I closed the door firmly before making my way to the driver’s side. Sliding in behind the wheel, I turned the key in the ignition. The engine roared to life with a familiar rumble.
“So, those cookies, right? Everyone who’s tried them so far loves them,” she said proudly.
“Sounds like you got yourself a hit then,” I replied.
She beamed at me, her earlier nervousness completely gone. “I hope so! Maybe you’ll like them too.”
I didn’t have the heart to tell her I wasn’t much of a cookie guy. Instead, I gave another noncommittal grunt and focused on making sure everything was set up properly for the tow.
I pulled up behind her car and shifted into park. "Stay put," I instructed before getting out.
The cold air bit at my skin as I stepped out of the truck and grabbed the tow rope from the bed. Kneeling by Beth’s car, I hooked one end to her front bumper and then secured the other end to my truck’s hitch. Years of practice made quick work of it.
Once everything was set, I climbed back into the driver’s seat and glanced over at Beth. "Ready?"
She nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Ready."
With that, I eased the truck forward slowly until I felt the tension on the rope. Her car rolled smoothly behind us as we made our way back to my garage.
I hopped out of my truck and moved to unhook the tow rope. Beth joined me, looking relieved and grateful.
"That went smoothly," she said with a grin.
"Yeah," I replied, coiling up the rope and tossing it into the bed of my truck. "Let's get your car inside so I can take a closer look."
She nodded eagerly, already moving toward the garage door to open it for me. As we maneuvered her sedan into the bay next to my Impala project, I felt an odd sense of camaraderie forming between us.
Beth turned to me with that ever-present smile of hers. "Thank you again for all this."
"No problem," I replied gruffly but found myself returning her smile just a bit.
As we stood there in the dim light of the garage, surrounded by tools and half-finished projects, it felt like maybe things weren’t so bad after all.
Chapter3
Beth
The next morning, I sat at the kitchen table with my laptop, a steaming cup of peppermint mocha beside me. The café wouldn’t open for another hour, giving me just enough time to sort through my finances. With a sigh, I clicked open my bank statements.
The numbers stared back at me like a bad dream. Fixing the car had drained more than I’d expected. The café's holiday rush was good, but not enough to offset the expenses I'd racked up this month. My heart sank a little, but I refused to let it ruin my day.
I closed the laptop and stood, shaking off the worry like a snowflake caught in my hair. Baking always lifted my spirits, and with Christmas around the corner, there was no better time to experiment with new recipes.
I moved to the counter where ingredients waited in neat rows. Flour, sugar, butter—it was all there, ready to be transformed into something magical. I rolled up my sleeves and got to work.
Mixing flour and sugar in a large bowl, I thought back to yesterday's encounter with Daryl. His demeanor was gruff and stoic, something I hadn’t dealt with much in my life. He intrigued me in a way I couldn't quite explain. His eyes held stories he wasn’t ready to share.
I added vanilla extract and eggs to the mixture, then paused for a moment before tossing in a handful of crushed candy canes. They'd give the cookies a festive touch.
As I stirred, memories of Christmases danced in my mind—mom teaching me how to bake gingerbread men, Dad's off-key caroling filling the house with laughter. Those were simpler times before life got complicated with breakups and financial woes.
With dough sticking to my fingers, I shaped it into small balls and placed them on a baking sheet. The oven preheated behind me, filling the kitchen with warmth that made everything feel okay for just a moment.
I sprinkled some extra candy cane bits on top of each cookie before sliding the tray into the oven. As they baked, I wiped down the counters and hummed a tune I'd been working on—a song no one had heard but me.
The smell of peppermint and sugar soon filled the café. It wrapped around me like a comforting hug, reminding me why I loved this place so much.
Maybe I'd bring some cookies over to Daryl later. Who knew? Everyone could use a bit of Christmas cheer.
