Page 50 of The Paradise Plan

Hilton Head Gourmet Goods came into view, and Harrison said, “Here we are,” before Cass could respond about when she might allow him to kiss her.He pulled into the lot, which wasn’t terribly full for this early in the morning.In a couple of hours, it would be insane, and Gourmet Goods would sell out by noon.

“You get whatever you want, okay?”he asked.“I don’t care if we only have one bite.If you want to try it, we get it.”

“I like the way you think,” she said, already unbuckling her seatbelt though he hadn’t come to a complete stop in a spot yet.He did, and they got out of the truck and headed inside.

He reached for her hand, glad when she secured her fingers between his, as if she wanted to hold his hand.“You have nice hands,” she said.

Harrison had no idea how to respond to that.“Thanks,” he said, not wanting to be unaccepting of the compliment.

Only a couple of people waited in line ahead of them, and he pointed out the fruit tarts, the almond croissants, and the treasuredpain au chocolat.

When it was their turn to order, he rattled off a half-dozen pastries he wanted and looked at Cass.Her eyes had gone wide, and he chuckled.“I said whatever you want.”

“I think you covered it.”

“I didn’t get the raspberry mousse tart.”

“Then one of those.”

He nodded to the woman behind the register—Susan May—and pulled out his credit card.“And two coffees, please.”Gourmet Goods had plenty of sugar, cream, and flavored syrups on their coffee bar.

“Oh, and Susie, can I get two dozen beignets for the boys on site?”

“Sure thing, Harry.”She smiled at him, twisted, and yelled over her shoulder.“Beignets for Harrison Construction.”She faced him again and took his card.She ran it while a teenaged girl started picking their order.

Susie handed his card back, and Harrison said.“We’ll be here for a bit.Bring the doughnuts out whenever.”

“You got it.”She looked past him to the next customer, and Harrison nodded Cass down the counter.

“They’ll bring them out when they’ve got them,” he said, guiding her with his hand on her back again.“Let’s sit by the window over here.It has an amazing view of the park.You might even see some birds.”

They took a table for two that likely wouldn’t hold their pastries, and Harrison tucked his wallet back in his pocket and sat across from Cass.

“Harry?”she asked, eyebrows moving up.

“She’s a local.”

“So do all locals call you Harry?”

“Just the ones I grew up with,” he said.Their coffee arrived, and Harrison got up to get sugar and cream.“Do you want flavoring?”

“This might be odd, but if they have coconut, I’d take that.”

“I’ll look.”Harrison brought over the sugar substitute packets and the real cream, and then he studied the syrup bottles.He spied coconut and lifted it from the tray.

Back at the table, Cass stirred cream into her cup and then put in one pump of coconut syrup.

“Coconut cream,” he said.

“It’s like the beach in a coffee cup,” she said.

“Fascinating.”

“I suppose you’re a coffee purist.”

“Lots of sugar,” he said.Lifting the real, raw sugar packets.“Not the fake stuff either.”He poured in three of them and grinned at her.“If that’s a purist move, then yes.”

“No cream?”