Love Finds You in Hershey, Pennsylvania (10 page)

But as Dmitri finally pulled away and their eyes met, she felt a sinking disappointment.

Nothing. Not a thing. She could have been kissing her brother, for all the chemistry she felt there. Sadie touched her lips with her fingertips.

They were still there. Still in working order, as far as she knew. Maybe she needed practice.

She smiled at him as though everything had been as it should be.

“I’ll see you at Kylie’s party tomorrow?”

He returned the smile, though it was a trifle awkward. “Tomorrow,” he echoed.

He turned and headed down the steps and back to his car as Sadie slipped inside the house. She moved quietly, shrugging off her coat and hanging it in the closet, laying her house keys on the foyer table.

Tiptoeing inside, she searched the lower level for any signs of life. All was still and empty. Walking up the stairs, she headed for Kylie’s bedroom and eased the door open enough to stick her head in.

There they lay, side by side, on top of the
Beauty and the Beast
bedspread and pillowcases. Kylie’s hair spread in a fan across Jasper’s chest, her thumb tucked firmly in her mouth. Jasper’s arm stretched protectively across her back, his eyelashes feathering his cheeks as he dozed. Something pulled in Sadie’s heart—pulled hard—and she had the overwhelming urge to wake them both and hold them tightly in her arms, never letting go.

As she deliberated the wisdom of such an action, Jasper stirred. Seeing her standing there, he blinked the sleep from his eyes.

“Hey,” he whispered softly.

“Hey,” she whispered back.

Easing his arm from beneath Kylie’s body, he moved off the bed and joined Sadie in the doorway.

“She went right to sleep?” Sadie questioned softly.

Jasper shook his head. “Three glasses of water, four stories, two bedtime prayers, and a partridge in a pear tree.”

“Three glasses of water? She’ll be up every half hour!”

Jasper shrugged. “She was thirsty.”

Sadie eyed him suspiciously. “What did you give her?”

“What did
I
give her?”

“You know what I mean.”

He looked away guiltily. “Maybe some Cheetos.”

“The baked kind?”

He swallowed loudly. “Not exactly.”

“Jasper!”

Kylie stirred, and Jasper tugged Sadie out of the room. “Just kidding,” he teased.

She sighed and then shook her head with a smile. “Not funny.”

“Yes, funny,” he replied.

They headed downstairs together and spoke in a more normal tone of voice since they were away from Kylie.

“So, how did the date go?”

Sadie shrugged. “It was all right. They showed
To Have and Have Not
.”

“Really? Good one. Wish I could have seen it.”

“Maybe we can go another time,” Sadie suggested. “You, me, and Kylie.”

“That would be nice,” Jasper said as he paused at the hall closet to retrieve his jacket. He followed Sadie into the kitchen where she was leaning against the counter, staring off into the distance. He pulled on his coat and then touched her lightly on the arm. “Hey, is everything okay?”

She swiveled her head and looked him in the eye. “Jasper, am I… attractive?”

Something sparked in his eyes, a fire that made her unexplainably wary. “Sure, Sadie. Of course you are. Why?”

She purposefully dropped her gaze, wondering if maybe she should have kept her thoughts to herself. “No reason.”

Jasper cocked his head. “Did Dmitri say something to you? Something he shouldn’t have?”

Her eyes jumped back up to his. “What? No! I just wondered. That’s all.” She looked away again.

Jasper touched her cheek and slid his fingers down to her chin, drawing her face toward his. “Sadie, you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. Why do you think I never married? I’m still holding out for you.” He winked.

Her heart fluttered with a will of its own. She forced her voice to lighten as she said, “You don’t fool me, Jasper Reeves. I know you got dumped by your fiancée back in college.”

He clicked his tongue at her. “Ah, but maybe you don’t know the story as well as you think you do, Sadie Spencer. See,
I
broke it off with
her
.”

Sadie frowned, suddenly serious. “Are you kidding me? You never told me that.”

He shrugged and brushed back the hair from her eyes. “Doesn’t matter,” he answered.

“Yes, it does,” she persisted. “Why didn’t you ever tell me that?”

“Would it have made a difference?”

“What do you mean…made a difference?”

He shook his head. “Never mind.”

“Jasper—”

His expression silenced her. Suddenly she realized that he was standing extremely close. Not that it was unnatural for Jasper to stand close to her. But this was different. She felt soft and vulnerable at the moment, and Jasper’s hands still lingered on her face. She could feel his breath steaming the side of her cheek.

The words seemed to come from some dark well Sadie didn’t know existed. “Why haven’t you ever kissed me?” she asked him.

His lips turned upward a little bit into a slightly cocky, absolutely breathtaking grin. “I have kissed you, remember? Second grade, on the swings. You knocked me out cold. The school nurse thought you’d broken my nose.”

She laughed in such a low, gentle way that the air between them barely moved.

“So, what, you’re telling me you’re afraid of me?”

He wasn’t smiling anymore. “I’ve always been afraid of you, darling Sadie.”

He did it then, though she hadn’t quite been expecting it. His lips brushed hers as lightly as butterfly wings with a sweetness no sugar could replicate. She had never known this sensation before, not this. Nothing like this. Not this electrifying, flashing light of perception, as if the entire world had flamed like the touch of a match to newspaper. And like a match, the moment extinguished far too quickly.

Whatever he’d been anticipating, Sadie didn’t know if Jasper had realized his expectations or not. He pulled away and turned his face before she could read the emotion there. He left her with something about being back tomorrow in time for Kylie’s party.

Sadie listened as he stepped into the foyer and locked the door behind him. And suddenly, without him standing beside her, it was she who felt afraid.

There was only a half hour left until closing on Friday night when Mac Cameron entered Suncatchers and made his way to the counter. He slid onto a stool and waited patiently for the waitress to approach, a carafe of coffee in her hand.

She gestured toward a mug with a friendly smile, and he nodded, watching as she filled it to the brim.

“Welcome to Suncatchers. I’m Willow. What can I get you?” she questioned, not bothering to remove the pad from her apron.

Willow was pleasant and cheerful despite how near it was to closing time.

“I thought I’d have a go at the dessert menu,” he said.

This statement caused her to hesitate for a moment. “Um…sure.” She reached beneath the counter and had to search for several long moments before she could slide a menu in front of him.

“We don’t get many requests for the dessert menu,” Willow explained.

Mac studied the list, scanning the offerings thoughtfully.

“The chocolate cake is good,” Willow offered. She nibbled at her lower lip. “Really. It seriously is. Karl adds a little chili powder to the batter. I know it sounds a little ‘out there,’ but it really adds something.”

Mac’s eyebrows raised at this. “Chili powder?” He cleared his throat. “I thought Sadie created all the recipes here.”

“Oh.” Willow looked abashed. “She does. Pretty much. Only Karl… he knew it needed something else, so…he toyed with her recipe a little.” She eyed him with a vague sort of distrust shining through her eyes. “Um…do you know Sadie or something?”

Mac couldn’t stop the proud smile that broke through his normally somber expression. “I’m her father.”

Willow’s eyes widened in astonishment. “Seriously? Mac Cameron? I thought you were AWOL or whatever.”

He felt his smile melt and vanish as he dropped his head to look at the menu once more. “Yeah,” he murmured. “I was. For a while.” Gathering his determination, he lifted his head once more. “But I’m back now…for good.”

Willow studied him for a long moment and then grinned. “Good for you. Sadie’s gotta be thrilled.”

Mac didn’t respond to this, and Willow chattered on, “That granddaughter of yours is such a pistol! She keeps everyone on their toes. And you must be so proud of Sadie. She’s practically my role model after everything she’s been through—and then making a go of this place, to boot.” She gestured to the dining room at large.

Mac’s head looked down once more, and he struggled to keep his breathing even. These mentions of Sadie left him feeling winded and a little gloomy. He had missed out on so much. So, so much.

Trying to shake his melancholy, he said, “Chili powder, huh? Well. Not sure I’m up for that just yet. But I really wanted to try some of my daughter’s recipes. What else would you recommend?”

Willow leaned forward, her tone lowering. “Truthfully, if you want to try one of Sadie’s dishes, I’d recommend an entrée. Or an appetizer. Or even one of the sides. Just steer clear of the desserts, okay?”

He ran his eyes over the menu once more. “They can’t be so bad.”

“Oh, they’re not,” Willow hastened to reassure him. “It’s just, well, desserts aren’t really Sadie’s thing. That’s why Karl does
all
the baking and stuff around here.” Mac must have looked dismayed because she rushed ahead, “But all the other items on the menu are
brilliant
. Trust me.”

Reaching beneath the counter once more, she immediately drew out Suncatchers’ dinner menu and placed it before him. “You look like a meat-and-potatoes kind of guy. How about the beef-stuffed potatoes? Or the burger stroganoff? It’s got a reduced sherry base, and it’s absolutely to die for.”

“Sounds good,” Mac admitted, his mouth watering. “But you’re getting ready to close up soon…”

Willow waved a hand. “Are you kidding? You’re Sadie’s
dad
. I’m sure we can throw some stuff together before closing.” She looked around the dining room. “Besides, things have slowed up in the last twenty minutes. It’ll keep Jimmy on his toes.”

Still, Mac hesitated. “I wouldn’t want to inconvenience any of you. I just thought a cup of coffee and dessert would suit me—”

Willow clicked her tongue. “Trust me. Jimmy needs the practice.” She winked at him. “And I could use the tips.”

Mac relaxed. “All right, then. Bring me…” His eyes scanned the assorted offerings. “Um…”

Before he could make a decision, Willow whisked the menu out of his hands. “Don’t worry, Mr. Cameron. I’ve got it covered.”

He had no time to protest as she sashayed toward the kitchen, calling, “Hey, Jimmy, I hope you kept the grill hot!”

Mac Cameron ducked his head with a smile, a comfortable warmth settling in his stomach. For the first time perhaps ever, he felt like he was home.

Jasper had heard, from a buddy of his at the gas station, that Mac was renting a room at a motel on the outskirts of town and had taken a job at a local mechanic’s. Since his gas station friend was known as the touchstone for all sorts of local information, Jasper figured it must be true.

On Saturday morning he gave up on sleep as the sun peeked over the hillside, finally rising from bed and prowling his house for the better part of an hour as he thought about what to do.

He’d kissed Sadie last night.
Kissed
her.

But even that wasn’t nearly so spectacular as what had happened next.

Sadie had kissed him back.

Now Jasper was forced to consider a conclusion he’d been skirting for the better part of twenty years.

He was in love with his best friend.

Maybe it had happened over time or maybe it had really started when she’d first returned to Hershey three years ago or maybe it hadn’t been until she’d announced her date with Dmitri Velichko just this week, but the point was it had happened.

The lingering question was what he planned to do about it.

Sadie wasn’t exactly the type of woman to swoon over flowers and chocolates. They lived in Hershey, Pennsylvania, for crying out loud—chocolate was everywhere. But she
was
a woman, with certain triggers and emotions like any other. He could use that. He could do something about it.