I’ve been baking for as long as I can remember, and it just hits different when the people you care about enjoy your bakes as much as you do.
“I’ll take that to mean you like them.”
Her eyes snap open. “Like them? I love them. If we weren’t going out, I’d probably devour the whole tub.”
“Well, if our date goes poorly,” I tease, rubbing the back of my neck, “at least you have something to look forward to.”
“I’m sure it won’t come to that.” She laughs as she stashes the cookies on a small table in the foyer. “Besides, I’m looking forward to seeing what the city has to offer. So far, I’ve only seen the inside of hotel rooms, moving trucks, and my townhouse,” she says, ticking them off on her fingers. “I haven’t even made it to the grocery store yet.”
I nod to her bandaged hand. “Feeling any better?”
“Yeah, it’s just a bit sore.” She steps out, closing the door behind her. “Fortunately, I had excellent care.”
“That’s high praise for splinter removal. I’m just glad it wasn’t worse.”
The sight of her dangling from the deck flashes in my mind, and I shudder, muscles contracting involuntarily.
All’s well that ends well.
I open the passenger door of my truck and offer her my hand. She takes it without hesitation and climbs onto the footrail with surprising ease.
Her fluid movements are what earned her the nickname Tink five years ago. She destroyed my boys at the limbo, and then she destroyed me in a head-to-head winner takes all challenge.
I hate losing, but losing to Ava had its perks. Namely, getting to spend more time with her.
Once we’re both settled in, I start up the truck and reverse out of the driveway.
“So you really made those cookies from scratch?” She turns in her seat to face me. “Like, milk and eggs and sugar, scratch?”
The disbelief in her voice has me straight up howling as we pull out of the neighborhood. “What? You think men can’tbake?” I shake my head, feigning disappointment. “This isn’t going to work out if you’re an advocate of traditional gender roles and stereotypes.”
“Of course not.” She grins. “I was just hoping I could pry the recipe out of you. That was legitimately the best chocolate chip cookie I’ve ever eaten.”
“Sorry, darlin’. It’s an old family recipe, and I’m sworn to secrecy.”
Her shoulders sag. “Then I guess I’d better savor them while they last.”
“Nah.” I check the rearview mirror, tap my signal, and slide into the left lane. “As long as we’re neighbors, you have unlimited cookie privileges.”
She perks up, that gorgeous smile back in place. “Okay, it’s official. You really are the best neighbor ever.”
I doubt she’ll be saying that when McGinnis is blasting his music at all hours of the day and night, but I’m not about to spoil the mood by mentioning it.
We lapse into silence, a nineties rock station filling the cab, and twenty minutes later, we pull up to our destination.
Ava leans forward, peering through the windshield at the miniature golf course. “Is this what I think it is?”
“Welcome to Where the Wild Things Par.”
4
AVA
Knox,ever the gentleman, holds the door, letting me enter Where the Wild Things Par ahead of him. A cool blast of air rushes out to greet me, accompanied by the whirring bells of an arcade game or twelve. The clubhouse is dim but clean, and an older man with thick gray hair and a bright Hawaiian shirt stands behind the counter. His face lights up the instant he sees us.
“Knox, my boy!” He grins broadly, the smile reaching all the way to his eyes. “It’s good to see you. What’s it been, three months?”
“Has it been that long?” Knox cringes. “I’m sorry. Things have been a little busy, and I’m running behind at the worksite, but I’d love to get a game in today.” He turns to me. “This is my friend Ava. She’s new to the area, and I promised to show her all the best places, which is why we came here first.” He gestures back to the counter. “Sam is the best mini-golfer you’ll ever meet. He’s destroyed me more times than I can count.”