by Hart, Taylor
And she totally came through. “You should come with me. If you can get away, that is.”
“I would love to! I’m not really into the whole NASCAR thing. I could go for the morning session, then slip out during lunch.”
“Are you sure? I hate to have you miss a once-in-a-lifetime experience like that,” she said.
“I’m pretty sure I’ll be ready for a break from the Three Amigos,” he assured her.
“The Three Amigos, eh? Well, if it works, here’s my number. Shoot me a text, and I’ll send you directions to the flea market. We can meet there.”
He paid the bill, then they walked along the boardwalk on their way back to the resort. While it had been warm during the day, the wind coming off the ocean gave the evening a chilly undertone.
Mac helped Penny loop her arms into the cozy knit cardigan she had brought along. They chatted lightly but mostly enjoyed each other’s company while soaking in the sounds of the surf. He was obsessed with her smile and the way she continually tried to tame her long, pale hair as the wind pushed it this way and that. Laughter from the beach drifted over the sound of the surf, and he pointed out a few adventurous families with lanterns set up on the beach.
“Thanks for dinner,” she said when they arrived back at the resort.
“Thanks for the invite to the flea market tomorrow. I’m looking forward to it.”
She tucked her hair behind her ear, a shy smile curving her lips. “Me too.”
Mac couldn’t wait to see Shawn’s expression when he reported that not only had they had a great time at dinner, but she had already asked him out for the second date.
One point for the good guys.
Day Four
Penny leaned against the hood of her Buick Encore, her face tilted up to the warmth of the sun. It had rained overnight, making the day quite chilly. She wrapped the sides of her navy cardigan around her slim build, savoring the knit wool’s extra-soft warmth. When her phone vibrated, she pulled it out of her back pocket and saw Mac’s name on the screen. It was bizarre how someone she had just met could elicit the fluttering tingle surging through her.
She swiped to accept the incoming call. “Hey, Mac! Where are you?”
“I think I might be lost. This road looks like a dead end.”
“Keep going. The flea market is on your left. Do you see all the metal buildings?” she asked.
“You mean the huge, derelict sheds?”
“You have arrived,” she said in a monotone GPS-type voice. “Turn left onto the gravel road. Be careful; there are some big, muddy potholes.” She rocked up onto her tippy-toes in her leather boots, and she saw a black SUV bumping along the road.
“Whoa! You weren’t kidding about the potholes,” he said.
“Come straight back to the third section of the parking lot. I’m parked near the lawn ornaments shed.”
“Got it. See you soon.”
Penny pulled her leather crossbody bag out of the car, clicked the lock button on the car fob, then added her keys and phone inside the purse before slinging it across her shoulder. The crunch of the gravel under her boots and the bounce of her braids as she walked made her feel young and carefree.
When Mac stepped out onto the road, walking towards her, giddiness bubbled up. She skipped over to meet him, loving how it made him laugh. “Are you ready to explore the best flea market in the county?”
An eyebrow arched over his beautiful light-brown eyes. The copper flecks sparkled with merriment. “Are you sure it’s worthy of that title?”
She threaded her arm through his. “Let’s go find out. Onward!”
Forget cardigans! His deep, rumbling laugh thoroughly warmed her up.
“What has you in such a good mood this afternoon?” He shifted to dodge a puddle and led them into a crazy assortment of lawn ornaments and funky metal sculptures.
“Yesterday I was rather cranky about my work assignment, but checking out Bubba Gump’s with you was fun. I decided I needed an attitude adjustment. And look, Florida provided more adventure for us with all these puddles.” She slipped her arm out of his, then jumped over a puddle, spinning around to face him.
She tilted off balance, and Mac caught her by the upper arms, steadying her. The scent of cedar, citrus, and pure man drifted to her, sending her senses into overdrive.
“You okay?” he asked.
She’d be just fine if she could sink in closer and take in a deep breath, but that seemed stalkerish. “Maybe I should bring it down a few notches before I break something.”
His eyes were genuine as he replied. “I think you’re perfect exactly as you are.”
Her cheeks hurt from smiling. “How was your morning with the Three Amigos?” She ran her finger across a metal wind chime, enjoying the pretty sound it made as the dolphin and sea-turtle cutouts clinked against each other.
“They were actually pretty decent. Of course, they were occupied drooling over the race cars. The driving-crew guys were down to earth and fun. We worked with the simulators and had a run around the track in one of the training cars.” Mac held a door open for her as they entered the first shed.
With his hand on her lower back, they weaved through a mishmash of vendors selling everything from vinyl records, funky vintage cameras, and DVDs to novelty socks, wallets, and clothing. It was easy to get lost in the maze of booths, which was evidenced when a small pair of arms wrapped around Mac’s legs while he was browsing through a T-shirt booth.
“Got you, Daddy,” the little voice chirped.
The surprised look on Mac’s face was nothing compared to the little girl, whose eyes went round when she realized the leg wasn’t her daddy’s.
“Hey, there,” Mac said with a gentle voice. “Did you lose your dad?”
Tears welled in the little girl’s eyes as her arms dropped to her sides and her head darted back and forth. Penny knelt beside the little girl.
“It’s okay. We can help you find him,” Penny reassured her. “What’s your name?”
“Sarah,” she said, wiping at her face. Penny comforted the little girl while Mac turned in a circle, looking for the parent or a security officer.
“Are you looking for someone?” Mac called to someone a few booths down.
“My little girl, Sarah,” the other man called back.
Mac waved for him to come in their direction.
Sarah’s face brightened when she saw her dad. The two embraced, and the dad thanked them for their help.
“How did you spot him?” Penny asked as they continued through the flea market.
Mac shrugged. “He looked frantic, like he’d lost the most important thing in the world. I figured that’s how I’d feel if it was my child.”
Penny took his hand, weaving her fingers through his, feeling something click into place inside. Something told her to pay attention, or she was going to miss someone very important to her life. Was it possible to know you’d met The One so soon?
They worked their way to the produce and food vendors. It was fascinating to see Mac in his element, sampling, commenting on flavor combinations, and making purchases.
Penny sampled a jalapeno-cilantro lime. One bite, and beads of sweat broke out along her forehead.
“Oh my gosh. Holy hotness!” She took several quick breaths, trying to tame the fire.
“Here, take a bite of a mild dip.” Mac dipped a pretzel stick into the sweet onion and chive, then held it out. She bit into it, chewing quickly, the dip taking the edge off of her tongue’s traumatic experience.
Mac cupped the side of her cheek, wiping away a stray tear. His smile was sweet and gentle, not mocking in any way. “Spicy stuff isn’t your thing, huh?”
“I prefer it when my food tastes good instead of trying to melt my tongue off. Let me guess: you love it?”
He shrugged. “It doesn’t bother me.”
Mac sampled all the way through to the ghost pepper dip. She had no idea how he handled all that heat without his tongue falling of
f. They each picked four of their favorites, and Mac purchased them, even though she insisted she could buy her own. They sampled sweet-and-salty kettle corns and homemade fudges.
At Steve’s Pickle Place, wooden barrels filled with sliced pickles and brine lined the booth. She loved the Horsey Bites, which were sweet with a horseradish kick at the end. Mac went with two pickles to take back to the guys. Penny was turned off by odd flavor combinations, but Mac found them the most interesting.
Mac looked up and down the rows of fresh fruits and vegetables. “It’s all making me itch to cook.”
And that gave her a great idea. “If I could reserve an evening in the resort kitchen, would you like to use it?”
“Would you be my assistant?”
His fingers brushed over hers, sending delightful shivers up her arm. “As long as you’ll be patient with my not-so-awesome kitchen skills.”
“Deal.”
Day Five
“Mimi, Papa!” Penny called as she hung up her sweater in the foyer of her grandparents’ villa.
“In the library, dear.” Mimi’s voice echoed from down the hall.
Penny’s sandals clicked against the hardwood floors until she stepped onto the plush carpet in the library. She gave Mimi and Papa each a kiss on the cheek before curling up on the buttery-soft leather loveseat. Papa was in a matching recliner with a blanket across his lap and the newest issue of National Geographic in his hands, while Mimi had the couch all to herself. On the side table were her crossword puzzles, word-search books, and Mimi’s guilty pleasure—cheesy romance novels.
“How is your vacation, dear?” Mimi asked, her tone a mite too innocent.
“Oh, it’s okay,” Penny said, thinking of the time she had spent with Mac at the flea market the previous day. Today he was in Orlando, hitting another amusement park. She missed him. She honestly couldn’t remember feeling that way about someone other than her family.
“From the smile on your face, I’d say that young man you’ve been spending time with is more than okay.” Mimi donned her reading glasses and glanced up over the rim as she flipped to the bookmarked page of the puzzle book. “Want to tell us more about him?”
“His name is Mac Hammond.” Penny pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. “He’s from Crystal Creek, which is in the Kansas City area.”
“Really?” Papa interjected. “I’ve been there before. Very nice people.”
“Well, Mac is quite nice, so that’s a fitting description. He’s funny and well-mannered, and he studied at a culinary school. In fact, he’s cooking dinner for us tomorrow night in the resort kitchen.”
“And?” Mimi pressed.
Penny shrugged. “And being around him makes me happy.” Warmth flooded her cheeks as she tried to not to reveal her developing feelings. “I thought this whole vacation thing was going to be torturous. Instead I met Mac, and now everything is, well, not torturous.”
“Better watch out, my dear,” Papa said. “You sound rather smitten.”
Penny hugged her knees closer, resting her chin on top. “Smitten,” she murmured. “That sounds rather adolescent. How do you know if what you’re feeling is childish infatuation or real?”
Mimi and Papa exchanged amused looks. “Love starts off with a lovely twitterpation. It makes you feel young and vibrant, like a high better than any drug you could ever buy,” Papa said.
“But real love, lasting love,” Mimi said. “That’s when you realize the person who gives you that zing is also the person you want to talk to first thing in the morning and last thing at night and share everything else in between with as well. He becomes your very best friend. It takes time to discover if a particular person is the one for you.”
Time. That was something she and Mac had in limited quantities. Maybe he was a passing fling. Someone to give her hope for future possibilities. A heaviness settled in her chest at the thought of Mac leaving. She couldn’t help but admit that she didn’t want their time together to end. Three days. That was all the time that was left for them.
Papa broke into her thoughts. “When I met your grandmother at that veterans’ dance, I knew right away that she would be someone special in my life. We only dated for a few weeks before I shipped out. Sometimes that’s all the time you need. Trust your instincts, my Penny girl.”
Day Six
Penny pushed through the swinging kitchen doors and discovered a round table draped with white linens, perfectly set with beautiful china.
“What’s all this?” she asked.
Mac smiled as he came around the prep station counters to meet her. He looked oh so handsome in black slacks, a white dress shirt, and a turquoise-striped tie. Penny smoothed her hands over the material of the long sundress.
“Welcome to your evening dinner, mademoiselle,” Mac said, pulling out a chair.
“But I thought we were cooking together,” she replied. Pale-pink peonies and tiny red roses arranged in a short wooden box sat in the middle of the table, flanked on each side by mason jars with flickering candles inside. The strains of Yo-Yo Ma’s cello softened the atmosphere of the kitchen. The setting was beautiful and surprisingly romantic.
“You look beautiful.” He placed a kiss on the back of her hand.
“Th-thank you,” she stuttered as warmth flooded through her. With such a simple gesture, he made her feel special, like a princess.
“I asked if you’d be my assistant, and you agreed. Don’t worry, I’ll need plenty of assistance when it’s time for cleanup.” He winked, lightening the mood. He squeezed her hand before releasing it.
“I see how it is. Woo me with some food, then send me to the back to clean the dishes.”
Mac’s eyes widened, and he put his hand to his chest. “You mean that’s not the norm for courtships?”
Penny laughed to cover up her glee over his mention of courtship. Could he be as interested in her as she was in him? She didn’t have time to dwell on it, as Mac came out with a tray and stand. He set out a basket of bread, bottles of oil, and balsamic vinegar, then bowls of soup.
Penny leaned slightly forward, inhaling the tangy scent wafting from the soup bowl. “This smells divine.”
“I have prepared three courses for you to enjoy this evening.”
“For our first course, we’re starting with a lobster-tomato bisque, paired with roasted baguette bread with a blend of extra-virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar to dip it in.”
Penny started with a spoonful of the bisque. First the tang of the tomatoes came through, followed by sensuous cream. Small bits of lobster brought it all together into one luxurious experience. Mac poured some oil and vinegar onto a small plate, then moved it to the center of the table for them to share. Penny broke a chunk of bread off the baguette, then she swirled it in the blend and popped it into her mouth, again savoring the flavors, this time of the baguette’s yeasty crunchiness.
“If you cook like this, you must have women lining up for you back in Crystal Creek,” Penny teased, spooning up some soup.
“Not really. Most of my dating stays casual. I’ve had a few serious relationships, but they’ve always ended mostly amicably. I tend to be the guy who’s more friend than boyfriend.”
She tilted her head, taking in his half smile and the affection reflected in his eyes. How could someone not find his sincerity and genuine kindness sexy? “I don’t understand how someone could pass up a guy like you.”
“A guy like me?”
“An honest-to-goodness good guy.” Before he could interject, she went on. “You have to understand, I work in the vacation industry. I am constantly surrounded by either vacationers wanting to be pampered or entertained or by rich executives who are more interested in their flashy new gadgets, expensive cars, designer clothes, or whatever will have the spotlight shining on them. Compared to my norm, you are like fresh air.”
He chuckled, looking uncomfortable. “I’m not that good.”
“Would you have pawned off the lost li
ttle girl as someone else’s problem to solve?”
“Of course not.”
“Well, the people in my tiny part of the world are sometimes like that.”
“It sounds like you need to find a new place to settle,” he said.
She paused, considering his suggestion. “Maybe I do,” she responded.
Quiet settled between them, only broken by one of Yo-Yo Ma’s haunting melodies.
“I didn’t mean to turn things so serious,” Penny said.
“No worries,” Mac said. He was about to say something else, but an alarm went off on his phone. “The main entree is ready to be served. May I clear away your dishes?”
She agreed, moving her hands to her lap as he cleared away the first course. He returned with prime-rib steaks, shrimp and crab meat drizzled with garlic-butter sauce, and garlic mashed potatoes with a side of béarnaise sauce. The small portions were artfully displayed on the square white plate.
Penny shared her exploration of the Castillo de San Marcos, the seventeenth-century fortress in St. Augustine. He told her about the guys’ adventures on the boardwalk, including the crazy Slingshot.
“I’ll be the first to admit it scared the socks off me, but I’m not going to lie. The best part of the day was listening to Shawn scream like a baby when it was his turn.”
“Oh man, I would have loved to have seen that,” Penny said, trying to imagine the macho guy’s reaction.
“Oh, don’t worry. I bought the video and already downloaded it to my phone.”
She laughed so hard at the video, she had to wipe tears from her eyes.
Finally it was time for Mac’s homemade ice-cream dessert.
“Grapefruit and tarragon ice cream on a meringue nest, topped with candied lemon peel,” he said, serving the dessert with a flourish.
Penny felt the weight of his gaze as she dipped her spoon into the dessert. While the entire meal was a celebration of deliciousness, it was this final concoction that was his signature. As the ice cream melted on her tongue, she first noted its silky texture, then the burst of grapefruit that was tempered by the tarragon and cream. The only thing she could imagine would be more divine was kissing Mac Hammond.
