Where Azaleas Bloom

“A nice theory,” he agreed, still holding her gaze. “I just think maybe it’s too late.”

“It’s not too late,” she said a little urgently. “It can’t be. That’s all I can handle, Mitch. Seriously.”

He smiled at her reaction. “No need to panic. We’re not impulsive kids. We don’t have to rush into anything. I just figured you deserved to know where my head is.”

“Are you sure your head has anything to do with it?”

A grin broke across his face at the question, and then his booming laugh filled the kitchen. “Now that, my friend, is something I imagine I’ll be puzzling over for most of the night.”

Lynn couldn’t bear seeing him out on that limb all by himself for another second. She finally allowed herself to relax and grinned back at him. “Since we’re being honest, me, too.”

Mitch’s expression sobered at once. “Now that is the best news I’ve heard in a very long while.”

He sounded so sure of that, Lynn thought, while she thought maybe it was the scariest bit of news ever.

* * *

When her doorbell rang the next morning a little after nine, Lynn glanced up gratefully from the computer. What had seemed so simple last night with Mitch’s coaxing was proving completely bewildering this morning.

When she opened the front door, though, and found Raylene on her doorstep with a coffee cake and a smug expression, she had second thoughts.

“I thought maybe you’d have time for a cup of coffee before I leave for the store,” Raylene said, then added hurriedly, “The coffee cake stays, even if you want me to leave.”

Since the aroma of the apparently still-warm cinnamon pecan coffee cake was too tempting to ignore, Lynn stepped aside. “Come on in. I just made a fresh pot of coffee. I figure I’m going to need it if I’m going to figure out this billing system of Mitch’s.”

Raylene looked momentarily chagrined. “You were working. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. I’m not on a rigid timetable. I think Mitch finally realized there’s going to be a learning curve with me. I’ll get the bills out today, but his payroll system is going to take a lot longer. He’ll pick up the computer later and deal with that himself this week.”

Raylene joined her in the kitchen. “A knife? Forks? Plates?” she asked, glancing around.

Lynn realized then that this was one of the few times in the years they’d known each other that Raylene had been in her kitchen. She pointed to the drawers and cabinet. “I’ll get napkins.”

“I’ll cut the coffee cake while you pour the coffee.”

As soon as they were settled at the table, Lynn gave her friend—and boss, she reminded herself—an amused look over the rim of her cup. “I assume there’s a price for this neighborly gesture.”

Raylene looked momentarily taken aback, then chuckled. “Okay, I want information. I know Mitch was here till late last night. Lexie called Mandy the second she got home to report that. As if I needed confirmation,” she scoffed. “His truck was right there in the driveway in plain view. I saw Tony from Rosalina’s deliver food, too.”