Cooking Up Trouble

by Judi Lynn

  Tessa took the three pies to Hilda Svenson, who gave her an approving nod. A white-haired friend of Grams, Hilda had a sweet smile, a soft voice, and a will of iron. She was always in charge of the social, and she expected Tessa to show up with pies. Tessa wasn’t brave enough to disappoint her.

  That duty done, Tessa crossed the yard to Grams. Miguel Rodriquez stood, chatting with her. Tessa knew from experience that Grams and Miguel could spend entire afternoons debating which strawberry plants produced the most fruit and which dahlias bloomed best. They both had a passion for landscaping. So did she, but she didn’t want to talk about plants and gardens all day.

  “Hi, kid!” Grams eyes glowed with excitement. “Miguel was telling me about a new species of climbing roses that won Most Hardy in his horticulture magazines this spring.”

  “Really?” Tessa braced herself for an afternoon of high-octane entertainment—Not. She zeroed in to listen when someone grabbed her elbow and gave it a squeeze. Turning, she saw Keavin Neeley, one of her old, childhood buddies when she came to Mill Pond to stay with Grams and Gramps every summer.

  He smiled from ear to ear when she turned to him. “Look who grew up.”

  Her heart melted at the sight of him. How long had it been? Since they both graduated from high school and went their separate ways. Damn, he looked as warm and friendly as always. The same height she was and slightly overweight, he reminded her of a cuddly teddy bear, but there was a thick streak of orneriness in there somewhere. “You still look like trouble.”

  He laughed and pulled her to him for a hug. She was laughing, too, when she looked over his shoulder and saw Ian and Lily walking toward a half-empty table. Ian’s face looked like a storm ready to happen. His gaze shot darts at her. What the hell?

  “Looks like I’m making your boyfriend jealous,” Keavin teased.

  “Not my boyfriend. Engaged. I’d guess he’s had an argument with Lily.”

  Tessa waved as Darinda and David moved down a seat to make room for Ian and his fiancé. The minute they were seated, people wandered over to greet them. With one last scowl her way, Ian turned, and his ready smile lit his face.

  Keavin watched, amused. “No, that look was meant for you. You’ve pissed him off royally, but if I remember right, you were good at that.”

  “Not fair! I’m a true and loyal friend.”

  Keavin chuckled and pushed her away. His crooked grin turned into a goofy smile. “I always knew you were going to turn into a real beauty when you grew up.”

  Tessa rolled her eyes. “You haven’t gotten any smarter with age.”

  “Didn’t need to. I was plenty smart to begin with.” He put an arm around her shoulders and tugged her toward the grills, filled with hot dogs. “I’m claiming her, Grams!” he called. “You see her all the time.”

  Grams waved them off and returned her attention to Miguel.

  Lily’s voice drifted to them as Ian introduced her to Evan Meyers and his wife. “You raise goats? I flew here from Mexico. They eat goats there.”

  Evan’s brows rose, and he looked surprised. “We raise them for milk and cheese.”

  “Evan’s farm is listed on a foodie tour for the area,” Darinda said, and the conversation flowed to area attractions.

  Tessa tuned out Lily and leaned into Keavin in comfortable companionship. “What have you been up to since you left Mill Pond for college?”

  “A little bit of everything. I took journalism, like I planned, and then I traveled a lot. Now, I write for businesses and magazines.”

  “That was always your dream.”

  Keavin looked at her, smiling. A strand of copper hair escaped her ribbon, and he smoothed it back behind her ear. “I’m thinking of coming back to the Midwest to work for a newspaper in one of the cities.”

  “Because you missed the cows and corn?”

  He laughed. “No, because Dad’s been diagnosed with cancer. Mom’s not handling it too well, and I’m getting married in a few weeks. Chelsea doesn’t want to raise our kids in a big city.”

  Lily’s voice carried to them again. “Your lake’s beautiful, but it can’t compare with the Caribbean. The water’s so perfect.”

  Tessa glanced over her shoulder to see Grams and Miguel, talking with Lily. The whole town was making an effort to make her feel welcome. Tessa reached to hug Keavin. “I’m sorry about your dad, but I’m happy you’ve found someone. You’ll make a great husband and dad.”

  “Yeah, keep telling me that. I might believe it. I don’t know how I tricked Chelsea into falling for me.” He looked at her. “And you? How are you and Gary?”

  “We didn’t last. I’m not in any hurry to find someone new.”

  He frowned, studying her. “You know what? I’m not worried. Some guy’s going to swoop down and carry you away someday. And you’re going to like it.”

  “If you say so.” As they stood in line to get hotdogs and potato salad, she heard Lily again.

  “I just spent an entire week in Greece. Mediterranean cuisine is heaven.”

  Keavin raised an eyebrow. “That girl should put on a slide show. Then we’d all know what a jet-setter she is.”

  “She’s not too bad. I think she’s just nervous.” They got their food and went to find a table. They found an empty one and sat down.

  Everyone came to say hello. People hadn’t seen Keavin in a long time. They all had stories to tell about how rambunctious he was as a kid.

  Between hotdogs and desserts, people traded tables, trying to make the rounds. When Keavin and Tessa searched for a place to sit, David waved them over.

  Darinda stood to give Keavin a hug. “Long time, no see.”

  Before Keavin could respond, Gianni and Luigi charged to the table, licking cones filled with strawberry ice cream. “Taste it, Tessa! It’s homemade,” Gianni said. He pushed it toward her, smooshing ice cream on the tip of her nose. “It has real strawberries. We got to crank the handle.”

  Tessa took a lick and reached for his cone. “Delicious.”

  Giggling, Gianni pulled it back, guarding it for himself.

  “Are these yours?” Keavin wiped the ice cream off Tessa’s nose with his napkin.

  Tessa laughed. “Silly question. Just look at them!” Both boys had their mother’s tight, black curls.

  “David and I have to claim them. They look like us.” Darinda motioned toward Ian and Lily to introduce them. “Ian bought Sam Draper’s place, and he’s making it into a resort.”

  Keavin held out a hand for a quick shake. “That’s a perfect spot for something like that.” And the talk turned to what Ian was doing on his property.

  Tessa listened to the ebb and flow of the conversation, only half concentrating. It was a beautiful day. Big, puffy clouds dotted a blue sky. A slight breeze made things comfortable. Laughter filtered to them, and Tessa took a deep breath of contentment.

  “Right, Tess?” Keavin turned to her. She blinked, and he laughed. “Just like always, wool gathering.” He put a hand under her chin and rubbed his knuckles over the top of her head. “A noogie for not paying attention.”

  She gave an absent smile, remembering their childhood antics. She’d gotten many a noogie in her time.

  “You’re too old for that,” Darinda protested.

  “I’ll never be too old to pester Tess.” Keavin wrapped his arm around her shoulders again.

  Ian’s expression turned murderous. What was his problem?

  Darinda grimaced. “You two!”

  Ian’s eyes narrowed, and Lily turned to look at him, a thoughtful expression on her face. Just then, Tessa spotted Garth and Leona walking to a table.

  Tessa pulled on Keavin’s shirt. “Come on. I see Garth. I brought him a pie.”

  “What kind of a pie?” Keavin’s tone was plaintive.

  “Oh, stop! I’ll bake you one. Your favorite—pumpkin.”

  He let her pull him to his feet to go see Garth. By the time they returned, Ian grinned up at her, relaxed. Lord, he was moody to
day.

  Darinda looked smug. What the hell had happened while she was gone? Tessa looked from one person to the other as she and Keavin took their seats.

  Darinda locked gazes with her as she told Keavin, “Ian was asking about your line of work.”

  Tessa frowned, confused. Subtleties were ebbing and flowing around her, and she didn’t have a clue what they meant.

  Keavin leaned forward, always ready to talk shop. “Are you interested in journalism?”

  Ian smiled. “No, sorry, I’d just never heard anyone mention you before. In this town, everyone seems to know everyone else. It surprised me that your name hadn’t come up.”

  “This is the first time I’ve been back in a while,” Keavin told him. “Thought I’d catch up on old times and pick the brain of a fellow writer.” He bumped Tessa’s shoulder. “The girl’s made a name for herself, and I could use a few pointers.”

  Ian’s glare returned. “She’s famous?”

  “She’s no Nora Roberts, but she’s doing okay for herself.” Keavin laughed. “I wouldn’t mind selling like she does.”

  “Are you thinking of writing a book?” Tessa asked him.

  “It’s crossed my mind.”

  Tessa lit up. There were few things in life she enjoyed as much as talking to a fellow writer.

  “Oh, no.” Darinda groaned. “She’s going into writing mode. We might as well disappear.” She stood and started gathering their plates and napkins. David rose, too, to help her.

  “Is it that bad?” Ian asked.

  “You might as well be invisible. Trust me. These two will have their heads together for another hour.”

  Lily tugged on Ian’s arm. “You promised to show me around the town.”

  “Is there anything here that would interest you? We can’t compete with Greece or the Caribbean.”

  She gave a cute moue. “I went a little overboard, didn’t I?”

  “A little?”

  She tugged at him again. “You promised.”

  “I did, didn’t I?” He looked up and down the town square. “We can window shop, but a lot of the shops are closed on Sundays.”

  “Why?” Lily stared.

  “It’s a Midwest thing.” Ian crooked his elbow for her, and they set off to look at the shops. When they returned an hour later, Tessa was saying goodbye to Keavin and gathering her pie carriers to load in her truck. Almost everyone else had gone.

  Lily grabbed Ian’s hand and followed Tessa to her pickup. “Why don’t you go help those poor men carry the last folding tables into the church?” she told Ian.

  He hurried to help them.

  Lily turned to Tessa. “People seem really nice here,” she said.

  Tessa dropped the plastic carriers on her front seat. “Every town has a squirrely person or two, but Mill Pond is a friendly community, as a whole.”

  “People seem pretty open-minded, too.” Lily’s blue eyes sparkled. Tessa nodded. What was she maneuvering toward? “We’re pretty middle-of-the-road. Not too conservative, not too liberal.”

  Lily’s lips curved into a smile. “Good, because I’ve been a little worried about my Ian. I travel a lot, and I don’t want him to get lonely.”

  “He’s made lots of friends here,” Tessa assured her.

  “I’m sure he has, but that’s not the same, is it?”

  “The same as what?”

  “Ian’s really fond of you, I can tell. If you two would ever like to spend more time together”—Lily hesitated—“to enjoy each other’s company, it wouldn’t bother me.”

  Tessa stared. Was she suggesting what she thought she was suggesting? She felt a blush burn to her hairline. “I couldn’t do that.”

  “He’s one of the good ones. If you change your mind, I’m fine with it.”

  Tessa glanced across the yard at Ian. “I don’t think he’d be okay with it either.”

  “I’ll talk to him,” Lily said.

  “No, don’t. I really . . . couldn’t.”

  Lily smiled. “If you say so, but I thought I’d offer.”

  “Well, um, thanks.” Tessa didn’t know what else to say. Ian finished with the chairs and started toward them. He caught her expression and hesitated. Before he could return to them, she jumped inside her pickup and sped away.

  Chapter 13

  On Monday, Tessa woke to the sound of rain, dancing on her roof. She stretched under her blankets. She couldn’t work outside, so she burrowed deeper into her pillow, letting herself enjoy an extra few minutes before getting out of bed.

  It was May, the first day she’d open the farm stand, but she doubted there’d be much business. Who’d come to buy fresh lettuce or spinach in this weather? She padded down the oak steps to the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee. Carrying it to the kitchen window, she watched the steady drizzle water her flowerbeds. Luther and Kayla’s cabin would be empty right now while they were in school. Had Luther told Kayla she didn’t need to show up for work on rainy days? Tessa would have to mention it. She spent six days a week in the barn during the busy season and could cover the stand on days when there wouldn’t be many customers. Either that, or Kayla could work inside with her when the stand was slow. That might be a better idea.

  By the end of the month, Luther and Kayla would graduate. Thank goodness. Tessa would need help by then. Strawberries would be ripe enough to pick. There’d be pies and jams to make. Raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries . . . she sighed. Spring and summer meant long days.

  She poured a second cup of coffee and carried it to her bedroom to drink. She pulled on her old, faded jeans and her yellow T-shirt, spotted with food stains—her cooking clothes. She never bothered with an apron when she wore these.

  She rinsed out her coffee cup, then flipped open her umbrella, and started to the barn. She’d spend the day mixing cookie dough to freeze. It would be ready when she needed it. She might as well make a few batches of pie dough, too.

  She slowed her steps as rain drops bounced off her umbrella. Aah, the smell of spring showers. The air she breathed invigorated. In the summer, she and Darinda used to run wild in the warm rain, but it was too early in the year for that. Still too cold.

  Once she reached the barn’s back door, her gym shoes squished as she walked. She popped them off and put them on a newspaper by the door, then went barefoot as she gathered the ingredients she needed. When she passed the stainless steel refrigerator, she caught a glimpse of her hair. Holy, Medusa! It was sticking out everywhere. She sliced off a piece of cooking twine and wrestled the curls back in a ponytail.

  An hour later, she had three mixers going when someone pounded on the door. She’d hung a sign at the farm stand, IF YOU NEED SOMETHING, KNOCK AROUND BACK. Everyone in the area knew her routine. She hurried to meet a customer. Ian stood there, soaking wet.

  She stared at him. “Didn’t you bring an umbrella?”

  “If I had, don’t you think I’d use it?” He pushed past her into the warm room. She had pie shells baking in the ovens for future use, and he rubbed his arms, clearly enjoying the heat. “I went to your house first and figured you weren’t home, but I saw your pickup in the garage, so thought you were probably out here. I knocked on the shop door for forever, but you didn’t answer, so I finally came back here.”

  “You didn’t see my sign?” But then, it was hung at the stand, not the bakery. She motioned to the mixers. “I couldn’t hear you over the noise.”

  “I noticed.” His tone was a bit snippy. His dark hair was plastered to his head, and his white T-shirt was glued to his body. He glanced at her wet shoes, sitting on a newspaper by the door, and stepped out of his shoes, too, leaving them on the paper beside hers. “We need to talk.”

  He didn’t come any farther into the room. A puddle formed where he was standing. She took pity on him, looked under the island’s counter, and handed him a roll of paper towels. “Dry yourself off.” She went to the bathroom and tossed him a hand towel to stand on.

  He dabbed and
rubbed until he didn’t drip anymore. His shirt still clung to him, though. He gave her a questioning look. Oh, hell, why not? The wet shirt was just as sexy as his bare abs. When she shrugged, he pulled it over his head and tossed it on top of his shoes.

  Oh, crap, you’d think she’d get used to seeing him, half-naked, that maybe she’d grow immune to it. Seen one set of great abs, you’ve seen them all. Except his were wonderful.

  The heavens were mocking her. That had to be it. They were testing her resolve. Well, she’d show them. Bare chested men didn’t interest her.

  Ian walked closer to the oven. His jeans clung to his legs, too. When he looked at her, she scowled. She had her limits. If his underwear was as wet as his pants, she didn’t want to see what it clung to. His lips curved in a smile, as though he’d read her thoughts. But the poor man was soaked.

  She held up a finger and went to the bathroom again. This time, she returned with a beach towel. After all, the lake was only a short distance away. In the summer, she zipped outside after a few hours of baking and jumped in the water to cool off.

  He wrapped it around his waist, knotted it, then unzipped his jeans. They dropped on top of his T-shirt. The towel sagged lower on his torso, and Tessa handed him a long apron. Grinning, he slid the ties over his head.

  She grimaced at his wet clothes. They’d never dry in a soggy pile. She pulled chairs behind the ovens and draped them there.

  She shook her head at Ian. What a sight! A flowered apron and a bright-colored beach towel. She’d take a picture, but if she posted it online, women would probably send Ian all sorts of indecent proposals.

  She flipped off her mixers, one by one, and the kitchen suddenly grew too quiet. She raised her eyebrows at him. “You braved the rain. Is everything okay?”

  “It’s too wet to get any outside work done today,” he told her. “We need to talk. I saw the look on your face before you left the ice cream social. Lily told me what she said to you.”

  Tessa chewed on her bottom lip. “I asked her not to.”

  “Lily’s not the type to keep secrets, spills whatever she knows, but that’s the dumbest idea she’s come up with yet.” He shook his head. His hair was drying in soft waves. “I don’t know what the hell she was thinking.”