lips in an echo of their kiss—“is why I’m not coming in.”
Enough said.
He pulled her close again and, for one moment, Sadie held her breath, but instead of kissing her again, Erik unlocked the front door, thanks to the key that was waiting in the lock.
“I really enjoyed myself tonight.” Sadie half-closed the door.
Erik’s eyes glinted in the porch light. “I did too. And the dancing was fun too.”
The sound of Erik’s laughter slid into the house as she closed the door. Sadie leaned against the door, embracing the memory of his kiss.
W hat was Erik doing standing outside Whole Foods Market in the middle of the day, wearing his dark gray coat with the red plaid scarf she’d given him last Christmas, and holding two insulated cups, one of which he raised and tipped oh-so-slightly in her direction?
Sadie forced herself to maintain a slow pace. There would be no running across this parking lot, not with a light dusting of snow slicking the surface. She wasn’t going to do a face plant in front of him, thank you very much.
“For me?”
“Yes—you’re the one who muddies a good cup of coffee with milk and sugar. And I asked the barista to heat your cream before adding it to the coffee.” As he handed her the unexpected treat, he leaned in and brushed a kiss across her lips as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Sadie spoke once she caught her breath. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, you mentioned you had to shop for the Coopers when we talked earlier. I thought I’d tag along. Push your cart.”
Sweet—but Erik was going to be a huge distraction. Sadie needed to focus on her list, not the man next to her, who’d snagged a black metal cart from the corral by the front door.
“Where to? Fruits and veggies? Seafood? Desserts? Frozen foods?”
“I don’t know if this is a good idea. I have a system I like to follow . . .”
“Of course you do. Just consider me your shadow. I’ll tag along—all that I’m in charge of is pushing the cart and refilling your coffee. I won’t say another word.”
Erik controlled himself while she scanned her list: tritip roast, chicken Florentine, smoked garlic stuffed prime rib, handmade wild mushroom truffle pesto ravioli, and duck confit. The produce section proved his downfall.
“You know I can juggle, right?” Erik sorted through a pile of oranges, selecting three, and began tossing them in the air, increasing his speed.
“Yes, I know you can juggle.”
“Toss me another one.”
“I’m shopping.” Sadie was on the hunt for fresh herbs: thyme, sage, parsley, rosemary, and tarragon. “If you keep talking to me, I’m going to forget something.”
“Come on—toss me another one.”
A small group of children gathered around him. Sadie tossed him another orange. Let him entertain kiddos. She had work to do.
Erik found her in the market’s expansive cheese area.
“Hey. Sorry about that.”
“It’s okay.” Sadie added Pecorino cheese to her cart. “I’m just on a tight schedule today.”
“Don’t you usually shop and then go home and do prep?”
“Yes. But I’m meeting Justin Boyle at The Tattered Cover later.”
“Oh?”
“He’s one of the single dads in the cooking class I teach at the church. You know him—he makes custom fishing rods. He wants to start cooking regular meals for his son—get away from fast food and chicken nuggets. So he asked me to meet him at five and help him find a good beginner’s cookbook.”
“Why don’t you just give him one of your cookbooks?” Erik stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets. “You’ve got enough.”
“I have a collection—not a lending library.” Sadie added a brick of Fontina cheese to the supplies. “Oh, no turning my books upside down. Not nice.”
“Took you long enough to notice. What was that—two weeks?”
“I noticed two days later—I’ve just been busy.”
“So you and Justin are going on a date, huh?”
“I don’t think it’s a
Enough said.
He pulled her close again and, for one moment, Sadie held her breath, but instead of kissing her again, Erik unlocked the front door, thanks to the key that was waiting in the lock.
“I really enjoyed myself tonight.” Sadie half-closed the door.
Erik’s eyes glinted in the porch light. “I did too. And the dancing was fun too.”
The sound of Erik’s laughter slid into the house as she closed the door. Sadie leaned against the door, embracing the memory of his kiss.
W hat was Erik doing standing outside Whole Foods Market in the middle of the day, wearing his dark gray coat with the red plaid scarf she’d given him last Christmas, and holding two insulated cups, one of which he raised and tipped oh-so-slightly in her direction?
Sadie forced herself to maintain a slow pace. There would be no running across this parking lot, not with a light dusting of snow slicking the surface. She wasn’t going to do a face plant in front of him, thank you very much.
“For me?”
“Yes—you’re the one who muddies a good cup of coffee with milk and sugar. And I asked the barista to heat your cream before adding it to the coffee.” As he handed her the unexpected treat, he leaned in and brushed a kiss across her lips as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Sadie spoke once she caught her breath. “What are you doing here?”
“Well, you mentioned you had to shop for the Coopers when we talked earlier. I thought I’d tag along. Push your cart.”
Sweet—but Erik was going to be a huge distraction. Sadie needed to focus on her list, not the man next to her, who’d snagged a black metal cart from the corral by the front door.
“Where to? Fruits and veggies? Seafood? Desserts? Frozen foods?”
“I don’t know if this is a good idea. I have a system I like to follow . . .”
“Of course you do. Just consider me your shadow. I’ll tag along—all that I’m in charge of is pushing the cart and refilling your coffee. I won’t say another word.”
Erik controlled himself while she scanned her list: tritip roast, chicken Florentine, smoked garlic stuffed prime rib, handmade wild mushroom truffle pesto ravioli, and duck confit. The produce section proved his downfall.
“You know I can juggle, right?” Erik sorted through a pile of oranges, selecting three, and began tossing them in the air, increasing his speed.
“Yes, I know you can juggle.”
“Toss me another one.”
“I’m shopping.” Sadie was on the hunt for fresh herbs: thyme, sage, parsley, rosemary, and tarragon. “If you keep talking to me, I’m going to forget something.”
“Come on—toss me another one.”
A small group of children gathered around him. Sadie tossed him another orange. Let him entertain kiddos. She had work to do.
Erik found her in the market’s expansive cheese area.
“Hey. Sorry about that.”
“It’s okay.” Sadie added Pecorino cheese to her cart. “I’m just on a tight schedule today.”
“Don’t you usually shop and then go home and do prep?”
“Yes. But I’m meeting Justin Boyle at The Tattered Cover later.”
“Oh?”
“He’s one of the single dads in the cooking class I teach at the church. You know him—he makes custom fishing rods. He wants to start cooking regular meals for his son—get away from fast food and chicken nuggets. So he asked me to meet him at five and help him find a good beginner’s cookbook.”
“Why don’t you just give him one of your cookbooks?” Erik stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets. “You’ve got enough.”
“I have a collection—not a lending library.” Sadie added a brick of Fontina cheese to the supplies. “Oh, no turning my books upside down. Not nice.”
“Took you long enough to notice. What was that—two weeks?”
“I noticed two days later—I’ve just been busy.”
“So you and Justin are going on a date, huh?”
“I don’t think it’s a
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