get their attention, yes. But maybe she just wants to be heard?” Demi tapped her lips, intrigued.
“What do you think we should do next?” Pierce leaned back in his seat, stretching his arms above his head.
“I don’t know. I guess it’ll depend on the walk-through tonight. Ask questions and see if she answers?”
“Sounds like a plan. In the meantime, I think we should take a break. It’ll be lunchtime soon, and I saw a place I know you’ll love.”
Demi glanced down at the small stack of books and back to Pierce. “I’m game. One more word, and my head might explode.”
“Pierce.” She couldn’t hide her excitement when they pulled in front of the old-fashioned-style soda shop in the center of town. The balloon lettering on the dusky pink awning over the building read SUSY’S SODA SHOPPE. Identical font was scrawled across the window in gold.
“You like it?”
“I love it. Oh, my God. This might be the best trip I’ve ever been on.” She unbuckled her seat belt and scrambled out of the car before he could walk around to open her door. She ignored his laughter and drank in the beauty she spied through the large glass window. Rows of wooden shelves lined with candy and glass cases with treats of all shapes and sizes made her mouth water.
“Wow, this is straight out of Willy Wonka.” Pierce wrapped an arm around her waist, and she forced herself to relax and enjoy the closeness. Pierce wasn’t some guy trying to get into her pants. She could trust him. They moved forward, and she snuggled into his side, giving fear a swift kick to the shins. She’d allowed her mother’s death and her father’s response to it to scare her so much she refused to try her hand at love. The time to grow up and move on had arrived. They opened the door, and a bell jingled. Dressed in white shirts with black aprons over them, the women behind the registers greeted them with bright smiles.
“Welcome to Susan’s. Have you been here before?”
“No, we haven’t,” Demi said, grinning as excitement vibrated through her body. Her giant sweet tooth had her practically drooling.
“Okay, then let’s give you the rundown. Candies are over there. Baked items are in the glass display cases you see here, and here. And the main attraction over there.” The woman gestured toward the counter with a handful of stools. A giant chalkboard with pristine white writing hung on the wall. “All our flavors and combinations are listed there. If you have any questions at all, please let us know.”
“Thank you. I think this’ll take a while.” Pierce snickered.
She nudged him in the side. “Hey. This is like hitting the lottery for me.”
“I know.” He winked.
“Dessert for lunch? Brownie points.” She tilted her head and studied him from beneath her lashes.
“I’m in this to win you over. All the stops are pulled out.” He leaned down and brushed her lips. The sweet sincerity thawed out her cool resolve. Women dreamed of men like this. “Come on, let’s get ice-cream wasted,” Pierce said against her lips.
She giggled, and he pulled away, leading her to the counter.
In the end, they decided to try the banana-split sundae for two. She watched with childlike glee as they scooped the hand-churned ice cream out of a silver bin and placed it inside a glass boat with gold etchings. The toppings were ladled across and topped with whipped cream and two cherries.
“Here you go.”
“Thank you,” they said in unison.
“Ladies first,” Pierce said, offering her the first bite. She dipped her silver spoon into the picture-perfect treat and brought the sweet concoction to her lips. Flavor coated her tongue, and she moaned, closing her eyes.
“It’s amazing.”
“Yes, it is.” She opened her eyes and found him staring at her. Heat infused her cheeks, and she looked away. He trailed his fingers down her arm and took a bite.
“Okay, it lives up to the hype.”
Her admiration for him grew. He had a sense of
Donald Luskin, Andrew Greta