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The little daredevil gripped the wheel tighter. “Abso-freaking-lutely.”
She bounced over the tiny bunny hills with ease, giggling and jostling as we made a loop around to do it again.
Once she finished her third lap, her tiny fist shot in the air. “Hell yeah!” Immediately she looked guilty and bit down on her lower lip. “Don’t tell Dad.”
I shook my head, a serious expression overtaking my face. “You shouldn’t keep secrets from your dad. He’s a good guy, and he’ll understand. We just had a little fun, and we made sure that you were safe. If he gets upset about it, he can be upset at me, but no secrets. Okay?”
Her lashes lowered before her trusting eyes flashed to mine. “Okay, Uncle Duke. No secrets.”
I winked at her. “All right, let’s get this rig back home.”
As I had suspected,Wyatt wasn’t all that pissed—or surprised—that I had let Penny drive the side-by-side. She explained all the safety precautions we had taken, and Wyatt pulled her into a hug and said, “I’m just glad you didn’t hide it from me.”
A sense of pride washed over me when she beamed her gap-toothed grin at me.
Still riding high from my visit with Penny and Wyatt, my normal farm chores went by without a hitch. When I got a call from Huck asking if I had an extra ten pounds of berries, I knew my day was about to get even better.
Despite his offer to send someone to pick them up, I insisted on delivering the berries myself. I wasn’t about to miss an opportunity to sneak a glance at Sylvie. More and more I’d found excuses to stop by the Sugar Bowl. It was playing with fire, and I couldn’t seem to care.
I cleaned up and even ran a comb through my hair before pulling on a navy T-shirt, jeans, and boots.
At the back entrance, I typed in the security code to the Sugar Bowl and pulled open the door. I was immediately greeted with the warm smells of pastry and fried doughnuts. My stomach growled, and I realized I hadn’t remembered to eat that morning. I adjusted the crate of berries on my hip as I let the steel door click behind me.
Moments later Sylvie walked through the saloon-style doors to the kitchen. “Oh. Hi. I heard the bell and thought I’d see who came in.”
Sylvie wore jeans, cropped at the ankle and tight through her hip and thighs. My eyes moved upward, taking in the nip of her waist and the apron tied around it. Her blue Sugar Bowl T-shirt clung to her ribs, giving me the perfect outline of her chest. When I reached her face, I noticed a smattering of tiny freckles that danced across the bridge of her nose.
Her pale blonde hair was piled on top of her head in a messy bun. A few strands had slipped loose, and had I not been holding a crate of berries, it would have been damn hard to resist the urge to tuck one of those strands behind her ear.
Her light-brown eyes were wide as she took me in. I was about to offer her some quippy line or flirty banter but instead settled on telling her how gorgeous she looked.
“You are—” I halted when Huck walked in behind her. Instead of finishing, I cleared my throat and raised the crate slightly. “Anywhere in particular you want me to put these?”
Huck moved around Sylvie—she was still rooted to the spot. “That was quick. Thanks for bringing them by. Over here on the prep table is perfect.”
I didn’t answer but nodded and moved toward the steel table in the center of the room. Instead of giving her a wide berth, Ieased myself between Sylvie and the table, letting my forearm brush against hers.
Her pull was magnetic.
It was the first time we’d ever made contact, and electricity shot through my arm and across my chest. Her skin was warm and soft—exactly how I had imagined it would be.
At the contact, Sylvie cleared her throat and moved away, and I immediately missed the feel of her skin on mine. Her eyes scanned my face, bouncing from left to right before dipping down to my mouth and shooting back up to my eyes again.
I fought and lost against the smirk that tugged at the side of my mouth. My heart thumped harder.
“What do I owe you for the rush delivery?” Huck asked.
My attention never left Sylvie’s face, but I raised a hand. “No rush fee. I’ll just add the cost of the berries to your tab.”
I shook Huck’s hand, finally breaking my gaze and turned toward the door.
“Thank you.” Sylvie’s voice was high and tight.
I turned and looked at her over my shoulder. “See you around.” With the heat of her stare still on my back, I walked through the exit, hoping the cool coastal air would help me catch my breath.
EIGHT
SYLVIE
