Page 185 of Candy Hearts, Vol. 2

CHAPTER 7

CODY

Getting to know Ben was more fun than I’d expected, and as the weeks went by, we saw each other regularly. One Saturday about a month after our first date, I headed to the farmer’s market, hoping to stock up on things I needed and do some browsing before our date that evening. The farmer’s market was being held at a little park near my apartment, close enough to walk from home. I made my way down the first aisle, pausing at nearly every vendor booth. I looked at handcrafted jewelry and home decor, hand-dyed yarns, knitted and crocheted scarves, hats, and gloves, and so much more.

I stopped at the stall selling coffee, the line winding out into the aisle, and waited my turn. The day was beautiful—a perfect late-spring morning, warm and breezy. It didn’t take long for me to get my coffee and as I turned to the table with assorted creamers and sugars, a familiar voice made its way to me.

"French vanilla and three sugars, right?"

I turned to find Ben standing there, grinning widely, looking like he’d won the jackpot of some lottery. "You remembered." When he nodded, I raised my eyebrows. "Wait, what are you doing here?"

"I’m shopping. Just like you."

"Oh, right. Looking for anything in particular?"

He nodded his head in the direction of a food cart. "I was hoping to grab some of those delicious doughnuts people keep telling me about. Join me. I’m buying.”

I sipped my coffee, the warmth spreading through my chest. "If you insist.”

Once we’d grabbed doughnuts, Ben and I wandered up and down the aisles of the farmer’s market. I bought some onions and potatoes and Ben selected several containers of pasta sauce and hot sauce.

We stopped together at a booth selling homemade jams, trying them one at a time. I picked up a cracker and gave Ben a sample of strawberry, placing it into his mouth carefully so as not to spill anything. My fingertips brushed his lips and sparks shot through me, Ben humming contentedly as he sampled the jam. A few moments later, he offered me a taste of blueberry.

As we went through the lineup, tasting each one carefully, the shop owner, an older lady with a shock of white curls, came up to us and offered her help.

"Do you two need anything?"

We shook our heads. "I think we’re good," I said with a smile.

"You two make such a lovely couple," she said as Ben fed me a bit of peach jam that tasted exactly like the filling of a pie. The moment the words were out of her mouth, we both looked at her, and if the look on Ben’s face was any reflection of my own, we were both blushing, the heat creeping up on my cheeks.

"I’m going to go look over at the breads in the next stall."

"I’ll be right there. I think I’m going to get some of this peach jam."

The shopkeeper smiled at me. "I hope he’s not offended."

"No, ma’am. Not at all. It’s just new, that’s all."

"Well, the way he looks at you… shoot." She waved her hand in the air dismissively.

"What do you mean?" I asked, handing her two jars of peach jam to ring up.

She took the jars from me and bagged them up. "Looking like you hung the moon. That man loves you. I can tell. Same way my Henry looked at me when we were young."

My stomach flipped at the thought that Ben and I might have something real together, not just a casual situation going on. "Oh, I… it’s really early. We’ve only known each other for a few weeks."

She shrugged and shook her head. "Doesn’t matter. When you know, you know."

I handed her my money and thanked her before heading out. I found Ben in the next stall over, chewing thoughtfully.

"This sourdough is amazing," he said after swallowing. "You should try it."

He wasn’t wrong, I discovered, tasting the bread. "Can we get a loaf of that?"

We didn’t mention the jam lady again, but her words stuck with me the rest of the day. Ben and I went our separate ways after we’d scoured the farmer’s market, agreeing that we’d see each other later that evening for our date. All I could think about was the jam lady, though, and whether she was right.