Twenty-Six
S cott pulled his car into the parking lot behind the bakery and looked over at Lauren.
She leaned across the front seat of the car and kissed Scott’s cheek. After everything that happened during the day, from asking him out for a dessert date to looking at houses with him, and then going to his hotel room, she didn’t want it to end.
Today was arguably the best day of her life.
He turned his face and brushed his lips against hers, and she pulled back enough to rub her nose against his and grinned.
“What do you say about me making you dinner tonight?” She’d understood he was staying at The Lakes, but she hadn’t considered that he didn’t have a kitchen, which was why they always went out for dinner or got something to go. It was time to give Scott something back. “I’ll run to the grocery store and get us something and make it here. I won’t make you sit through dinner with my father.”
Scott stretched his body in the driver’s seat and pulled his money clip from his pocket. Counting out a few bills, he reached out to give them to her.
Lauren shook her head. “This is my treat.”
“Lauren…” Scott all but sighed as he said her name. “I have no desire to visit the grocery store after my last trip there. I spent more time avoiding sympathetic people who I haven’t seen in years offering me condolences for a man I don’t care died. Let me do the buying since you’re doing the flying. Grab some steaks and I’ll get a charcoal grill we can put in the parking lot here.”
It was strange, considering everything that had happened earlier, but she took the money from him. There was no way she could afford the quality of steaks Scott wanted and was used to. If it wasn’t on sale, it didn’t go in the grocery cart and with red meat, even when on sale, the nicer cuts of steak were out of her budget.
Scott placed his thumb under her chin and lifted her face until her gaze met his. “You’re going to have to get used to me spoiling you.”
He had a point. Her pride might not be thrilled, but then her pride couldn’t pay for the filet or tenderloin he surely preferred. Pride would just have to sit in the back of her mind and pout.
Scott was looking at her as though waiting for her to respond. Not knowing what else to do, she nodded.
He kissed her again, this one long and slow and full of hints of what would come later if she let him do whatever it was, he needed to do. Reluctantly she pulled away from him and climbed out of the car, closing the door behind her.
He waited until she was inside the bakery before he pulled out onto the road. She knew because she peeked out the front window and watched him drive away.
Lauren turned around to the expectant stares of three women.
“Elizabeth, why aren’t you in school?”
“Field trip, and I didn’t have to go because the other teacher went and there were more parents who wanted to go.” She raised her hands and made finger quotes in the air. “I was told I could instead stay back to work on lesson plans.”
“So, where’d he take you?” Melody bounced up and down on her toes from behind the counter.
“We looked at houses.”
Olivia looked up from her phone screen. Her eyes went wide, and her eyebrows shot high on her forehead. “He did?”
“I think he’s going to make an offer on one. He needed to drop the keys back at Dave’s and then get some work done.” She added an explanation for his absence before any of her friends could question why Scott didn’t come into the bakery with her.
She pulled a clean apron over her head and tied it behind her back and watched them while waiting for the next question. Without anything better to do, she began counting. When she reached forty-five, Elizabeth didn’t disappoint her.
“So, when are you seeing him next?”
“We’re having dinner. Here.” She grinned at all three of them. “I’d ask you to join us, but I don’t want any company.”
“Well, none of us want to be a third wheel. So, not disappointed.” Olivia answered.
“Here?” Melody looked around the shop. “Why here and not at your house?”
“Well, I live with my dad, and it would be kind of awkward having him lurking in the background and it’s not like I can make dinner for him at the hotel. And I need to go to the grocery store.” She smiled at Melody. “Do you mind closing up?”
Melody grinned at her. “Not at all.”