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Marley glanced around him, even as Luke wondered what she meant by test.
“Hey there, Tanya. Yes, I am. How are you?”
Tanya was practically bouncing, her red braid flopping up and down with every movement. “I’m great. You know, busy.”
“I hear ya. Is Betsey in?”
“Nope, she had to go out of town for an emergency and left me in charge.”
Marley’s eyes widened a bit. “Oh, well, that’s great. Is she okay?”
“No, her sister is in a bad way, so I’m not sure when she’ll be back. But come on and have a seat you two, and I’ll bring out some samples. We have some really great summer flavors.”
Luke moved ahead of Marley and held her chair out for her.
“Thanks.” He went to the other side and sat, cringing as the back of the chair hit his bruise and he leaned forward. “How are you feeling? I heard you were shot?”
Tanya gasped beside the table. “Did you say shot?”
The girl looked as though she was about to keel over with her hand to her forehead. “I’m fine, just a little banged up. I’m a cop, and it just hit my vest. My buddy took one to the neck though.”
“I’m so sorry,” Marley said.
She’d reached across the table to take his hand and Luke relished the soft warmth of her touch.
“He’s doing good now. Doctors said he’d make a full recovery.”
She squeezed, her smile bright. “I am so glad.”
The air in the bakery grew thick as he found himself stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. “Thanks.”
“When Sonora told me, I…I wanted to call but…”
He wanted to know what the but was, except she stopped speaking and glanced nervously at Tanya.
Taking the hint, the woman cleared her throat. “I’ll…ahem…be right back.”
Marley let him go far too soon and he smiled. “So, you were worried about me?”
“Of course I was.”
“That’s nice to hear.”
Their eyes caught over the table and Marley was the first to look away.
“Luke—”
“Here we are.” Tanya came back balancing a large silver tray, and Luke was getting a little irritated by her timing. “So, these are the five samples that Sonora chose. Can I get you some water or milk?”
Marley took one of the pink napkins on the tray and laid it across her lap. “Water is great, Tanya, thanks.”
“I’d like milk,” Luke said.
Tanya disappeared again and Luke picked up the yellow cake with some kind of berry filling. “This looks good.”
“Yeah, Betsey is fabulous. She’s been baking the wedding cakes around here for fifty years or more.”
Luke shoved a large bite of the cake into his mouth and his taste buds immediately protested. The cake itself was flavorless, almost powdery, but the frosting made up for it with the sour, almost fermented tang. His eyes watered and through the blur, he saw Marley pause with her fork a few inches from her mouth.
