A Moment on the Lips (A Whistle Stop Romance, #3) (2 page)

Piper gave her head a quick shake, refusing to let the woman’s pointed words deflate her day, especially now that it had such promise. She let the door swing shut and turned back to the charming man. A smile returned to her lips, and this time she didn’t fight it.

Realizing she was still holding the mocha chocolate cherry cupcake, she rushed behind the counter and set it down. There was no longer any need for comfort food. No need at all.

“I applaud you,” the man said.

“For what?”
Not eating the cupcake? Am I that pathetic?

“You handled that customer with such patience. I’m not sure I would have done so well.”

Piper let out a pent-up breath. “Oh, that wasn’t any customer.” Warmth flared over her face, and her voice lowered. “It was my mother. She has a habit of speaking her mind.”

Which made Piper wonder why, in the past four years since she’d opened Poppin’ Fresh Bakery, her mother never had complimented her on how successful the business had turned out. Did her mother even notice the new lemon-yellow paint she’d used to cheer up the tired walls? Or the floral wall hangings Piper had handpicked to give the place a breath of fresh air? She selected everything to work with the white garden tables and chairs she’d arranged so her customers wouldn’t feel a need to rush off. Every detail, even down to the white eyelet ruffle in the window, had been her doing. And her mini-makeover had turned out even better than she’d imagined.

The man’s tanned features paled. “Sorry. I had no idea.”

“No problem.” Wiping her hands off on her daisy-flowered apron, she hoped to change the subject. She placed a practiced smile on her face. “Hi—”

“You know she’s wrong.”

Her mother wrong? Piper glanced around to make sure her mother hadn’t snuck back in the door. Thank goodness she wasn’t in earshot. “And what would she be wrong about?”

“You.” He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “I meant it when I said you’re pretty. No, make that beautiful.” His gaze slipped to her lips, lingered, and then returned to her eyes. “Any guy would be lucky to have you in his life.”

Was this really happening? Did this total stranger say that he found her attractive? Didn’t he see all of her embarrassing imperfections? She hadn’t even bothered with any makeup that morning. And her long hair, she hadn’t done anything special with it. She’d merely pulled it back and pinned it up out of the way—her usual no-fuss hairdo.

He hooked his thumbs in the corners of his pockets. “And you have a great smile. You should do it more often.”

A warmth swirled in her chest, easing the festering wound her mother had scratched open. The morning certainly was picking up. Piper hoped this stranger would stick around for a while.

“Thank you.” Her shoulders straightened, and her smile broadened. “Now, what can I get you? If you didn’t find what you want in the case, let me know. I don’t mind special orders.” Especially for special people with the most devastating smiles.

“Actually, I’m not here to place an order. I just need a moment of your time.”

At this point, he could have more than one moment of her time...heck, he could have the rest of her morning. She gave herself a mental jerk. What was she doing letting herself fall under this stranger’s spell? No matter how good he looked, she needed to remember what happened the last time she got involved with a man. She glanced down at her naked ring finger. It hadn’t ended well—not well at all.

Piper willed herself to sound professional and not like some schoolgirl with an obvious crush. “What can I do for you?”

“I stopped by to introduce myself.” He extended his hand. “My name’s Joe Montoya.”

Montoya? There were some families by that name around town. In fact, she went to school with some. She studied his handsome face with the chiseled jawline and startlingly blue eyes. There was something vaguely familiar about him.

Her thoughts short-circuited when his long, lean fingers engulfed hers. A zing of energy raced up her arm and warmed a spot in her chest. His hold was firm but not threatening. His skin was rough against her palm, as though he was a man used to hard work.

Upon realizing their handshake had gone on longer than necessary, she grudgingly pulled her hand free. She interlaced her fingers, resisting the urge to run her hand over the goose bumps trailing up her arm.

His gaze probed her, reminding her that it was her turn to introduce herself. “Nice to meet you. I’m Piper Noble, owner of Poppin’ Fresh Bakery.”

“You still don’t know who I am, do you?”

She shook her head, feeling as though she should.

“Seems Whistle Stop’s gossip train has slowed down,” he said.

“Why should I know you? Is there a wanted poster in the post office with your face on it?”

“Nothing that bad.” He rocked back on his heels. “Anyway, I wanted to let you know we’re going to be neighbors.”

“Neighbors?” She lived above her bakery, which was situated between a street and a vacant shop. Dread settled in her stomach like sour milk. “You bought the old Armijo Mercantile?”

He nodded. “I did.”

He’d bought the property next door. Her property. Her future.

The knowledge smacked into her head on, knocking the breath from her lungs. This couldn’t be happening. There had to be a way of stopping this stranger from walking away with her dream. He just couldn’t move there. Anywhere but the space next door.

She pressed her lips firmly together, not wanting to speak without thinking. After all, it wasn’t this guy’s fault. He had no idea about her plans to expand the Poppin’ Fresh Bakery.

She’d spent night and day, losing sleep, working toward making Poppin’ Fresh Bakery a respected name recognized throughout the region. She’d even sacrificed her daily exercising, and had gained back those blasted twenty-odd pounds, to work extra hours, to cater more weddings. And where had it gotten her?

She either expanded her business now or let it stagnate. The muscles in her shoulders tightened. Her lips pursed. She’d earned this opportunity to expand her business and show the town she was more than some pitiful girl who’d failed to get a gold band on her finger. And this guy wasn’t going to barge in here and snag it away—no matter how he tried to butter her up or the way his eyes twinkled when he smiled.

Joe eyed her with a speculative gaze. “You look surprised to hear the property sold.”

“I...I am.” She’d just reached the point of setting aside enough for the down payment. With the place having been on the market for months with no offers, she’d thought she’d have plenty of time to get her finances in order. “When did you buy it?”

“We closed the deal last week. I noticed they haven’t bothered to take down the For Sale sign.”

“But how can that be?” She scanned her memory. “No one has said a word about a sale.”

“It’s hard to believe Mrs. Sanchez didn’t latch on to the information.” Joe’s lips spread into a grin, revealing straight, white teeth. “Didn’t know it was possible to get anything past her.”

“Wait,” Piper said, a bit confused. “How do you know her?”

“Until recently, my family owned the Circle M Ranch.”

She snapped her fingers as her memory clicked into place. “I remember you now. You were a few years ahead of me in school. You used to wear glasses, and your hair—it was longer.”

“You’ve got a good memory.”

He’d also kept his nose buried in a book and didn’t socialize much.
My, how things have changed.
The glasses were gone, revealing the most amazing sky-blue eyes. His hair was trimmed short except for a few unruly curls on top. And with that killer smile and smooth voice, he’d obviously brushed up on his social skills.

She took an unsteady breath.
Keep your mind on the task at hand. There isn’t time to get distracted. No matter how sexy the distraction.

Maybe Joe had bought the property as an investment. Something he could hold on to for a bit and then sell at a profit. After all, this town was all abuzz with talk of revitalization. Residents wanted to take Whistle Stop off life support and make it vital again.

“Welcome back,” she said, trying her best to keep their relationship friendly. “What made you decide to move back here?”

He shrugged. “Time passes. Circumstances change. People change.”

Do they change? Her experiences led her to believe the opposite. People stayed the same—same routines, same habits. Or maybe she’d stayed in the same place for so long that it had colored her view of the world.

Just then the bell above the front door chimed, drawing Piper’s attention. Mrs. Noel had arrived to pick up the cake for her husband’s seventieth birthday. As proud as Piper was of the decorated sheet cake, she didn’t want to be disturbed now. What if Joe slipped away as quietly as he’d arrived? She’d lose her opportunity to try to persuade him to sell the shop. Once he moved ahead with renovations, her window of opportunity would slam shut. Forever.

Piper turned pleading eyes on Joe. “Can you wait a minute while I get Mrs. Noel’s order? I have something I need to ask you.” The breath hitched in her throat as he consulted his watch.

He glanced back at her. “I only have a few minutes before I have to leave for a meeting.”

“I understand. I’ll be right back.”

It’d give her time to figure out how best to approach persuading him to sell the storefront next door to her. After all, he struck her as a reasonable man. It shouldn’t take too much convincing.

She hoped.

Please don’t go. Not yet.

J
oe Montoya’s gaze gravitated to the gentle sway of Piper’s hips as she walked away. His mouth grew dry. How could he have forgotten how good-looking she was? Then again, back in high school, girls had been the last thing on his mind. He had much bigger issues at home that had taken all of his attention.

And now, he might not be interested in a relationship, but what could a little sightseeing hurt? And what a sight! Piper was a bunch of curvy goodness. So much so that he was surprised to find her ring finger bare.

When her shapely form slipped behind the illuminated display counter, his brain kicked back into gear. He swallowed hard, forcing his gaze away from her. He ended up staring at row upon row of gobs, decorated cupcakes, and miniature tiered cakes, all in rainbow shades. Someone certainly appreciated colors from baby blue to lime green and almost every cheerful shade in between. If only he wasn’t watching what he ate, he’d definitely indulge.

This was better. He was thinking clearly again. After all, he was a businessman, and he needed to keep his wits about him. He accepted that certain pleasantries were necessary if he planned to do business in Whistle Stop, but perhaps he was becoming a bit too friendly with this particular business owner. Perhaps he’d let her contagious smile and warm eyes get to him. He’d have to be more careful with what he said going forward. He’d learned the hard way that he was better off on his own.

Though he did feel sorry for her for having to put up with such an overbearing parent. He knew a thing or two about a parent crossing the line. He and his father never had a close relationship, far from it. But he refused to go there. That part of his life was behind him and best left forgotten. Although, his decision to move back to Whistle Stop might not have been the wisest choice—the memories now surrounded him.

Not wanting to dwell on such matters, he gazed over at Piper as she chatted with Mrs. Noel. He admired the way she put a smile on the woman’s face. His new neighbor certainly had customer service down to a fine art. In fact, if he stuck around here too long, he could see himself being swayed into buying an armload of pastries.

In fact, what was he doing still standing here? He started to pace, anxious to get on with his day. He’d done what he’d set out to do—introduced himself. He’d made a point of going through the standard introductions to all of the owners of the shops lining the town square.

First impressions were so important when you were establishing a new business. Getting off on the wrong foot was difficult to erase, if not impossible. In this small town, it’d ruin his business before he put out the Open sign and served his first customer. As it was, he’d sunk everything he had into this new business. It just had to succeed, which meant he had to stay on schedule.

He checked his watch again. It was almost time to meet with his insurance agent. After which, he needed to get settled in the apartment above the vacant shop. He glanced up to wave good-bye to Piper, but she was no longer behind the counter. She must have slipped away to the kitchen.

As a businesswoman, surely she’d understand his need to be timely for his meeting. He started for the door, anxious to get outside and away from his new neighbor with a smile that lit up her green eyes speckled with gold flecks. And her curves were enough of a distraction that he’d forgotten to breathe at one point. His body tensed. He was being a fool letting her get to him. The ink on his messy divorce was barely dry.

He reached for the door handle when a high-pitched voice sounded behind him. “Excuse me. Could you hold the door for me? I don’t want to drop this.”

He turned to find the customer Piper had been waiting on. The woman with short, silver hair smiled up at him. She held a white cake box that was almost as large as she was.

“Can I take that for you?” he offered.

“No, thanks, sonny. I’m stronger than I look. If you can just get the door, I’ll be fine.”

He pulled the door wide open and smiled back at her. It earned him a thank-you.

“Joe.” Piper came rushing from around the counter. “Sorry about that.”

“I really need to go—”

“This won’t take long. I promise. I’d like to make an offer to buy the shop from you.”

Surely he hadn’t heard her correctly. “Excuse me. What did you say?”

“Your store, I’d like to buy it.”

He didn’t understand. “Why would I sell it when I just bought the place?”

She bit down on her full lower lip. Her forehead creased with worry lines. “I take it you have your heart set on what you plan to do with the space?”