Free Sweet Cravings by Eva LeFoy

eating breakfast in bed and creating new pastry combinations to try in his secret kitchen. That is until last Saturday.
    Last Saturday, Max hung the sign in front of our brand-new little pastry shop on the corner of Dallas and Stone. The name, La Tarte Savoureux means “the savory tart.” The bakery was his brainchild and a complete surprise to me. He sprang it on me one night at Mom’s.
    “It’s so sweet of you to come and cook at our house,” Mom said, batting her eyelashes at Max.
    I reflexively tightened the arm I’d slipped around his waist as he worked over the stove.
    He glanced over his shoulder at me and smiled. “Hand me the butter, would you?”
    I leaned my face closer, and he punctuated his request with a kiss. Kissing in front of Mom! Who’d have thought it? Of course, she caught that move. Eagle Eye was one of her nicknames.
    “So, how did you two meet again?” Her gaze shifted from me to him, probably assessing our combined weight and estimated holiday cookie consumption capabilities.
    My ears burned, from the steam wanting to escape. I was through taking crap from her about not being a size four. And with Max, I knew it really didn’t matter. Take it from me, ladies, I am living proof that a normal-sized girl could get an awesome guy.
    “Chamber event,” I answered, slipping him the butter.
    Her eyes narrowed “Chamber event? Here I thought you were going to say a restaurant.”
    “Oh, there was food involved,” Max said. He shot me a secret wink. “There always will be food involved with us. In fact….” He turned from the stove, wiped off his hands, and knelt on the kitchen floor in front of me.
    Mom shrieked, and I about had a heart attack. Dad vaulted from his chair in front of the TV. “What? Is something on fire? Where?”
    Max took my hand and kissed it. “Violet, I have to ask you something.”
    Sweat pounded out every pore. Oh. My. God. “What?”
    “Will you open a pastry shop with me?”
    I placed my other hand over my heart and squeaked in a breath. “Me?” My heart thundered in my chest almost as fast as images flew by in my brain. Images of Max and me and our own kitchen. Our own stainless steel tables, our own mixing bowls, our own secret kitchen. I pressed my legs together to stanch the flow threatening to soak my panties and jumped up and down to keep from moaning. “Yes. Of course! Yes.”
    Luckily, I still worked in Catalog and quickly ordered everything we needed for the new place to be a success. And one other little item I haven’t told him about yet. I rubbed a hand over my secretly growing belly and sighed. Finding chef’s hat booties was darn hard to do, but as any good pastry chef will tell you, being persistent and believing in yourself despite your perceived flaws will win the day. I hope that one day the little bun in my oven will learn that lesson, too.
     
    If you’ve never made cream puffs but would like to try it, I have a recipe for you from fellow romance author Kristabel Reed.
     
     
    Grandmom’s Cream Puffs
     
    1 cup water
    1/2 butter (unsalted is better but doesn’t have to be)
    1 cup flour all-purpose (I like unbleached)
    4 eggs
    2 packages instant pudding (your choice in flavor)
     
    1. Make both boxes of pudding according to box directions and let set, usually for a couple hours or overnight.
    2. Preheat oven to 425°F.
    3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    4. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, bring water and butter to a full boil and make sure all the butter is completely melted.
    5. Remove saucepan from heat and rapidly stir in flour so it absorbs all the liquid.
    6. Over medium heat return saucepan and continue stirring until mixture forms a ball.
    7. Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl.
    8. With either a wooden spoon or the dough hook and your mixer on low speed, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.
    9. Drop teaspoon-sized balls onto parchment paper.
    10. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until