one-sided attraction was just lame.
She should go. Tate might be one of those people who cherished alone time. Like her, he spent most of his day with people. He might want to have a few minutes to himself to eat his lunch in peace. Would Tate be too polite to ask her to leave, even if he wanted to? Was there a nice way for her to bring it up? Asking him if he wanted to be left alone could sound a lot like a politely worded “Mind if I stay?”
She was so caught up in her own internal argument that she was a couple of seconds late realizing that Tate had asked her something. And that she’d been staring at him.
Damn. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”
“You seem to be thinking real hard about something. Everything okay?”
“Just some planning.” Mercifully, her brain kicked back in at that moment, and the Children’s Fair was a safe topic. “I got a call from the Homestead Craft Center over in Bay Minette yesterday. They’ve offered to bring some of their people over to do demonstrations and crafts in return for a discount on vendor space.”
“What kind of demonstrations?”
“Weaving, candle making, that kind of stuff. I think it would be interesting and educational. Different, too,from what’s been done in the past. I just haven’t figured out how to make money off it yet.”
Tate laughed. “You have a fund-raiser’s brain, that’s for sure.”
“That’s the point of this, right? I’m thinking if we do it like the face painting—you know, asking for a dollar or two to try out the crafts—we could make some money that way.”
“Sounds like you do have it figured out.”
The matter-of-factness brought her up short. “Yeah, I guess I do. I think I just needed a second opinion. So, thanks.” Maybe I really can do this. A little kernel of pride popped in her chest. “Mrs. K has called a few times just to ‘check in.’ I’ve been dodging her calls, but I think I’m ready to call her back now and bring her up-to-date.”
“Want me to call her for you?”
“Nah. I can do it.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive. She shouldn’t have left me in charge if she didn’t want me to make decisions.”
He looked at her carefully. “You’re starting to enjoy this, aren’t you?”
“A little,” she confessed. She was starting to see the big picture now that she’d gotten the smaller parts under control, and her inner organizer had been awakened. Ms. Louise’s encouragement to put her own stamp on it was almost as good as getting the okay from Mrs. Kennedy, even if she suspected Mrs. Kennedy’s parting remarks about “everything being done” was actually code for “don’t change anything.” Maybe Tate’s confidence wasn’t misplaced, either. She met Tate’s eyes across the table. “Don’t tell anyone, though, okay?”
“Now we each have a secret to keep.” He winked at her, and Molly felt a strange little glow in her belly. For a second there, everything seemed to get very still andquiet. Half of Tate’s mouth curved up into a small smile. “So—”
“You both know there’s no way to keep secrets in this town.”
They both jumped at the voice, but it was only Helena, plopping onto the bench beside her. Eagerness on display, she dropped her voice and leaned in. “So what’s the secret?”
Tate shook his head. “If we told you, it wouldn’t be a secret, now would it?”
Helena clutched at imaginary pearls. “My two best friends are going to keep a secret from me?”
Molly nodded, just to irritate her, but she was secretly a little relieved at Helena’s arrival. It had broken that odd moment of tension, even as she wondered what Tate had been going to say.
“Oh, and it’s a good secret, too,” Tate added sincerely. “Very juicy. Pity we can’t share.”
“I’ve got all kinds of dirt on you, Tate Harris,” Helena said sternly. “I’d hate to have to share any of it.”
Tate made a noise Molly could only describe as a scoff. “That might scare
She should go. Tate might be one of those people who cherished alone time. Like her, he spent most of his day with people. He might want to have a few minutes to himself to eat his lunch in peace. Would Tate be too polite to ask her to leave, even if he wanted to? Was there a nice way for her to bring it up? Asking him if he wanted to be left alone could sound a lot like a politely worded “Mind if I stay?”
She was so caught up in her own internal argument that she was a couple of seconds late realizing that Tate had asked her something. And that she’d been staring at him.
Damn. “I’m sorry. What did you say?”
“You seem to be thinking real hard about something. Everything okay?”
“Just some planning.” Mercifully, her brain kicked back in at that moment, and the Children’s Fair was a safe topic. “I got a call from the Homestead Craft Center over in Bay Minette yesterday. They’ve offered to bring some of their people over to do demonstrations and crafts in return for a discount on vendor space.”
“What kind of demonstrations?”
“Weaving, candle making, that kind of stuff. I think it would be interesting and educational. Different, too,from what’s been done in the past. I just haven’t figured out how to make money off it yet.”
Tate laughed. “You have a fund-raiser’s brain, that’s for sure.”
“That’s the point of this, right? I’m thinking if we do it like the face painting—you know, asking for a dollar or two to try out the crafts—we could make some money that way.”
“Sounds like you do have it figured out.”
The matter-of-factness brought her up short. “Yeah, I guess I do. I think I just needed a second opinion. So, thanks.” Maybe I really can do this. A little kernel of pride popped in her chest. “Mrs. K has called a few times just to ‘check in.’ I’ve been dodging her calls, but I think I’m ready to call her back now and bring her up-to-date.”
“Want me to call her for you?”
“Nah. I can do it.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive. She shouldn’t have left me in charge if she didn’t want me to make decisions.”
He looked at her carefully. “You’re starting to enjoy this, aren’t you?”
“A little,” she confessed. She was starting to see the big picture now that she’d gotten the smaller parts under control, and her inner organizer had been awakened. Ms. Louise’s encouragement to put her own stamp on it was almost as good as getting the okay from Mrs. Kennedy, even if she suspected Mrs. Kennedy’s parting remarks about “everything being done” was actually code for “don’t change anything.” Maybe Tate’s confidence wasn’t misplaced, either. She met Tate’s eyes across the table. “Don’t tell anyone, though, okay?”
“Now we each have a secret to keep.” He winked at her, and Molly felt a strange little glow in her belly. For a second there, everything seemed to get very still andquiet. Half of Tate’s mouth curved up into a small smile. “So—”
“You both know there’s no way to keep secrets in this town.”
They both jumped at the voice, but it was only Helena, plopping onto the bench beside her. Eagerness on display, she dropped her voice and leaned in. “So what’s the secret?”
Tate shook his head. “If we told you, it wouldn’t be a secret, now would it?”
Helena clutched at imaginary pearls. “My two best friends are going to keep a secret from me?”
Molly nodded, just to irritate her, but she was secretly a little relieved at Helena’s arrival. It had broken that odd moment of tension, even as she wondered what Tate had been going to say.
“Oh, and it’s a good secret, too,” Tate added sincerely. “Very juicy. Pity we can’t share.”
“I’ve got all kinds of dirt on you, Tate Harris,” Helena said sternly. “I’d hate to have to share any of it.”
Tate made a noise Molly could only describe as a scoff. “That might scare
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