Read Online Bliss by Hilary Fields - Free Book Online Page A

have great instincts when it comes to men.”
    Unlike her niece, Serafina thought.
    â€œIt was no trouble, I assure you,” Asher demurred gallantly.
    Even the tiny half smile he offered was enough to threaten the steadiness of Serafina’s knees.
    â€œBliss here has been thinking of taking over the shop and turning it into a bakery,” the older woman informed Asher blithely.
    â€œThanks for spilling the beans on that one, Aunt Paulie,” Sera muttered with a wince. She wasn’t at all sure she was ready to share her secret hopes with the world just yet.
    Pauline just rolled her eyes at Sera’s modesty. “She’s a famous pastry chef back home,” Pauline further confided.
    Sera blushed.“Infamous, more like,” she mumbled, shooting Pauline a quelling glance.
    One slashing eyebrow rose beneath the hat. “Is that so?” Asher murmured.
    â€œOh, well, I… that is, yes, I was fairly well known in the industry at one time…” Sera muttered uncomfortably. “Laughingstock” would have been a better way to describe it. “As for opening a bakery, well, Pauline and I have discussed it briefly, and I’m really not sure yet, but I thought it would be worth taking a look at the space just to see… you know, whether it might be something I could try… that is, if it’s suitable…”
    Gawd, why am I blathering on like this?
    Maybe it was how fragile this opportunity felt, how badly she wanted the chance for something new, and how afraid she was that something would come along and dash her dream before she could even fully develop it in her mind’s eye. Maybe her hopes would sound foolish to him—a little girl’s fantasy of being surrounded by sweets and sweetness 24/7. Then again, the guy was practically wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the word “iconoclast.” And wasn’t she in a town famous for its free-spirited dreamers? If she were ever to find herself not judged for taking a flyer on an out-there idea, she had to hope it would be here, in the land of enchantment. But she’d get nowhere with a faint heart. Serafina took a deep breath.
    â€œWhat I mean to say is, yes, I might open my own business here if the conditions are right.” There, that sounded dignified, didn’t it?
    â€œIndeed?” Asher smiled politely. “I should enjoy hearing more about this venture sometime, Bliss.”
    Her heart fluttered. Wow, he sounded legitimately interested in her plans! Despite her determination not to let this ludicrously sexy man distract her, she couldn’t help feeling flattered. Then she mentally smacked herself upside the head. Duh, Sera. He probably just wanted to scope out whether she was going to be competition or good for his business, given that his own shop was located right next door. “Um, right, ah… thanks, yeah, I’ll be sure to let you know what I decide,” Sera muttered, going crimson for no particular reason she’d care to admit.
    â€œNow, where did I put those darn keys?” Pauline was muttering, fully engrossed in rummaging through her voluminous tapestry bag. Sera half expected her to pull a Mary Poppins and drag forth a lamppost or a midsized potted plant from that monstrous sack. “Dang it! I was so sure I swapped them from my big bag the other day. But maybe they’re still in Hortencia’s purse? Of all the stupid…”
    Pauline’s voice wobbled and her eyes threatened to well again.
    She’s going to have to talk about it sometime , Sera thought. But right now didn’t seem like the moment. Pauline would share her grief when she was ready. “That’s okay, Auntie,” she soothed. “We can come back tomorrow.”
    â€œNot necessary,” Asher said smoothly. “I have a set of keys.”
    Oh, right, he’d mentioned he had put their delivery inside the store, hadn’t he? So he must have his