curious gaze. "Mama, what are you doing here?"
"Same thing I'm always doing, making sure everything around here is running on a tight ship."
Tessa prayed this wasn't leading to another argument.
"You know it is, Mama."
Janet shrugged and smiled. "Yes, I know. My babies are doing a great job, so great they can't wait to get rid of me so they can take over and do God knows what with this place."
Tessa felt the heat rising up her neck instantly. She opened her mouth to speak, but Janet held up her hand. "Back to my original question."
"And what was that?" Tessa asked, pretending to forget.
"You know exactly what I asked you girl. Is that Noble boy that's in town the one who's got you smiling like that? Which one is it?"
"Isaiah," Tessa answered.
"Mmmhmm, that's the one. I saw him come in here before we opened 'bout a week or so ago when Dana was out sick. And Marva Lipton said she saw you with him at that hippie juice place and then again right outside the bakery looking awfully cozy eating sharing a meal."
Marva Lipton owned a specialty shop on Main Street, across the street from Everetts’.
"Mrs. Lipton needs to mind her own business," Tessa mumbled. "Yes, Mama. Isaiah and I have spent a little time together. We happen to enjoy each other's company."
"Will you be enjoying his company again any time soon?" Janet asked, a grin on her face as well.
"As a matter of fact," Tessa said, swaying in her seat. "We have a date this weekend. He's taking me to see Laurel Hunter in concert. He's even got backstage passes."
"That sounds fun!" Janet said. Her gaze grew distant and she sighed. "I haven't gone to a concert in ages."
"You and daddy should go to one some time."
Janet blinked, and the dreamy look on her face disappeared. "Oh child," she said, waving her hand. "I'm too old for things like that."
"You're never too old to do things with someone you love, Mama."
Janet sat in deep thought for a moment. "Your father did mention wanting to go out recently. But the bakery–"
"Is in good hands, Mama," Tessa insisted. "Dana and I got this."
Janet opened her mouth to argue, but Tessa cut off what she knew her mother was about to say, "And this isn't about us changing or adding things, or wanting to take over the business ourselves so you can retire. That's another argument for another day. This is simply about you and daddy going out and enjoying each other's company."
"Just like you want to enjoy Isaiah Noble's company?" Janet asked.
His company and so much more, Tessa thought, but wouldn't dare say out loud to her mother.
"You and daddy deserve a night out together," Tessa said instead.
"Okay," Janet finally said, standing. "I'm going to tell your father to plan something. We're going out."
"Enjoy your date," Tessa said as Janet left the office.
"And you enjoy yours too!"
Isaiah stepped out of his car and smoothed down the front of his suit jacket, before reaching back in the car and to grab the fresh flowers he'd picked up on the way to Tessa's house. He slammed the door shut and headed up the walkway to Tessa's house. It was a nice little bungalow style home; it fit her personality perfectly, he thought as he rang the doorbell.
When she opened the door, she literally took his breath away. She looked up into his eyes with that smile that always seem to warm his body. She had on a small amount of makeup, and her normally curly hair was blown out straight and hung down past her shoulders in large waves that framed her pretty face.
She looked elegant in a wide legged white jumpsuit with a V-neck that showed just a hint of cleavage. It wasn't too much, but it teased him just enough to make him imagine what it would feel like to palm her large breasts before taking them into his mouth.
"Hello, Isaiah," she said, grinning at him eagerly.
"Good evening, Tess," he said, leaning down to kiss her cheek. He held the flowers out to her as he added, "You look absolutely ravishing."
"Thank you," she said,
"Same thing I'm always doing, making sure everything around here is running on a tight ship."
Tessa prayed this wasn't leading to another argument.
"You know it is, Mama."
Janet shrugged and smiled. "Yes, I know. My babies are doing a great job, so great they can't wait to get rid of me so they can take over and do God knows what with this place."
Tessa felt the heat rising up her neck instantly. She opened her mouth to speak, but Janet held up her hand. "Back to my original question."
"And what was that?" Tessa asked, pretending to forget.
"You know exactly what I asked you girl. Is that Noble boy that's in town the one who's got you smiling like that? Which one is it?"
"Isaiah," Tessa answered.
"Mmmhmm, that's the one. I saw him come in here before we opened 'bout a week or so ago when Dana was out sick. And Marva Lipton said she saw you with him at that hippie juice place and then again right outside the bakery looking awfully cozy eating sharing a meal."
Marva Lipton owned a specialty shop on Main Street, across the street from Everetts’.
"Mrs. Lipton needs to mind her own business," Tessa mumbled. "Yes, Mama. Isaiah and I have spent a little time together. We happen to enjoy each other's company."
"Will you be enjoying his company again any time soon?" Janet asked, a grin on her face as well.
"As a matter of fact," Tessa said, swaying in her seat. "We have a date this weekend. He's taking me to see Laurel Hunter in concert. He's even got backstage passes."
"That sounds fun!" Janet said. Her gaze grew distant and she sighed. "I haven't gone to a concert in ages."
"You and daddy should go to one some time."
Janet blinked, and the dreamy look on her face disappeared. "Oh child," she said, waving her hand. "I'm too old for things like that."
"You're never too old to do things with someone you love, Mama."
Janet sat in deep thought for a moment. "Your father did mention wanting to go out recently. But the bakery–"
"Is in good hands, Mama," Tessa insisted. "Dana and I got this."
Janet opened her mouth to argue, but Tessa cut off what she knew her mother was about to say, "And this isn't about us changing or adding things, or wanting to take over the business ourselves so you can retire. That's another argument for another day. This is simply about you and daddy going out and enjoying each other's company."
"Just like you want to enjoy Isaiah Noble's company?" Janet asked.
His company and so much more, Tessa thought, but wouldn't dare say out loud to her mother.
"You and daddy deserve a night out together," Tessa said instead.
"Okay," Janet finally said, standing. "I'm going to tell your father to plan something. We're going out."
"Enjoy your date," Tessa said as Janet left the office.
"And you enjoy yours too!"
Isaiah stepped out of his car and smoothed down the front of his suit jacket, before reaching back in the car and to grab the fresh flowers he'd picked up on the way to Tessa's house. He slammed the door shut and headed up the walkway to Tessa's house. It was a nice little bungalow style home; it fit her personality perfectly, he thought as he rang the doorbell.
When she opened the door, she literally took his breath away. She looked up into his eyes with that smile that always seem to warm his body. She had on a small amount of makeup, and her normally curly hair was blown out straight and hung down past her shoulders in large waves that framed her pretty face.
She looked elegant in a wide legged white jumpsuit with a V-neck that showed just a hint of cleavage. It wasn't too much, but it teased him just enough to make him imagine what it would feel like to palm her large breasts before taking them into his mouth.
"Hello, Isaiah," she said, grinning at him eagerly.
"Good evening, Tess," he said, leaning down to kiss her cheek. He held the flowers out to her as he added, "You look absolutely ravishing."
"Thank you," she said,
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