AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Eric was a well-known charter pilot, and most of his flights were around Vancouver Island, or occasionally to the mainland, either Vancouver or Seattle, however, it was his interpersonal connections I was most interested in.
“I don’t know him personally, but I certainly know of him.”
As the connections went, Eric was best friends with Mitch, and Mitch was my newly discovered sister’s boyfriend/life partner, the father to her children. Cedar was the sister I hadn’t officially introduced myself to. Yet.
I wanted to fist-bump the invisible hand in front of me. Thank you, Lady Luck.
Instead, after mentally checking what my bank account held and the rough cost of a round in the big city, I bobbed my head as if debating my choice of words. “I’d be totally up for that. Name the date and time and place.”
“Let me square up a flight with my brother first, and then it’ll be a date unless, of course, you’re okay with a first date on a sub-par course?” A heated gaze roamed down and back up my body before he once again made a powerful connection.
“Are you asking me out?” Our flirtatious behaviour had always been just that – flirtatious – it never actually led somewhere.
“Is that a yes to a round of golf?” His gaze connected with mine and held it for a few heartbeats.
“I’m game for what you’re game for.” Did it sound as stupid out loud as the replay in my head did, or did it sound suggestive and hot? I was going for hot.
The left side of his smile pushed up. “Do I get the pleasure of knowing your name first?”
Once again I acted like an idiot and pointed to my nametag just above my right breast which readLibby.
“I have no name tag to show off,” he said with a charming wink. “But you can call me Landon.” His warm and soft hand gently cradled mine, and he brushed a tender kiss upon my knuckles. “I’m very much pleased to meet you, Libby.”
And just like that, I had my panty-destroying way of meeting my sister.
Chapter Two
I slid the last of the fresh-baked pastries into the display case and finished setting up my table. It was a cooler day for the farmer’s market, but that usually worked to my advantage. I strung the vinyl banner from the back of two posts of my covered stall and mentally prepared for a busy day. Market days were a hit, always selling out, and despite adding more and more items each week, Sylvia’s Bakery just couldn’t keep up.
But it wasn’t just my table, the Bayside Market had been a welcome boon for all the vendors.
“You need any help?” I asked my friend Erin, who had a wood carving business in full bloom, thanks to a recent commission from a local restaurant.
A few of her ready-to-purchase items were on display. God, she was talented. From carved signs to wall hangings to display pieces, everything was one of a kind. The biggest draw however was the workspace she always set up. If the customers saw her carving something – even a tiny whale tail on a stand – they usually purchased, or at least took a business card. Erin had mentioned she was taking custom commissions well into the spring, and that was still six-plus months away.
“I’ve got this.” A large chunk of wood rolled with a thump off her cart and onto the ground.
I gasped. “That nearly hit your toes.”
“Nearly. And that’s all that counts.”
Near misses were the stories of Erin’s life.
I huddled under my jacket as the breeze picked up. The clouds had rolled in, and although the forecasters predicted a dry day, deep in my bones, there was incoming precipitation. Autumn had totally blanketed the Bay area with a miserable shade of gray and the humidity was bone-chilling.
After we’d been up and running for a bit, Summer Bates, the owner-operator of the Bayside Market came by with her camera in hand. “Ready for your picture?”
I ran my hands over my ponytail, smoothing it out, while I put a spring in my step as I walked behind my display. As far as the market went, I was the face of Sylvia’s Bakery and every week Summer took a photo and uploaded it to the website to entice the web-seekers. The regulars just flocked in droves and didn’t need the razzle-dazzle of the internet.
Readying myself, I smiled and stretched out my arms in a goofy pose.
“Beautiful, as always.” Her phone clicked with multiple pictures. “Save a peach braid for me. I’ll be right back, and we can talk about our plans for tomorrow night. Girls’ night.”
Beside me, Erin laid out her supplies. “I thought you and Adam had plans?”
Adam was Erin’s brother, and he and Summer had become a serious couple with rumours of a secret engagement. But it was all small-town talk, especially since her ring finger remained visibly barren.
“Well, girls gotta gossip, and I have the juiciest news.” Summer’s face lit up like a ray of sunshine.
