Loved from Afar
Page 17
I suppose I should be offended. I mean, I did live in New York City for five years. Talk about dangerous! But even I can admit there is something really nice about Aaron’s concern. It’s good to know chivalry isn’t dead.
“Well, it was still light when I finished. But then I realized my tire was flat. And when I went to get the spare I remembered I had all my supplies in the trunk and had to move them to the backseat,” I sighed and shook my head. “By the time I finished with that, it had gotten dark.”
Aaron nodded. I could tell he didn’t like my answer, but refrained from scolding me. He reached out to take a lug nut from my hand, his warm fingers brushing against my palm sending tingles up my arm. I hope he didn’t notice my trembling. There was something about him- not just his good looks- but something else.
He worked in silence after that and I tried not to enjoy the feel of his skin on my hands each time he picked up a lug nut. It was only a matter of minutes before he cranked the jack in reverse this time, lowering my car to the ground, the spare securely attached. As he stowed everything in the trunk, I wished there was some tangible way to offer my thanks. I knew there was no way this guy was gonna let me pay him for changing my flat.
I know!
“So, I know you came here to exercise and this kind of defeats the purpose, but I have to thank you somehow,” I mumbled almost more to myself than him as I rummaged through the backseat of my car. Aaron frowned at me as he shut the trunk door.
“No, you-”
“It’s nothing much,” I interrupted him, smiling just a little as I thrust a couple of plastic wrapped sugar cookies into his hands. “And you might have to run a couple extra laps to work them off,” I teased.
Aaron grinned as he looked at the cookies in his hand. “So, that’s the thanks I get? Extra laps?”
I laughed. “Hey, they’re worth it. It’s probably my best recipe.”
Aaron looked at the cookies again. “You made these?” he asked, a little skeptically. “Did you decorate them, too?”
“Well, yeah. That’s the fun part.” And it was. One of my favorite things to bake is sugar cookies, the cut-out kind. I decorate them with royal icing and sometimes an airbrush and markers. The ones I gave to Aaron were left over from an order for a baby shower (maybe that’s why I was talking about baby names earlier) and they were shaped like baby bottles and iced and piped in baby blue and I’d written ‘baby’ down the center. They had turned out so cute.
Aaron looked impressed. “What are you a professional baker or something?”
“Uh-huh. I just opened a bakery in old downtown a few months ago.”
Aaron’s brows pulled down as he thought. “Yeah, Paris something. I’ve seen it. That’s you?”
I nodded, a little surprised Aaron noticed my bakery. He did not seem the type to pay attention to cutesy shops like mine. “That’s right, Paris Cupcakes.”
“Yeah, it’s not far from the fire station.” He glanced down at the cookies again, before cocking a brow at me. “Cupcakes?”
I rolled my eyes a little. “You have to read the fine print. Paris Cupcakes and other fine desserts.”
“Like cool baby bottle cookies,” he winked.
“Yes. But not just baby bottles,” I informed him. “I can make Christmas ornaments that look so real your mom would hang them on her tree. And animals, any kind of animal. Flowers. Cars. Trucks. Planes.” I’m getting carried away. But I really do love decorating sugar cookies. It’s therapeutic.
“Huh. Who knew?” Aaron said.
Now I feel awkward. Why did I go off rambling again? I need to get out of here. “I should get home, I have an early day tomorrow.”
“It was nice to meet you, Paris.” I like his voice. It’s low and smooth and sexy. My cheeks flush at my wayward thoughts.
“You, too.” I reached for the handle of the driver’s side door and pulled it open. “Thank you again. So much.” I hoped he could hear the sincerity in my voice.
He just nodded. “Drive safe.”
Books
By Stephanie Street
Young Adult Romance
The Perks of Dating You
Us at the Beach
Contemporary Romance
Chasing Paris
Historical Romance
Brides of Carson’s Creek:
Book 1 – Loved So Long
Book 2 – Loved From Afar
Coming Soon!
Calling London (Christmas 2017)
When Love Awaits Brides of Carson’s Creek Book 3 (Sometime 2018)