Temptation Trails (The Haven Brothers #3)

I didn’t know Jill, or Luke, but I was beginning to wonder if Doris’s claim that Louise Haven was a matchmaking genius was a bit overblown.

“Well, thank you anyway for the attempt, Louise, but I’m going to be on a dating hiatus for the foreseeable future.”

Louise gasped again. “Why would you do a silly thing like that?”

My eyes flicked to Doris. I didn’t want to broadcast my mirror curse problem to everyone in town. She gave me a subtle nod. She understood.

“I’m still getting settled and there’s so much to do here. I have a list of new recipes to try. Speaking of.” I grabbed a spatula, slid it beneath a snickerdoodle, and set it on a napkin, then handed it to Louise. “Try this.”

While Louise took a bite, I gave one to Doris.

The two women ate with expressions of deep concentration. Doris took another careful bite, as if still considering if she should like it or not, while Louise ate the whole thing.

“Delicious,” Louise said around her mouthful of cookie. She wiped the crumbs from the corners of her mouth and swallowed. “Absolute heaven.”

I beamed. “Yeah? They’re good?”

My gaze moved to Doris. She knew the dirty little almond flour secret. Would that influence her opinion?

“She’s right. Soft and chewy in the middle, crisp on the outside. You’d never know they aren’t real.”

“To be fair, they are real, they just have different ingredients.”

“Well, that’s it,” Louise said. “I’m never making snickerdoodles again. I’ve been outdone.”

I laughed. “Do you want to bring some home with you? These were just a test batch.”

“Don’t mind if I do.”

I went to the front to grab a to-go box while she chatted with Doris and noticed a teenage boy in a blue hoodie loitering on the sidewalk just outside. That was odd. Wasn’t it a school day?

He didn’t make a move to come in, so I took the box back to the kitchen and wrapped up some of the snickerdoodles for Louise. She took it and said goodbye, muttering about not giving any to Garrett as she left, this time out the back door.

“I suppose I should go home and put my feet up,” Doris said.

“Is your hip acting up again?”

“My hip, my knee, my back. You name it.”

“Go home and get some rest. I’ve got things covered and Beth will be here soon.”

“All right, honey.” She gave me a hug and gathered up her handbag. “Call me if you need anything.”

“I will. See you later.” The front door opened, so I called over my shoulder, “I’ll be right with you.”

I walked Doris to the back door and wiped the cookie crumbs off my hands before going to greet my customer.

The door was just closing as I came into the front, and I caught sight of what looked like the kid in the blue hoodie dashing up the sidewalk. I blinked once and he was out of sight.

What had that been about?

Then I saw it.

The display nearest the door, which had moments earlier been filled with bagged sugar cookies and other sweets, was empty.

I’d just been robbed.

CHAPTER 4