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The modern yellow crime scene tape, roping off the area around the woodworking shop, looked vastly out of place after spending the better part of the day in the nineteenth century, and further reminded her of her part in what had happened. Guilt ate a small hole in her soul. Dylan and Hunter didn’t deserve this complication.
Her level of lust almost wasn’t enough to overcome the guilt she felt. Almost. The idea that she was more attached than she was currently willing to admit made Lilianna regroup her feelings. She glanced at the clock on the steeple of the church a ways down the street. With twenty minutes before her meeting date at the bank, Lilianna decided to pop in and visit the candy store.
She’d saved the best for last.
The scent of chocolate guided her to the door directly across from Hunter’s place. She went inside to discover what was available on her own, even though Hunter had promised to introduce her to the owner. She wanted to see how another candymaker arranged her shop for an example to tuck away for her future.
A young girl was at the counter waiting on several customers. Lilianna strolled around with envy punctuating her every step. Next to the cashier were two waist-high glass cases with numerous types of homemade fudge, chocolates, and other handcrafted treats enclosed.
The walls on either side of the chocolate cases had hard candies, chocolate bars, and various other treats in large clear holders for display. This was exactly how she would set up a shop if ever given the chance.
“Can I help you with something?” the young, blonde girl behind the counter asked.
She spun around in surprise. The girl’s exuberant smile put Lilianna in a good mood. She wanted one of everything, but that wasn’t truly feasible. “What do you recommend?” she asked.
A wider smile shaped the girl’s face. “I’m partial to anything with chocolate myself.” She pointed to a tray in the glass case to Lilianna’s right. “The chocolate-covered cashew caramel turtles are one of my favorites here, and they were made fresh this morning.”
“Okay. Sold. I’ll take three.”
She nodded and packaged the treats in a small white cardboard box. Lilianna watched her carefully. Young or not, she certainly seemed happy here.
“Do you like working in this candy shop?” Lilianna asked as she got her change and tucked it into her purse.
“Love it,” the girl said with enthusiasm. Lilianna deflated a little. Surely there wasn’t enough work for two candy clerks.
“Is the owner easy to get along with?” Lilianna knew the question seemed odd. She couldn’t quite let go of how perfect a place this would be for her to start out in a profession she feared she’d never get to try out.
“Well, I’m the owner, so…sure, I guess I get along well enough with myself.”
Lilianna felt her eyes widen in surprise, and she blurted out, “But you look so young.”
The girl rolled her eyes. “And you aren’t the first person to tell me that.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean it as an insult.” Lilianna had certainly put her foot in it. This wasn’t going well at all.
She shrugged. “That’s okay. I know I look younger than my age. I’m twenty-three, but I’ve been told I look at most seventeen, which is a real pain in the ass when trying to date or pick up men in bars. I practically have to carry my birth certificate around to prove my age, and sometimes even that doesn’t work.”
Lilianna laughed out loud. “I see your problem.” Given that she’d just last night danced her way into Dylan and Hunter’s home via a bar pick-up, it would have been very inconvenient to look underage when she wasn’t.
The girl stuck her hand out. “I’m Victoria.”
She grabbed her fingers. “Lilianna. Pleasure to meet you.”
“Are you looking for a job? Is that why you were asking if I got along with the owner?”
Lilianna shrugged, wondering if her feelings were so transparent. “I’ve spent some time under the tutelage of a chef making candy. Informally, of course, but I love it. I’ve got a couple of recipes that were handed down in my family, but mostly I like to experiment.”
“I like that too,” Victoria said exuberantly. “That’s the most fun. Don’t get me wrong. Taking in money for treats that I’ve slaved over is quit a nice a rush of satisfaction, too.”
