Tessa's Teacakes

by Mary Manners

  “Days are getting shorter.” Tessa sighed, settling into a chair. “And colder.”

  “But it’s warm in here.” Colin joined her.

  “Let’s dig in,” she said.

  A few bites staved off hunger, and Colin was able to have a rational thought again. He added a sprinkle of parmesan to his pasta. “How long have you and your sisters owned Sweet Treats?”

  “Um…let’s see.” She counted the years on her fingers. “Going on eight—no, nine—years, I guess.”

  “You gonna do one of those cooking shows like I see on TV?”

  Tessa laughed. “No. Our hands are full as it is.”

  “So, how will your sisters manage when you leave—if you leave?”

  Tessa sobered. He guessed she hadn’t considered that. “They’ll be fine. They managed while I was away at school.”

  “Grace said you came home on weekends to help.”

  “She did?” Tessa twisted her napkin into a tight ball and shredded the edges. He wondered if she felt as nervous as he did…alone together.

  “Yeah, last night while we were talking.”

  “I guess I did come home quite a bit—but not every weekend.”

  “Had to leave some time for dating, right?”

  “Wrong.” She shook her head, and her gaze wandered to the waning sun outside the kitchen window that turned the sky to rainbow sherbet. “No dates…at least not for me.”

  “Pretty girl like you?” He tore off a hunk of bread, dipped it in the marinara. “Guys had to be falling at your feet twenty-four seven.”

  She shrugged. “Not interested.”

  “No?” Her response puzzled him. “Why not?”

  “Dating’s a waste of time.” She turned back from the window and skewered him with her gaze. “I’m never going to get married.”

  Never? The bitterness in her voice gave Colin a jolt. He sucked a breath, struggling to keep his voice steady. “Well, that’s a shame.”

  “Even so...” She dabbed her lips with her napkin and drew a sip of tea. “I’ve had enough bossing around to last a lifetime. Why would I want to get married?”

  He coughed, sputtered. “Well, that’s the most ridiculous excuse I’ve ever heard.”

  “Works for me.” There was the little chin tilt again, coupled with a roll of her honey eyes. She pushed her plate back and dropped her napkin on the table. “But for the record, I didn’t ask for your opinion.”

  For a reason Colin couldn’t fathom, her reaction tossed him off balance. “Who’s the bossy one, now?”

  She glared at him over the rim of her glass, and the glint in her eyes said there was more to the story. Colin felt the uneasy tug of curiosity in his gut. He’d get to the bottom of things…eventually.

  7

  “We need ten dozen of Kate’s kisses, and half-a-dozen more gold cakes.” Mattie pulled a carton of eggs from the walk-in refrigerator along with a gallon of milk and two pounds of butter. “And the customers have been asking for your teacakes, Tessa.”

  “What flavor?” She slipped an apron over her head and tied the strings tight across her hips.

  “All of them, so we’ve got our work cut out.”

  Tessa took a mixing bowl from the shelf, found an oversized spatula in a utensil drawer. “Is Grace coming in?”

  “Maybe later, but I’m not sure.” Mattie shook her head as she began to crack open eggs. “Kate took her for a prenatal checkup, so it’s just you and me for now.”

  “Better get to work, then.” Tessa fingered the letter from the owner of the upscale New York City bakery that she’d tucked into her pocket. Breaking the news of her impending job opportunity would just have to wait. As she blended milk and butter, added cinnamon, vanilla, and fresh, minced strawberries, she thought of Colin. He liked the teacakes, and strawberry was his favorite flavor, so far. She’d bake a few extra, since he’d mentioned during dinner that maybe he’d drop by Sweet Treats one day after work.

  Not that it mattered, Tessa reminded herself. Not much, at least. Oh, dinner was nice, and she’d enjoyed sharing coffee on the back deck afterwards, beneath a starlit sky. Colin had an endless supply of topics to discuss—from sports, to work on the police force, to a stint spent in the military, to family and the fact that his parents found his career choice positively mortifying.

  “They don’t understand me,” he’d shared. “I think they’re afraid of losing me, too, like they did Bailey.”

  His words had touched a chord in Tessa. Was that Mattie’s reason for being so overbearing at times, as well? Whatever the reason, Tessa dreamed of bigger places, of a faster pace, of living in a city where she might be simply another person on the street—not the adventurous baby sister who needed looking after or the orphaned daughter of a couple who had once been highly respected in their little community.

  Not the woman with a heart that still wept from time to time with painful memories.

  “Look who’s coming.” Mattie nodded toward the entrance as the shop door slipped open, activating the bell overhead so it jangled merrily.

  Tessa’s breath caught. “Colin, what are you doing here?”

  “Good morning to you, too, Tess.” He slouched against the counter and brushed a dab of flour from her cheek. The gesture sent her pulse racing. “What’re you cooking up today?”

  The sound of her nickname on Colin’s lips tossed Tessa’s belly like a toy boat caught in a current. Her dad was the only other person who’d ever used the shorter form of her name. She remembered the way he’d lean in to show her how to tie off a hook when they went fishing down at the pond together, or hammer a nail while they built a dog house for the family’s chocolate Lab. “Now, watch closely, Tess.” Her dad’s voice was always calm as his hands moved expertly, whatever the task. “You can do it, Tess.”

  “I…um…” Tessa shook off the memory and turned her attention back to Colin. The sheer strength of him awed her, and she found herself stumbling over words. “K-kisses…I mean, teacakes.”

  “Strawberry?”

  “Yes.” She nodded. “They’re already done. You want one?”

  “Make it two, and throw in a cup of coffee.”

  “Hazelnut?”

  “Sounds good.” He unzipped his police-issued jacket, revealing a navy shirt, also compliments of the Mount Ridge police department. Beneath, Tessa saw the outline of the bullet-proof vest he was required to wear.

  She turned her back to him and sucked a breath. Suddenly the room felt desert-at-high-noon warm. She fanned herself with a kitchen towel. What was going on?

  “Morning, Colin.” Mattie’s voice rang out from the area of the display cases. “How’s work?”

  “Just catching a quick break.” He removed his hat and let it dangle from a finger. Close-cropped to his head, his hair was a mat of light brown bristles. “Been at it since six this morning. Streets are quiet, though.”

  “Good.” Mattie crossed the serving area to join them at the counter.

  Colin’s gaze lingered on Tessa as she offered him cream and sugar for his coffee, yet he continued his conversation with Mattie. “You have a lot of orders today?”

  Mattie flipped through the order pad. “A fair amount.”

  “Oh.” He took the coffee Tessa offered, along with two fat, fluffy teacakes she’d dropped into a little white pastry bag. The brush of his fingers against hers brought on a wave of heat. “I wondered if you might spare Tessa for an hour, sometime around one o’clock. She made me dinner a few nights ago, and I thought I’d return the favor today—with lunch, I mean.”

  “Excuse me…I’m standing right here—” Tessa tapped a foot as she tossed Colin’s empty sugar packets into the trash. She might be attracted to him, but he certainly wasn’t going to run her life.

  “Are you going to cook it?” Mattie continued, ignoring Tessa.

  Tessa studied her sister with growing alarm. Mattie’s eyes danced with mischief, and she and Colin seemed to have made a connection that could only lea
d to trouble…of the worst sort. Tessa opened her mouth to speak, but Mattie waggled her fingers, motioning to Colin.

  “I was asking…are you going to cook the lunch?” Mattie repeated.

  “No, not this time.” Laughter rumbled as Colin leaned in, propping his elbows on the counter. He gave Tessa a quick glance, and his eyes held a hint of challenge that sent a jolt of electricity to Tessa’s belly and a burst of heat to her cheeks. “I thought we’d head to the Peterson’s restaurant. Heard they hired a new cook, and he grills a fine burger.”

  Tessa crossed her arms tight over her chest, her pulse quickening at the thought of more time alone with Colin. She wouldn’t mind the idea…if she wasn’t being pressured into it.

  “I suppose I can manage here alone for an hour or so.” Mattie eased a pan of muffins from the counter and added them to the display case. “Kate and Grace might be back by then, anyway.”

  “It’s settled, then.” Colin propped his hat back on his head and reached into his pocket. He nodded toward Mattie. “What do I owe you for this?”

  “No charge.” Mattie tossed him a third cookie, and he snatched it on the fly. “You come by whenever you’d like.”

  “Thanks, Mattie.” He dipped his head, then eased toward Tessa and winked. “See you in a few hours, Tess.”

  “I didn’t say I’d go,” Tessa called after him, but Colin shook his head and kept walking. He glanced back over his shoulder, gray eyes full of playful challenge as Tessa added, “Wait. We need to talk about this.”

  “Can’t now,” Colin called. “We’ll talk at lunch. Gotta run. Sergeant’ll have my hide if I’m late getting back to the station for a meeting.” He strode through the shop doorway and took a quick right down the boulevard.

  When the bell above the door jangled his departure, and the door slipped closed behind him, Tessa threw her towel on the counter and stomped to the coffeemaker. She tossed Mattie a glare over one shoulder as she filled a cup with steaming brew, then dumped an extra spoonful of sugar in for good measure.

  “How dare you agree to a date for me!” If she could, she’d blow steam from her ears. “What were you thinking, Mattie?”

  “I didn’t hear Colin mention the word date.” Mattie turned and strode into the kitchen with Tessa on her heels. “He just wants to treat you to lunch. Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

  “Whatever Colin wants, it’s really none of your business, Mattie.” Tessa set the coffee cup on the counter and propped a hand on one hip. “I know you still think of me as your baby sister, but I’m an adult now, and I can make my own decisions. I want to make my own decisions.”

  “I know that.” Mattie’s eyes flashed hurt. “But sometimes you just need a little nudge.” She took a clean apron from the basket beneath the counter and pulled it over her head, tying the strings snugly around her waist. “I…don’t want you to end up like me.”

  “Like you?” Tessa’s voice softened, and a good chunk of her anger fled. Her hand slipped from her hip and she took a tentative step toward Mattie. “What do you mean?”

  “Nothing.” Mattie shook her head. “Forget I said that. Just…trust me on this one, Tessa. Have lunch with Colin. Enjoy yourself a little. Who knows where it might…lead?”

  “Well, I guess it might be fun…I do like spending time with Colin.” Tessa touched Mattie’s hand. “He makes me feel…I don’t know.”

  “I do.”

  “Do you, Mattie? Really?”

  “Uh huh.” Mattie nodded and grasped Tessa’s hand. “Really.”

  “I think you’re pretty amazing, Mattie, despite your tendency to bulldoze me.” Tessa smiled at her sister. “When it’s all said and done, I wouldn’t mind being…more like you.”

  Mattie took a bowl full of blueberry muffin batter from the refrigerator and pressed it into Tessa’s hands and then quickly turned away. But not before Tessa saw the tears that flooded her sister’s eyes.

  Mattie tossed her shoulders back, sighed deeply. “It’s becoming more and more obvious, Tessa, that we’re going to have to hire some help. Kate’s busy with Micayla, and Grace is going to have her hands full with another baby by next spring, and you’re thinking of going to New York—” Mattie’s voice held the matter-of-fact tone Tessa had grown accustomed to over the years.

  “What?” Tessa stirred the batter at high speed. “Hold up a minute. How did you know about that?”

  “I’m not blind, Tessa.” Mattie added cinnamon crumbles to a batch of cooling apple-bran muffins. “I see what comes and goes in the mail. I know you’ve been burning to leave Mount Ridge since you were old enough to drive.”

  “You mean you’re not mad?” Tessa spooned the blended batter into lined muffin tins.

  “Of course not.”

  “And you’re not going to try to stop me?” Tessa slipped the pan into the oven, set a timer. A new sense of freedom filled her. Maybe she could actually leave Mount Ridge without carrying the guilt she expected to tow like an extra suitcase. The thought sent a little thrill through her. “You don’t want me to stay?”

  “That would be selfish of me, wouldn’t it?” Mattie’s head snapped up. “Why would I ask you to stay when you want so badly to leave?”

  “But I don’t understand.” Tessa’s thrill deflated as reality sunk in. Soon she’d be hundreds of miles from her sisters, from home, from…Colin. Would anyone miss her?

  Mattie wiped her hands on her apron and began to box apple pies that had cooled. “What’s there to understand? You want to go, Tessa, and you should go.”

  “You’ve spent the past ten years trying to rein me in, and now you’re just going to let me go?” Tessa tapped her foot on the tile floor. “Just like that?” She snapped her fingers for emphasis.

  “Exactly. Maybe you’ll garner some new recipes we can use back here, and some management skills that might ease the work load.” Mattie rinsed sticky pie-filling from her hands and strode to their tiny office tucked into a corner near the back of the kitchen. “Now, will you check on the pecan pies while I make a few phone calls? I have an idea who we might get to help us out while you’re gone.”

  ****

  “I just don’t get it, Colin.” Tessa dumped a generous spoonful of sugar into her tea and stirred until the sweet cloud dispersed. Her honey eyes, a mirror of the golden tea, widened as she continued. “Mattie didn’t even flinch at the news about New York. You didn’t mention something to her, did you?”

  “Me?” Colin shook his head and smothered a French fry with ketchup before stuffing it into his mouth. “No way.”

  Tessa sipped tea, swallowed. “Hmmm…I just don’t get it.”

  Colin swallowed the fry, then pushed his plate away and wiped his mouth with his napkin. “At least you don’t have to fret anymore over telling her. Aren’t you relieved?”

  “I don’t know.” Tessa speared a lettuce leaf with her fork. She’d opted for a chef’s salad over the buffalo-bacon cheeseburger Colin had enjoyed. A salad would never satisfy his appetite. “It’s just a bit…unsettling.”

  “I understand.” Though Tessa couldn’t see it, he knew all too well the line of reasoning Mattie employed. He’d witnessed his parents use the same tactic on Bailey, when she announced she wanted to go to California with a few of her girlfriends to audition for a movie instead of applying to college. Their reverse psychology, thankfully, had worked, and Bailey went on to pursue a teaching degree. Colin hoped Mattie’s disinterested attitude worked with Tessa, as well. Because, like it or not, Tessa was beginning to grow on him. He glanced at his watch. “We still have a few minutes. Want to walk across the square and discuss it some more?”

  “OK.” Tessa stood and slipped her arms into her jacket. She reached for the check, but Colin grabbed it instead.

  “My treat.”

  “I have my own money, Colin.”

  “I know. But let me, OK?” He glanced at the bill, flipped open his wallet, and dropped a generous amount of cash on the table. “There. Let’s go.”
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  Sunlight danced through tree limbs, rustling a colorful palette of leaves and chasing the chill from the air. October eased toward November, and the musky scent of dormant grass and decaying leaves permeated the breeze. Tessa pulled the collar of her denim jacket tight.

  “You’re cold,” Colin reached for her hand. “Your fingers are freezing.” He sheltered her hand in his, tucking it into the pocket of his police-issue jacket. “That better?”

  “I’ll warm up while we walk.” Tessa nodded, shivering. “But I’m not a big fan of winter.”

  “Then New York City, especially November through January, should be a real treat for you.”

  Tessa laughed. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

  He walked a few paces, then paused again and turned to her, treading carefully as he brushed a finger across her wind-pinked cheek. “What’s the draw of New York, anyway?”

  She shrugged. “I dunno. I’ve just seen pictures in magazines, of the shopping and museums…and all of the people.”

  “And you like that?”

  She glanced up at him, her eyes bright. “What’s not to like about shopping?”

  It was Colin’s turn to laugh. “You can always take a road trip, you know. You don’t have to live there.”

  “What are you saying…that you’ll miss me if I go?”

  “Maybe.”

  Tessa turned and began walking again. “That’s one way to dodge a bullet, Mr. Phillips.”

  “You caught me off guard.”

  The crisis center came into view as they crested the hill. Immediately, Colin sensed a change in Tessa’s demeanor. He wrapped his fingers around hers. “That was a rough night, wasn’t it?”

  “Uh-huh. I was so scared for Brent…and for Grace.”

  “You could have been hurt, you know.”

  “Yes, I could have,” She dipped her head. “But my family, well…they mean more than that.”

  “Even so…you should have let me do my job.”

  “I know that, now. But back then, I didn’t know you.” She sighed. “I’m sorry, Colin. You’re right. If it were to happen today—now—with what I know about you, you’re determination—”