check this out, ladies.”
“We can’t take you anywhere, Alec,” Ruthie said, but she smiled at him. He gave the coffee carrousel one more spin before picking out some regular coffee.
“How does this thing work?” he asked. Dina only had the mini-brewer at home; Rafe had the big, complicated kind. She called him over. “I think Alec needs your assistance.”
She saw Rafe break into a smile that was just a little too bright. “I’ll be happy to help you, old chap.”
“ ‘Old chap?’” Dina said. “I heard Jay Galloway is related to a guy who drove a hackney back in jolly old England, but…”
“Dina,” Rafe said, teasing lights appearing in his dark eyes. At least she’d made him smile, which had been her intention when she’d mentioned Jay. “I thought we’d gotten past the stage where you mention Saint Jay all the time.”
“That’s what you get for thinking. Besides, it’s true that Jay and Lorrie’s great-great-great-great-great grandfather drove a hackney in England, right around the time of the War of 1812.”
“This coffee’s first-rate, guvnor,” Alec said.
Dina didn’t miss the smile Rafe had for his friend and co-worker. “Thank you, my good man.”
Alec looked around. “I hear you’ve got some great desserts. Where are they?”
Rafe sang the first few words of “Over There” amid Alec and Ruthie’s laughter. “I’ll show you,” Rafe said. “Would you ladies like any dessert?”
Ruthie said “yes,” and Dina did, too.
“Okay,” Rafe said. “But, Dina, I won’t be getting you any bourbon ball cupcakes.”
Dina felt a blush creep into her cheeks at Rafe’s mention of her last encounter with the lethal dessert. “Very funny.”
The two men left to get the sweets, and Ruthie finished off her bagel and cream cheese. “It was nice of you to come to the unveiling,” she said.
“It was the least I could do. Rafe was such a big help to me and…”
“It’s more than that. You guys really seem to be hitting it off. I wish I could find somebody. I keep going to all these singles dinners, but I haven’t met anybody so far.”
“What about Alec?” Dina asked, remembering when she’d felt the same way Ruthie did. One cold March night when it was pouring down rain, she’d decided to go to a Friday night service at the University of Cincinnati’s Hillel. That was when she’d met Rob. “You two seem to get along really well.”
Ruthie wrinkled her nose. “Alec’s okay, but we’re just friends.”
“Message understood,” Dina said. “I’ll mind my own business. I guess I’m not a very good matchmaker.” She really did hope Ruthie met someone. She was about to tell her the story about Rob when Alec and Rafe returned to the table with fancy plastic plates overflowing with treats—everything from mint chocolate brownies to mini bread pudding with caramel sauce.
“ Mmmm,” Dina said, digging in to the bread pudding. It reminded her of the dessert they’d served when the old department store, Shillito’s, had had a restaurant. Bread pudding had been one of their specialties, and Nan Moskowitz had made an almost-perfect recipe. “I wish I could save the rest of this stuff you brought me for Jay. If I eat all of this, I’ll have sugar overload and I don’t think my doctor would be very happy.”
Rafe laughed. “I’ll pack it up for you and you can give it to him. I don’t want to be an enabler.”
“I don’t believe it! You’re packing up desserts for me so I can give them to Jay?”
“I ordered plenty,” Rafe said. “There’s no reason Jay can’t have some and, as I said, I don’t want
“We can’t take you anywhere, Alec,” Ruthie said, but she smiled at him. He gave the coffee carrousel one more spin before picking out some regular coffee.
“How does this thing work?” he asked. Dina only had the mini-brewer at home; Rafe had the big, complicated kind. She called him over. “I think Alec needs your assistance.”
She saw Rafe break into a smile that was just a little too bright. “I’ll be happy to help you, old chap.”
“ ‘Old chap?’” Dina said. “I heard Jay Galloway is related to a guy who drove a hackney back in jolly old England, but…”
“Dina,” Rafe said, teasing lights appearing in his dark eyes. At least she’d made him smile, which had been her intention when she’d mentioned Jay. “I thought we’d gotten past the stage where you mention Saint Jay all the time.”
“That’s what you get for thinking. Besides, it’s true that Jay and Lorrie’s great-great-great-great-great grandfather drove a hackney in England, right around the time of the War of 1812.”
“This coffee’s first-rate, guvnor,” Alec said.
Dina didn’t miss the smile Rafe had for his friend and co-worker. “Thank you, my good man.”
Alec looked around. “I hear you’ve got some great desserts. Where are they?”
Rafe sang the first few words of “Over There” amid Alec and Ruthie’s laughter. “I’ll show you,” Rafe said. “Would you ladies like any dessert?”
Ruthie said “yes,” and Dina did, too.
“Okay,” Rafe said. “But, Dina, I won’t be getting you any bourbon ball cupcakes.”
Dina felt a blush creep into her cheeks at Rafe’s mention of her last encounter with the lethal dessert. “Very funny.”
The two men left to get the sweets, and Ruthie finished off her bagel and cream cheese. “It was nice of you to come to the unveiling,” she said.
“It was the least I could do. Rafe was such a big help to me and…”
“It’s more than that. You guys really seem to be hitting it off. I wish I could find somebody. I keep going to all these singles dinners, but I haven’t met anybody so far.”
“What about Alec?” Dina asked, remembering when she’d felt the same way Ruthie did. One cold March night when it was pouring down rain, she’d decided to go to a Friday night service at the University of Cincinnati’s Hillel. That was when she’d met Rob. “You two seem to get along really well.”
Ruthie wrinkled her nose. “Alec’s okay, but we’re just friends.”
“Message understood,” Dina said. “I’ll mind my own business. I guess I’m not a very good matchmaker.” She really did hope Ruthie met someone. She was about to tell her the story about Rob when Alec and Rafe returned to the table with fancy plastic plates overflowing with treats—everything from mint chocolate brownies to mini bread pudding with caramel sauce.
“ Mmmm,” Dina said, digging in to the bread pudding. It reminded her of the dessert they’d served when the old department store, Shillito’s, had had a restaurant. Bread pudding had been one of their specialties, and Nan Moskowitz had made an almost-perfect recipe. “I wish I could save the rest of this stuff you brought me for Jay. If I eat all of this, I’ll have sugar overload and I don’t think my doctor would be very happy.”
Rafe laughed. “I’ll pack it up for you and you can give it to him. I don’t want to be an enabler.”
“I don’t believe it! You’re packing up desserts for me so I can give them to Jay?”
“I ordered plenty,” Rafe said. “There’s no reason Jay can’t have some and, as I said, I don’t want
Similar Books
