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Authors: Darlene Panzera
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in human
form, and a troll. One woman referred to him as Robin Hood.”
“Because he steals from the rich and gives to the poor?” Rachel asked. “Our cupcakes
are rich, but we’ll be poor now that he’s given our cupcakes away.”
Kim hesitated. “He didn’t give them all away. He sold most of them . . . and pocketed
our money.”
Chapter Seven
----
Stolen kisses are always sweetest.
—Leigh Hunt
“S OMEONE TOOK C ASEY!” Mia cried, running across the tile floor of the cupcake shop.
Kim watched the tears roll down her niece’s cheeks and she dropped down on one knee
in front of the child to console her. “Where did you last see your doll?”
Mia looked around, as if puzzled. “I don’t know.”
“You had Casey with you yesterday at the festival,” Andi said, coming around the counter.
“Did you leave her there?”
Mia’s big blue eyes welled with more tears. “I don’t know.”
Andi glanced toward Jake’s daughter, Taylor, who was coloring with crayons at a table
by the front window. “Taylor, did you take Mia’s doll?”
Taylor shook her head. “No.”
“Must be the bandit,” Mia said, her lower lip wobbling.
Taylor agreed. “The Cupcake Bandit.”
“Should we offer a reward?” Kim suggested. “A free box of cupcakes to whoever finds
and returns Casey.”
Mia nodded.
“If you and Taylor draw reward posters, I’ll hang them up in the shop,” Kim told her.
The little girl dashed off to sit at the table with Taylor, and Andi brought them
two pieces of white paper.
“That will keep them busy for a while,” Andi said with a grin.
“Long enough for us to load the Cupcake Mobile for the festival,” Kim agreed. “Where’s
Rachel?”
“Right here,” Rachel sang, ushering her grandfather through the front door. “Had to
take Gramps to the doctor’s. He had a fever this morning. My mom’s coming by to get
him in ten minutes.”
Rachel seated him at a front table near the door by the girls, then noticed the new
vase of roses on the counter. “Well, well, Kim. What have we here?”
Kim rolled her eyes as Rachel counted the stems.
“Nathaniel sent six red roses. That means, ‘I want to be yours,’” Rachel teased.
“It doesn’t mean anything. Nathaniel isn’t looking for a relationship. He’s—” Kim
took a deep breath and steeled herself against their pity. “He’s going back to Sweden.”
“I’m so sorry,” Andi said, her voice barely audible.
Kim nodded and turned away, unable to look at her. “It’s okay, really. I’ve got my
job here . . . for at least two more weeks. And I’ve got my painting.”
“I really like this new one,” Rachel said, pointing to the fresh canvas on the easel.
The picture she’d painted of two people holding hands and looking up at the stars.
Kim squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, trying to block out the image, but Nathaniel’s
face appeared instead. How could he leave when she’d just found him? It all seemed
so unfair.
“I finished!” Mia called out and held up her colored paper. “Hang up my reward poster,
Aunt Kim.”
She retrieved a roll of tape and was in the middle of attaching the poster to the
front window when something hit the glass with a sharp bang.
“What was that?” Taylor asked.
“A bird,” Mia said, pressing her face against the pane. “I think it’s dead.”
Kim took an empty cupcake box off the back counter and went outside, followed by Mia
and Taylor. The little blackbird hadn’t died, but instead appeared stunned and was
on its side. When it righted itself and tried to fly, it fell back down.
“The bird’s alive,” she told them. “Just a hurt wing. In a few days our feathered
friend will fly as good as new.”
“Are you sure?” Mia asked.
No, she wasn’t sure. She wasn’t sure of anything anymore. In fact, she’d felt as dazed
as this little bird ever since Nathaniel told her he was going away. Would she ever
form, and a troll. One woman referred to him as Robin Hood.”
“Because he steals from the rich and gives to the poor?” Rachel asked. “Our cupcakes
are rich, but we’ll be poor now that he’s given our cupcakes away.”
Kim hesitated. “He didn’t give them all away. He sold most of them . . . and pocketed
our money.”
Chapter Seven
----
Stolen kisses are always sweetest.
—Leigh Hunt
“S OMEONE TOOK C ASEY!” Mia cried, running across the tile floor of the cupcake shop.
Kim watched the tears roll down her niece’s cheeks and she dropped down on one knee
in front of the child to console her. “Where did you last see your doll?”
Mia looked around, as if puzzled. “I don’t know.”
“You had Casey with you yesterday at the festival,” Andi said, coming around the counter.
“Did you leave her there?”
Mia’s big blue eyes welled with more tears. “I don’t know.”
Andi glanced toward Jake’s daughter, Taylor, who was coloring with crayons at a table
by the front window. “Taylor, did you take Mia’s doll?”
Taylor shook her head. “No.”
“Must be the bandit,” Mia said, her lower lip wobbling.
Taylor agreed. “The Cupcake Bandit.”
“Should we offer a reward?” Kim suggested. “A free box of cupcakes to whoever finds
and returns Casey.”
Mia nodded.
“If you and Taylor draw reward posters, I’ll hang them up in the shop,” Kim told her.
The little girl dashed off to sit at the table with Taylor, and Andi brought them
two pieces of white paper.
“That will keep them busy for a while,” Andi said with a grin.
“Long enough for us to load the Cupcake Mobile for the festival,” Kim agreed. “Where’s
Rachel?”
“Right here,” Rachel sang, ushering her grandfather through the front door. “Had to
take Gramps to the doctor’s. He had a fever this morning. My mom’s coming by to get
him in ten minutes.”
Rachel seated him at a front table near the door by the girls, then noticed the new
vase of roses on the counter. “Well, well, Kim. What have we here?”
Kim rolled her eyes as Rachel counted the stems.
“Nathaniel sent six red roses. That means, ‘I want to be yours,’” Rachel teased.
“It doesn’t mean anything. Nathaniel isn’t looking for a relationship. He’s—” Kim
took a deep breath and steeled herself against their pity. “He’s going back to Sweden.”
“I’m so sorry,” Andi said, her voice barely audible.
Kim nodded and turned away, unable to look at her. “It’s okay, really. I’ve got my
job here . . . for at least two more weeks. And I’ve got my painting.”
“I really like this new one,” Rachel said, pointing to the fresh canvas on the easel.
The picture she’d painted of two people holding hands and looking up at the stars.
Kim squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, trying to block out the image, but Nathaniel’s
face appeared instead. How could he leave when she’d just found him? It all seemed
so unfair.
“I finished!” Mia called out and held up her colored paper. “Hang up my reward poster,
Aunt Kim.”
She retrieved a roll of tape and was in the middle of attaching the poster to the
front window when something hit the glass with a sharp bang.
“What was that?” Taylor asked.
“A bird,” Mia said, pressing her face against the pane. “I think it’s dead.”
Kim took an empty cupcake box off the back counter and went outside, followed by Mia
and Taylor. The little blackbird hadn’t died, but instead appeared stunned and was
on its side. When it righted itself and tried to fly, it fell back down.
“The bird’s alive,” she told them. “Just a hurt wing. In a few days our feathered
friend will fly as good as new.”
“Are you sure?” Mia asked.
No, she wasn’t sure. She wasn’t sure of anything anymore. In fact, she’d felt as dazed
as this little bird ever since Nathaniel told her he was going away. Would she ever
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