Page 54 of Donut Disaster
“Be my guest. I have no intention on confronting another killer.” My arms float behind his neck as we inch close to one another.
“Lottie.” Noah pushes my name out colored with sadness, an unmistakable ache. “I miss you so damn much.”
I swallow hard. “I’m right here, Noah.”
His eyes trace out my lips as if waiting for an invitation.
That conversation I had in the bakery comes to mind.
“Research,” I whisper as I lean in.
His brows pinch as if to ask the question, but I shake my head just enough to let him know it’s not important.
“Just kiss me,” I whisper so low it would be a miracle if he heard.
But Noah doesn’t miss a beat. His mouth covers mine, and our kisses ignite like an all-consuming fire, complete with sparks and fireworks and an entire constellation bursting to life. Noah presses me in hard by the back of the neck as he makes my mouth his own. His kisses sayI miss you,I love you, and far better things than words could ever convey. It’s been so very long. It feels so very tender, so very sweet. Noah makes me dizzy with his kisses, hungry for me, and racked with insurmountable guilt.
But yes, there is a spark.
In fact, it’s more like a nuclear detonation.
Noah and I still have it, whatever it may be.
And this revelation terrifies me the most.
Chapter 17
Honey Lake gleams as the sun cascades down past the mountains in the distance, leaving a tangerine kiss over the top of the water. It looks as if a fire is dancing over its surface.
It’s the day of Noah’s actual birthday. Everett, Alex, Cormack, and I took him to Mangias for lunch and treated him to pizza. And now the three of them are helping me set up all of the sweet treats for the official closing night of the Honey Festival—and Noah’s official birthday party.
Each year, closing night would make me feel a bit melancholy over the fact summer had come and gone. For whatever reason, as soon as we turn the page on the calendar and September is here, in come the storms and the brisk autumn breezes. It’s as if the Honey Festival acted as a switch, and tonight summer would be turned off for another year and fall would flip on as soon as the sun crested the horizon in the morning.
Noah doesn’t realize that we’re having a big surprise party for him once again this evening. Lily, Keelie, and Bear are bringing down an entire bushel of donuts and, of course, the pièce de résistance, a donut tower that’s three feet tall. Everyone agreed that Noah needed a do-over birthday party, and we’re determined to give it to him.
Everett helps me land the last of the cookie platters at one of the dozens of refreshment tables.
Mayor Nash—Harry—my bio father, came by earlier this week and gave me a very generous check. I told him it was far too much, but he assured me that the residents of Honey Hollow wanted to show their appreciation for both me and the time I put in making all the delicious treats. He asked how my dating dilemma was going, and I let him know that we were slowly ironing out the kinks. I think Mayor Nash and I are ironing out our own kinks as well.
There are hundreds of bodies already at the lake. It’s truly the busiest night of the year.
Cormack spots an old friend and runs off screaming as if someone threatened to sever the handle on her ridiculously overpriced purse. Not that I wouldn’t mind having a handbag like that myself. Usually I haul around a backpack that I store my gun in, but I was at the bakery all morning, then at Mangias, then back to the bakery. The bakery is a no weapons zone as far as I’m concerned, so my trusty pistol is riding this one out today. Besides, almost every deputy in the Ashford Sheriff’s Department will be here today.
Everett lands an arm around my waist and pulls me in, his face just inches from my own. I never did bring up that kiss I shared with Noah, and I certainly didn’t repeat the effort. I haven’t crossed any physical bounds with Everett either. It’s almost as if we’re all right back to square one. I don’t mind it so much. Square one was a rather innocent place to be.
“You did well, Lemon.” He leans in and whispers, “Anything else I can help you with later?”
“As in the surprise party?” I whisper right back.
“Yes. If you need anything, I’m your man.”
I pull back and examine him in the waning light, the glory of the sun lighting up his face and making him shine like a god.
“You are far too kind. How about I distract him at about seven, and you help Keelie and Bear put up the banners and pull the balloons out from her car?”
“Deal.”
Noah comes up holding two chilled water bottles and hands them to Everett and me.