Chapter Eleven

D on't be nervous.

Monday evening, Raine parked in front of Lawson's Bakery. If this was a real date, she wouldn't be driving herself. Except it wasn't.

She glanced in the rearview mirror. She couldn't see much other than eyeshadow and mascara. Not that she needed to wear makeup for a practice date.

Pathetic.

Raine smoothed her hair.

Who admitted they weren't sure about dating or that they didn't know how to date? Even if it were the truth.

Again, pathetic.

She had no idea how to date without being in a relationship. Not that she'd had many—a grand total of three if she counted Scott in high school. None had followed the meet, go out a few times to get to know each other, and then decide to be exclusive. Emmett and she had never had an official date until weeks after they'd become boyfriend and girlfriend.

Not that she was complaining. It had been perfect.

No angst over whether they'd call. No overanalyzing every moment they were together. No wondering if they were friends or more than friends or something in between.

Was fear keeping her from wanting to date?

No answer came.

She got out of the car with her purse, shut the door, and pressed the lock on the key fob. She placed the purse strap over her shoulder. Keaton wasn't waiting outside so she went into the bakery.

The interior was light and bright, social media perfect after Garrett had painted the walls and replaced the furniture and fixtures as a surprise for Taryn. That was right before he told her he would be working remotely for his law firm and proposed.

Brecken, dressed in white with a black apron, waved from behind the counter. "You're in luck. Me and Carl are here tonight. You know what that means."

"Extra whipped cream?"

"You know it." Brecken tilted his head. "Though you'd need to order something with whipped cream. Then again most desserts taste good with it."

"I'll keep that in mind." Raine glanced at the daily specials board. Unfortunately, marble cake wasn't listed. But two other items caught her eye.

"Sorry I'm late," Keaton said from behind her. He came up to her side. "I was on our weekly family video call and lost track of the time."

"Absent-minded professor?"

"Only occasionally. We were debating where to spend Thanksgiving."

Must be nice to have those conversations. She focused on the menu board. "Did you decide where?"

"No, but my parents and Flynn are pulling for L.A. since we'll be in Silver Falls for Christmas. They've invited Margot, Brandt's parents, and Taryn's."

Sounds like a good plan for the Andrews family. The only holiday Raine wanted to focus on was Halloween. Then, she wouldn't think about another until the Fourth of July. "Know what you want?"

"Pie sounds good."

"I'm getting the hummingbird cake."

That was another item not on the daily menu. Ever since Taryn took over running the bakery in August, she'd changed things up. Not huge changes to upset long-time customers, but specials and new items to keep things from seeming staid.

Raine headed to the counter.

Keaton touched her arm. "This was my idea, so on me."

She remembered about his job. Plus, he was helping her. She reached for her purse. "But—"

"I'm helping you with the Boo Bash and I'm unemployed, but I've got this."

"Did my body language give away what I was thinking again?"

"A little." His tone was sly. "But I'm getting to know you."

Raine drew back. "How so? You haven't been in town long."

"A week last night, but I didn't go to the coffee shop until Monday." He wagged his eyebrows. "I'm that good."

She laughed. "Participants in a practice date implies going Dutch."

"Humor me."

"This time." Raine nearly cringed at what her words suggested. "Though let's hope I don't need a second practice date."

"So far you're ahead of the curve."

"Do this a lot?"

"No, but I've been on a few dates in my time. You haven't pulled out your phone once. That earns you extra credit."

"I'd love an A."

"You're on your way."

Raine stood taller. She wanted to pass this practice date with an A+. She stepped aside so he could order.

After Brecken rang up their orders and Keaton paid, they went outside to the patio. Surprisingly, no one else was there. Instrumental music played from speakers hidden with plants. No flower baskets this time of year, but the globe light strands strung along the pergola and fairy lights on trellises gave off a soft, romantic glow. More wooden signs painted with dessert names had been added since the patio opened in July. Portable heaters kept the patio comfortable, especially now that the cooler temperatures of October had arrived.

Raine sat at a table for two.

Keaton took the seat across from her. "I wonder how long they'll keep the patio open."

"Until it starts raining too hard or if snow comes early."

"The heaters will help now that autumn's here."

She nodded. "They're nice tonight."

"Would you rather sit inside?" Keaton asked.

"This is perfect." Especially the privacy. Even though she'd lived in Silver Falls for four years, she still wasn't used to the gossip and rumors that fueled the busybodies in town. "Though Garrett did an excellent job on the interior."

"He went all out on that grand gesture and set the bar so high. Not sure anyone will be able to top that."

His serious tone matched the hard set of his jaw. He almost sounded put out.

"It's not a competition," she said.

"My family competes with everything."

"Not Callie. At least not until the Christmas window contest."

"She's an anomaly. Remember what I talked about with her not getting the same DNA as the rest of us? But it's a good thing. She makes sure the rest of us don't hurt each other."

"Taryn's lucky to have found a family like yours. She's super competitive with her Christmas windows and Summer Fair booths."

He nodded. "She fits right in with the rest of us."

Taryn had her parents, but she was an only child like Raine. Now she had in-laws and Margot thanks to Brandt's marriage to Callie.

Someday I'll have a family again.

Raine thought she'd found a new family with Emmett and his big extended family. But that wasn't meant to be. None of the Wilsons even came into the coffee shop anymore. She fiddled with her napkin.

"How's Robin working out?" Keaton asked.

"Great. I have interviews set up with a few others this coming week."

"I'm happy for you." He sounded sincere. "You need more time off."

"I do, but I'm getting there." Saying that brought a tsunami of relief.

The bakery door opened. Brecken carried out a tray and placed the contents on the table. "Hummingbird cake and water for Raine and a slice of marionberry pie a la mode and water for Keaton. If you need anything else, just wave one of us down. Enjoy the sweets."

"What do you think so far?" Keaton asked.

She hadn't taken a bite yet. She picked up her fork. "The cake looks delicious."

"I meant our date. Regretting the evening's choice?"

Raine laughed and took a bite of cake. "Not yet, but this is only a practice date. I haven't done anything embarrassing yet. So far the company's pleasant, but the evening's still young."

It was his turn to laugh. "You're doing great. Though I might have to deduct a few points from your score because the company is stellar."

Raine ate more cake. It melted in her mouth. "Well, the company did buy me this delicious dessert."

He leaned over the table with his napkin in hand. "You have a little icing on your lip."

Forget the icing.

If he moved a little closer, he could kiss her, or she could kiss him. Or they could kiss each other.

Whoa. What was she thinking?

This wasn't a real date. She needed to get those thoughts right out of her head.

He wiped her mouth with his napkin. "All gone."

She couldn't meet his eyes. Instead, she focused on her plate of cake as if tomorrow night's winning lottery numbers were about to be announced.

It wasn't Keaton, but Raine. Her attraction for him kept growing. That was a problem given dating wasn't part of her plans nor his. He would be leaving town once he found a job.

A warning bell sounded in her head.

She shoved another forkful of cake into her mouth. The sweet, melt-in-her-mouth goodness didn't stop the wild thoughts racing through her brain.

Keaton set down his fork. "If you're worried, don't be. You're doing great. I wouldn't have guessed you're not comfortable dating."

That was part of the problem. Raine was comfortable with him. No, comfortable wasn't the right word given how on-edge she felt around Keaton. But she wasn't afraid. "Thanks. You make it easy."

"You'll be ready when the door opens."

"Hope so."

She enjoyed having someone in her life. Oh, she had friends, but they also had their own lives and loves now. And she would love to have kids at some point. And she knew enough about dating to not mention the future or family or kids.

"I hope it doesn't take too long for that to open. Dating isn't part of my plans right now, but I'll leave the door ajar."

He held his scoop of pie in midair. "You've come far since yesterday."

"You're a good teacher." She scooped up more cake. "Besides, I'm over thirty, own my own business, and have only myself to rely upon. If I can't handle a practice date, then there's a problem."

"So does that mean you're ready to let me get to know you better?"

Raine scooted forward. "What do you want to know?"

*

Keaton hadn't laughed so much in… He couldn't remember the last time. Raine told him one story after another about incidents that happened at the various coffee shops that she'd worked at over the years. "What you're saying is Silver Falls is relatively normal compared to Seattle?"

"When it comes to funny customer stories, yes. But this town has its own quirks."

"Like a resident matchmaker?"

"Be careful, or she'll have you married off before you leave town."

Only a few crumbs remained on their plates. "I'm not interested in a relationship. Not when my life is so in flux."

"I told Margot something similar. The question is if she listens."

"No one is forced to play along. Though I don't hear Callie or Garrett complaining."

"Callie wasn't happy about it before she fell for Brandt. Now, she's thrilled how everything turned out."

"Hey." Brecken approached them. He carried an empty tray at his side. "Hate to kick you out, but it's closing time."

"Oh." Raine folded her napkin and placed it on the table. "I had no idea it had gotten so late."

"Me, either." Keaton hadn't glanced at his phone once. "Sorry to keep you."

"No worries." Brecken grinned. "We still have to clean and prep for tomorrow, but Taryn prefers customers to be gone by then even from the patio. She's a good boss, but a stickler for rules."

Keaton laughed. "That's exactly what Garrett needs."

"Ready to go?" Raine asked.

No. He wasn't ready for the evening to end, but he didn't want Brecken and Carl to get in trouble. "Yes."

Keaton stood, pulled out a five-dollar bill from his wallet, and tossed it on the table.

"Thanks, dude." Brecken cleared the table.

Raine headed toward the rear door, and Keaton followed her into the bakery.

Behind the counter, Carl cleaned the display cabinet. "Thanks for coming in. Have a good evening."

She waved. "Everything was delicious."

"Loved the pie." Keaton opened the front door for Raine. "After you."

"Thanks."

Outside, the temperature was ten or twenty degrees colder than on the patio with the heaters nearby. Raine wore a sweater, but it wasn't that thick.

"Cold?" he asked.

"No."

A streetlamp illuminated the sidewalk. The light cast shadows on them.

She glanced through the bakery's front window. "I can't believe we closed down the bakery."

"Practice date for the win."

Raine laughed.

"They do close earlier on weekdays." A closed sign hung on the door. "But I can't believe Brecken kicked us out. I'll make him work extra hard during our next tutoring session for that."

"He was just doing his job."

"Don't worry, I'll go easy on Timmy."

"Thank you. I don't know what I'd do without him."

A part of Keaton wished she'd say the same thing about him. Maybe by the time the Boo Bash was over she would. He rocked back on his heels. "So how do you think it went?"

"If it means dessert and getting to know each other, then well. We know each other's favorite colors, food, TV shows, books, and movies."

"If we put everything that we discussed into a Venn diagram there wouldn't be much overlap."

"Except for food," they said in unison.

"The practice date was a success. How did I do?" she asked.

"A-plus."

Raine did a shuffle step as if dancing. "Yay!"

"You did great." More than once he'd forgotten they weren't on a real date. "When the door opens, you'll be ready."

"You made it easy."

His chest puffed out. He couldn't help it. "You're a great date. I've gone out at times and wondered why my date said yes when all she did was stay on her phone the entire time."

"That's how Emmett and I had gotten toward the end, but the first few dates are the honeymoon time. A phone can't compete with that."

"Unless it's not meant to be."

She nodded. "It's getting late."

"You have to be at the coffee shop early."

Raine nodded. "Thanks for dessert."

"I had a great time." Dates usually ended with a kiss, but this was just for practice. He doubted suggesting a practice kiss would go over well.

"Me, too." She shifted her weight between her feet. "I'm glad you suggested doing this."

"Me, too."

Keaton wanted to ask her out again. That was how much he'd enjoyed himself. But she didn't want to date, and he was leaving town—soon, he hoped.

"We might have to come for dessert again. To celebrate our work on the Boo Bash."

"There's going to be a lot of it."

"Teamwork will get it done."

"You sound more like a coach than a professor."

"I assign group projects."

"The bane of students everywhere. Timmy always got stuck with classmates who didn't want to do any work."

"That happens sometimes, but it's a good lesson in adulting."

"Recently experienced that with a former employee."

She must be talking about the barista who got fired. "If this was a real date, I'd kiss you good night. But since this is only for practice…" He kissed her forehead. "Did you walk?"

"Drove. The hatchback right in front of us. You?"

"Walked."

"Want a ride to Margot's?"

He shoved his fingers in his pockets. "I'm good. Good night."

"See you around."

Tomorrow. Keaton planned on working at her coffee shop. He couldn't wait to see her again.