“Zack’s working up to asking you out. You interested? Before you answer, let me say he’s had all his shots, practices good personal hygiene, and though he has some annoying habits, he’s reasonably well adjusted. So, think about that. I’ll get the pizza.”

Nell blew out a breath, sat back. She had, she decided, entirely too much to think about in one short evening.

Six

Ripley was right about the solstice. Café Book was so busy Mia had taken on two part-time clerks for the shop and added another behind the café counter.

The run on the vegetarian dishes over a two-day period kept Nell in a constant state of panic.

“We’re running low on eggplant and alfalfa,” she said as Peg came on shift. “I thought I’d calculated . . . Hell.” She yanked off her apron. “I’m going to run down to the market, get what I can. I may have to substitute, change the menu for the rest of the day.”

“Hey, whatever. Don’t sweat it.”

Easy for you to say, Nell thought as she rushed downstairs. She’d run out of hazelnut muffins by noon, and there was no way the chocolate chunk cookies were going to last the day at the rate they were disappearing. It was her responsibility to make certain everything in the café ran as Mia expected it to run. If she made a mistake—

In her rush to the back door, she all but ran over Lulu.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m such an idiot. Are you all right?”

“I’ll live.” Lulu brushed fussily at her shirt. The girl had put in a good three weeks’ work, but that didn’t mean Lulu was ready to trust her. “Slow down. Just because you’re off shift doesn’t mean you have to run out of the place like it’s on fire.”

“No, I’m sorry. Is Mia—would you tell Mia I’m sorry, and that I’ll be right back?”

She bolted out the door and didn’t stop running until she was in the produce section of Island Market. Panic and dread churned in her stomach. How could she have been so stupid? Buying supplies was an essential part of her job. Hadn’t she been told to expect larger crowds over the solstice weekend? A moron could have done a better job planning for it.

The pressure in her chest was making her head light, but she forced herself to think, to study her choices, to select. She filled her basket quickly, waiting in agony in the checkout line as the minutes ticked away.

Dorcas chatted at her, and Nell managed to make some responses while all the while her brain was screaming: Hurry!

She gathered the three heavy bags and, cursing herself for not thinking to bring her car, began to carry them as quickly as she could manage back to the shop.