one last time. Tendrils of light brown hair framed her heart-shaped face, while the green sweater she wore highlighted her dark green eyes. Dove-gray pants cut to flatter her curvy frame completed the outfit.
Flynn should be here any minute. The doorbell rang and she darted to the hall, before taking a few seconds to control her breathing. When she thought she was ready, she unbolted the heavy wooden door.
“Hi.” She gazed up at him, noticing the snowflakes studding his dark brown hair and heavy black coat.
“Hi.” He smiled at her, and her knees wobbled.
Belatedly, she remembered he was barely dodging a flurry of snow. “Come in.”
“Thanks.” He hung up his coat on a wooden peg in the hall and followed her through to the living room. “This is cozy.”
“I think so.” Kate looked with satisfaction at the cream walls, light blue carpet and comfortable furniture. She rented the cottage furnished, and had been pleasantly surprised when she’d moved in. “Libby used to live here, before she and Jake got married.”
“I know.” He nodded. “Cade told me.”
Since Flynn had arrived in town, whenever she saw Cade, Emma’s husband, she immediately thought of Flynn. Although they were of similar height, build and attractive, Kate privately thought Flynn was the slightly better looking of the two. Or was that just because she’d been drawn to him from the first moment she saw him?
“Would you like a drink?” She crossed to the small kitchen. “I make hot chocolate with European chocolate.”
“That sounds great.” The corners of his mouth tugged upwards. “I was hoping it wouldn’t snow much tonight so I could get through from the ranch, and so far it looks good.”
“So what made you move here from Montana?” she asked, as she put milk on to heat and started grating Belgian chocolate. “Emma mentioned it,” she added casually.
He chuckled. “Cade kept pestering me, telling me what a cool place Coldwater was. My folks are living in a retirement community in Arizona, so Wyoming is a bit closer to them. I came out here for a quick visit about three months ago. Then, when Cade told me the ranch on Gum Road was for sale, I managed to negotiate a good price for it.” He paused. “How about you?”
“How do you know I’m not a local?” she teased, stirring the chocolate into the milk. She always felt more confident in a kitchen.
He shrugged. “Cade told me. He can’t get enough of your blueberry Danish since you opened the bakery.”
“That’s one of my most popular items.” She couldn’t help a rush of pride. Emma was a pretty good baker, so for her husband to like anyone else’s baked goods was a big compliment.
“Your sourdough’s mine,” he replied, his lips quirking into a smile.
She tried to suppress a blush. Gathering her thoughts, she replied, “I moved here eight months ago when I realized I wasn’t enjoying my job as a pastry chef in Chicago any more. It was all rush, rush, rush, and creating desserts didn’t give me pleasure any longer. I was so tired, I could barely see straight when I was awake.”
It was too embarrassing to tell him about the time she’d nearly fallen asleep in the bathtub. When she had blearily squinted her eyes open, her mouth had been just under the surface of the tepid water. She’d quit her job the next day.
“So what made you move here to Coldwater?” he inquired.
Kate couldn’t help a soft smile touch her lips. “When I was five, my family spent the summer in Wyoming. I never forgot the feeling of having all that space around me.” She shrugged. “When I quit my job, it seemed natural to move here and see if I could make a life for myself.”
She peeped up at him through her lashes. He’d entered the kitchen, his hands tucked in the back pockets of his freshly pressed jeans. She could stand here all night just looking at him. Sigh.
He grinned. “I’ve heard that even Betty comes into the bakery for something
Flynn should be here any minute. The doorbell rang and she darted to the hall, before taking a few seconds to control her breathing. When she thought she was ready, she unbolted the heavy wooden door.
“Hi.” She gazed up at him, noticing the snowflakes studding his dark brown hair and heavy black coat.
“Hi.” He smiled at her, and her knees wobbled.
Belatedly, she remembered he was barely dodging a flurry of snow. “Come in.”
“Thanks.” He hung up his coat on a wooden peg in the hall and followed her through to the living room. “This is cozy.”
“I think so.” Kate looked with satisfaction at the cream walls, light blue carpet and comfortable furniture. She rented the cottage furnished, and had been pleasantly surprised when she’d moved in. “Libby used to live here, before she and Jake got married.”
“I know.” He nodded. “Cade told me.”
Since Flynn had arrived in town, whenever she saw Cade, Emma’s husband, she immediately thought of Flynn. Although they were of similar height, build and attractive, Kate privately thought Flynn was the slightly better looking of the two. Or was that just because she’d been drawn to him from the first moment she saw him?
“Would you like a drink?” She crossed to the small kitchen. “I make hot chocolate with European chocolate.”
“That sounds great.” The corners of his mouth tugged upwards. “I was hoping it wouldn’t snow much tonight so I could get through from the ranch, and so far it looks good.”
“So what made you move here from Montana?” she asked, as she put milk on to heat and started grating Belgian chocolate. “Emma mentioned it,” she added casually.
He chuckled. “Cade kept pestering me, telling me what a cool place Coldwater was. My folks are living in a retirement community in Arizona, so Wyoming is a bit closer to them. I came out here for a quick visit about three months ago. Then, when Cade told me the ranch on Gum Road was for sale, I managed to negotiate a good price for it.” He paused. “How about you?”
“How do you know I’m not a local?” she teased, stirring the chocolate into the milk. She always felt more confident in a kitchen.
He shrugged. “Cade told me. He can’t get enough of your blueberry Danish since you opened the bakery.”
“That’s one of my most popular items.” She couldn’t help a rush of pride. Emma was a pretty good baker, so for her husband to like anyone else’s baked goods was a big compliment.
“Your sourdough’s mine,” he replied, his lips quirking into a smile.
She tried to suppress a blush. Gathering her thoughts, she replied, “I moved here eight months ago when I realized I wasn’t enjoying my job as a pastry chef in Chicago any more. It was all rush, rush, rush, and creating desserts didn’t give me pleasure any longer. I was so tired, I could barely see straight when I was awake.”
It was too embarrassing to tell him about the time she’d nearly fallen asleep in the bathtub. When she had blearily squinted her eyes open, her mouth had been just under the surface of the tepid water. She’d quit her job the next day.
“So what made you move here to Coldwater?” he inquired.
Kate couldn’t help a soft smile touch her lips. “When I was five, my family spent the summer in Wyoming. I never forgot the feeling of having all that space around me.” She shrugged. “When I quit my job, it seemed natural to move here and see if I could make a life for myself.”
She peeped up at him through her lashes. He’d entered the kitchen, his hands tucked in the back pockets of his freshly pressed jeans. She could stand here all night just looking at him. Sigh.
He grinned. “I’ve heard that even Betty comes into the bakery for something
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