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“Why hello, Sophie.” Dwight Lewis clutched the menu in his hand and peered past her, adjusting his glasses as if he might be able to see better in doing so. Dressed in his signature suit and bow tie, he made Sophie wonder if he ever dressed down in jeans or a sweater. A smile tugged at her lips at the thought of a dressed-down Dwight. She might not even recognize him.
“Are you waiting for someone to join you?” she asked, saying a silent prayer that he was meeting up with someone special for an early-morning date.
Dwight Lewis was the town treasurer. Although Sophie knew that he meant well, he tended to rub people the wrong way with his desire to keep the books balanced in a town that had almost gone belly-up financially a few years ago. He had a tendency to act like a know-it-all.
Sophie had a feeling that Dwight was just lonely. He had tried on several occasions to pair up with women from the Operation Love program, but so far nothing had stuck. Bless his heart. He deserved love just as much as anyone else in this lovelorn town.
“I, um... Marta usually pops in to say hello when I come for breakfast. Is she around? I haven’t seen her for a few days.” Dwight’s gaze darted about the restaurant as he spoke.
Marta! Sophie had totally forgotten that she and Dwight had gone out on a few dates. Hadn’t Marta told him about her plans? Sympathy flared inside Sophie at the realization that Dwight was about to get his feelings hurt.
She reached out and patted his shoulder. “Oh, Dwight. I’m sorry to be the one to tell you, but Marta had to go back home for an emergency. She gave notice to Cameron a few weeks ago about having to give up the cook position.”
Dwight resembled a startled owl as he looked up at her. “What? When did she leave?”
Sophie thought for a moment. “Almost a week ago.”
Dwight’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “W-when is she supposed to return?”
“I—I’m not sure she’s coming back, Dwight,” Sophie said, her heart aching as the man’s face fell. He appeared stunned by the news. Although Marta was a nice, unassuming woman, Sophie could wring her neck right now for wounding Dwight like this. Despite his brash attitude, he was a gentle soul.
He bowed his head for a moment, then placed the menu facedown on the table and slowly stood up. “I think I’ll forgo breakfast this morning. I don’t have much of an appetite, after all.” He briskly walked past her, his gaze focused on the exit.
“Wait, Dwight,” she called after him. “If you’d like a listening ear, we could talk over coffee.”
Sophie watched as he slinked out of the café without bothering to answer her. His heart had shattered right before her very eyes. It sent a chill straight through her. If this was love, did she really want to have anything to do with it?
“What was that all about?” Hazel asked in a booming voice as she came up behind Sophie. With her tall height and commanding air, the woman could be a bit intimidating. She was a straight shooter who didn’t mince words. But in Sophie’s eyes, her friend was a real sweetheart and all-around mother figure.
Sophie shrugged. “He was looking for Marta. If I had to hazard a guess, I think he’s in love with her. And now he’s heartbroken because she’s gone and she didn’t even have the courtesy to tell him she was leaving Love.”
Once again this morning, Sophie found herself blinking away tears.
Hazel patted her on the back in a soothing gesture. “Now, now, don’t fret about it. We can’t judge Marta because we really don’t know the entire circumstances. Things will work out for Dwight, one way or another.” Hazel shook her head. “He’s the most exasperating man I’ve ever met, but I still want him to find his happy ending.” She wagged her eyebrows at Sophie. “I’m praying for you to meet your match, as well. Every night before I go to bed I kneel down and ask God to show you favor, Sophie.”
Tears slid down her cheeks. Knowing Hazel prayed for her was incredibly moving for Sophie. “Thank you, Hazel. For everything. You’ve given me roots here in Love. That’s priceless.”
“Everyone needs to be firmly planted somewhere. Now, I haven’t pried into your past, and it hasn’t escaped my attention that you haven’t been very forthcoming about it.” When Sophie opened her mouth, Hazel hushed her. “I’m not complaining, but I would like to point out that perhaps you need to get past whatever is holding you back from finding that man of yours. It’s fine to say you’re part of Operation Love, but remember the love part.”
“I want to find love,” Sophie acknowledged. “And maybe my past is hindering me from doing so,” she hedged. “But I really want things to change for the better in the romance department. If I have to face up to my truths to do it, then so be it.”
Hazel sent her an exaggerated wink. “Well, why don’t you go
flirt with our handsome new employee while I go make some coffee drinks? These orders need to go up.” Hazel handed Sophie some order slips and made a shooing motion in the direction of the kitchen.
Sophie didn’t bother to make a fuss. At some point or other she would have to interact with Noah again. There was no sense in telling Hazel or Cameron that the new hire had made her feel awful earlier. Knowing Cameron, he would take Noah to task for it. He was as protective of her as an older brother. And Hazel was such a firecracker. There was no telling how she would react. No, it was best to keep quiet and handle the situation with grace and dignity.
Sophie made her way to the kitchen and placed the two order slips on the spindle. It would be Noah’s job to take the slips down and prep the food. She didn’t even have to look at him if she didn’t want to. His back was to her and he was cooking something that smelled scrumptious.
There weren’t any dishes at the pass-through, but a plate sat on the butcher-block table directly behind Noah. Not wanting to speak to him, Sophie reached out for the plate, then instantly recoiled as heat seared her palm and fingers. The plate clattered to the floor. She let out a cry and closed her eyes as pain seared her hand.
“Sophie. Are you all right?” She watched through a red haze as Noah whirled around and reached her side in seconds. “Is it your hand?”
She nodded, gritting her teeth at the agony caused by the burn. He gently reached for her wrist and examined the damage.
He let out a tutting sound. “It looks like a third-degree burn. You need some salve for it and a bandage.” Noah’s eyes were intense as he locked gazes with her. She nodded solemnly. All of a sudden she knew that she was in great hands. Noah was confident and masterful. He was taking charge of the situation.
“Where’s your first-aid kit?” he asked.
