one.”
I was tempted, but I honestly didn’t have much of an appetite. Just thinking about food made me visualize Peg sprawled out in the garden with one of my donuts clutched in her dead hand. Would I ever be able to look at another donut again without seeing that scene? I sincerely hoped so, or my business was in serious trouble.
I took a sip of the coffee, then said, “No, thanks. I’m good for now.”
My gaze was on the donut shop the entire time we spoke, where two police cruisers were still parked. I half-expected them to drape the front of the converted train depot with yellow warning tape, but at least they’d spared me that indignity.
The train car’s door opened, and I saw the good looking stranger come in. Instead of taking one of the booths in back, he surprised me by sliding onto a stool two spaces away from me.
“Mind if I join you?” he asked.
“Go right ahead.”
Trish came out, and the second she saw him, onehand went to her forehead to make sure her bangs were in place. I was surprised she didn’t take her ponytail down and brush her hair.
“Coffee?” she asked as she slid a cup and saucer in front of him.
“That would be nice,” he said, not paying much attention to her.
She made a show of placing a menu in front of him, though there was one wedged between the napkin dispenser and the pepper shaker.
He pushed it back. “Thanks, but the coffee’s all I need,” he said.
Trish collected the menu, then moved back a few steps where she could still see him.
The man turned to me and said, “What I really wanted this morning was one of your donuts. I couldn’t get inside, though.”
“Join the club,” I replied. “That’s why I’m here, too.”
“What happened?” He looked honestly interested.
“I don’t even know where to start,” I said.
He nodded. “Got you. Health code violation?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I said, not realizing just how harsh it would sound until I said it. In a calmer tone of voice, I said, “There was an accident somewhere else, and the police are making sure I wasn’t involved.”
“So they’re searching your shop? What happened, did someone eat a bad donut?”
It was clear that he’d been joking, but that was a lot closer to the truth than I was willing to deal with.
Suddenly, I had to get out of there before anyone could see me break down. I pushed my coffee awayand slid a dollar under the saucer. “If you’ll excuse me, there’s somewhere else I need to be.”
He said, “Hang on a second. I didn’t mean anything by it. It was just a joke.”
“I know,” I said as I paused at the door. “It’s just not all that funny right now.”
I was outside walking with vigorous steps to my shop when I heard someone running in the gravel behind me.
I turned and saw it was the stranger, but I made no move to slow my pace.
He caught up quickly enough, then as he matched my stride, he said, “Hang on a second. I’d like to talk to you.”
“It’s fine, really it is,” I said, hoping he’d get the hint and leave me alone.
He didn’t. He walked with me toward the donut shop, matching my steps. When we got to the parking lot, I looked in through one of the windows, but it didn’t appear the police were in any hurry to wrap up their search and leave.
“Now what?” he asked with a grin. “There’s nowhere else you can run.”
“I wasn’t running,” I said simply.
He frowned at that, then said, “We got off on the wrong foot today, didn’t we? Is there any chance we could just start over? I’m really sorry about the donut crack. That was uncalled for.” He offered a hand, then said, “My name’s David Shelby.”
I hesitated, then took it briefly. “You already know I’m Suzanne Hart.”
“Donut Hearts is the perfect name for your place.”
“I really like it.”
He looked at the building, studying the muted mustard brick veneer, the cedar red trim, and the expanses of glass. “It’s a fine old
I was tempted, but I honestly didn’t have much of an appetite. Just thinking about food made me visualize Peg sprawled out in the garden with one of my donuts clutched in her dead hand. Would I ever be able to look at another donut again without seeing that scene? I sincerely hoped so, or my business was in serious trouble.
I took a sip of the coffee, then said, “No, thanks. I’m good for now.”
My gaze was on the donut shop the entire time we spoke, where two police cruisers were still parked. I half-expected them to drape the front of the converted train depot with yellow warning tape, but at least they’d spared me that indignity.
The train car’s door opened, and I saw the good looking stranger come in. Instead of taking one of the booths in back, he surprised me by sliding onto a stool two spaces away from me.
“Mind if I join you?” he asked.
“Go right ahead.”
Trish came out, and the second she saw him, onehand went to her forehead to make sure her bangs were in place. I was surprised she didn’t take her ponytail down and brush her hair.
“Coffee?” she asked as she slid a cup and saucer in front of him.
“That would be nice,” he said, not paying much attention to her.
She made a show of placing a menu in front of him, though there was one wedged between the napkin dispenser and the pepper shaker.
He pushed it back. “Thanks, but the coffee’s all I need,” he said.
Trish collected the menu, then moved back a few steps where she could still see him.
The man turned to me and said, “What I really wanted this morning was one of your donuts. I couldn’t get inside, though.”
“Join the club,” I replied. “That’s why I’m here, too.”
“What happened?” He looked honestly interested.
“I don’t even know where to start,” I said.
He nodded. “Got you. Health code violation?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” I said, not realizing just how harsh it would sound until I said it. In a calmer tone of voice, I said, “There was an accident somewhere else, and the police are making sure I wasn’t involved.”
“So they’re searching your shop? What happened, did someone eat a bad donut?”
It was clear that he’d been joking, but that was a lot closer to the truth than I was willing to deal with.
Suddenly, I had to get out of there before anyone could see me break down. I pushed my coffee awayand slid a dollar under the saucer. “If you’ll excuse me, there’s somewhere else I need to be.”
He said, “Hang on a second. I didn’t mean anything by it. It was just a joke.”
“I know,” I said as I paused at the door. “It’s just not all that funny right now.”
I was outside walking with vigorous steps to my shop when I heard someone running in the gravel behind me.
I turned and saw it was the stranger, but I made no move to slow my pace.
He caught up quickly enough, then as he matched my stride, he said, “Hang on a second. I’d like to talk to you.”
“It’s fine, really it is,” I said, hoping he’d get the hint and leave me alone.
He didn’t. He walked with me toward the donut shop, matching my steps. When we got to the parking lot, I looked in through one of the windows, but it didn’t appear the police were in any hurry to wrap up their search and leave.
“Now what?” he asked with a grin. “There’s nowhere else you can run.”
“I wasn’t running,” I said simply.
He frowned at that, then said, “We got off on the wrong foot today, didn’t we? Is there any chance we could just start over? I’m really sorry about the donut crack. That was uncalled for.” He offered a hand, then said, “My name’s David Shelby.”
I hesitated, then took it briefly. “You already know I’m Suzanne Hart.”
“Donut Hearts is the perfect name for your place.”
“I really like it.”
He looked at the building, studying the muted mustard brick veneer, the cedar red trim, and the expanses of glass. “It’s a fine old
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