Chapter Ten

S aturday morning dragged. Raine kept busy, hoping the afternoon would arrive sooner than later. She wanted to hear what Keaton had come up with. Timmy took his lunch break first, and then it was her turn. But anticipation kept her on edge.

When the bell jingled, Raine glanced at the door. Pippa walked in.

Not Keaton.

Raine slumped. She'd thought he would be there by now.

"If I had a dollar for every time you've glanced at the door, I would have more money than what's in the tip jar." Timmy prepared a caramel hot apple cider. "What's going on?"

"Just waiting for Keaton. We're discussing plans for the Boo Bash."

Timmy snickered. "Only the Boo Bash?"

"Yes." The word rushed out faster than the steam on the coffee machine.

His smile suggested he didn't believe her. "If you say so, Boss."

The bell on the door jingled yet again.

Don't look.

Raine couldn't stop herself, and she was happy for the lack of self-control.

Keaton entered, wearing a pair of khakis and a long-sleeved navy shirt. His laptop bag's strap hung on his shoulder. He headed to the counter with purposeful steps.

Raine straightened her apron streaked with stains after an incident with foamed milk. Too late to change into a clean one. She went to the cash register to take his order.

"Hey." Raine hoped her smile was cheery not manic. Her hand hovered over the cash register from habit until she remembered his drink was on the house. She lowered her hand to her side. "Ready to try something new?"

"I was debating whether to go have an Americano or keep switching it up."

She shook off the disappointment. One cup of coffee didn't matter. Well, to anyone else but her. "Your choice."

The two words tasted like used coffee grinds in her mouth.

He read the menu. "Decisions, decisions."

Raine said nothing. She had a feeling "don't go back into your standard cup" wouldn't go over well.

"I'll take another pumpkin spice," Keaton said finally. "Your choice of drinks."

Yes! Raine didn't pump her fist, but she wiggled her toes. "I know what I'll be making you."

"I'll grab a table. Come over when you have time."

She didn't look at the menu to pick his next drink. She blended pumpkin, milk, and spices. Next, she steamed the mixture before adding espresso shots, a single layer of milk and a sprinkle of spices on top.

Robin came out from the back. "Everything's put away."

"Great. I'll be with Keaton. Wave if you need me."

Raine carried over the drink. It wasn't until she was halfway to the table when she realized she hadn't let Robin reply.

Impatient much?

Raine glanced over her shoulder.

A grinning Robin shooed Raine away.

With hot cheeks, Raine set the drink on Keaton's table. "This is my take on a pumpkin spice flat white."

"The name sounds fancy."

"Try it," she urged.

Keaton blew on the coffee. His lips puckered.

Was that how he looked before he kissed someone? She swallowed.

He tasted it. "Oh, this is a little thicker. Richer. I like it. Thanks."

A thrill shot through her. "Glad you like it."

"Ready to Boo Bash with me?"

"I am." Raine sat and leaned back. "What do you have for me?"

He lifted the top page off the closest stack of papers. It was a flyer with Halloween clipart and the words "A Trick-or-Treating Event" in bold letters. The date and time were in a smaller but readable font.

"The first is a traditional Boo Bash. I made up the flyer based on the ones I found in the bin. A checklist had where to hang them around town: businesses, the library bulletin board, schools."

"Looks great." And one less thing for her to have to do.

"The place where the town orders from offers other items." He opened a catalog with sticky notes on various pages to show her spider rings, vampire teeth and Halloween-themed pencils. "It'll be tight with the budget but it's doable. There won't be money for anything else."

He impressed her. It must have taken him time to figure out what items they could afford. "I appreciate you researching candy alternatives and keeping the workload down."

"Proposal one is the easiest. It's also the most boring."

"You make that sound like a bad thing. I like the other items you found. Those aren't boring."

His eye twitched.

She hadn't seen that before.

"The second proposal will take more work and volunteers but… Let me show you." He turned over the top page on the other stack to a different flyer.

This flyer didn't mention trick-or-treating. Instead, it listed more—crafts and other activities.

Raine peered closer. "The First Avenue Halloween Scavenger Hunt."

He nodded. His excitement was palpable. "The street would have to be closed like they do in December."

"I'm sure city hall or the police department have a form to do that. I can see what's required if we go this route." She emphasized the last part of the sentence.

"Or I can," he offered.

She wanted to take him up on it, but common sense prevailed. "I'm local and in charge of the event. It might go over well coming from someone putting on an event for the association."

He nodded. "I spoke to Taryn. She's willing to supervise kids decorating a sugar cookie. Taryn can do pumpkins and bats. Mr. Jones can get small pumpkins the kids can color with markers and stickers. And Margot can sew scarecrows the kids can stuff with straw in front of the town hall. For your shop, you can hand out small cups of Witches' Brew or pumpkin punch instead of candy."

Okay, she was impressed times ten with this proposal. He'd even been proactive by finding help for activities ahead of time. But she had no idea what was involved with the scavenger hunt. She scanned the various pages under the second flyer.

He'd listened to her. Raine wanted to hug Keaton. She studied his plans. Every activity was detailed with cost estimates and the number of volunteers required.

"You're right," she admitted. "This one would be more fun."

"You'd be surprised what you can discover on the internet. Especially Pinterest."

"You succeeded pulling it all together. I would have never considered any of this."

"In full transparency, my first effort was, shall we say, too highbrow for kids. My second included glitter, which I learned is a ‘ no ' for parents."

That made her laugh. "No glitter experience, so I'll take your word for it."

"Research." His cheeks reddened. He quickly opened a notebook. "Here are plans for a haunted house, corn maze, and a DJ playing Halloween music, but those things depend on the budget and volunteers. The two of us can only do so much."

"After hearing proposal number two, number one sounds boring."

His face lit up with an I-told-you-so expression. "That's why I saved the second proposal for last. What do you think?"

Each word dripped with anticipation—thick like the caramel apples were dipped into.

"The scavenger hunt for stamps, stickers, and items are more interesting than getting candy. The crafts and activities give the event a good mix so it's not all the same."

His mouth dropped open. "You're considering it?"

"Yes, but we may have to simplify your plans. I want to make sure we can pull it off successfully."

"Of course."

"Kids will love it. We could simplify things if we needed to. Could you leave the stuff with me?" She glanced at Raine and Timmy, both with big smiles, watching from behind the counter. They were as bad as Margot. Okay, not really, but Raine needed to stop them from thinking anything was going on. "I promise to review it later, and we can meet tomorrow afternoon to discuss it. Around four? My house?"

Keaton grinned wider than any jack-o'-lantern. The way he stared at her made Raine feel like the only woman in his world. "Sounds great."

Yes, it did. She smiled.

"It's a date." Raine realized what she'd said. "A Boo Bash date."

Somehow, that sounded worse. She fought the urge to cringe.

Ugh. If only she could rewind time and try again. But all she could do was smile and ignore the wicked laughter in Keaton's eyes.

*

Sunday afternoon, Keaton settled back on Raine's peacock-blue couch. The color was bright and made a statement, yet it fit the character of the older single-story house. He hadn't seen beyond her living room, kitchen, and bathroom, but her house was cozy and comfortable.

Welcoming.

Still, Keaton fidgeted. Raine wanting to simplify his plans brought his final meeting with Dean Fredricks to mind. Simplify wasn't the same as the university's budget cuts, but the word brought the same emotions and nerves. He had no idea why he was so invested in the Boo Bash or Raine's opinion.

"I'm almost finished in here," Raine called from the kitchen. "A pot of coffee is brewing, and my vanilla tea is steeping."

The tea smelled delicious, but he preferred coffee, when working.

"No rush. We're making good progress."

And they were.

Keaton hadn't realized how easy working with Raine would be. Her project manager skills were top notch. She listened and asked questions and never dismissed an idea outright, even though in hindsight—his, not hers—she probably should have. She respected his work and him. Which meant volunteering for the Boo Bash wasn't only busy work but fun, too.

Focus on the fun.

He blew out a breath and stretched his legs in front of him.

With the edited Halloween scavenger hunt checklist on his lap to reread, he stretched out his feet.

Raine carried two cups into the living room. She wore faded jeans, a cropped sweater, and mismatched purple and green fuzzy socks that made Keaton smile each time he noticed them. She set the drinks on the table next to the papers and their cell phones. "Caffeine to keep us going."

She sat at the other end of the couch.

His only complaint about the sofa?

Too wide.

A cushion separated him and Raine. If she had a love seat, they would be sitting closer.

Not a date.

He glanced at the plate with two scones. "Sorry I ate the other scones on the walk here. They're addictive."

"They are, and it was sweet of Taryn to send them with you."

Keaton sipped his coffee. As delicious as a drink from her shop.

She picked up a piece of paper. "I went over the activities. They're great, but we need to cut a few." Her tone was soft, almost sympathetic.

His stomach clenched even though he knew this was coming. "I get it. We don't have enough volunteers."

"Or budget."

Keaton knew that one too well. His job loss had been a numbers game. "It always comes down to money."

He'd offered to pay Margot rent, but she'd acted offended and said no. Instead, he did chores and ran errands for her. This morning, he'd replaced all the smoke detector batteries. And no dirty dishes remained in the sink for long. Not on his watch.

"Money and time."

Their gazes locked. The connection he'd felt with her roared back to life. It wasn't always there, but something flowed between them. Stronger now. "There's never enough time."

Maybe for her, but time was all he had right now. Raine, however, wasn't talking about his situation. She meant the Boo Bash.

"Before we move on, let's finalize the scavenger hunt." Keaton lifted the list off his lap. He'd used a red pen to cross out items that would be too complicated for a community event and scribbled in simpler ones. "Our revised list looks good to me. What do you think?"

Raine took the page and then grinned. "This one is done."

Her enthusiastic voice made him smile. "I'll make corrections to the file. On to the activity list?"

That was what she wanted to simplify.

Nodding, she reached for another piece of paper. "I love the idea of decorating mini pumpkins with markers and stickers, but I think the cookie decorating is enough. It's cheaper and easier for them to carry around in their treat bags or eat right there."

"That works for me."

As Raine studied the list, she rubbed her chin. "Coloring's a good activity, but what if we took it a step further?"

"I thought you wanted to simplify?"

"I do, but I had an idea for a card-making station."

"Halloween cards?"

Raine nodded. "There are five days between the Boo Bash and Halloween. Instead of taking their cards home, we ask the kids to write a note to a resident at the local assisted living center, and we can deliver them before the thirty-first."

"No pumpkins to carry and a community service project." He thought about it. "You're brilliant."

"Thanks. I'm more street smart and common sense than book smart like you, but I like the sound of brilliant."

"I like the card idea." Truth was, Keaton liked Raine.

"I'm impressed with all your mock-ups."

His chest puffed. "Margot helped me. I'm not crafty."

"Could've fooled me."

He shrugged. "But now I see why people enjoy teaching kindergarten and first grade. The crafts are cool."

"Art projects are fun, but they can be messy."

"Hence the no glitter rule."

"No one wants First Avenue coated in sparkly stuff." She kept staring at Keaton, but he didn't know why.

Maybe it was time to ask. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"You keep looking at me?"

"I'm just…happy."

That didn't tell Keaton much. He leaned toward her, wanting to know what she was thinking and how he fit into it. "Because of the Boo Bash?"

Nodding, Raine motioned to the coffee table. "Working together has made things so much easier than I thought it would be. The Boo Bash is coming together faster than I expected. Robin's working out better than I could imagine, and I hired a guy named Parker, who has experience. Everything's turned around since you offered to help me. Now if I could just find one or two more baristas." Raine held up her hands. "Oh, I didn't mean you."

Her tone was serious. Too serious. That was his fault. "You claimed you wanted to hire me."

"Yes, but it's not the kind of job you want."

She may have forgiven him, but she hadn't forgotten. "It isn't, but I didn't know I'd be organizing the Boo Bash with you and enjoying myself so much. I might like being a barista, too."

"Or you may not have set a high bar for your enjoyment level and you're being a nice guy about it."

"No!" He covered his chest with his hand and slumped as if shot. "Nice is a four-letter word when you're a man. Everybody claims they want to date a nice guy, but no one does."

"Well, I like nice. Not that we're dating."

The way the second sentence rushed out was cute.

He grinned. "I suppose nice isn't the worst thing someone could say about me."

"Oh, there are much worse. Just ask your sister."

Keaton laughed. "Very funny. And correct."

Raine drank. Her cell phone buzzed.

"Emmett" flashed on the screen.

Wait. Wasn't that Raine's ex?

She stared at the phone with her mouth forming a perfect o.

Keaton couldn't tell if she was shocked or happy. "Need to reply to that?"

Her gaze jerked to meet his.

Another text notification sounded.

He kept his eyes on her.

She swallowed. "I've never made him wait for a reply."

"Go ahead."

"No." She squared her shoulders. "That door's closed."

Interesting choice of words given what she'd told him her mom used to say. "Does that mean you're ready to open another one?"

Raine dragged her upper teeth over her lower lip. "Is that how it works?"

"In some cases, but there's not only one way."

"Good." She took a sip of coffee. "Because I'm not ready for another relationship. It was hard finding out Emmett wanted a different life than the one I imagined we'd share after four years together. We tried long distance twice until he broke up with me in April. I haven't dated since then. And to be honest, I'm not even sure what to do if I wanted to open the door."

Keaton appreciated her openness. And he got an idea. It might not be one of his better ones, but… "I can help you."

Her eyebrows squished together. "You're helping with the Boo Bash."

Her confused expression was cute, but he got why she didn't understand. Sometimes he was two steps ahead of people. At least according to his mom, who suggested he slow down and not assume everyone's mind worked like his. "I meant to help you open another door."

Fear flashed in her eyes. "Like a date?"

No, she wasn't ready for that. "More like a practice one."

"Practice." She spoke slowly as if she were testing out the word. "A practice date with a professor?"

That did sound a bit out there. He shrugged. "Unless it's too soon."

She shook her head. "I don't want Emmett back. But I'm not ready for another door to be open."

"But when it does…" If the men around Silver Falls were smart, she wouldn't be single for long.

Her mouth quirked. "I suppose practice wouldn't hurt. But I don't have much time…"

Raine didn't, but he had a sweet idea that might appeal to her. "What if we go for dessert? The bakery's patio is still open."

"Dessert." She tapped her chin. "If I remember back to dating one-oh-one, dessert's a step up from having coffee. It's for when you're trying to decide if you want to get to know someone better."

"Yes. And you're not committed for a significant amount of time that leaves you regretting all your life choices over four or five courses."

"Maybe not life choices." Raine laughed. "But an evening's choice for sure."

"So, what do you say?"

"I could be up for dessert at Lawson's. I love that place."

"Most people in Silver Falls love the place. Would tomorrow night work?"

"As long as it's after the coffee shop closes."

Keaton knew she worked a lot, but seven days a week was too much. He hoped the new barista worked out. "It's a date."

She nodded. "A practice date."

"Looking forward to it." And he was.

Raine held up her list. "We have a couple more activities on the Boo Bash to discuss."

Right. The Boo Bash. Keaton had forgotten the reason he was there. All he wanted was to go to Lawson's. Dating wasn't a subject he thought he'd be tutoring on, but he couldn't wait for a practice date with Raine.