Page 51 of A Cup of Autumn
“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, Keatonsettled 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.”
