Read Online Salt Water Taffie (Boardwalk Brides Book 1) by Janice Thompson - Free Book Online Page A

thought maybe she could hang out with you and your mom while I replace the part on the machine.”
    “Mind? Are you kidding?” Taffie’s broad smile brought a rush of joy to his heart. “In case you haven’t figured it out by now, I love kids.”
    “Yes, I figured that out, which is exactly whyI didn’t mind bringing her. And besides ”─ he grinne d─ “I have it on good authority she’s starving for ice cream. Rocky Road, to be precise.”
    “We just happen to have the best on the boardwalk!” Taffie assured him.
    “The best in the country!” Mrs. Carini’s voice rang out from the other side of the room. Ryan looked over and discovered her standing behind the espresso maker.
    Mr. Carini took another peek outside before throwing in his two cents worth. “We might be the best ice cream and candy store on the boardwalk, but not for long, if we don’t get busy. C’mon, son, let’s go fix that machine.”
    Before heading into the back room, Ryan looked out the front window. The skies overhead were an odd yellow-gray. Not a color he saw very often. And even from where he stood, he took note of the rollicking waves.
    “You go on now and get that machine up and running,” Mrs. Carini said. “No point in standing around waiting for the skies to clear. God’s got this storm under control.”
    Funny. He wasn’t sure how to take the word storm . And if Taffie’s mom—the whimsical candy-maker-turned-espresso-aficionado—had her way, he’d have the taffy machine fixed long before the rain started.
    A crash of thunder convinced him otherwise. Within seconds, a streak of lightning lit the place from the outside in. Yikes.
    Casey clapped her hands together. “Ooo, a storm! I love storms!”
    “Me, too,” Mrs. Carini agreed. “But they’re better when you spend them with a friend. So, come on back here behind the counter and help me scoop up some Rocky Road.”
    “Really?” Casey’s eyes widened.
    “Well, of course,” Mrs. Carini said. “What good is a storm if you don’t spend it eating ice cream?”
    Casey squealed her delight and disappeared behind the ice cream counter just as Ryan slipped into the back room. Off in the distance, he caught a glimpse of Taffie’s sparkling eyes and wide smile. She mouthed the words, “Thank you,” and he nodded in her direction. His heartbeat jumped to double-time. Something about that girl just sent him reeling. Perhaps, when this was all over with, he might work up the courage to ask her out.
    Right now. . .well, right now he had to slay a few dragons.

 
    NINE
     
    Ryan celebrated alongside the Carini family as he and Carl Carini got the taffy machine up and running. Almost immediately, he started packing up his tools. Storm clouds hovered and the night skies beckoned. He needed to get Casey home. . .and quick.
    “What? Leaving so soon?” Mr. Carini’s smiled shifted into a frown. “No way! You two stick around and we’ll make a little taffy. It’s time to introduce both of you to Carini’s Candy world.”
    The man’s enthusiastic response put Ryan in mind of Willy Wonka. Taffie’s father truly did have sugar running through his veins. But what about the storm? Should Ryan mention they probably only had minutes before it hit?
    “Follow me, kiddos.” With the wink of an eye, Mr. Carini led the way to the cupboard, pulling out bags of sugar.
    Ryan and Casey watched in awe as Taffie and her father went to work mixing up corn syrup and sugar in a huge metal pan on the stove. With a deep sigh, Ryan realized he probably wouldn’t be going anywhere, at least for a while. Then again, as he watched Taffie at work, he didn’t really mind.
    “We’ll add a bit of water to this mixture, and a pinch of salt.” Mr. Carini made quite a show out of tossing in the white grains of salt.
    “Oh!” Casey pulled a lollypop out of her mouth. “Is that why they call it salt water taffy?”
    Mr. Carini turned to her, eyes wide. “You mean to tell me you’re an