Life is Sweet Read Online Free Page B

right. I was one of the horse-mad kids who actually retained the mental illness into adulthood.”
    It was then that he made the connection between this woman and the woman in the picture Olivia had pointed out to him—in the picture the helmet covered her short reddish-brown hair and threw a shadow over brilliant blue eyes, and the ridiculous chin strap disguised the delicate shape of her face.
    Delicate probably wouldn’t have been the first word he’d use to describe her, though. She was slender and long-limbed, although she didn’t have Nicole’s conscientiously thin look. Of course, when you lived in a buttercream icing world, it probably wasn’t easy to keep up the Kate Moss standard.
    But the structure of the bones in her face was delicate. And the smile was the same as he saw in the picture, he realized now, feeling his own lips tilt up in response. There was still something else about her . . . almost as if he knew her from somewhere.
    He could feel his forehead puckering as his eyes narrowed in thought. “Haven’t we . . . ?”
    Before he could vocalize something that sounded like the world’s oldest pickup line, she directed her attention to someone behind him who elbowed forward.
    â€œCan I have a chocolate chip cookie?” the kid asked.
    Backing up a step, Matthew gave way, feeling dazed. “I’d better find Olivia,” he announced unnecessarily.
    The woman sent him a perfunctory nod. “Thanks for stopping by.”
    The shop was too warm. Maybe it was the smell of the place—all that sweet, buttery scent. The very air seemed to clog his arteries, cutting off oxygen to his brain. How else could he explain his desire to stand there, waiting to hear that voice again. Honey with a hint of gravel.
    He turned and headed for the door. He needed to get out of there, to breathe fresh air again.
    Outside, Gayle Minter, Monica’s mother, touched his arm. “How long is Nicole going to be working on the West Coast?”
    â€œThree more weeks.”
    â€œI’ll bet you miss her.”
    He nodded, although he couldn’t help glancing back through the glass at the cake lady. What was the matter with him?
    Monica’s mom was still talking to him. When he looked back at her, he could see her lips moving, but he hadn’t heard a word she’d said.
    â€œI’m sorry?” he interrupted, having missed her words completely.
    â€œI said, Olivia could stay the night. It would give you a little time to catch your breath.”
    Yes, that’s what he needed. Time to catch his breath. “That would be terrific,” he said. “We just need to go home and grab her things.”
    Gayle Minter’s brow wrinkled. “We were talking about this weekend.”
    â€œOh. Right.” Heat crept up his neck. “Well—even better. Although hopefully Nicole will be back for a weekend visit.”
    He sought Olivia’s gaze and pleaded silently for them to go before he made an even bigger idiot of himself. He could have sworn Monica’s mother was eyeing him judgmentally, no doubt because she questioned his capabilities as stand-in dad. He was starting to have doubts himself.
    Meanwhile, he could just imagine all the e-mail piling up in his inbox, since he was supposed to be working from home. Or, more specifically, from Nicole’s home. His boss was being extremely patient this month.
    â€œBye, Monica—see you tomorrow. Don’t forget to wear blue!” The two girls laughed at some private joke before Olivia skipped over to Matthew.
    â€œWhat were you talking about with Mrs. Minter?” Olivia asked as they headed home.
    â€œShe wants you to come over for a sleepover this weekend.”
    â€œOh.” She started taking extra-long steps, a goofy walk she wouldn’t be caught dead doing in public in a year or two. “I bet she’s worried we aren’t going to invite Monica to my birthday