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“I just graduated with a degree in psychology,” I said.
I braced myself for the question I usually got. No, I had no plans for what I would do with that degree. It was becoming all too clear that I should’ve thought things through more.
“Interesting,” he said. “Does that mean you’re analyzing us while you’re making our coffee?”
I smiled, grateful he hadn’t questioned my choice of major. I’d been beating up myself over it enough.
“You guys certainly make things interesting. Especially that Tucker guy. Something’s going on between him and my sister. I think it was the muffin.”
Once the words were out, I questioned what I was doing. Talking to him about my sister’s relationship was totally inappropriate.
“Muffin?” he asked.
I breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn’t questioned me about my sister. I wasn’t prepared to discuss it anyway. All I knew was she wanted me to handle the food truck alone until further notice.
But once I’d taken that breath, something else hit me. I’d brought up the muffin. Now I had to explain.
“Excuse me,” Piper said.
She’d arrived with our food, forcing a pause in the conversation. I considered changing the subject once she was gone, hoping Aiden would forget. No such luck.
“So, what’s this about a muffin?” he asked.
I squirted some ketchup onto my plate next to my fries, then set it down so he could use it. He still didn’t move.
Sighing, I sat back and launched into an explanation. “My grandma used to make these muffins. She called them sweetheart muffins. She swore that after just one bite, a couple would fall in love.”
With a shrug, I reached for my fork and pried a chunk of meat away from the bone. He continued to watch me.
“This muffin has magic powers,” he said. “Is that what you’re saying?”
“That’s what my family thought. And your buddy Tucker had one on Monday. Things have been weird between him and my sister since. I think they’re in love.”
Aiden stared at me a few seconds longer before returning his attention to his dinner. “Do both people have to eat the muffin or just one?”
I glanced at him, then reached for the salt. “Just one. My grandpa fell in love with my grandma after one bite of her muffin.”
Aiden choked a little. He moved his hand to his mouth, but behind that fist, I could see a hint of a smile. Wait, was he coughing or laughing? Might have been a mix of both.
“One bite of her muffin,” I repeated. And then I was smiling too. “I guess it sounded a little… Well…”
He nodded and reached for his drink. When he set it down, he sat back in his seat again.
I was trying not to stare into those eyes, but when he looked at me, I felt things that were completely unfamiliar. I’d been in a couple of relationships—one only ended a few months ago. But every time I let myself get even a little serious with a guy, it became clear that I was a challenge. How long would it take toget me into bed? How much would they have to persist before I finally let down my guard?
I was no fool. I knew the second I gave in, the chase would be over. It wasn’t that I was playing games. I just never wanted to be that person who gave my virginity to a guy, only for him to dump me.
I was afraid. That was the bottom line.
“Let me try it,” he said.
My thoughts had drifted so far, his question threw me. “Try what?”
“One of those magic muffins. What did you call them?”
“Sweetheart muffins,” I said. “That’s what my family always called them.”
Aiden reached for his fork again. “I’ll take a bite and see if I instantly fall in love.”
