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“No, he had an emergency and had to leave early. But we’re on strict orders not to sell you any bonbons,” the woman replied.
He studied the photo. “You really went for it. Did you even use your hands, or did you knock those bonbons back like you were downing a Big Gulp?”
Harper tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and lifted her chin. “The bonbons here are delicious. And as I mentioned before, I’ve had a rough week.”
He stared at the case. It was just like he remembered.
“The boss doesn’t want you to OD on sugar. He said you’ve been coming here with your grandparents since you were a little girl. A couple of days ago, he became concerned when you started showing up a few times a day and would sing about sweet treats while stuffing your face with butterscotch bonbons. We nicknamed you the Singing Bonbon Bandit after…” The female clerk paused.
“After, what?” he asked.
The woman cleared her throat and glanced out the shop’s windows. “The incident.”
Jesus Christ, Harper wasn’t kidding about having a hard week.
“What incident?” he pressed.
“After Mr. Sweet told her she needed to take a bonbon break, she paid a few kids to come in here and buy them for her,” the woman answered, eyeing Harper warily.
He turned to the bonbon freak of the week, aka, his wife. “The kids on the bench?”
She ran her hands down her face and groaned. “Yes.”
“I’m sure Harper will be able to keep her cravings in check,” Madelyn offered, then waved for them to follow her through a door leading to the back of the shop.
Harper turned to the clerks. “You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be on my best behavior.”
The man tossed a nervous glance toward the case lined with bonbons.
“I promise, my husband will make sure I control myself, right, Landon?” she answered, her eyes pleading with him like a bonbon junkie.
“We’re good,” he said, really liking the sound of her calling him her husband—even if she was a bonbon bandit who’d corrupted youth.
But just when he thought they were in the clear, Harper gazed at the bonbon case.
“Don’t even think about it,” he whispered.
She bit back a grin. “Oh, I’m thinking about it. Feel like joining me on the dark side? We could grab a few and hide them inside the private doily?”
And God help him, this woman was a piece of work—a piece of work he’d gladly join in ransacking every bonbon shop in the Denver metro area.
Hand in hand, they left the retail part of the store and entered the back of the bakery. It was a larger space than he’d anticipated. With two long tables in the center of the room and a wall of ovens across from a wall of refrigerators, the production area looked as if it had recently been updated. A baker worked in the back corner on what smelled like brownies, while a couple of people stirred a giant vat of frosting. He scanned the rest of the area and found his manager speaking with a man and a woman he didn’t recognize.
Mitzi must have sensed he’d zeroed in on her. She looked up and nodded to him before alerting the couple to their presence.
“Who’s your manager talking to?” Harper asked, still holding his hand.
“I don’t know.”
“Wait,” his wife said with a touch of excitement. “I recognize the woman. I’ve seen her on LookyLoo.”
“Is she in the music industry?” he asked and observed the couple. The man was in a tailored suit, and the woman wore a pair of slacks and a chic button-down.
“No, she’s a baker. She does tutorials for Cupid Bakery. I think she’s the CEO or some bigwig there, too. She’s popped up on my LookyLoo feed.”
Why would Mitzi set up a meeting with a bakery CEO?
The trio headed toward them, with his manager leading the way.
