Iris nodded, her eyes filling with sudden tears. “We’re going to have a baby! Me and Geoff, we’re going to have a child.”
She felt her own eyes fill. She knew how much this meant to Iris, who, less than a year ago, had decided to have a child on her own. And now here she was with the man of her dreams about to have that baby she wanted so much. “I am so happy for you.”
“Thanks. I can’t believe it’s real.”
“How does Geoff feel?”
“I think he’s as excited as I am.”
When Geoff McLeod had moved to Hidden Falls as the new high school English teacher, he and Iris had hit it off right away, and Marguerite along with most everyone in town had seen that they were perfect for each other. Iris was a published author as well as a bakery owner, but their path hadn’t been a smooth one. However, once they committed to each other, they were a solid, happy couple. And now they were having a child together.
“How do you feel?”
“Exhausted. I could curl up under this table and sleep for ten hours.” She grinned. “Which is a great sign. I’ve never been so happy to be tired. Now, if I could only start being sick in the morning my life would be perfect.”
Marguerite was still bubbling with excitement when she drove into Portland. She didn’t do many deliveries herself, but she made sure to take a route at least once a month so she could visit the restaurants that stocked her produce and chat with the chefs. Sometimes they wanted her to try her hand at some fruit or veg she’d never heard of but more often they wanted more of something. As she began to plan her plantings for the next year, it was good to hear from her customers what they wanted.
No one knew better than a top chef the importance of good produce. She timed her last stop so she got to the bank of food trucks after the lunch rush was over and the dinner rush hadn’t yet begun. She pulled into the parking area in the middle and hauled out two boxes of beautiful fresh heirloom tomatoes. She hefted them to Alexei’s Greek food truck. Alexei Vasilopoulos cooked some of the best Greek food this side of Athens. He was also the brother of her sister Rose’s boyfriend and, unfortunately for Marguerite, the most beautiful man on earth.
Her pulse kicked up a notch as she approached the food truck. Melissa, Alexei’s assistant, wasn’t around but she could see the back of Alexei. Before he turned and saw her she took a moment simply to drink in the sight of him. Even from the back he was the best-looking man she had ever gazed upon. He was tall, with broad shoulders that tapered to a lean waist and hips. She could see the muscles of his back shifting as he worked. She didn’t get nearly long enough to admire his beauty before, as though he felt her presence, he turned and the impact of his utter gorgeousness struck her as it always did.
Each time, after she’d seen him, she’d go away and think she’d exaggerated his perfection in her head; no man could really be that beautiful. And then she’d see him and realize that her memory was only playing tricks in that it didn’t do him justice. Glossy, curly hair, almond shaped eyes that were a curious shade between brown and green that tilted at the corners as though he was always thinking sensuous thoughts, a straight and classical nose, firm jaw and lips that could have been chiseled by a sculptor. And then there was his body.
He was so utterly perfect that it wasn’t fair. No one ever made her feel quite so ordinary as he did. Marguerite had never been a beauty and it had never bothered her before. But when he turned his Greek god’s gaze upon her she felt like a mere mortal and a very ordinary woman.
When he looked at her, she was dazzled by the impact of those gorgeous eyes. There was just the one dimple when he smiled but instead of seeming like an imperfection—one dimple, not two—that tiny flaw only added to his appeal.
He looked at her as though she was beautiful and desirable but that could only be her own feelings reflecting back at her. “Hey, Marguerite,” he said. “Did you bring me something special?”
“I like to think so.” And she placed the box on the counter. Instead of taking the box with a quick thanks and pushing them into the corner as she had expected, he motioned her to climb into the side door of the truck. When she did, feeling her pulse kick up a notch just being in the small space with him, he reached into the box and took out one of the tomatoes, inspecting it as though it were an engagement ring he was thinking about purchasing.
He rubbed his hand over the glossy red surface, brought the brilliant red fruit to his nose and inhaled deeply. Watching him was one of the most sensuous things she had ever experienced. He closed his eyes and she knew that he loved food and freshly grown produce with the same passion she did. He said, "You can almost smell the earth and the water, and the winds and the rains of Oregon."
Her smile bloomed. "I know! I feel the same way." She rummaged in the box and pulled out some of the lumpy heirloom varieties that she felt had the most flavor. "You have to try this purple one. It's an old varietal. I wasn't sure how well it would do in this climate but I think the results are spectacular."
“After the morning I’ve had, it’s great to get some good news.”
She nodded. “It was stressful. I can see it in your shoulders. You’re holding them around your ears.” She put down the tomato and placed her hands on his shoulders, pressing down lightly. He watched her from those amazing eyes and, even as she talked about relaxation, tension built low in her belly. Still, she kept her breathing deep and slow and felt him follow suit. Beneath her palms his shoulders dropped. She rubbed them lightly, feeling the tense muscles begin to ease.
“If all suppliers were like you, I’d be a Zen master.”
She chuckled, “No, you wouldn’t. You’d never be able to sit still long enough.”
“True.”
She stepped away, still feeling the warmth from his shoulders in her palms.
“I had to fire a guy this morning. He’s been stealing from me. Which sucks, especially as hiring him was a favor to a friend. He’s fighting a drug problem. Promised he was clean and sober, but …”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m trying to expand, but without good staff, I’m stuck.”
“And you hate to be stuck.” They hadn’t known each other long, they’d met through his brother and her sister only a few months ago but she felt as though she’d known him forever. When they’d first started emailing the topic had been food. They talked about the slow food movement, the local food movement, the food truck movement. He had big plans to expand his empire. She got the feeling that he hated to be still. Even his work was on wheels!
“Yeah.”
He retrieved the deep purple tomato and drew out one of his sharp knives. With clean efficiency he sliced the tomato into slices, passed her one and bit into another himself with strong white teeth.
