Outside, the twinkle lights seemed to be replicated by the light snow falling in the moonlight. The air was so cold Robin’s chest ached a little when she breathed in. She zipped up her puffy coat, grateful for its fleece lining.
They passed Sammy’s bicycle, leaning to the side in the bike rack near the entrance.
A laugh bubbled up in her, the sound echoing into the cold of the night air. “Did you really bike up here?” she asked, looking at him fully for the first time since their kiss. Suddenly it wasn’t the cold air stealing her breath.
He tugged at the blue stocking cap on his head and nodded.
“You’re crazy.” Her mouth quirked to the side.
“Just a little.”
“Tell you what. Come back to the bakery with me in the van—there’s plenty of room for your bike in the back—and then I’ll take you home. The temp is supposed to drop even further tonight.”
They loaded up the delivery van, a white Ford with a stylized fox running toward a stack of bread painted on the side.
She slid into the cold leather of the driver’s seat. The engine didn’t respond to the turn of the key. “Grandpa said it can be temperamental.” She put both hands on the steering wheel and gripped it for a moment. Getting stuck in the school parking lot? Not an option. She tried the key again. The engine roared and they took off.
“Grandpa and Grandma decided to give up their other car when they realized it sat idle most of the time. They use this van to get everywhere in town, and if they need something different, they just rent it.” And yeah, she should tone down the chatter, but being this close to Sammy ignited something in her she couldn’t succumb to.
A few minutes later, they pulled into a parking spot behind the bakery lot. Sammy went to the back of the van and wheeled out his bike, moving it out of the way. Then he grabbed out the tote of supplies while Robin fumbled with the lock to the back door.
Pushing the door open, they both sighed with relief at the warmth of the kitchen. A hint of chocolate cake lingered in the air.
“You can put that tote over by the dishwasher. I’ll need to clean everything before putting it away,” she said.
“Can do.” He set down the tote. “I’ll go grab the rest of the stuff from the van.”
“Thanks. Want some coffee?”
“I’d love some. Be right back.” A quick wash of cold filled the kitchen when he went out the door.
She busied herself with the coffee and planning out what she wanted to say to Sammy. He came back in, balancing the stack of supplies.
“Did you know you have a stray cat out here?”
“Was it black and white?”
“Yep.”
“I’ve seen it around sometimes.”
The kitchen filled with the welcoming scent of fresh coffee. Robin poured them each a cup and handed one to him.
“Too bad the kids ate all of those cupcakes,” he said.
She smiled. “That’s the benefit of being friends with the baker.” She headed to the walk-in cooler, emerging a moment later with a cupcake in each hand. “Extras.”
“Are you an angel? Did I die and go to heaven?”
“Always the tease.”
He reached for the pastry and brushed her fingers. They locked eyes. He took a bite of the cake.
Robin blinked, looked at the floor. “Look, Sammy, kissing tonight was a mistake. Okay, not a mistake exactly, but I shouldn’t have done it.” She wrapped her hands around her coffee mug, willing the warmth to work its way through her.
“I don’t understand. What did you mean back at the school about Paris?”
There it was. The thing that sat between them.
