Starting Over at Blueberry Creek

The aroma of sugar, spice, and butter filled Brenna McConnell's kitchen. Her mouth watered as she stirred the contents in her saucepan, breathing it in. A taste test was allowed but nothing more. This food wasn't for her.

A timer went off on her stove, signaling that the homemade doughnuts were done. She slipped a mitt onto her right hand and pulled open the oven door to retrieve them. They were golden brown and glorious—all except the one that had gotten a little too burned around the edges.

Her stomach twisted with hunger and then growled a little. Yeah, yeah. That imperfect doughnut could be hers. But only the one.

She set the tray down on the stove top and stirred the saucepan again before lifting it up and drizzling its contents onto the doughnuts. Her neighbor, Luke Marini, had been slow to warm up to her, but that would hopefully change with this friendly gesture. She usually brought housewarming treats to her new neighbors on Blueberry Creek but she'd been too busy during the winter months to officially welcome him to the community like she normally would.

She'd met Luke at his mailbox a couple of times, and he'd smiled when she'd introduced herself, but that was all they'd shared. He hadn't hung around to make small talk. In fact, he'd kept his answers to her questions clipped, replying "yes" and "no" when at all possible. She'd tried to convince herself it was because of the biting cold outside. Or maybe he'd just needed to use the bathroom or excuse himself for some other unknown reason.

She assembled one of the pastry boxes she kept stocked in her pantry and loaded the doughnuts. After closing it, she tied a red-checked ribbon around the handle that reminded her of picnics and sunshine-filled spring mornings. "I'll just walk right over and knock on his door to welcome him to the neighborhood," she said out loud to herself, which was something she did a lot. It had started when her younger sister Eve had moved out last year. Brenna had grown tired of the silence and had started talking to herself. But now that Eve had moved back in, Brenna was still doing it.

Brenna grabbed the box of doughnuts, giving the runt doughnut one last longing glance before heading to her front door. Then her gaze caught on the stack of college applications that Eve hadn't touched since moving back home. Brenna had strategically placed it on the counter so that her sister could see it whenever she walked into the room. Either Eve hadn't noticed or she was actively ignoring it. No doubt it was the latter.

Eve didn't have big college dreams like Brenna always had. Dreams that had taken a nosedive with the twists and turns of life. No, Eve's dreams were very different in nature. Eve had recently graduated from the fire academy and was determined to follow in their late father's footsteps as a Sweetwater Springs firefighter.

With a heavy sigh, Brenna stepped outside into the warmth of the spring sun and headed across the lawn toward Luke Marini's home.

He lived in a quaint yellow house with a blue metal roof. She'd always admired the home, even when it'd belonged to the old couple who'd lived there since she was a baby. They'd put the house up for sale last year and were now living with their daughter in South Carolina as far as Brenna knew. Brenna had come here many times as neighbors, and the couple's home had always been open and inviting.

She climbed the front porch steps and rang the doorbell. After waiting at least thirty seconds, she turned to check the driveway where Luke's old-fashioned red Ford truck was parked. Unless he'd gone for a walk, he had to be home. She rang the doorbell again. "Hello?" she called. "Hello? It's Brenna McConnell from next door!"

"Around here," a deep voice finally called back.

Brenna spun toward the sound, seeing a midsize Jack Russell terrier dart from the opposite side of the house. She headed down the steps with her box of goodies, the sweet aroma wafting under her nose. The dog met her on the lawn, running circles around her at first and then propping the pads of his feet just above her knee. "Oh, hi," she said, realizing she'd never seen Luke's dog up close before. It was…well…

She narrowed her eyes, her smile slipping as she looked at the little dog with matted brown and white fur in some places and large patches of no fur, just pink scarred skin, in others. She sucked in a breath and nearly dropped her doughnuts, especially when Luke stepped up wearing a T-shirt that fit him like a second skin. She met his dark-brown eyes, the color of maple syrup. His hair, nearly a perfect match to his eye color, poked out from beneath his ball cap, curling at the tips.

"This is Max," he told her. "I rescued him from a warehouse fire in Whispering Pines last year."

Whispering Pines was a nearby town, and if she remembered correctly, it was where Luke had moved from.

"I'm trying to turn Max into the firehouse dog but I'm not sure it's going to work out. He's good for morale around the station but he's still a little skittish around smoke and fire."

She studied the little dog as her mind connected the dots between the warehouse fire that Luke had saved him from and the condition of his fur. Emotion swelled in her throat, and tears threatened behind her eyes. She swallowed and clutched the welcome gift in her hands. "I, um, didn't realize you were working outside this morning."

"I'm patching up the fence behind the house," he said. "There were a few loose boards when I bought this place that I hadn't gotten around to fixing until now. Max likes to run out there, and I don't want any wildlife to get in the fence and have a run-in with him." Luke looked down at his dog. "Although he's one tough canine. I think he'd probably win."

Brenna smiled at the way Luke's voice and expression softened when he talked about his pet. "Well, I just came by to tell you that if you ever need anything—eggs or milk or someone to take Max out when you're not here—don't hesitate to ask. That's what neighbors are for." She reached down to pet Max, who immediately began to lap his tongue over her fingers. "I probably smell and taste like sugar," she said, laughing as he licked her. Then she looked up at Luke and felt every drop of blood she had in her body rush into her cheeks. "Because I've been baking. For you."

Luke's next-door neighbor was hard to miss, even when he was trying his hardest. She had rich black hair that seemed to soak up the sunlight as she shifted back and forth on her feet. She smelled like something sweet, maybe cinnamon and butter. No wonder Max was running circles around her, jumping on her and panting with his tongue half out.

Luke hadn't missed the way she'd physically responded to Max's burn injuries either. She'd taken a subtle step backward, and her hands had shaken just a little. The light he'd seen behind her smiling eyes had also dimmed momentarily. Some might not have noticed but he was sensitive to that detail because the burn scars on his back had elicited the same response from people. He and Max hadn't been injured in the same fire, but they were bonded; both of them had survived against all odds.

Luke's experience had been during childhood, and he'd had time to distance himself from it and face a fire fearlessly. Max hadn't, and Luke wasn't sure his little dog would ever get over his fear of flames.

"So the contents of that box are for me?" Luke asked, looking back up at his neighbor.

"Right." A small laugh tumbled off her pink lips that contrasted with her olive-toned skin, dotted with pale freckles that only added to her beauty. "Homemade doughnuts. They're sort of a welcome-to-the-neighborhood present."

"I moved in five months ago," he pointed out.

"Well, I've been busy, and it was a cold winter. The snow kept me away. You too, apparently, because I haven't seen much of you."

She seemed to wait for him to offer an explanation, which he didn't have. He'd been busy at the fire station where he worked, and when he came home, he preferred to avoid doing the neighborly thing. He'd learned his lesson on that front in Whispering Pines when he'd found himself dating his neighbor. That had turned out to be a huge mistake. One he wouldn't make again.

"Now that winter is over and spring is upon us," Brenna went on, "I thought I'd make the trek across our yards and give you an official welcome." She shrugged underneath her floral apron and then held the box out to him.

His fingers brushed against hers as he took it, and the touch buzzed around his body like one of those honey bees that had come after him earlier while he'd been patching the fence. Just like with the bees, he ignored the sensation. "That's nice. Do you do this for all the new neighbors?"

"It was a tradition of my mom's when I was growing up. We don't get many new neighbors around here though, because no one ever leaves the creek." She giggled softly, the sound just as sweet as the smell of the treats wafting under his nose. "That sounds like a horror movie setup, doesn't it? You move to the creek and never get away," she said in a playful voice.

He held up the box. "Well, thank you for these."

"It's no big deal. Cooking and baking are what I do for a living."

Luke knew she owned and operated A Taste of Heaven Catering.

"So if you're lucky, you might get more treats from me in the future." Her eyes widened as if she'd just made a pass at him. Did she?

Luke took a backward step, increasing the distance between them. She was beautiful, no denying that. And there was no ring on her finger or evidence of a guy coming around. If she lived anywhere else, he might even consider asking her out. But she didn't.

"Well, I better get cleaned up before I need to head to the station."

"Oh…right." Her cheerful demeanor faded a touch. "I don't want to bother you. I just wanted to say that if you ever need a favor, I'm right next door. My phone number is in the box, and yes, I give it to all the neighbors. Just in case."

"I'm sure I won't be calling you," he said, not intending to come off as rude. Judging by her expression though, that's exactly how he'd sounded.

Her mouth formed a little circle of shock. "I see. Well, enjoy those doughnuts, Mr. Marini." She'd called him Luke before. Then, without another word, she turned and headed back to her house.

He watched her walk away for a long moment, her hair and the strings of her apron dancing in the breeze. "Come on, Max," he finally said. They went inside, and he slid the box of doughnuts on the counter in front of him. A little red oval in the bottom corner claimed that they were "made with love." Just like Brenna, they appeared to be sugar, spice, and everything nice. And he was snails and shells and puppy dog tails.

Luke sat on a stool and pulled a doughnut out of the box.

Max whined softly. He knew better than to beg but he'd already gotten a little taste off Brenna's skin.

"Just one," Luke said before offering it. Max snapped it up, his tail wagging excitedly. Then Luke pulled a second doughnut out of the box and took a bite, his eyes closing momentarily because it was one of the tastiest treats he'd had in a while. Being nice to his neighbor could have its advantages.

But it could also put him at a very big disadvantage. And right now his focus was on building a long-lasting career here in Sweetwater Springs. Not a short-lived romance that could ruin everything.

Brenna was having a stare-down with the runt doughnut on her cookie sheet. She was just being friendly to her new neighbor, and he'd kind of treated her like a nuisance. He certainly hadn't been inviting.

Brenna grabbed the doughnut and bit into it, her feelings dissolving along with the sugar on her tongue. She inhaled the pastry in three bites and then immediately regretted it. And she blamed Luke Marini entirely.

She paced the kitchen for a moment, scanning the room and trying to decide what to do next. Her sister was handling things at A Taste of Heaven today. Brenna had been training Eve on everything needed to run the catering business since Eve was a teenager, but as soon as Eve could drive, she'd been more interested in volunteering at the fire station than cooking meals. Thankfully, there were no vacancies to fill at the Sweetwater Springs Fire Department right now, though, and with any luck, it would stay that way until Brenna could convince Eve to go to college.

Brenna gazed at the stack of college applications, just as tempting as that runt doughnut she'd devoured a moment earlier. She had only needed one more year to finish her own degree in childhood education when her parents died. Then she'd dropped out and moved back to Blueberry Creek to care for Eve, who'd been eleven at the time. Brenna had stepped into a guardian role and had taken over her mom's catering business, working alongside their aunt Thelma. She'd put everything on hold for the last seven years, telling herself all the while that she'd start living her own life again once Eve was eighteen.

Even though Eve had turned eighteen this past fall, she still needed Brenna, whether she knew it or not. Sometimes Eve made poor decisions, and when it was her turn to watch the catering business, like today, she slacked off on her responsibilities.

Brenna nibbled on her lower lip. "Eve is fine," she said out loud. "It'll just make her mad if I show up."

And it was time for Brenna to let go and focus on her own life.

Brenna tapped her fingers on the counter, trying to talk herself out of going downtown to check on her little sister. Unable to resist, she grabbed her keys and headed out the front door. She glanced over at the little yellow house next door and suppressed another impulse—this one to walk back over and snatch back her welcome-to-the-neighborhood gift.