“It is cold out there,” said Mr. Hunk as he sat down on the stool next to her.

“Back again?” Ruby hollered to him. “I thought those biscuits and gravy would tide you over for at least a couple of hours.”

“What can I say?” he quipped. “I’m a growing boy.” He laughed, and Lauren’s stomach did flip-flops.

During their exchange, Lauren hadn’t turned to look at him, fearful of her reaction. What is he doing here? Doesn’t he have birthday gifts to deliver or something? Her pulse quickened when his arm brushed against hers.

“Excuse me,” he said to her.

Crap. I can’t ignore the guy now. “You’re fine.”

“Hey, it’s the girl from the Christmas store.”

She cringed. “Yeah, that would be me,” she said, hoping Ruby and Louise didn’t notice the blush on her cheeks.

“So, does the girl from the Christmas store have a name?” he asked, not unkindly.

Girl? Please. “Yes, I do.”

“I tell you what, if you tell me yours, I’ll tell you mine.”

Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. “Lauren.”

“Lauren, I’m John.” He swirled his barstool around so that he faced her.

“Nice to meet you,” she said.

Louise chose that moment to slam Lauren’s coffee cup on the counter, sending coffee flying through the air and landing smack-dab in the middle of her sweater. “Oh, honey, I’m sorry. You okay?”

Lauren jumped up and used her coat to blot her sweater. “I’m fine, no worries. I piled on a few layers this morning.”

“Here, let me,” Mr. Hunk, John, said, grabbing several napkins from the holder and blotting at her sweater. An inch below her chest.

“No, really, it’s fine,” she said, feeling all tingly inside. To prove it, she stood up and, with her back to him, pulled the heavy sweater over her head. Her chambray shirt was dry, as was the light T-shirt she was wearing underneath it. “I’m fine.” She sat down facing the kitchen window where Ruby placed the orders for Louise to deliver them.

“I’m sorry, kid. I’m just a klutz,” Louise repeated.

Lauren needed to get control of herself. “It’s fine, truly. I wasn’t hurt. But I would like another cup of coffee.” She smiled, doing her best to act like an adult. She wished people would stop calling her “kid.” She was small, knew she looked younger than her biological age, but right now, it was embarrassing.

John, though she struggled to think of him as anything other than Mr. Hunk, spoke to her. “Do you come here for lunch every day?”

Plastering a smile on her face, she turned to him. “No. Just when I forget to bring something from home.” Her heart beat so fast, she knew that if he looked closely, he would see the pulse pounding in her neck.