Larkspur Road by Jill Gregory Page A

take this home for you. You’d better hustle back to the bakery or you’ll be late for the midafternoon rush.”
    “I know—it got crazy in there yesterday. Sophie’s grandmother was the only one who stayed calm when that tour bus stopped in front on its way to the Half Moon Campground.” She shook her head. “We sold out of cinnamon buns and chocolate chunk cookies in ten minutes flat.” Britt thrust the shopping bag into Mia’s hand and started to turn away, then impulsively turned back and threw her arms around her aunt’s neck. “Thanks for the clothes, Aunt Mia,” she whispered. She squeezed tightly for a moment, as if reluctant to let go. “I’ll pay you back. Every single penny. For everything. I promise.”
    A little worried at the thick emotion in her niece’s voice, Mia watched her race off toward A Bun in the Oven. Just as Britt was about to open the bakery’s door, it opened from the inside and a lanky, red-haired boy of about seventeen or eighteen appeared, to let her in. He grinned and said something to her that made her laugh.
    Mia recognized him. Seth Dalton—one of Sophie’s most reliable teenaged employees. He’d rung up Mia’s order last month when it was her turn to bring scones to the Bits and Pieces meeting.
    As she studied him, Seth glanced over and saw her.
    “Hey, Miz Quinn. Guess what! I got an A on my English lit final this semester,” he called out.
    “That’s great, Seth. I always knew you had it in you.”
    “Well, my mom says it’s all because of you. You made me read books in fifth grade and I got hooked.”
    “Tell your mom hello from me, will you?” she called.
    “You bet!”
    He turned back to Britt and Mia saw her niece reach up and brush his hair back from his eyes as they lingered, talking, in the doorway. Seth had been a challenging student in her English class. He’d clowned around most days, and she’d had to send him to the principal’s office at least once a week for talking out of turn during class. But he’d always been unfailingly polite and irresistibly likable, despite waiting until the last minute to do all of his assignments. He’d turned them in just under the bell and managed to pull an A every single time.
    Seth was smart, and he’d grown into quite a responsible young man.
    At least it looks like Britt has made a friend,
Mia thought with a tug of relief.
    Her niece’s mood had improved considerably over the past few days. Perhaps Seth was the reason. Sometimes when she didn’t realize Mia was looking at her, Mia still caught that glimpse of worry in Britt’s eyes, and that nervous hunch of her shoulders Mia had never seen before, but overall, most of the time Britt seemed happier, even cheerful.
    She’s a teenager—it’s normal for her to be stressed now and then. Here she is with a new job, in a new town, trying to make new friends, while her mom is half a world away with a new husband.
    But still…
    Something had made Brittany want to spend the summer in Lonesome Way, miles from her home and her friends.And so far, Mia was no closer to finding out what that something might be.
    Turning toward her car she noticed another boy—a young man actually, since he looked to be about twenty—also watching Britt. He was tall and burly, handsome in a tough kind of way, with short sandy hair, and he was standing outside of Ponderosa Earl’s Camping Outfitters at the far end of the block with a large bag of purchases, including, by the looks of it, a sleeping bag. But for a moment he stood stock-still, gazing toward the bakery—and Britt.
    No surprise there, Mia thought, amused. Her niece was an extraordinarily pretty girl. It was only natural young men would take notice. She’d never seen this boy before and guessed he was a tourist passing through on his way to some campground or one of the national forests. As Seth grabbed Britt’s hand and pulled her inside and the bakery door swung closed, the young man started to turn away, then met