Free A Moment on the Lips (A Whistle Stop Romance, #3) by Jennifer Faye

nonsensical.
    However, he had tried to make some sort of peace with her the prior evening after the town hall meeting. If he could put on a good front, so could she. It wasn’t like she was difficult to get along with. He could ask anyone in town. She always offered a helping hand.
    Besides, Whistle Stop had to come before their petty disagreements. The town square and the train depot were both in desperate need of help. The square held fond childhood memories of Easter egg hunts, farmers markets, and meeting up with friends. And the train depot used to bring relatives for the holidays. Oh, how she missed those days.
    She wondered about Joe’s motivation to help to revitalize the town. Whatever it was, she supposed it didn’t matter as long as he didn’t intend to upstage her.
    Deciding that her sour mood wouldn’t help the situation, Piper grabbed a bear claw from the display case. She hadn’t had a bite to eat yet today. Adding some caffeine would boost her lagging energy. She grabbed the pot of steaming coffee and filled a mug.
    Once she moved to a table, she smothered a moan of pleasure when she bit into the cinnamon pastry. It was so moist and tender. She’d like to think it was this tasty every day, but it seemed especially good today for some reason.
    Then she realized that this was the perfect way to butter up Joe. She’d serve him a fresh bear claw and hot coffee. Didn’t they say the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach? Not that she wanted anything to do with his heart, but making friends would be a good start to this project.
    When she spied him through the big storefront window walking in her direction, she glanced down at the remaining big bite of pastry. Not about to waste it, she stuffed it in her mouth, chewed quickly, and swallowed.
    After grabbing another bear claw and a coffee for Joe, she met him at one of the tables. “Here. They’re on the house.”
    He smiled, and her stomach somersaulted. “Thanks for the coffee, but I’ll pass on the pastry.”
    She thought he was just trying to be modest or polite or some such thing. “Really, you have to try it.” She glanced around to make sure no one was listening. “If you repeat this, I’ll deny it, but that batch came out better than normal. I just wish I knew what was different about it.”
    “I’m certain everything you bake is delicious.” He pointed to the glaze. “I’m sorry, but it’s too sweet with the maple frosting. I try to watch what I eat.” He patted his flat abs.
    She frowned. He reminded her of her mother. Not good. Not at all.
    Joe picked up the coffee she’d placed in front of him and took a healthy swig. She willed her mouth to remain closed instead of opening it and inserting her size-six foot. Still, his rejection of her pastry hurt. She wasn’t sure what to say next.
    She liked to think of herself as a lover, not a fighter. She inwardly groaned at her poor choice of words. Luckily for her, Joe couldn’t read minds. Still, she found herself taking in his impressive height and trim physique. She realized that using the term lover under any circumstances could be a big mistake. Her gaze slipped to his mouth. A very big mistake.
    She licked her dry lips and realized that he wasn’t paying her any attention as he flipped through a couple of pages on a pad of lined paper. She scooped up the bear claw and headed for the kitchen. If his only complaint was the glaze, she could fix that. She grabbed a knife and scraped the sugary coating into the garbage.
    She accepted that he was trying to get their co-chairing duties started on a good note, but she had to wonder why everything with him had to be so difficult. Even a piece of pastry was a bone of contention. Was he truly opposed to the maple frosting? It was so good. She dabbed a finger in the frosting on the knife and licked. Delicious.
    Why was she letting his likes and dislikes get to her? He was her neighbor. That was all. Well, thanks to Mrs. Sanchez, he