Before she went to the Pig for Angela, Ella decided to take some of the cakes and scones she’d made to Ava’s new tearoom. Angela can wait. It won’t kill her.
The tearoom was busy, but not overly so. Ella was happy to see Ava behind the counter. She was making a latte, Dylan sitting close by, watching her. As he always does.
Ella held up the two pastry boxes. “I brought you a few things.”
Ava brightened. “Gimme!” She took the boxes and opened them eagerly.
Ella slid onto a stool. “Hi, Dylan.”
“Good morning!” He grinned, his teeth white against his auburn beard.
Ella didn’t know many auburn-haired men, but Dylan’s rugged good looks made her think of Jamie from Outlander. Ava was a lucky woman, whether she knew it or not.
He held up his mug of coffee. “Did you come to try Ava’s Americano? It’s divine.”
“I haven’t tried it yet, but I will.” Ella looked around, admiring anew all the little touches Ava had implemented. “It’s a lovely place.” She glanced over at Dylan. “Ava says you’re a terrific contractor.”
He looked pleased as he turned to look around the room with her. “This was one of the most satisfying jobs I’ve ever done. Ava was determined to keep the historic details intact.”
“She’s got an eye for it.”
His gaze returned to Ava, and he said in a wistful tone, “She’s good at everything.”
Wow. He’s crazy about her. I hope she decides to give this relationship a chance. Ella thought Dylan was perfect for Ava—he was smart, kind, and as dedicated to this little town as she was. Ava’s heart was here in Dove Pond, and it was here she’d stay. It’s different for me. I’ve never met a guy who made me want to stay in the same place for more than a month.
Ava closed the door to the pastry case and rejoined them. “Those will come in handy this weekend. There’s going to be a Labor Day parade and everything.”
“A market-forward day,” Dylan said with an understanding nod.
“Exactly!” Ava beamed at Ella. “How much do I owe you?”
“Nothing. I was bored this morning, so…” She waved at the full case.
“Can I at least fix you a caramel macchiato? I know how you love those.”
Ella could never say no to caramel anything. “Oh yes! In a to-go cup, if you don’t mind.”
While Ava fixed her drink, Dylan said, “I heard you sold your pie company. Kristen loves the Ella Dove apple crumb pie. She gets one from the Piggly Wiggly about every other week.”
“I should make her a real one while I’m here. It’s much better than the manufactured ones.” That predictable loss of quality had been her only reluctance in selling her company. The pies were still good and got rave reviews, but the corporate bakers didn’t have the Dove family magic or Ella’s deft use of spices.
Ava brought the macchiato and set it in front of Ella. “I’m excited I’ll be able to offer my customers a genuine Ella Dove patisserie experience while you’re here. I’m going to make a sign for the case so they know it.”
Dylan grinned. “Charging extra?”
“Of course. I would never dishonor my sister by not doubling the prices for her bakery items.”
Ella thought that was only fair. “I’m heading to the grocery store here in a few minutes. Do you need anything?”
“Yes! Three bottles of honey, the local kind. Oh, and a large thing of cinnamon.”
Ella pulled her pen from her purse and added honey and cinnamon to her list. “Got it. I’ll be back soon. Dylan, don’t drink all of Ava’s espresso while I’m gone. Save some for the customers.”
He chuckled. “I’ll try.”
She was still smiling, her list in her hand, as she walked out of the door and turned down the sidewalk on her way to her car. Chuckling a little at the realization that getting both Angela’s and Ava’s sweets at the grocery store would make her look like a bingeing diabetic to the teenager at the cash register, Ella was just starting to take a sip of her drink when she ran into a wall.
It wasn’t a real wall, but a person so tall and so broad shouldered that he seemed rock solid. She held her cup away from her, macchiato dripping over her hand. She muttered an annoyed “Great!” under her breath as she checked to be sure she hadn’t gotten any on her coat.
“Ella?”
She knew that voice. Surprised, she looked up and had to shade her eyes against the late-morning sun that outlined the man in front of her. “Gray?”
He laughed and moved to the side so she wasn’t staring directly into the sunlight. “How are you?”
Good Lord. He’d been in shape when they’d dated before, in a tall and lanky way that she’d found adorable. But he looked different now. He’d bulked up, grown some muscles, and had bulges in all the right places. In just a few short years, he’d gone from a light and refreshing lemonade to an expensive, smoky whiskey. And oh, how she loved a nice glass of whiskey on a cold night.
It was funny, but though they’d been good friends in high school, she’d never thought of him as dateable until they’d met up at Angela’s house in the Hamptons a few years ago. As a teenager, he’d been a dark and gloomy sort of nerd, too smart for his own good and as tightly wound as a spring. They’d been instant friends, but little else.
Still, they’d grown close over the years, and she’d told him things she’d never told anyone else—about missing her dad, how she wished her Dove magic was something other than making really good cupcakes, and everything else she was going through. For her, Gray was a perfect friend. He listened, sympathized, and never judged. And she did the same for him.
She’d always liked him, although he experienced life far more intensely than she did. He was tortured by his own thoughts, caught in a well of anxiety brought on by his own father’s death, something she could commiserate with in ways few other people around them could. Unlike his overly protective mother, Ella had accepted and understood his struggles, even though they were vastly different from her own.
But the whole “best but only friends” thing changed when Ella saw him in the Hamptons. As an adult, Gray was no longer shy or retiring or even nerdy. Sure, he was a chemist, but he exuded an air of confidence, which, combined with his smoldering good looks and quick sense of humor, had slayed her. They’d had an instant attraction they’d never had when they were younger.
But now? Lord help her, but he looked fine. Mighty, mighty fine.
Gray smiled, his eyes crinkling. “I heard you were in town.”
“You…” She had to dampen her dry lips before she could continue. “Hi.”
His smile broadened. “Hi.”
She tore her gaze from his face and noticed that his red T-shirt was damp down the front and he wore running shoes. To her chagrin, she heard herself say pointlessly, “You’ve been running.”
“There’s a trail through the park. I was just on my way back to my truck.”
She nodded, as if that was what she’d thought he’d say. “I’d heard you’d moved back, but I hadn’t seen you around.” Mainly because she’d been avoiding him. She’d thought this meeting would be awkward for him, but for some reason it seemed that she was the only one talking in a hopelessly breathless voice.