Free Salt Water Taffie (Boardwalk Brides Book 1) by Janice Thompson Page B

The illumination lit up one startlingly beautiful face—Taffie’s. She smiled in his direction, then called for Casey to come and join her. Ryan watched through the shadows as his niece slipped across the room and into Taffie’s welcoming arms, then he reached for his cell phone to call Mallory.

 
    TEN
     
    Nearly an hour later, Casey dozed off in Mr. Carini’s recliner in the back office. Ryan joined the Carini’s around one of the small tables in the shop for a bite to eat.
    “I always keep lunch meats and cheeses in the fridge,” Mrs. C. explained as she placed a paper plate down in front of him. “We eat lunch here most every day. We’d better eat it up quick, before it goes bad.”
    Ryan bit into the tastiest ham and cheese sandwich he’d ever eaten. “Mmm. This is awesome. Best meal I’ve ever had on the boardwalk.”
    “Hardly.” Mrs. Carini laughed. “But we’re happy you’re sharing it with us.”
    “Speaking of food, have you been to that new seafood place a couple of doors down?” Taffie asked. “I’ve been dying to go. I’ve heard great things about it.”
    “Oh, Luke told me about it. Said they’ve got wonderful service and good food,” Ryan said. “I’ve been wanting to go, myself.” In fact, if he used his imagination, he could almost taste the lobster now.
    “Well, you two kids should go check it out sometime,” Mr. Carini said. “Tell us if it’s any good. Then maybe we can all go. Both families, I mean.”
    “I–I’d like that.” Ryan paused a moment, wondering if Taffie realized that he was asking her out. Am I asking her out? “W–would you like to go with me, Taffie?”
    “I. . .well, sure.”
    Though he could barely make out her face in the shadows, Ryan felt sure he saw the look of contentment in her eyes. He certainly heard it in her voice. Lord, I could spend the rest of my life sitting right here. With her.
    A flash of lighting caused the direction of the conversation to shift. “I hope the power isn’t out too much longer,” Mrs. Carini said. “That ice cream is packed hard, but we’re going to lose it all if the storm lingers.”
    Mr. Carini, in his now-familiar way, began to pray aloud. “Lord, we thank You for unexpected time together—always a gift—and we praise You for sending Ryan to fix the taffy machine. Oh, and thank You for Luke, who made the part. Now, Father. . .we ask that You send this storm on its way so that we can get back to the business You’ve called us to. And, Lord, if it’s not too much to ask, could You protect our ice cream? Use Your supernatural freezing abilities to keep it solid till the storm passes?”
    Everyone at the table echoed his “amen,” then sat in silence awhile. Ryan knew by now what they were doing. Waiting on the Lord. He didn’t mind waiting. Not with Taffie so nearby, anyway.
    “I remember a storm that hit when I was a kid,” he said, finally. “I was about Casey’s age. It scared me to death. I don’t know why, but I’ve always been afraid of lightning.”
    “Not me,” Taffie’s voice had an easy sound to it. “In fact, I love it when it storms outside. It’s especially great at night, right about the time I’m climbing into bed. There’s something about the sound of rain tapping at my windo w─ ”
    Just then a clap of thunder ended the sentence for her. Another flash of lightning followed, its white rays sending slivers of light through the shutters at the window.
    “Whoa.” She laughed. “Maybe I don’t love it that much.”
    “I love that scripture in Isaiah—the one about how we can go through the waters and not drown,” Mrs. Carini threw in. “Lets me know that I can go through storms and make it, with God’s help.” She paused for a moment, then the tone of her voice changed. “I’ve already learned from personal experience that it’s true. About three years ago I went through the worst storm of my life.”
    The room grew eerily silent and Ryan’s curiosity