market.” Matt held up a bag full of fresh vegetables. “Supper. Along with the steaks I have in my fridge. Wanna come over later?”
“Er…” She wasn’t sure how she’d get there. “Maybe.”
Matt’s eyes moved as he took in her nearly empty booth. “Hey, you did good today, Cor.”
She grimaced. “Not so much. My car wouldn’t start, so I had to take the bus here and I couldn’t bring all my stuff.”
Matt made a funny noise as Dylan picked up a small box of truffles wrapped in her signature glossy black paper tied with the black and white polka-dotted bow and a shiny white sticker with “Decadent Indulgence” printed in black script. “What are these?”
She smiled. “Those are my Dulche de leche truffles—cinnamon ganache and caramelized cream.”
He lifted startled eyes to her. “Huh?”
“Take them. My treat.”
“Hell no. I’ll pay for them.” He dug into his pocket and pulled out some bills. “How much?”
“Thirty dollars.”
His hand stilled. “For this?”
“That’s a dozen fine truffles.”
“Ah. Okay.” And he flipped through the bills, handing over a ten and a twenty.
“Here you go. Enjoy.”
“For thirty bucks, I better.” But his easy grin softened his words, and besides, she was confident in her chocolatier skills.
“I’m sure you’ll love them.”
“What’s wrong with your car now?” Matt demanded, frowning.
She sighed. “I don’t know. It wouldn’t start this morning.”
“Oh for Chrissake. Why didn’t you call me?”
She gave him a level look. “I can look after myself.”
He pressed his lips together briefly. “I suppose you left half your stuff at home?”
“Well. Yeah. I told you, I couldn’t bring it all.”
“What time is it? I’ll go get the rest for you. You’re already almost sold out.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I know I don’t have to,” he said, his words measured. “I want to.”
She swallowed through a tight throat, hating that he had to do that for her. “It’s okay, Matt.”
He didn’t say a word, just pulled his car keys out of his pocket. “Coming with me, Dylan?”
Dylan grimaced and jerked his chin toward his crutches. “It’s a long way back to the parking lot. How about I stay and keep Corey company while you go?”
Matt nodded. “Sure. I’ll be back soon.” He disappeared into the throngs of people.
Corey looked at Dylan and gave him a small grimace. “My car’s really old.”
“That sucks. Maybe Matt can get it going. He used to be pretty good with cars.”
“Oh, no, I’ll just get it towed to a shop.”
He shrugged and opened the glossy black box that held the truffles. He selected one and went to pop it in his mouth. She held up a hand and he paused with the truffle halfway to his mouth. “What?”
“Don’t devour it. Would you guzzle down a whole glass of fine wine?”
He grinned. “I don’t often drink fine wine. I’m more of a beer kinda guy.”
She shook her head, smiling. “You know what I mean. This isn’t just any chocolate. Take a bite and savor it.”
He took a small bite, melted it in his mouth. His eyes widened. “Wow.”
Pleasure rippled through her. “Thanks. See what I mean?”
He nodded and took another bite, closing his eyes to enjoy it. “Amazing. What makes it so good? So different?”
“Other chocolate makers buy bulk chocolate, but I buy the beans and make it myself. Right now I’m buying cacao beans mostly from a plantation in Brazil that I’ve developed a relationship with.”
He blinked at her and finished off the truffle. “Brazil. Wow.”
“It’s like wineries who make wine from grapes from their own vineyards, rather than buying juice from a whole bunch of different vineyards and combining it. I buy beans from one place and I have control over all the ingredients and all the steps in the process. I roast the beans and do the processing into chocolate and I make sure I only use the best ingredients.”
“No wonder
“Er…” She wasn’t sure how she’d get there. “Maybe.”
Matt’s eyes moved as he took in her nearly empty booth. “Hey, you did good today, Cor.”
She grimaced. “Not so much. My car wouldn’t start, so I had to take the bus here and I couldn’t bring all my stuff.”
Matt made a funny noise as Dylan picked up a small box of truffles wrapped in her signature glossy black paper tied with the black and white polka-dotted bow and a shiny white sticker with “Decadent Indulgence” printed in black script. “What are these?”
She smiled. “Those are my Dulche de leche truffles—cinnamon ganache and caramelized cream.”
He lifted startled eyes to her. “Huh?”
“Take them. My treat.”
“Hell no. I’ll pay for them.” He dug into his pocket and pulled out some bills. “How much?”
“Thirty dollars.”
His hand stilled. “For this?”
“That’s a dozen fine truffles.”
“Ah. Okay.” And he flipped through the bills, handing over a ten and a twenty.
“Here you go. Enjoy.”
“For thirty bucks, I better.” But his easy grin softened his words, and besides, she was confident in her chocolatier skills.
“I’m sure you’ll love them.”
“What’s wrong with your car now?” Matt demanded, frowning.
She sighed. “I don’t know. It wouldn’t start this morning.”
“Oh for Chrissake. Why didn’t you call me?”
She gave him a level look. “I can look after myself.”
He pressed his lips together briefly. “I suppose you left half your stuff at home?”
“Well. Yeah. I told you, I couldn’t bring it all.”
“What time is it? I’ll go get the rest for you. You’re already almost sold out.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I know I don’t have to,” he said, his words measured. “I want to.”
She swallowed through a tight throat, hating that he had to do that for her. “It’s okay, Matt.”
He didn’t say a word, just pulled his car keys out of his pocket. “Coming with me, Dylan?”
Dylan grimaced and jerked his chin toward his crutches. “It’s a long way back to the parking lot. How about I stay and keep Corey company while you go?”
Matt nodded. “Sure. I’ll be back soon.” He disappeared into the throngs of people.
Corey looked at Dylan and gave him a small grimace. “My car’s really old.”
“That sucks. Maybe Matt can get it going. He used to be pretty good with cars.”
“Oh, no, I’ll just get it towed to a shop.”
He shrugged and opened the glossy black box that held the truffles. He selected one and went to pop it in his mouth. She held up a hand and he paused with the truffle halfway to his mouth. “What?”
“Don’t devour it. Would you guzzle down a whole glass of fine wine?”
He grinned. “I don’t often drink fine wine. I’m more of a beer kinda guy.”
She shook her head, smiling. “You know what I mean. This isn’t just any chocolate. Take a bite and savor it.”
He took a small bite, melted it in his mouth. His eyes widened. “Wow.”
Pleasure rippled through her. “Thanks. See what I mean?”
He nodded and took another bite, closing his eyes to enjoy it. “Amazing. What makes it so good? So different?”
“Other chocolate makers buy bulk chocolate, but I buy the beans and make it myself. Right now I’m buying cacao beans mostly from a plantation in Brazil that I’ve developed a relationship with.”
He blinked at her and finished off the truffle. “Brazil. Wow.”
“It’s like wineries who make wine from grapes from their own vineyards, rather than buying juice from a whole bunch of different vineyards and combining it. I buy beans from one place and I have control over all the ingredients and all the steps in the process. I roast the beans and do the processing into chocolate and I make sure I only use the best ingredients.”
“No wonder
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