like what you see anyway.”

Slowly she sidled up to him. “Isn’t it a little too early in the morning for cupcakes?”

“If they were vanilla…maybe.” He shook his head. “But it’s never too early for chocolate.”

“Logan…”

He nudged her gently toward the platter and held his breath, his gut twisted into a nervous knot. He had frosted each cupcake, and nestled a plastic ring in the center of each…except for one. And he knew the exact moment she noticed the difference.

“Oh, Logan.” A hand flew to her mouth, and her eyes filled with tears. “Oh!”

“I couldn’t leave without asking…without knowing.” He lifted the cupcake and took the diamond from its center, then offered it to her, frosting and all, as he dropped to one knee.

“Katie, will you marry me…and live here, in Mount Ridge, with our families and all the people we love? Brent and I have talked, and after the crisis center project, he has several other things planned. So there’s plenty of work…for both of us…right here.”

“You did? There is?” Kate’s eyes grew huge as her head bobbed up and down. “I-I…yes, Logan. Oh, yes!”

He slipped the ring on her finger and stood to draw her into his arms, then kissed her gently. “It’s a second chance, Katie, for us. I’m so thankful…and so in love with you. I don’t ever want to leave your side again.”

A tap on the glass startled them, and they turned to find Mattie, Grace, and Tessa with their noses pressed to the shop front window. Kate held up her hand to waggle her fingers. The diamond captured the sunrise and refracted into a rainbow of color that danced over the pastry case and across the walls.

Squeals shook the building as the door flew open and the women rushed in to surround them.

“Put on more coffee,” Tessa laughed as she threw her arms around Kate. “We have a wedding to plan.”

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