Spicing Things Up Read online

  Her parents were leaving tomorrow. What would she do while they were gone? He’d invited her to the inn for supper a couple nights during the week, but what would she do for supper the rest of the time? Did Miriam cook? Somehow he didn’t think so. Maybe they’d go out to eat together. But he’d laid claims on Daphne tomorrow night. He grinned. It was time to push her a little farther, to try something else outside her comfort zone. But he had to be careful. Daphne would be easy to fall for. And he was no good at longevity.

  He was almost home when Steph called. “Sorry to bother you, but I checked in with Maxwell, and India’s taken a turn for the worse. He’s a mess. Could you maybe help me at the bakery today?”

  Tyne frowned. “It’s closed on Sundays, isn’t it?”

  “Exactly, but I thought maybe you and I could make some dough ahead, in case Maxwell can’t leave India for some reason. I thought we could give him a little breathing space.” She sounded disappointed. Why wouldn’t she be? Ben and she finally had the chance to find out what “Afternoon Delight” could really be.

  Damn. Once he thought the words, the song stuck in his mind. What would it be like to spend an afternoon, alone, with Daphne in his bed? He pushed the thought away. Don’t go there, he warned himself.

  “I’m on my way,” he told Steph. The bakery was just down the street from Daphne’s stained-glass shop. He pulled to the curb and went to the side door. The minute he stepped inside the shop, Chester started barking.

  “The poor dog’s been on his own a lot lately,” Steph said.

  Tyne nodded. Chester was usually either with India or Maxwell. He had to be frantic by now. “I’ll go get him and put him in the fenced yard. We can watch him out the back window.”

  When Tyne opened the door to Maxwell and India’s apartment, Chester practically wagged his entire body, he was so glad to see him. “Come on, buddy. Bet you could use some time outside.” He scooped up the dog and carried him to the backyard. The dog ran in circles, he was so happy. Once he’d settled, Tyne returned to Steph in the kitchen.

  She smiled, watching the Chihuahua run the perimeter of the small yard. “That dog needed to see a friendly face.”

  They got busy, mixing the doughs that Maxwell made the most. While Tyne’s challah and Tuscan doughs rose, he started making the tea breads that Maxwell needed for the week. He could bake those and freeze them. They froze well.

  One batch of bread led to another, and by the time they’d made enough to make Steph feel like she could handle the bakery on her own, if she had to, it was later than either of them had expected. Chester had stayed outdoors the entire time, but when evening approached, he started barking. Tyne and Steph finished cleaning up, and Tyne went to retrieve the dog.

  Steph gave Tyne a hug on her way out the door. “Thanks. You’ve saved my ass again.”

  He waved her away. She’d do the same for him.

  Chester stopped barking, and Tyne went to see what was up. He found Chester, tail swishing faster than his Jeep’s windshield wipers in a blizzard, sitting on Sadie Deerling’s lap. Sadie owned the homemade custard and sorbet shop next to Maxwell’s bakery. A bit on the pudgy side, Sadie was a walking advertisement of how good her tempting treats were. As usual, she wore her black-framed reading glasses on top of her head, in case she needed them later. The woman was an eclectic hodgepodge of sartorial influences. She had a thing for ruffles and was wearing a ruffled, polka-dot blouse and pink, ruffled anklet stockings with her sandals. Neither quite went with her jeans.

  Tyne bent to pet the top of Chester’s head. “Looks like he needed a woman’s touch. He misses India.”

  Sadie nodded. “Tell Maxwell I’d be happy to let him hang out with me when he’s at the hospital. I have a sitting room behind part of my shop. I could put a safety gate across the door so that Chester can see me while I’m working, but he can’t get in the business area.”

  A good idea, if Chester didn’t bark at every person who walked through the shop’s front door. “He’s a noisy little thing,” Tyne said.

  Sadie shrugged. “He’ll learn. If I close the door every time he barks, he’ll stop in time.”

  Tyne doubted that. Barking seemed to be in the dog’s DNA, but at least when the shop wasn’t busy he could spend time with Sadie.

  Sadie read his thoughts. “I’m not as busy once the weather turns bad. I’ll be able to spend some time with him.”

  Tyne reached for the dog, but Sadie said, “Why don’t you leave him with me until Maxwell gets home tonight? He can fetch him from my place.”

  “Let me run that past Maxwell first. I don’t want to upset him when I’m trying to help out.” He called Maxwell’s cell, explained the situation, and Maxwell sounded relieved.

  “Give Sadie my thanks. Poor Chester doesn’t understand why we left him on his own.”

  When Tyne conveyed the news, Sadie smiled, grabbed Chester, and took off with him. She seemed too happy, too eager. Why didn’t she buy a pet of her own? She’d looked lonely. Tyne locked up the bakery and then headed home. He’d had a long day, and he worked the early shift on Monday. He grabbed the book he was reading, took it into his bedroom, but fell asleep before he finished a full chapter. His last thought as he dozed off was that Daphne was his tomorrow night, and he had plans for her.

  Chapter 23

  Daphne looked up from making change for her last customer when Tyne walked in the shop, glanced at the clock, and turned the sign in the door to CLOSED. The woman—in her late fifties—closed her purse and sighed. She winked at Daphne. “For him, I’d have closed early.”

  Tyne smirked and gave the woman a small bow. She practically glowed as she walked to her car.

  Daphne had to admit that Tyne looked downright yummy in his black leather jacket with his dirty-blond hair tousled and his cheeks pink. Wait a minute. She narrowed her eyes. Pink cheeks. She glanced out the front window and put a hand to her throat. “I don’t like motorcycles.”

  “You haven’t tried one. If we don’t do it now, we might not be able to. It’s getting too cold.”

  “I’m fine with that.”

  He grumbled. “Would you never swim in the ocean because there are sharks?”

  “There are stingrays, too. And barracuda. That’s why we only go in the shallow water.”

  “We? Meaning your parents and you?”

  She scowled. “Big things live in the ocean, things that can eat you.”

  “When I went scuba diving, sharks swam past me. People jump off boats and play in the deep water.”

  She shook her head. “Too risky. I value my life more than that.”

  He tried a different approach, but she was already expecting his next argument. “More people get hit by lightning than bitten by sharks.”

  “They shouldn’t be outside in a storm. Why take chances? Why be the highest point when lightning bounces around you?”

  Tyne set his shoulders. He looked serious. “You can’t live in fear all the time. I’ll take you on back roads and won’t go full throttle. So grow some balls, pull up your big-girl panties, and get on my damned bike.”

  She knew he wasn’t patient, but she didn’t know he could be a bit autocratic. “And if I don’t want to?”

  “I’ll go to the five-and-dime and buy us both tricycles. We can explore the world on those.”

  “There’s no need for sarcasm.” She bit her bottom lip. “You promise to go slow and stay on back roads?”

  His grin returned. He knew he’d won. “Wear something warm. It’s nippy outside.”

  “I only brought my jacket.”

  “Then I’ll follow you to your place, and you can get your coat.”

  She liked that idea. Her cabin was on the border of the national forest. The roads wouldn’t be busy this time of day, so they wouldn’t have to fight traffic. She nodded and hurried to her yellow SUV. Tyne still assumed that she’d bought it because she liked bright colors. He didn’t know that her father had advised her that it was a smart safety p
recaution, and she wasn’t going to tell him.

  He waited outside while she fed Shadow, changed into a sweater, and topped that with a wool coat. She pulled on a wool cap and gloves, too. Then she went out to climb on the back of his bike. He handed her a helmet.

  The minute he pulled out of the driveway, she knew she was going to like this ride. She had to wrap her arms tightly around Tyne’s torso to keep her balance. She pressed herself right up against him and held on for dear life. Hanging onto Tyne was a danger in itself, but its joy factor outweighed the risks.

  True to his word, he drove at a moderate speed, and soon she felt herself relaxing. The roar of the engine, the fresh air, and gorgeous scenery mesmerized her. Before she knew it, they’d looped around the main road, driven into town and bought two steaks, and returned to her cabin.

  When Tyne parked, he pointed toward her flower beds with their mounds of pulled plants dying between them. “Looks like you worked hard this weekend.”

  “I need to clean the beds before winter.”

  “Need some help? I love gardening. We have half an hour while the steaks marinate.”

  Her stomach grumbled, but she ignored it. “Sure, why not?”

  They let Shadow outside to play while they worked, and she was amazed how much they got done in thirty minutes. His bed cleared, he carried the steaks outside to cook on the grill and tossed zucchini and onions in a metal basket to cook beside them.

  “You know, you should let me build you some raised beds for vegetables and herbs. You have plenty of room for them, a big enough yard.”

  She darted him a look. “That would imply that I’d pick and cook them.”

  He laughed. “I’ll still be in Mill Pond next year. I’ll come over and show you the ropes.”

  She nodded. Having Tyne goofing off in her backyard was something she could live with.

  They had a late supper. The steaks were the best she’d ever had. She had no idea what Tyne had seasoned them with, but they were wonderful. So were the vegetables. The sun was sinking, and the air was growing colder. Tyne went inside and carried the throw blankets she kept on the back of the couches outside. He draped one over her legs, and the other over his. They sat and watched the moon and stars appear until the dropping temperatures chased them inside.

  Tyne went to the stove and made popcorn and hot chocolate. Both delicious. She had a feeling everything he made was a wonder. As they sat in her living room, their chairs turned to the back windows for the view, she asked, “What are some of your best memories from your travels?”

  He hesitated. It was as if he meant to say something then changed his mind. He settled on: “I met a little girl who stole my heart. We’re still pen pals. I send her money once a month.”

  “And her mother?”

  “Had too many children, not enough resources. I send enough to help the entire family, not all that much by our standards.”

  Daphne frowned. “The dad?”

  “Works sixty hours a week to barely survive.”

  “That stinks.”

  Tyne shrugged. “Some countries are like that.”

  Human suffering always overwhelmed her, but Tyne took action, did what he could to change things.

  He narrowed his eyes, studying her, and shook his head. “There are some countries that leave us in their dust.”

  “Really?”

  “No children go hungry in Algeria. The government provides free housing, food, and education.”

  “Even for college?”

  “Especially for that. They want their people to progress.”

  “We should do that.”

  Another shrug. “We should do more, but we have to find our own path. I like our country. I’m proud of it.”

  Daphne nodded. She liked it, too. Politics were too complicated for her. So was romance. And men. Was there anything in life that wasn’t complex? She couldn’t think of it. What she did know is that she’d have to guard her heart. Tyne could prove addictive. She’d be hooked, and he wouldn’t be. If Tyne walked away from her, it would hurt far more than Patrick’s good-bye. She had to only think of Tyne as a friend. Only that. Nothing more.

  Chapter 24

  Tyne was expecting Daphne for supper at the inn. He was looking forward to it. Paula had made forty-clove chicken for supper, and the thighs were simmering in white wine and thyme when he walked in the kitchen. Daphne would want to go for that, he was sure, but he intended to tempt her with his cassoulet. He dipped into the empty dining room to see what kind of desserts Tessa had sent for tonight. Each week, he gave Ian’s wife a list of the meals he and Paula planned on preparing, and she always came up with the perfect desserts to go with them. The pies on display at the end of the buffet had a little placard that read SPICED PEAR. He hoped there’d be a slice leftover so that he could try it. Next to the pies were GERMAN CHOCOLATE SHEET CAKE and then COCONUT RICE PUDDING. Lord, Tessa had outdone herself.

  Returning to the kitchen, he went to the refrigerator for the cubes of lamb shoulder he’d made ahead. He was starting to sear duck breasts and sausages to add to cannellini beans, onions, and tomatoes when Cody stalked into the kitchen. Tyne took one look at his moody expression and frowned. “You’re early. There’s not much to washup yet, hardly any dirty pans to rinse.”

  Cody grabbed the skillet Paula had used to sear the chicken thighs and filled it with water to soak. His shoulders were stiff, his movements jerky. The kid had enough pent-up frustration that Tyne expected energy to burst from his orifices and fly around the kitchen.

  Should he leave it alone or bug Cody about it? He’d throw out a line, and if Cody didn’t want to talk about it, he’d let it drop. “So, what’s up? Looks like you’ve had a bad day.”

  Cody turned too quickly. The words almost burst out of him. “Lexy said she doesn’t want to see me or talk to me for a few days. She said she’s in a horrible mood, and I don’t help.”

  “Have you two been arguing? Have you disagreed about something?”

  Cody shook his head. “She said it’s not me, it’s her, that everything looks bad to her right now.”

  “And this has never happened before?”

  Cody’s brows crinkled in concentration. “She’s gotten a little grouchy before, but I think she’s getting worse.”

  Tyne grinned. “Sounds like PMS.”

  “PMS?”

  “You know about a girl’s monthly flow, right?”

  Cody nodded.

  “Well, it can affect their moods. Usually, it hits before their period starts, but it’s different for every woman. The best cure I’ve found is chocolate and patience. Just hold your tongue.”

  Cody stared. “You’ve never been married, right?”

  Tyne gave him a look. “I work in kitchens. I’ve never been in a kitchen that didn’t have a woman or two. When a pastry chef looked like she’d like to bite my head off, I brought her a fancy candy bar the next day. What it implied was unspoken, but it made my life easier.”

  Cody laughed. He let out a deep breath. “I’m taking Lexy a rose and a box of chocolates tomorrow, and I’m telling her I love her no matter what.”

  “You’re learning.” Tyne studied him. “You know you two are young, right? You might not hold it together till you graduate.”

  “If she gets tired of me, it’s one thing. But I couldn’t understand what I’d done wrong this time, and that ate at me.”

  “It doesn’t take much,” Tyne said. “I clanged a pan too loud in a kitchen once.”

  Cody’s shoulders relaxed and he turned back to the skillet he’d been soaking. “Thanks, man.”

  “No problem.” Tyne concentrated on finishing up the cassoulet. He hoped Daphne liked it. Sometimes, he used rabbit, but the Danzas had a special price on duck this week, so he’d gone with that. Besides, rabbit might have freaked Daphne out. Maybe he could tempt her with this version.

  He was pulling the roasted potatoes, carrots, and zucchini out of the oven when his cell phone buzzed: D
aphne’s I.D. He smiled as he answered. “Hey, hope you’re hungry. Paula and I made a feast for tonight.”

  She paused—not a good sign—then hurried to explain. “I won’t be able to make it. An old friend of mine from out of town called, and when she heard that my parents were on vacation, she decided to drive to Mill Pond to spend time with me. She should get here in an hour.”

  “Bummer.” He frowned, but after all, he was only offering Daphne supper. The friend was going out of her way to visit her. “How often do you two get together?”

  “Only once or twice a year at art events. We met in college. Shelby does stained glass, too. She’s getting ready for a big exhibit in her hometown, Nashville, Tennessee.”

  Another artist. Nice. He knew how much he enjoyed meeting fellow chefs. “How long is she staying?” Daphne’s parents were only going to be gone a week. He’d looked forward to having Daphne to himself a few times before they came back.

  “She leaves after breakfast on Sunday.”

  Damn. Her parents returned early on Tuesday. “You’re still coming to Harley’s Halloween party with me on Sunday night, aren’t you?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it.”

  He felt himself relax a little. Her news didn’t thrill him, but he worked every night this week anyway. She worked during the days. It’s not like they’d see that much of each other. It would be nice for her to have company. He tried to be gracious. “Enjoy your friend.”

  She sounded unsure about that. “I will. Thanks for being so understanding.”

  He laughed. “Do I have a choice?”

  She laughed, too. “Neither of us do. Shelby’s on her way.”

  When she hung up, he glared at the phone before pushing it back in his pocket. Daphne hadn’t sounded thrilled to see her friend. He wondered about that. Too bad, really. He’d made up his mind to show Daphne a good time, thought he’d drop by her place when he got off work some night and start getting things ready for an herb bed along her picket fence. He shook his head, laughing at himself. Yeah, that would excite her, for sure. She’d probably do things she liked better with Shelby.