Chapter 13
The squeal that came from the bathroom was my cue to leave. I chuckled to myself as I closed the door quietly and walked through the lobby to the parking lot.
When I overheard my parents inviting Pastor Walter and the entire Thompson family over for Sunday dinner at Gram’s, a war of emotions battled for the top spot. I was excited to spend more time with Karis, nervous for that time to be spent in the presence of both our families and annoyed at myself for being excited to see her. It’d taken every ounce of control I had to keep from stopping by the bakery every morning on the way to the station.
I didn’t want her to think I was stalking her, but I was slowly losing the battle to keep my distance. There was just something that drew me to her. I couldn’t quite put a finger on it, but I was getting very close to throwing caution to the wind and just going for it.
Not tonight. We didn’t need to complicate things and drag our families into it, but one day soon, I would convince her to let me take her out.
I dug through my front pocket, pulling out the keys to my SUV. As I slid in behind the wheel, I started the engine. I had no idea how long Karis would squeal in the bathroom with her sister, Eden. Still, having a warm vehicle for them to slip into was the kind thing to do.
It was December, and while it wasn”t freezing, Ashwood Falls could still get pretty cold in the winter. Some part of me wanted to ensure she was comfortable in my space. I felt this strong desire to make sure she was taken care of.
Again, feelings I wouldn”t allow myself to dwell on today.
I picked up my phone from the center console and opened the social media app I hardly used. I only had it to keep tabs on the things happening around town. I felt like it was my duty as the Sheriff to know what the kids were up to these days.
Today”s aimless scrolling had nothing to do with a certain blonde beauty occupying my mind more than I”d like to admit. Ignoring the words shouting at me to leave it alone, I pulled up Karis” page and looked around. From what I could tell, she didn”t seem active on this site either. She had tagged her bakery handle in her bio, which was probably what she used the app for.
I clicked on the link, bringing me to her Whisk Me Away account. The page was filled with pictures and videos of the bakery, her baking different things, and tips on how to make the best frosting or dough. She had more followers than I would have guessed since she only opened the shop two weeks ago. A weird sense of pride filled my chest. I was proud of her, and the feeling caught me off guard. It had been so long since I’d found genuine interest in a woman and her life, let alone being proud of her accomplishments.
The slight tap on my window startled me, causing me to drop my phone in my lap before rushing to turn off the screen. I took a second to berate myself for allowing someone to get the drop on me, even if I was only in the church parking lot.
I turned to spot a nervous-looking Karis bouncing her weight between her feet. She gave me a small wave of her delicate hand before pointing to the window.
I quickly hit the unlock button, allowing Karis and Eden to climb inside.
“Sorry about that,” I said gruffly once they were seated inside with the doors closed.
“All good, Sheriff,” Eden grinned from the back seat.
I turned my head and gave her a kind smile. Bringing my gaze back to Karis sitting in my front seat, I took a moment to take her in. Her hair was curled in loose waves that had quickly become my favorite way she styled her hair. Her head was bowed, pulling her chin close to her chest, and her hands were twined together in her lap.
The nervous energy was coming off her in waves, but I decided not to comment this time. If her sister hadn’t been sitting in the back seat, I would have taken the opportunity to needle her a little.
Instead, I cleared my throat, put my SUV in reverse, and pulled out of the church parking lot. I managed to sit in the comfortable silence for a few minutes before my curiosity won out.
”How”s the bakery doing? I haven”t had much time to stop by, but the line seems long every time I pass it on the street,” I said, taking a quick glance at Karis in my passenger seat before focusing my gaze back on the road. I couldn’t help but love the look of her over there in the passenger seat. In my passenger seat.
”Oh, yeah. I’m sure you are super busy, being the Sheriff and all. So many problems, so little time. I didn”t expect you to come in every day or anything,” she was rambling, and man, was it cute.
A cough from the backseat put an abrupt stop to her rambling. I heard a small sigh escape her lips before she continued.
”Anyways, the bakery is doing great! It”s far better than I could have imagined. There always seems to be a line when I open the doors each morning, and it continues through lunch before a small afternoon lull. The evenings aren”t as busy as the mornings, but I”ve still had quite the showing. The books and games on the built-in bookshelves aren”t doing as well as I”d like them to, but I really think all it would take is for one person to wander over there and pick a book to read. You know, when someone else does something everyone is thinking about doing, it allows them to follow suit,” I sat, a little shell-shocked at the volume of words that had just come from such a small person in such a short amount of time.
The way her eyes lit up while she talked would show anyone how passionate she was about the little space she’d created in this town.
I hummed in response, allowing my mind to wander back to the last time I was in the bakery. I remember the built-in bookshelves Karis was talking about. The last time I was in, they were filled with books of every genre you could imagine. They were also filled with board games, card games, and little trinkets as decorations artfully scattered across the shelves.
The idea that she was creating a space where people could escape was great. I could think of a handful of teenagers who could use a safe space to spend time when they didn’t want to go home after school. I was sure she would develop that culture in no time.
“Would you eventually like to hire help, or do you plan to run it alone for a while?” My question came out before I could think twice about it. My protective instinct was kicking in. I was worried she would work herself to the ground if she didn’t get help.
“I mean, I would like to hire some help, but at this point, the bakery is still so new I’m not sure if or when I’ll be able to swing it,” her voice was soft, if not a little tired.
“I’m sure you’ll be able to hire some help soon if you keep up the momentum you’ve had so far. Also, with the holidays approaching, everyone loves a good holiday treat while out Christmas shopping!” Eden chimed in from the backseat, reminding me of her presence.
I kept my mouth shut because I didn’t want to come off like an overbearing jerk, but I would step in if she didn’t move toward getting some help after the holidays. For now, I would keep my ear out for any teenage girls looking for part-time work that didn’t pay much but gave them something to do. There were a few that came to mind immediately.
The gravel crunched beneath my tires as I pulled slowly down Gram’s driveway. Everyone must have already been here because the side of Gram’s house was packed with cars.
“Wow. This house is beautiful,” Karis whispered, almost as if she was talking to herself.
“It is,” my deep voice caused her to jump. Turning to face me, she gave me a small smile.
It wasn’t her real one, but I would take what I could get at this point.
We all climbed out of the SUV and headed for the front porch. I could already tell the noise level would be off the charts as soon as we opened the door. With my brothers involved, there was no chance of a quiet Sunday evening. Most times, I wouldn’t have it any other way. But today, I didn’t want them to scare Karis off.
“You ready for this?” I asked with a slight shake of my head.
The sisters traded a look before Karis straightened her spine and gave me a confident nod.
I swung the door open, adjusting to the voices seeming to bounce off the walls all around us. I took a deep breath before going through the living room and to the kitchen.
“We’re here,” I said over the increasing volume.
All eyes were now on me as I stood between the living room and the kitchen. I glanced back to see Karis and Eden standing arm-in-arm behind me with a deer-in-headlights look.
“Hey, girls!” Walter greeted his daughters as he rounded the kitchen island and pulled them each in for a hug.
“Hey, Dad,” Eden smiled.
“Hi, Dad. Good message today,” Karis said, giving him a wide smile.
That wasn’t the smile she gave me before we got out of my SUV, and, man, it did make me want to do something to be on the receiving end of that smile. It was a smile that could bring a man to his knees. She was breathtaking.
How would I make it through this night without staring at her the whole time?
Knock it off, Brant.