shoo her away. “Now you go get yourself looking nice. I’ve got a bakery to open, and Emily will be here soon.”
“Yes’m.”
Kate went out into the kitchen and then opened one of the cupboards, pulling out one of the spare T-shirts she kept in there for emergencies. She looked at the front and grinned; it seemed appropriate. She wriggled into it, and then looked in her bag and cursed when she realized she didn’t have her brush.
“Wren!”
“Whassup?” Wren popped her head into the kitchen. “Hey, nice shirt.”
“Thanks. You got a brush?”
“Do I look like I have a brush?” Wren pointed at her scruffy short hair.
“What am I going to do? I can’t get around with hair like this.”
“Gimme a sec. Emily’s just got here, so she might be able to help.”
Kate heard the women exchange greetings, and then Emily came into kitchen with a smile, already digging in her bag. “Oh, I see what she means. Don’t worry, Kate. We’ll make you gorgeous.”
“Thanks.” Kate smiled with gratitude.
Wren cocked her head and considered Kate for a moment. “You know, with a hot little shirt like that, can I do your hair? I’ve got an idea.”
“Knock yourself out.” Kate shrugged and Wren set to work.
A few minutes later, Kate was surveying her reflection in a mirror. “Braids? You’ve put me in braids?”
“You don’t like?” Wren looked worried.
Kate laughed. “No, they’re cute. I just haven’t had braids since grade school, and even then it was only when Gwen could hold me down long enough.” She gave Wren a quick hug. “Thanks for getting me presentable, babe.”
“Any time.” Wren smiled and went back out front.
Reaching for her compact, Kate gave herself a quick dusting of makeup, some mascara, and lip-gloss. Closing the small mirror with a snap, she dropped it back into her bag, and then turned toward the kitchen counter. It was time to start the day.
Wren was making another round of morning coffees for the team when Emily wandered over to stand beside her.
“I wish I could look like you.” She sighed.
“Huh? What do you mean?” Wren glanced at her before turning her attention back to the coffees.
“You know,” Emily waved a hand at her, “stunning, instead of stunned.”
Wren looked down at her outfit. Her favorite black jeans, a blue Paul Frank T-shirt, and tiger print ballet flats. It was simple and funky, and entirely Wren.
“Well …” Wren grinned. “It helps when you’re short enough to shop in the kids’ section. Keeps the costs down a bit.” She cocked her head and regarded Emily thoughtfully. “But I think we can have some fun with your wardrobe.”
Emily went pink with pleasure. “Really?”
“Yup, particularly if—and I’m only guessing here—it’s going to help you snare someone’s interest.”
Emily’s pink cheeks turned crimson.
“Thought so,” Wren added with satisfaction. “Two for two. I’m good .”
“So,” Emily said in a bid to change the focus of the conversation, “if that’s me fixed, what about Kate?”
“What about her?”
“You know,” Emily peeked into the kitchen to make sure Kate was busy. “That hot guy that looks like he’s got a thing for Kate hasn’t been in for a while.”
“I know.” Wren frowned for a moment. “But I think he’ll be in soon. There’s a pattern of sorts and my gut tells me that he’ll be back.”
“I hope you’re right,” Emily said, sipping her coffee.
“Well, if I’m not I’ll just have to make the time to fix things until they are.”
Kate appeared to accept her coffee, and then looked up at the oversized clock hanging over the kitchen door. It was yet another flea market find, with an enormous face that reminded Kate of the ones she saw at Central Station. She enjoyed her weekend customers as everyone seemed to be in a more relaxed state of mind. She checked her calendar for Saturday and looked up to see Wren collecting empty cups off some of the
“Yes’m.”
Kate went out into the kitchen and then opened one of the cupboards, pulling out one of the spare T-shirts she kept in there for emergencies. She looked at the front and grinned; it seemed appropriate. She wriggled into it, and then looked in her bag and cursed when she realized she didn’t have her brush.
“Wren!”
“Whassup?” Wren popped her head into the kitchen. “Hey, nice shirt.”
“Thanks. You got a brush?”
“Do I look like I have a brush?” Wren pointed at her scruffy short hair.
“What am I going to do? I can’t get around with hair like this.”
“Gimme a sec. Emily’s just got here, so she might be able to help.”
Kate heard the women exchange greetings, and then Emily came into kitchen with a smile, already digging in her bag. “Oh, I see what she means. Don’t worry, Kate. We’ll make you gorgeous.”
“Thanks.” Kate smiled with gratitude.
Wren cocked her head and considered Kate for a moment. “You know, with a hot little shirt like that, can I do your hair? I’ve got an idea.”
“Knock yourself out.” Kate shrugged and Wren set to work.
A few minutes later, Kate was surveying her reflection in a mirror. “Braids? You’ve put me in braids?”
“You don’t like?” Wren looked worried.
Kate laughed. “No, they’re cute. I just haven’t had braids since grade school, and even then it was only when Gwen could hold me down long enough.” She gave Wren a quick hug. “Thanks for getting me presentable, babe.”
“Any time.” Wren smiled and went back out front.
Reaching for her compact, Kate gave herself a quick dusting of makeup, some mascara, and lip-gloss. Closing the small mirror with a snap, she dropped it back into her bag, and then turned toward the kitchen counter. It was time to start the day.
Wren was making another round of morning coffees for the team when Emily wandered over to stand beside her.
“I wish I could look like you.” She sighed.
“Huh? What do you mean?” Wren glanced at her before turning her attention back to the coffees.
“You know,” Emily waved a hand at her, “stunning, instead of stunned.”
Wren looked down at her outfit. Her favorite black jeans, a blue Paul Frank T-shirt, and tiger print ballet flats. It was simple and funky, and entirely Wren.
“Well …” Wren grinned. “It helps when you’re short enough to shop in the kids’ section. Keeps the costs down a bit.” She cocked her head and regarded Emily thoughtfully. “But I think we can have some fun with your wardrobe.”
Emily went pink with pleasure. “Really?”
“Yup, particularly if—and I’m only guessing here—it’s going to help you snare someone’s interest.”
Emily’s pink cheeks turned crimson.
“Thought so,” Wren added with satisfaction. “Two for two. I’m good .”
“So,” Emily said in a bid to change the focus of the conversation, “if that’s me fixed, what about Kate?”
“What about her?”
“You know,” Emily peeked into the kitchen to make sure Kate was busy. “That hot guy that looks like he’s got a thing for Kate hasn’t been in for a while.”
“I know.” Wren frowned for a moment. “But I think he’ll be in soon. There’s a pattern of sorts and my gut tells me that he’ll be back.”
“I hope you’re right,” Emily said, sipping her coffee.
“Well, if I’m not I’ll just have to make the time to fix things until they are.”
Kate appeared to accept her coffee, and then looked up at the oversized clock hanging over the kitchen door. It was yet another flea market find, with an enormous face that reminded Kate of the ones she saw at Central Station. She enjoyed her weekend customers as everyone seemed to be in a more relaxed state of mind. She checked her calendar for Saturday and looked up to see Wren collecting empty cups off some of the
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