She held the warm box in her lap, taking a deep breath of the sugary-sweet aroma.
“They do smell good,” he admitted.
She nodded. “You’re going to thank me for this.”
He smiled and stepped on the gas to make the light and get back on the interstate. One exit up, he took a right and pulled to a stop, parallel parking along the curb next to the park.
“Hey! You promised me a cup of tea.”
“I don’t break my promises.” He got out of the car and walked around to the front of the vehicle. “Trust me.”
“You know what happened the last time—”
“I’m not Swindell.”
She got out of the car, still clinging to the box of doughnuts. “I’m well aware of that.”
“Well, then just follow me.”
She jogged to catch up with him. “These are cooling down.” She tried to quicken her pace, but that wasn’t easy while carrying a wobbly cardboard box of hot doughnuts. If he wasn’t so handsome, and fun, she’d be ticked off.
All she really wanted right now was a doughnut. Randy was treading on thin ice now that she was hungry and still hadn’t had a hot doughnut when she had a dozen of them in biting distance.
She sighed, trying not to be hangry with him.
Chapter Seventeen
RANDY NOTICEDthe set of Natalie’s mouth, and he wasn’t entirely sure he wasn’t about to get an earful from her.
“Oh!” She cocked her head, laughing. “This must really be your favorite place.”
He nodded. “It is.”
“You’re not going to believe this, but there’s a rusty old trailer on my property. Do you think I could paint and repurpose it like she did?”
“You going to open up your own coffee and tea shop?”
“Would you drive up to try it if I did?”
“Don’t tempt me with a good time.”Darn right I would.“No, really, what would you do with it?”
“I might make a little art studio out of it to paint my cards. I could haul it to craft shows. That would be fun. I don’t know. Maybe something else. I could sell it to someone else to run a coffee and tea shop like this one.”
“My sister owns this one.”
“Does your sister want to franchise?”
“She’s actually been talking about it,” he said. “It was out of necessity that she started Giddy-Up and Go.” He noddedtoward the counter. “Let’s order. I’ll let her tell you. It’s her story to tell.”
“Okay.”
They walked up the ramp. “Hey, Courtnie,” Randy said, waiting for her to look up.
“Well, hello.” She almost choked when she saw who was standing next to him. “This absolutely makes my day.”
“I’m sure it does. What kind of tea do you recommend to go with half a box of these?” He pointed to the Krispy Kremes.
“You already ate the other half?” she teased.
