“What a unique-looking dessert.” Arianna took a small bite of the pudding. Her face suddenly lit up. “Wow, so tasty!”
“It’s cranberry sponge pudding,” Mark explained. “It’s a vintage Christmas dessert recipe from the early twentieth century. I’ve always been a fan of classic Christmas recipes.”
“It tastes like something my grandma would’ve made. And she was such an amazing cook.”
Mark nodded. “Mine, too. I guess it’s one of the reasons I enjoy making older recipes. They made some tasty desserts back then.”
Arianna finished her dessert then sipped her wine. “Thank you for all this. I’ve never had a finer meal.”
Mark chuckled. “So, does that mean I passed your test?”
She gave him a dubious look. “There was never a test, but I did enjoy this. And I’d be more than happy to have you volunteer your time.”
Mark silently celebrated. At last, he would be able to work beside the amazing woman who was beginning to capture his heart. “Thanks for giving me a chance.”
Her face softened. “No, thank you. The Christmas parade is tomorrow night, and I’m anticipating getting slammed again, so I’ll be at it extra early in the morning.”
He nodded. “Sounds good. I promise to be there bright and early.”
She scooted her chair back and stood. “I should head home. Thank you for the wonderful dinner.”
Mark got up as well. “I’ll walk you home. It’s late.” He suddenly glimpsed Paulette shuffling into the next room. She caught his eye, and a wide smile parted her lips.
“Oh, goodness,” Paulette said, coming in. “Leaving already?” She looked at Arianna innocently. “I do hope you enjoyed your visit, young lady.”
Arianna grinned. “I did. Thank you for your hospitality. This bed-and-breakfast is so homey and cozy. I love how you’ve decorated for the holidays.”
“Of course, dear. No one does Christmas better than I do.” Paulette winked.
Mark raised his eyebrows at the older woman, who began clearing the table. Impeccable timing. I wonder if she was eavesdropping all this time.
Paulette paused from her work and placed her hand on Mark’s shoulder. “Why don’t you be a gentleman and walk this nice lady home, hmm?” She winked at him.
Warmth spread across Mark’s face. He looked over at Arianna, who smiled back, a hint of amusement in her dark-brown eyes.
They walked down the sidewalk and farther into the small neighborhood, passing more houses decorated as if there were a competition for the brightest, most extravagant house. Arianna walked beside him with her hands shoved in her coat pockets. He wished he could hold her hand as they walked, but she still seemed unsure of him. That was understandable. One dinner date might not have been enough to convince her, but he wasn’t going to give up.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” Arianna asked wistfully, nodding toward a yard covered in multicolored lights. Their glow bounced off the blanket of snow like colorful twinkling stars. “This must be the brightest street in the neighborhood.”
Mark glanced at the house, impressed with the workmanship, but his eyes couldn’t help drifting to her profile. Wisps of her thick, curly hair poked out from beneath her knitted hat and caught snowflakes. The glow of the lights dancing off her bronze skin accented her serene beauty.
They turned down another block and walked to the end of the street to a small blue colonial-style home—the only one of the surrounding houses that wasn’t decorated.
“I figured this was your house,” he joked.
She let out an airy laugh. “How did you know?”
“Because I can already tell you’re a hardworking pastry chef, and you probably have never given yourself a long-enough break to decorate your house.”
“You guessed right. House decorating takes time, which I don’t have after coming home from an exhausting workday.”
He stood at the bottom of the stairs and watched her walk up the stoop. “Did you at least put up a Christmas tree?”
She turned and shook her head, pursing her lips. She took her hands out of her pockets, one of them holding her house key.
He eyed her free hand before staring at her face. Then he slowly ascended the stairs. “Maybe I can help you decorate sometime.”
She turned her head away as he joined her at the top of the stoop. “Who knows when that will happen.”
He studied her hand again then slowly took it. “Whenever you want.”
Her gaze bounced back to him then down at their clasped hands. He gave her a small, reassuring squeeze. Mark could sense the wheels turning in her mind. Even beneath her gloves, he could feel the gentle warmth of her hand. She was clearly still unsure about him, but he wouldn’t give up.
Finally, with a faint smile, Arianna slipped her hand out of his and turned to the door. “Thank you again for dinner and the nice walk. I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow.”
His heart stung with a slight feeling of disappointment. He stood back and watched her go inside. “Anytime. I promise to be there early. Have a good night.”
She closed the door behind her, and Mark stood there for several moments, staring at the door, wondering if a relationship could ever be possible for the two of them.
Chapter 4
Early the next morning, as Arianna walked through the square, she overheard Raina, the local bookseller, telling an elderly couple about “that celebrity chef” staying at the bed-and-breakfast. It must’ve really been a slow news day in town when that was all that was being drummed up. Arianna couldn’t deny that Mark was an excellent chef—last night’s dinner had been absolute perfection. But Mark also seemed to be just a normal guy on vacation. She couldn’t get attached to him when his stay was temporary. She’d convinced herself of that when he’d walked her home. While it was a sweet gesture, and she was grateful, she was finished with experiencing heartbreak. She was determined to push from her mind that fateful day three years ago when she’d found out her boyfriend and college sweetheart was cheating on her. He’d stretched himself thin with obligations, so she’d figured he was just a kind man with a big heart. Her naivete had caused her pain, and she escaped far away from her ex and discovered this quaint, peaceful town of White Pine, which she’d since called home.
Today was the Christmas parade, which meant the town square would be extra busy. Arianna planned to make triple the amount of her treats. She didn’t want a repeat of yesterday.
Not waiting on Mark to arrive, Arianna got to work. During the holidays, her shop opened at noon, which gave her ample time to prepare. But she wasn’t sure if five hours would be nearly enough time for her to make so many batches. While the ovens heated, she constructed the pastries from doughs she’d prepared the previous night. Dozens of cake, cookie, and cupcake pans sat on the counter, ready to be filled with her sweet masterpieces.
An hour passed. She’d finished preparing six batches of sweets and glanced toward the door, catching a glimpse of bundled-up passersby. Still no sign of Mark. She frowned. She didn’t want to believe he’d forgotten already. Perhaps he’d simply overslept. She averted her thoughts and cut her gaze to the rest of her shop’s interior. She’d been so caught up with her work, she’d neglected to put up the Christmas decorations, save for a lone small paper Christmas tree sitting on the front counter.