The Spring of Candy Apples (A Sweet Seasons Novel) Read Online Free

a kiss on the cheek.
    “Well, almost,” she said. “It’s not for a few more days.”
    “Oh. We’ll have to do something to celebrate,” he said.
    “I thought you’d never ask.”
    For a brief moment she considered asking him why he hadn’t nominated her, but it didn’t seem like the time or place to start that conversation.
    After two hours, Martha declared the party officially over. Candace’s first official job as a Candy Counter referee was cleaning up from her own party. It was funny, but she was glad to do it. By the time the place was spotless, her shift was over.
    “Traci and Candace, you two can take off,” the supervisor said.
    Candace and Traci walked outside and ran straight into Lisa.
    “Well, if it isn’t the park princess,” Lisa sneered.
    Lisa was Kurt’s ex-girlfriend. She’d had it in for Candace since the day they met. She had even tried to get Candace fired over the summer. They occasionally shared an uneasy truce, but this was clearly not going to be one of those days.
    “Lisa, I’m not in the mood,” Candace said, surprising herself by saying it out loud.
    “Oh, forgive me, Princess. As a mere commoner, I’ll get out of your way.”
    “Lisa, don’t be like that,” Candace started to say, but the other girl stalked off.
    “Wow, she really doesn’t like you,” Traci noted.
    “She thinks if I weren’t around, she and Kurt would get back together,” Candace explained.
    “Somehow I don’t think all of this is about a guy,” Traci replied.
    “Really?”
    Traci nodded.
    It was a strange thought. Could there actually be some other reason why Lisa didn’t like her? Candace shoved the thought aside impatiently. She didn’t want to think about Lisa.
    When she reached the Locker Room and got her things out of her locker, she saw that she had a message from Tamara on her phone.
    “Candace, I need you to come over after work. It’s a total crisis,” Tamara wailed.
    Candace tried calling her back, but it went straight to voicemail. Candace left a brief message before heading for the parking lot. Ten minutes later she parked in front of Tamara’s house.
    “So, what’s the crisis?” Candace asked as Tamara opened the door.
    Tamara didn’t say anything, but grabbed her by the hand and led her upstairs. A dozen dresses were draped across her bed and what had to be thirty pairs of shoes littered the floor.
    “Did a bomb go off?” Candace joked.
    Tamara sat down on the floor with a frustrated sigh, shoving shoes to the side.
    The room had been in similar condition a couple of weeks earlier when Candace helped Tamara pick out what she was wearing for her Valentine’s Day date with James. Kurt had been working that day, so Candace had all the time in the world to help Tamara out. She still wished she and Kurt could have done something fun and romantic, though.
    “Seriously, what gives? I don’t think I’m missing a holiday,” Candace said.
    “Today is our two-month anniversary of dating,” Tamara explained.
    “Ah. So where is James taking you?”
    “I don’t know. He wouldn’t tell me,” Tamara admitted.
    “Did he give you an idea of what to wear?”
    “No!”
    “I see the problem. Give me one minute,” Candace said. She stepped into the hall and pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. A moment later she heard Josh’s voice.
    “Candace?”
    “Hey, yeah, it’s me.”
    “How are you?”
    “Good, but we need some wardrobe guidance over here.”
    “He hasn’t told me where they’re going.”
    “Can you find out?”
    “Not likely.”
    Candace sighed. “Well, can you at least find out what’s he’s wearing?”
    “Hold on.”
    A minute later Josh was back. “Tux.”
    “Thanks, Josh.”
    “Don’t thank me quite yet. James has a way of being unpredictable. He could just as easily change into jeans halfway through the date.”
    “Okay, how on earth do we plan for that one?”
    “Unfortunately, you don’t. Not really. Trust me, if it had been crucial