Read Online Sparks Fly with Mr. Mayor by Teresa Carpenter - Free Book Online Page A

to learn new words and repeat the forbidden; she’d wrap this conversationback on itself several times if Dani let her, sneaking the bad word in a couple of more times with creative flair.
    Dani knew exactly when she had made the fatal slip. In late summer they’d been at Sullivan’s Garden and Landscaping to pick up some potting soil and a few fall blooms. The place was huge, not only rows of plants, but fields, including a hillside of budding pumpkins and a pine forest of Christmas trees. Sullivan’s catered to both the home gardener and professionals.
    It had been hot that day and in the distance a man in a wide-brimmed hat had worked the pumpkin patch. He wore a sleeveless white tank, low-riding jeans and gardening gloves. Tanned and fit, his arms flexed with muscles as he labored. Her gaze had been drawn to him again and again. She especially enjoyed the back view when he bent or squatted to work the field.
    She didn’t remember admiring his backside out loud, but evidently she had. She did remember lingering over her choice of plants longer than necessary hoping to catch a glimpse of his face, but he’d stayed on the hillside.
    Lord save her, she now knew she’d been ogling Cole Sullivan, which twisted her up in so many knots. How much easier her life had been when he was simply a fantasy in a pumpkin patch.
    His kiss haunted her. In those few minutes she’d felt alive again, as if life had meaning and purpose,as if she were young with a promising future. She’d longed to leap through the door and grab a hold of him with both arms.
    At the same time everything in her wanted to cling to the past, to the memory of the husband she’d loved and lost too soon. She couldn’t let him go, who else would keep him alive for Faith?
    With that thought she turned her attention back to her baby and tried to regain control of the situation.
    â€œMommy shouldn’t have said that word either. Especially not when big ears could hear.” She tugged on tiny earlobes.
    Faith giggled and covered her ears. “I don’t have big ears.” She grinned at Dani. “You didn’t think I was hearing, but I was.”
    â€œListening,” Dani automatically corrected her. “You were listening.”
    â€œWhat does lissening mean?”
    â€œListening—” Dani emphasized the pronunciation— “means when you hear something, you’re paying attention.”
    â€œYep, I was lissening,” she confirmed, plopping on her rear end to put on her shoes, pink Mary Janes with princess tiaras on the heels.
    â€œAnd you’re listening now, too, when Mommy is telling you not to say that word again, right?”
    â€œYes, Mommy. Is this the right foot?” And that was that, life moved on. At least for Faith. And, of course, it wasn’t the right foot, Faith being a little dyslexic when it came to her feet.
    Soon they were loaded into the car, tooling along to Sullivan’s Garden and Landscaping.
    Thoughts of escaping to a commercial pumpkin lot in El Cajon or San Diego tempted Dani, but it smacked of cowardice. Because she wouldn’t be taking Faith to have fun in the big jumping balloon or to play the carnival games. No, she’d be fleeing the prospect of running into Cole.
    She hadn’t seen him to talk to since he’d kissed her on her doorstep a week ago. He’d stopped by her shop to see her, but she’d been out to the bank. He hadn’t left a message, and he hadn’t come back.
    She’d been totally and inappropriately disappointed she’d missed him. Which was exactly why she was avoiding him.
    But not today. She wanted Faith to have the organic experience of picking a pumpkin from a real pumpkin patch. The two of them spent a lot of time in their tiny yard, building a garden that was both beautiful to look at and fun to play in. Dani did most the work and Faith most of the playing, and that suited Dani just fine.