A Sweet Mess - Jayci Lee Page 0,53

be a little cranky, too. Truce?”

His brows shot up to his forehead, and then a relieved grin spread across his face. He clasped her hand, but instead of shaking it, he lifted it to his lips for a lingering kiss. Her toes curled, and her legs threatened to wobble.

“Truce.”

Landon took heavy-footed steps up the stairs, and Aubrey headed for the kitchen. A shower and a nap should do him wonders, but she had a feeling his version of rest consisted of stretching his legs out in an armchair and reading his emails.

By the time sunset flooded the kitchen with its orange glow, Aubrey was banging around like a raccoon raiding a trash can. She could taste the smooth Moscato sorbet in her head, but the cold glob in her mouth only bore a passing resemblance to the one in her imagination. When she was happy with the flavor, the texture was not quite right, and when the texture came out just so, the flavor was underwhelming. Alcoholic beverages were notoriously hard to freeze properly, especially in ice cream consistency. Frustration knotted her stomach.

At least her cherry-and-walnut cookies were exquisite. The local olive oil added a brisk, floral flavor to them, and the lightly sprinkled pink Himalayan salt drew out more of the subtle layers of flavor.

Aubrey loved chewy and crunchy cookies equally, but for this recipe, she went for a delicate, crisp exterior and a moist, chewy center. The cookie held a savory note from the olive oil and a hint of saltiness, but it was sweet. No baked good had a right to call itself a cookie without being sweet. And the cherries added a zing to keep things fun.

The cookies were about the size of her palm, so she could build a full-size ice cream sandwich. The crispy, chewy texture wouldn’t crack apart at the first bite, and its density would keep it from soaking up the ice cream and getting soggy.

Unfortunately, the latest batch of sorbet was unworthy of being hugged by such awesomeness. She had to get the recipe right. Comfort Zone’s future could depend on her two recipes for the show. All she needed was a goddamn perfect Moscato sorbet. Was perfection too much to ask for? Her frustration boiling over, Aubrey balled up a dish towel and threw it across the kitchen.

“Whoa!” Landon caught the towel an inch from his face. “I thought we called a truce.”

“I’m so sorry,” she mumbled through the hands covering her startled mouth before she dropped them to her sides. “But you weren’t standing there when I threw it, so you technically got in the towel’s way.”

“Okay. My mistake.” Landon chuckled and swaggered to the island, where she’d set up her working station. “Now tell me what’s going on.”

“Oh, nothing,” she said breezily. “I just can’t seem to get anything right.”

He snatched a cookie off the cooling rack and bit into it. “You’re insane. What could possibly be wrong with these?”

“They’re not the problem.” Aubrey’s cheeks warmed at his compliment, but there was no time to preen. “The sorbet won’t behave.”

“Could I help?” he asked, taking stock of the island.

Aubrey shooed him away, mumbling to herself. “Maybe I can create a simple syrup with the Moscato. That way the flavor can be intensified.”

She didn’t come up for air until a new batch was spinning in the ice cream maker—kind of like a puppy chasing its tail. Why are desserts so cute?

“Be a good little blob.” She wagged her index finger at the ice cream machine, her expression stern to match her words. Wait a minute. Being bossy wouldn’t get her anywhere. She was, after all, at the mercy of the tail-chasing blob. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be bossy. I’ll say please. Pretty please.”

A hoot of laughter made her jump and scream long and loud. Landon nearly toppled from the stool, startled by her horror queen performance. Was he watching me the entire time? Aubrey patted her hair to make sure it wasn’t a spiky mess. Because having tidy hair will make Landon forget I was talking to the sorbet like an insane person.

“Sorry. I didn’t realize you were here,” she said.

“It’s not the first time. Being completely ignored by a beautiful woman helps build character.” Landon recovered from his near fall and winked at her. “Besides, I wasn’t here the entire time. Come on. Follow me.”

“Where are we going?” She narrowed her eyes at him but didn’t pull away from his gentle hold on her arm.

“Nowhere. Just