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“I must humbly tell you that whoever told you that was a wise person,” he said, chuckling. “Regular or large?”
I glanced over at the display, then remembered what Isabella said about the large being too much. I also contemplated getting a bowl for the queen, to smooth things out between us, but opted against it.
With my luck, she’d be allergic and would suggest I was trying to poison her.
“Regular, please, with a bottle of water,” I said. “Is this a secret family recipe?”
He nodded as he piled the chocolate-covered banana bites into the bowl, then heaped two giant spoons of fresh whipped cream on top. “My great-great-grandfather opened this shop before cars were even allowed on this street. We take great pride in creating the most delectable treats. Can I interest you in some almond toffee, hazelnut chocolate, or our exotic truffles?”
“Not this time, thank you, but I have a feeling I will be back, just based on the smell alone,” I said, taking the bowl of banana bites and bottle of water from him and paying for the goodies.
“Of course you will!” he said, then gestured to the bowl. “Please try.”
I forked one of the banana bites into my mouth.
He pointed to me. “Tell me it is not the best.”
“Mmm.” A moan escaped from my mouth. “The best for sure!”
“This pleases me more than you know,” he said. “We make everything here with love. And plenty of chocolate, of course.”
I adored how the people of Verdana were so proud and passionate about their work. After thanking him, I sat at an open table and enjoyed every bite as I watched the man work, dishing out sweets and smiles to every single person who came through the door. When I finally finished, I stood with a happy stomach, gave the man a thumbs-up, tossed the bowl in the garbage, then walked outside.
I was about to cross the street back to Marco’s SUV when I heard a dog yelp happily. I turned and saw a woman with her young son, both smiling brightly as they came out of the pet shop with the most adorable floppy-eared puppy.
“Oh my goodness, what an absolutely precious dog!” I gushed to them.
“I named him Oliver—after the prince!” the boy replied.
Now, that was funny.
“We just adopted him,” the woman said, pointing back to the pet store.
My curiosity piqued, I said goodbye to them and walked over, peering through the window of the pet store.
A sign read “Pet Adoption Fair Today!”
I obviously was not in any position to adopt an animal, but I could never resist a chance to cuddle an adorable dog. I went inside and glanced around eagerly. My eyes were immediately drawn to the dog frolicking in a playpen near the window. It had a fox-like face, big dark eyes, stubby legs, and soft red and white fur, with tan accents around its brows and muzzle. He was having a jolly good time all by himself, shaking a toy in his mouth, his little tail wagging excitedly.
“Would you like to hold him?” asked the woman, noticing my interest. “He’s the last one.”
“I would love to,” I replied, my heart swelling with affection for that adorable pup.
As she lifted the fluffy puppy into my arms and my eyes caught his, I felt an overwhelming sense of love and connection wash over me. Its soft fur tickled my cheek as I nuzzled it close, and I could feel its heartbeat against my chest.
Then he nibbled on my finger.
“Ouch!” I said, laughing.
The woman nodded. “Watch out—he’s got sharp tiny teeth. He’s quite rambunctious and is in the biting stages, wanting to put everything in his mouth. But this stage is only temporary. He’ll be changing teeth soon. Your furry friend here was the most lively of the bunch. Now, he’s all alone.”
“Aww, poor thing,” I said. “People don’t want you just because you’re in your chewing stage. Every puppy goes through that, but some people don’t know and didn’t pick you for that.”
“We’re hopeful someone else will adopt him soon,” the woman said.
“What kind of dog is he?” I asked.
“A Pembroke Welsh Corgi.”
