The Gingerbread Bakery (Dream Harbor, #5)(20)

It was a freezing December Saturday, and the café was packed. Every table was filled, and the line ran from the counter to the door.

‘She must be in here,’ Annie said.

‘Everyone in the entire town is in here,’ Mac said, guiding Annie into the line. Miraculously she hadn’t swatted his hand away and he was fully taking advantage of the opportunity to touch her, even if it was through several winter layers.

Annie stood up on her tiptoes scanning the crowd but, from what Mac could see, Estelle wasn't here.

‘Maybe we should ask if anyone has seen her,’ he said, getting ready to raise his voice above the crowd. Annie sensed it and clapped a hand over his mouth. Her skin was so soft against his lips he nearly groaned.

‘No,’ she hissed. ‘We can’t announce to the entire town that Estelle is missing.’

She dropped her hand before Mac could do something insane like run his tongue from her palm to her fingertips.

‘Then how are we ever going to find her?’

‘We’ll find her. But if these people know we’re looking for her, it will inevitably get back to Jeanie and Logan. And a missing grandmother is not part of the plan.’

She had leaned in close to him during this little speech, whispering in his ear. Her breath was warm on his face, and she smelled like mint and vanilla. He wanted to tug her closer and keep her there, but that was a surefire way to get a knee in the groin.

Instead, he flexed his fingers on Annie’s lower back, putting a little more pressure there until she was nearly flush against him. He didn’t miss the light tremor that ran through her at the proximity.

‘Okay,’ he said. ‘So, what do you propose we do next?’

Annie blinked up at him like she couldn’t quite remember what they were doing here or why they were standing so close. She gave her head a slight shake and little tendrils of blonde hair escaped from her ponytail.

‘We should probably get coffee,’ Mac suggested.

Annie nodded slowly, coming back to herself. She took a small step away from him. Annie was always taking small steps away from him.

‘Right, coffee. We should definitely do that. And we can finish our search after.’

‘Why don’t you go take a lap, just in case she’s sitting in a back corner somewhere. I’ll get the drinks.’

‘Okay.’ Annie nodded, setting off on a circuit of the café, while Mac waited. He needed a break from her nearness. It was doing things to his brain, making him unable to think straight.

‘What can I get you?’ Crystal asked when he got to the counter.

‘Peppermint hot chocolate, large, extra whipped cream and a spiced chai latte.’

Crystal raised an eyebrow.

‘What?’ Mac asked. ‘It’s the holidays.’

The barista smiled as she typed in his order. ‘It sure is.’

Christmas music played quietly over the speakers, and the counter was trimmed in pine boughs and holly berries. The display case was filled with cookies he was sure Annie had made, not that he could figure out when she could have possibly had the time. Outside, a light snow had started to fall, as if on cue.

‘Excited about the wedding tomorrow?’ Crystal asked as Joe made his drinks.

‘Of course. Love weddings. Any chance you don’t already have a date?’ he asked, suddenly feeling desperate not to end up alone around Annie again.

‘Sorry. Travis finally locked it down.’ She waggled her ring finger at him, the huge diamond sparkling in mockery of his situation.

‘Lucky guy.’

Crystal smiled. ‘Don’t worry, Mac. You’ll get her one day.’

He chose to assume that Crystal was speaking of a generic ‘her’ and not the specific ‘her’ the entire town knew he’d been after since he moved back here.

‘Thanks. Hey, you haven’t seen Estelle this morning, have you?’ He knew Crystal wouldn’t get the town talking.

‘No, but Dot was in earlier and mentioned that she was meeting up with Estelle today.’

‘She did? Any chance she said where?’

‘Something about the inn. I figured they were greeting family coming in for the wedding.’

‘Yes, amazing. Thank you!’

Crystal seemed understandably surprised about his enthusiastic reaction to Estelle’s plans for the day, but he didn’t have time to explain. Plus, Annie had sworn him to secrecy. He took his drinks, looking around to find Annie, when he bumped into a group of local high-school kids he’d had to take fake IDs from last weekend. They were still trying to get them back ‘to dispose of properly’. Luckily Mac wasn’t that big of an idiot.

‘Come on, Mac! Be cool.’ Hayden, the boldest of the group, tried to step in front of him.

‘I haven’t been cool in years. And you know I can’t give them back.’

‘In Quebec they can drink at eighteen.’

‘Then go to Quebec to drink.’

‘Mac…’

‘Next time, don’t try to use a fake ID at a pub filled with people who’ve known you since you wet your pants during the annual Christmas pageant.’

Hayden’s friends burst out laughing at that and Mac gave him a hard pat on the back.

‘That was way harsh, bro.’