beans had been ground and the smell of dark roast followed Lauren as she slipped the second batch of cinnamon buns into the commercial oven. Betty was in the office, her radio tuned to her favorite country western station with the volume loud enough for the two-step beat to swing through the restaurant.
"Don't tell me you still listen to that crap," Matt muttered from the door.
She spun around, surprised she'd missed the bell chime. Her heart beat against her rib cage. He was in full uniform and, like every other red-blooded female, her pulse quickened. Crisp sage shirt and tie lay beneath his forest green Parks Canada jacket. Long legs clad in the same color ended in sturdy hiking boots. Add the thick belt with the tools of the trade and he was a sight, one which could only be described in one word: scrumptious.
"Paul Brandt is not crap."
Matt rolled his eyes and swept his hat into his hand. "Country music's all the same, Lauren. You can ride a horse to the beat."
"Let me guess. You're still lost in the eighties?"
"John Fogerty and Dire Straits are classics."
"And the Go-Go's?" she teased, pouring him a cup of coffee.
He pointed at her. "If you tell anyone, I'll deny it."
"Yeah, yeah," she chuckled. He sat with a sigh and Lauren looked a little closer. There were shadows underneath his eyes, like he wasn't sleeping enough.
"Are you all right? You look tired."
It seemed to take a lot of energy for him to smile. "Yeah, just working long days."
"Is there a problem?"
He was quick to shake his head. "Nah, just trying to get my bearings, learn my territory."
"Okay," she said, though his answer didn't ring a hundred percent true. But then, she hadn't heard any gossip about anything going on in the Park either, so maybe she was just being paranoid.
"Hey, Lauren!"
"Yes, Elsie," she called back over the empty tables.
"Bring that nice young man over here and introduce him."
Matt looked from the coffee gang to her. "Please don't," he begged. "I know how little old ladies work. They'll be trying to marry me off to one of their granddaughters. Trust me, Baba does it all the time," he said, referring to his grandmother.
She snatched his coffee cup before he could hold onto it. Laughing, she carried it over to the ladies. From the corner of her eyes she saw Matt hang his head a second before walking over.
"Ladies, this is Matt Skarpinsky. He's transferred from Waterton. Matt, if you plan on coming in here regularly, you'll be seeing a lot of these women. That's Lois on the end, then Elsie, Alice, Mary and Donna."
"Nice to meet you," Matt said.
"Oh, pull up a seat. We don't bite," Alice said.
"Well, not right away," Mary added with a soft chuckle.
"Are you married, Matt?" Lois asked. She leaned forward, blue eyes like lasers across the table.
Lauren bit her lip to keep from laughing when Matt squirmed under the five pairs of eyes staring at him like he was about to divulge the secrets of the universe.
"No, ma'am."
"Ever been married?"
"No, ma'am."
"Are you one of them men who prefer other men, 'cause if you are we're all right with that. My nephew is gay. It would just be nice if you told us outright, though, so we don't get our hopes up." Elsie winked at Matt, who promptly jerked so quick he spilled his coffee.
"Well?"
"No, ma'am. I, um, prefer women."
"Can I get you anything else, Matt?"
"Oh, yeah, a cinnamon bun. But I'll take it up at the counter." He grabbed his mug. "I have to talk to you about something anyhow. Nice meeting you, ladies."
Lauren could feel Matt breathing down her neck the whole way back to the counter.
"That was mean."
"No," Lauren chuckled. "That was fun."
Matt's mouth twisted in a grin. "I'll get even."
She set his bun before him. "It's on the house. Now we're even."
His eyes gleamed. "Deal."
She watched him devour the confection until it was done. "Are you doing anything for Thanksgiving?" he asked.
"Juliet wants a few hours off on Monday, so I said I'd work a double
"Don't tell me you still listen to that crap," Matt muttered from the door.
She spun around, surprised she'd missed the bell chime. Her heart beat against her rib cage. He was in full uniform and, like every other red-blooded female, her pulse quickened. Crisp sage shirt and tie lay beneath his forest green Parks Canada jacket. Long legs clad in the same color ended in sturdy hiking boots. Add the thick belt with the tools of the trade and he was a sight, one which could only be described in one word: scrumptious.
"Paul Brandt is not crap."
Matt rolled his eyes and swept his hat into his hand. "Country music's all the same, Lauren. You can ride a horse to the beat."
"Let me guess. You're still lost in the eighties?"
"John Fogerty and Dire Straits are classics."
"And the Go-Go's?" she teased, pouring him a cup of coffee.
He pointed at her. "If you tell anyone, I'll deny it."
"Yeah, yeah," she chuckled. He sat with a sigh and Lauren looked a little closer. There were shadows underneath his eyes, like he wasn't sleeping enough.
"Are you all right? You look tired."
It seemed to take a lot of energy for him to smile. "Yeah, just working long days."
"Is there a problem?"
He was quick to shake his head. "Nah, just trying to get my bearings, learn my territory."
"Okay," she said, though his answer didn't ring a hundred percent true. But then, she hadn't heard any gossip about anything going on in the Park either, so maybe she was just being paranoid.
"Hey, Lauren!"
"Yes, Elsie," she called back over the empty tables.
"Bring that nice young man over here and introduce him."
Matt looked from the coffee gang to her. "Please don't," he begged. "I know how little old ladies work. They'll be trying to marry me off to one of their granddaughters. Trust me, Baba does it all the time," he said, referring to his grandmother.
She snatched his coffee cup before he could hold onto it. Laughing, she carried it over to the ladies. From the corner of her eyes she saw Matt hang his head a second before walking over.
"Ladies, this is Matt Skarpinsky. He's transferred from Waterton. Matt, if you plan on coming in here regularly, you'll be seeing a lot of these women. That's Lois on the end, then Elsie, Alice, Mary and Donna."
"Nice to meet you," Matt said.
"Oh, pull up a seat. We don't bite," Alice said.
"Well, not right away," Mary added with a soft chuckle.
"Are you married, Matt?" Lois asked. She leaned forward, blue eyes like lasers across the table.
Lauren bit her lip to keep from laughing when Matt squirmed under the five pairs of eyes staring at him like he was about to divulge the secrets of the universe.
"No, ma'am."
"Ever been married?"
"No, ma'am."
"Are you one of them men who prefer other men, 'cause if you are we're all right with that. My nephew is gay. It would just be nice if you told us outright, though, so we don't get our hopes up." Elsie winked at Matt, who promptly jerked so quick he spilled his coffee.
"Well?"
"No, ma'am. I, um, prefer women."
"Can I get you anything else, Matt?"
"Oh, yeah, a cinnamon bun. But I'll take it up at the counter." He grabbed his mug. "I have to talk to you about something anyhow. Nice meeting you, ladies."
Lauren could feel Matt breathing down her neck the whole way back to the counter.
"That was mean."
"No," Lauren chuckled. "That was fun."
Matt's mouth twisted in a grin. "I'll get even."
She set his bun before him. "It's on the house. Now we're even."
His eyes gleamed. "Deal."
She watched him devour the confection until it was done. "Are you doing anything for Thanksgiving?" he asked.
"Juliet wants a few hours off on Monday, so I said I'd work a double
Similar Books
