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Harley.”
    Kim laughed, but then her mood sobered when she turned toward Nathaniel. “Sorry about
     everything that happened today. Not what you expected when you arrived, was it?”
    “No, it wasn’t,” he said with a grin. “A fire, a cupcake bandit, and a high-speed
     chase all in less than an hour. Is your life always this exciting?”
    “No.” Kim replied. “This isn’t my idea of fun.”
    “What is?”
    “Travel. I wish I could travel the world.”
    “Astoria is hosting the Scandinavian Festival next weekend. It doesn’t require travel,
     but if you come with me, I could at least introduce you to a different culture.”
    A date! He asked her on a date! But Creative Cupcakes would need her now more than ever. They’d have to clean the
     kitchen to remove the heavy black soot the smoke left behind and work hard to recoup
     the financial loss from shutting down on Father’s Day.
    “I’m working the festival in the afternoons,” Kim told him.
    “So am I,” he said, and an excited shine entered his eyes. “But there’s the Troll
     Run in the morning, bright and early.”
    Kim wavered with indecision, the golden wings in her pocket warring with the protective
     Band-Aid over her heart. The Troll Run, a several-mile informal foot race through
     the Olney Countryside just outside of Astoria, had been on her local to-do list for
     years. Right above “ride a motorcycle.” But was she really ready to start a new relationship?
     Was he?
    She thought of her sister’s reprimand: “Take time. Go on an adventure.” And the wings
     won.
    “Yes, I’d love to accompany you on the Troll Run,” Kim said, and as their eyes locked,
     she believed she saw a lot of excitement in her future.
    But for now, Nathaniel rode off to return to the nursery, and Kim returned to the
     blackened interior of the cupcake shop.
    “Watch where you step,” Andi warned.
    Kim looked down at the floor, which was splattered with the dropped remains of cinnamon-apple
     cupcakes with maple syrup−cream cheese icing.
    “Did you catch the mailman?” Rachel asked.
    “Yes, but he isn’t our thief,” Kim informed her.
    Andi scowled. “I wish I could find who it is. Not only was Officer Lockwell’s order
     taken, but also the box of prepacked mixes I was going to deliver to some local stores.”
    “Did you check the security camera footage?” Kim suggested.
    “Yes, Jake took a look at it while you were gone. All the camera caught was part of
     a bare arm—an elbow, to be exact, and a glimpse of pale hair. Not enough to identify
     a suspect. It could have been anyone. And the lighting of the camera seemed to be
     off. The hair color could have been white, blond, or even light brown.”
    “Mike is a pro at how to make things disappear from his years of performing magic
     tricks,” Rachel added. “And he says whoever is taking our cupcakes is very quick.”
    “Have you talked to Mia and Taylor?” Kim asked. “Kids can be quick. They could be
     taking cupcakes without realizing those orders are for other people.”
    Andi shook her head. “The girls wouldn’t take cupcakes without asking, and they know
     we’re looking for a thief. Right now the theft is a minor annoyance, but if this keeps
     up, the Cupcake Bandit may put us out of business.”
    “It wouldn’t be the first time someone tried,” Rachel reminded her. “Remember the
     Zumba lady and her troupe of health-conscious dancers? And what about Gaston, the
     French baker who claimed there can be only one cupcake shop in Astoria?”
    “We should keep a list of how many batches of cupcakes we make and where we place
     the orders,” Kim said, taking out the Cupcake Diary and making a few notes. “We should
     also keep a list of the disappearances—what time they occurred, what was taken, which
     flavors of cupcakes . . .”
    Rachel laughed. “You think the Cupcake Bandit might have a favorite flavor?”
    “Who knows?” Kim said and frowned as she flipped to