by Bria Quinlan
She just smiled and waved, tugging Spence behind her.
When they got to her shop, it was still closed, a sign on the door read sold out, open tomorrow with little cupcakes and hearts all over it.
Spence laughed as he looked at it and told her, "That so you."
"Annoyingly girly?"
His hand gave hers a small squeeze.
"I was thinking more along the lines of super cute and considerate."
“Good answer."
But the best part was that the wrought iron bench that sat in front her shop with its matching chairs and tables had been pulled to the edge of the sidewalk and a large reserve sign placed on it.
“Skye called down to one of the deputies to make sure we had a spot, and since they dragged us to a barbecue, we might lose it."
"Your friends are above and beyond.” He walked to the front of the bench where a little blanket sat resting on the cushions.
"Tell me what you think so far of Starlight Harbor."
Lyra expected him to say something blithe about the view or the people or even the cookies.
But instead, she found herself gazing into his dark brown eyes behind those black frames that were staring back at her with a strange intensity. And smiled. "I think my favorite part of Starlight Harbor is sitting right here."
If anyone else had said that to her, she would have told them it was the worst line in history. Instead, her heart started racing so fast she glanced down, afraid he could hear it.
"Oh."
She was saved from responding by the music entering at the far side of the square. It was so fun to see them coming in, the small band playing holiday tunes followed by marching elves tossing penny candy and toys. And then came the best part—okay, Lyra thought it was the best part.
Dancing reindeer.
The school dance corps handled this and every month the dance was different. There was a video collection of them on the private Facebook page the town had for locals only. She’d always loved watching their little antlered heads go by. But now she had a front row seat and got to see the entire routine when they reached her side of the square.
She was having so much fun, she was afraid she’d never want to leave the shop open again.
“This is great!” Spence shouted over the music. “Is it always this great?”
“Everyone says so. I really should figure out how to close up or maybe have a little cart out front instead so I can watch.”
Either way, she was going to need to replace the twins for the rest of their high season.
The sleigh finished its way around the square and pulled to a stop. Santa hopped down and made his jolly way up to the gazebo, where his chair and elves awaited him so he could let all the children, and anyone else who wanted to, make a Christmas wish.
The crowd hurried over, leaving them sitting under her gas lanterns outside her shop.
“Maybe you should go make a wish,” she teased, aware of how much he was enjoying himself.
“I don’t have to.” His gaze made her heart rush before his words. “You’re right here.”
24
Spence was pretty sure he was waking up happier than he ever had before in his life.
He’d been looking for something, he could see that now.
He would never have expected it would all be here in Starlight Harbor. Not just cupcakes, everything. The town, the friends he was making, the ability to write again, … And yes, Lyra.
He just needed to make it work.
He knew the guys had breakfast on Fridays at Noah's café, so he headed over. Jamie waved him over, sliding into the booth to let him join them.
"I'm glad we don't have to kill you." Jamie gave him a bright grin and dug back into his omelets.
“I'm kinda glad, too." Spence glanced at the menu board, trying to figure out what he wanted, when Noah walked over and slid an identical omelet under his nose with a link of sausages. "That looks great."
"Good. Because that's what you get. The father accidentally ordered the wrong thing and I have to feed it to someone." Noah walked away without adding anything.
It was still too early in the day for there to be a rush, and most of the people were staying at the inn where they could get breakfast.
"Who brings a notebook to lunch?" Jamie asked even as he continued eating.
"A man with a lot of decisions to make." Spence set the notebook aside and pull the plate up. Decisions could wait.
Cam glanced at Jamie. "You are literally the only person at this table without a notebook. Maybe the better question is what kind of man comes to breakfast without a notebook.”
Jamie took note of Cam’s sketchbook, Spence's notebook, and Noah’s work pad he carried around.
"Obviously a man who has a better memory than all his friends."
Cam shook his head and gave his attention back to Spence. "What kind of decisions?"
Spence would have thought he wasn't ready to talk about it yet. But, looking at the nonjudgmental gazes, he realized not only was he ready, but these men could have some good suggestions.
“It’s fresh start time. I have to sell that albatross around my neck to get far enough out of debt to really be able to move on."
"And moving on involves Lyra?"
Spence nodded. He realized how stupid that sounded after a few days. It wasn't like he was buying a ring and carrying it around with him… Yet.
"I have a lot to do to get in a good place for her. One of those, after selling the mess of a magazine I accidentally created, is to move here." He sipped the coffee Noah set out in front of him. "Basically, selling all my stuff should be no problem. That's what Craigslist is for. I don't need a lot, just enough to make a fresh start here. I know from what you guys have said people don't take a lot of risk on outsiders, but someone's got to be willing to rent me a place."
"Yeah, well.” Jamie shook his head. "I wouldn’t get your hopes too high. Most places someone might rent you long-term are booked through next year."
Noah gave him a long, steady look before nodding to himself as if he'd made a decision.
"I'll rent you the room."
All gazes shifted as one toward him, each with a different level of surprise.
"What?" Spence knew he couldn't have heard him correctly.
Noah shrugged as if it wasn't a big deal. "It's been fine the last couple days, and I could use the income to pay off the café quicker. Spence could figure out if he really wanted to move here. If Lyra kicks him out of town again…"
All the guys laughed.
You'd think two days was enough time to live down being kicked out of town by a five-foot-four baker. Apparently, not so much.
"Are you sure? Because that would be perfect."
Spence couldn't believe this, shocked and overwhelmed that not only did it seem like everything was coming together, but that he'd been accepted by this group of guys.
He definitely had to up his game.
Noah gave him a nod, as if it were all the same, not a big deal at all.
"Yeah, man. Definitely." Spence shook his head, too grateful to say more, but still, "I mean probably. The whole, getting run out of town thing by Lyra has to check out first."
Jamie laughed. "If the women folk could really run us out, only Noah would be left."
Noah shot him a gesture he couldn't get away with if there were guests present.
Spence finished his meal, listening to the banter among the friends and feeling more settled than he had in his adult life. He hadn’t realized he’d been missing this.
It was an understated need for men—friendship.
How was it that everything a person, namely him, could need was all in this one small, magical quirky town?
Glancing at the clock, he knew it was the perfect time to see what Lyra thought. There was no reason to put it off.
He crossed the café, rounded the counter, and brought her right up to him in a kiss way too hot to be a good morning greeting, his heart g
oing double time as she leaned into him, her hand coming up to wrap around his neck as if she wanted him there as badly as he wanted to be there.
Her small body fit against his unexpectedly perfect, and he couldn’t help but think of another piece of his life clicking into place.
Finally easing away far enough to look down into her eyes, he couldn’t help but grin like an idiot.
“What took you four years to answer that call for help I was obviously posting on my site every year?”
Lyra’s hand slid around and cupped his cheek, something stronger than affection showing in her eyes. “I figured you’d smarten up. But, you just didn’t.”
“I needed a strong woman to straighten me out.”
He kissed the tip of her nose because of those darn freckles and laughed when her caress turned into a swat.
Running the tips of her ponytail through his hands, he let the silk calm him as he prepared to take the first giant step in his new future.
“I just talked to Noah.”
“Nice guy, that Noah.” She went up on her toes and brushed her lips across his, distracting him completely with the light touch that grew more urgent as she leaned into him again.
A moment later, he was trying to remember what he’d wanted to say.
Oh, yeah.
“He said I could rent a room, move in with him.”
She froze, leaning away and staring up at him with such a look of shock his heart dropped into his gut, then they both dropped into his shoes.
“You want to move here?”
“I was thinking I did.”
“And live with Noah?”
“That seems to be the best option, seeing as it’s the only one.”
Lyra was quiet so long Spence was sure she wasn't happy with this idea.
"I don't want you to feel any pressure." He eased himself away, even as she grabbed onto his shirt, holding him in place. "I don't want you to feel like you need to humor me because I’m an absolute mess right now. But I’m getting better. I’m getting better for me, but I’ll be my best for you."
She was shaking her head before he even finished the sentence.
"No, no. I should've said how exciting that was right away. I was just so surprised." She gazed up at him with suspiciously damp eyes. "I've been trying to brace myself for when you left. I hated the idea we might lose our chance before we even got it."
“Oh, thank goodness." He reached out and took her hand, giving it a squeeze. "The guys pointed out that if you kick me out of town again, it's easier to get out of renting a room from Noah than an actual lease, so there's absolutely no pressure. You know, except the pressure I'm going to put on with all the wooing."
"What will this wooing consist of?"
"There will be long walks out to the point, and lots of Santa hats, and all the kisses you can put up with.” He leaned down and demonstrated that last one. "But today's wooing consists of helping you get ready for tonight. I figured I could free you up to focus on the engagement party. Tomorrow will be soon enough to head back to my place and get things in order." He couldn't believe how amped up he was to be done with that part of his life.
And, he’d get out of debt no matter what. He’d figure it out. Write on the side, get a job. He could do it.
Even if he couldn’t sell the site to anyone large enough to make a difference, maybe he could pass it off with some type of percentage deal.
None of it mattered—well, it did if he didn’t want to meet the credit card’s collections people. But he’d figure it out.
The weight of trying to jump from one life to another when neither of them was the right one for him lifted.
He glanced down at the woman in his arms. Sure, he said no pressure, but there was no way he’d let her go without giving her the best version of himself first.
Forget about upping his game. It was game on.
25
Lyra spent the rest of the morning making sure everything was good in the bakery before moving on to the finishing touches for the engagement party.
No matter how much work she had to do, she was floating around in little heart-shaped clouds.
If Vivian came in, the mockery level would probably shoot through the roof.
Every time Spence was done with something out front, he'd slide into the kitchen and steal kisses.
Not that she wouldn't have given them freely, but she liked how he’d surprised her in free moments.
He'd run across to Noah's to grab them lunch the first time one of her girls came in, giving her a little wink as he did and letting her have some time with Vivian.
In the quiet he left behind him, Lyra had her first moment of panic.
Not just Oh, I'll get through this panic. But the kind that had her leaning over, hands on her knees and trying to catch her breath.
What had she been thinking? Should a guy she’d only known a few days move hours away from his home for a chance to get to know her?
Her?
This incredibly smart, sexy, ambitious guy was just going to drop everything and move to Starlight Harbor?
When Lyra saw Vivian through the door it was with a mixture of excitement and relief.
"After you give me those last two cranberry muffins, you can tell me exactly what this whole look is that's going on with you." She waved her hand in front of Lyra as if to gesture everything at once.
Since she had people in the store, Vivian came around into the little corner table Lyra kept squeezed between the door and the sink in the kitchen, seating herself with her scones and the most patient expression she could muster.
"Spence is selling his magazine and moving in with Noah."
She rushed through it, afraid it wasn't as exciting as she thought. Or that it was crazier than she thought it was.
"Huh. I think he and Noah will be very happy together."
Lyra reached over and took the plate of scones away.
"What am I supposed to do?" she demanded.
"Thank the universe you have more time to fall all the way and add those banana nut muffins back onto the menu?"
"Vivian, I'm serious."
"I am, too. Those banana nut muffins should not have come off the menu."
"If you're not serious, I'm going to call Skye. And we all know what happens when you try to have a non-literal conversation with her." Lyra crossed her arms over her chest, smearing the chocolate across her arm. "And I’ll never put the banana muffins back on the menu."
Vivian gasped. "You wouldn't."
"Just watch me. I will blackmail you with those muffins in a heartbeat."
"Fine." Vivian set down the last half of the cranberry scone she had on the plate Lyra handed back to her. "Banana-nut-muffin-blackmail seriously, have you ever seen a man who needed a change more than Spence? I don't think it's just you he's moving for."
"Well, I would hope he was moving for himself, too. Otherwise that’s just too much.”
"Honey, I think it's more than that he’s falling for you. I think he's found his second family here. The guys have taken him on even quicker than they dragged Noah into their circle. Skye and I like him and are just being wary in case we have to hide the body if he breaks your heart. Which, you know will go pretty smoothly, seeing as the deputy sheriff would be involved."
Vivian nodded to herself as if she were actually planning a murder in her head and Lyra was a little afraid to interrupt because you never knew with Vivian.
"And then,” she continued, “there’s Starlight Harbor. It heals people. And every once in a while, one of those people who it heals needs to come here and be part of it. Like how we got Noah. And I think your Spence is one of those. Not just because you're here, but because he realized he wanted something very different in life than what he had. And also because he’s darn lucky you're here, too."
“Hello?” Spence called from the front as the door chime sounded. “Chicken salad on croissant…again.”
He laughed as he made his way back to the kitche
n. So what if she liked the same things every day?
Especially if he was one of those same things.
“Vivian, hey.” He set down the bag on the table and gave her a grin. “Why don’t you two eat that and I’ll head back to Noah’s. Jamie’s trying to convince a woman from Ohio she should make him the next hero in her romance novel. She’s currently asking him to model, which involves taking his shirt off and holding a broom like a claymore.”
Lyra shook her head, laughing up at him. “And you gave that up to bring me a sandwich?”
“Darn tooting…but seriously. Vivian. Eat my sandwich. I’ll be back.” He rushed out the door before either of the women could stop him.
“Yeah. He’s totally going to struggle fitting in here.” Vivian opened the bag and pulled the sandwiches out.
“You just ate two scones.”
“I wouldn’t want to hurt his feelings.”
Lyra glanced toward the front of the shop where Spence dodged around a slow-moving car on the opposite side of the street.
She took the step off the ledge and…let herself fall.
“Me neither.”
Lyra spent the rest of the day perfecting everything she needed to bring over to the inn for the party. Thank goodness Ms. Camilla would have everything set up on her end. That woman was a marvel.
With the kitchen prepped and everything ready to go out in shifts with servers to offer up to those mingling under the white fairy lights and Japanese lanterns, Lyra felt on top of the world.
“All right, Cupcake. That’s the last of them.” Spence gently set down the carrier with her cream tarts in it. “That van is amazing.”
“Craigslist. A baker had thought he’d blow up overnight in Portland and bought everything a famous pastry chef might need. Three months later, he started Craigslisting things. I lucked out. That new oven? Also him.”
“Wow, that’s tough.” Spence grimaced before he could flash her a smile. “But lucky for you.”
