Page 47 of Whisk Me Away
"You know my favorite treat, so what's yours?" I bumped her shoulder with mine.
I loved working side-by-side with her. It allowed me to notice things about her that I'd never seen before, like the way she hummed along to the song playing through the Bluetooth speaker on the back counter when she was lost in thought or the way she stuck her tongue out to the side when she was concentrating.
"Hmm. That shouldn't be a hard question, but it really is,” she huffed out a laugh. "If I had to pick, I'd probably say strawberry shortcake. However, I'm still working on a treat that incorporated all the elements of strawberry shortcake without it being so messy. I want the things we serve here to be easily eaten here or on the go, and that isn't the easiest treat to eat.”
The sound of her laugh was music to my ears.
"You ready to get started, big guy?" Karis sent a mischievous grin my way.
"Lead the way, Peach," I replied.
"How about you start by preheating the oven while I show you how to measure out the ingredients?”
Following her lead, I fumbled with the oven knobs, feeling a sense of accomplishment as I managed to set it to the correct temperature. If my brothers could see me now, I'd never hear the end of it.
"What do you say about a round of 21 questions?" I asked as I rested my hip along the counter, crossing my arms over my chest.
Karis was wearing navy blue joggers and a bright pink t-shirt with the Whisk Me Away logo on the front. Her hair was pulled back into a loose braid down her back. Her frilly pink apron was tied around her waist and covered in the evidence of her morning spent baking. I didn’t know how she did it, but Karis managed to look breathtaking no matter what she was wearing.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Karis asked as the peach hue traveled up to her cheeks.
I debated brushing it off, but a part of me wanted her to realize how deep I'd gotten. I needed her to know there's no going back. She's it for me.
"Just appreciating the view,” I winked.
Karis swatted her hand at my shoulder before turning her attention to the ingredients on the counter.
"I think I can manage a game of 21 questions as long as we do it while you bake your favorite muffins,” her eyebrows drew closer to her hairline as she waited for me to answer.
"Fair enough,” I held my hands up in her direction. "Teach me your ways,” I joked.
As Karis set out our measuring cups, I thought of my first question.
"I'll start with an easy one. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?" I asked as I stepped up to the counter to measure the flour.
Karis took a few minutes to ensure I was measuring correctly before hopping up and planting herself on the counter next to me.
"Hmmm… that's a good one. I would definitely go to Europe. There are so many places I'd like to visit there, but going to a French patisserie has always been a dream of mine. The smell of freshly baked bread, the sight of rows upon rows of colorful macarons, the delicate swirls of frosting on decadent cakes. Can you imagine sipping espresso at a sidewalk café, watching the world go by as you indulge in the most exquisite desserts you've ever laid eyes on? It's on my bucket list for sure!" The wistful look in her eyes made me want to bring that dream to fruition.
I was dumping the last of the dry ingredients, as Karis referred to them, into the standing mixer when she asked me the same question.
"I've never dreamed much of leaving Ashwood Falls, but I'd probably like to visit Australia. Brooks is almost finished with his schooling to be a vet, and when we were kids, he'd always turn on these shows about animals. I remember walking into the living room when it was on, and they were talking about the different animals that can be found in Australia and the Outback. I don't know, they seemed pretty cool,” I looked up in time to see Karis' body shake. The look on her face told me she didn’t share the same desire.
"Massive spiders? No, thank you! I have heard horror stories about spiders there. I couldn't do it,” her body shook again as if just that thought gave her the heebie-jeebies.
Laughing at her reaction, I nodded my head. “Noted."
We continued like this for a few hours, asking each other questions, laughing, and baking. It was the most fun I’d had in a very long time. My phone buzzed in my pocket, pulling my attention away from the enticing muffins sitting on the cooling rack beside me.
I slid it out as I realized what time it was. The text was from Randle, letting me know the guys were all in the conference room at the station ready for me. I completely forgot we had a meeting to go over the logistics of the annual Spring Fling that was coming up.
"Peach, I have to go. I forgot about a meeting to figure out the rotation for the annual Spring Fling,” I said, spinning around to see Karis washing her hands in the oversized sink.
"Oh my goodness! Thanks for the reminder. I forgot I signed up to have a booth this year. I planned to have a variety of treats to sell and maybe have a game where winners can get a free cookie." She was talking a mile a minute, and the excitement in her tone was plain as day.
"That's a great idea,” I leaned over to plant a kiss on her forehead before quickly washing my hands and dusting off my clothes as best I could.
"I'll see you tomorrow,” my smile was wide as I waved goodbye and headed for the door.