Page 91 of Marcus

“Most definitely. Stop looking so proud of her.”

He shrugged. “Can’t help it. That was a good one.”

“Is that where all the syrup is made?”

Cella stood back as Marcus opened the rear door of the SUV and helped Tiffany from her booster seat. Of course, as soon as the girl’s feet hit the parking lot, she practically danced on the spot from her excitement.

“It’s a very small plant where some of the syrup is brought to be bottled and stored for shipment,” Marcus explained, keeping a hand atop Tiffany’s head like that was going to keep her in place. “And in the summer, there are often tours that come through this particular plant, and we also have a big play place for kids to go crazy. Today, I had the whole place shut down to the public, although there’s no production happening anyway, so that you could get to see all the machines, where everything is stored, and have full run of the play place. There’s someone in the restaurant portion to make you whatever you want to eat, and there’s no time limit for whatever you want to do. Wanna see?”

“Yes!”

Cella laughed because the very second Marcus released his hand from the top of Tiffany’s head, the girl darted toward the large tan-colored building with the big bay windows covering the entire entrance. Through part of the glass, some of the play area Marcus spoke about was visible. It reminded her of the play gym they had gone to in the city. At the other far end, a sign for a gift shop had been turned off, signaling the place was closed for the day.

Sliding glass doors opened when Tiffany came close enough to the movement sensor for it to sense her, and only then did she stop to glance back at them.

“Can I go in?”

Marcus nodded. “Trina, she’s the manager of the place, will be waiting inside for you. Whatever you want to do first, she’ll be there to help and keep you safe.”

“Okay! Thank you, Marcus.”

“You’re so welcome, sweet girl.”

Tiffany darted into the building, and Cella turned to face Marcus with a shake of her head. “This was way too much. Just seeing the maple trees and all that would have been far more than enough for her, but thank you.”

“It’s a little thing, really. And I could do it, so why not?”

Cella sighed.

Happy.

She couldn’t remember when she’d been this happy.

Marcus leaned in and pressed a kiss that lingered just long enough to have Cella’s heart beating a little faster in her chest. It took every single ounce of self-control that she possessed not to wrap herself right around this man. Public be damned.

There was just something about him.

It called to her.

“Now, I have to feed you, too,” he said, pulling away from the kiss far too soon for her liking. “Other than breakfast, you haven’t eaten. They’ll whip up whatever you would like in there as well.”

“Thought of everything, did you?”

Marcus winked. “I try.”

She patted his cheek with her palm, and then caught his hand with her own. Once their fingers were woven tight together, and she was close to his side again like they had been walking through the forest earlier, the two headed for the entrance of the building.

And all she could think was it’s going to be a good day.

Nothing could ruin it.

“It’s so high, Ma.”

Her daughter didn’t lie. The play gym inside the plant reached high enough that it actually went up along the metal rafters of the building. Of course, all the netting around the gym made it perfectly safe, and the kids couldn’t go outside the many tunnels, slides, and stairs. The floor where they could walk was made up of thick rubber to make playing even safer, all things considered.

“Does it make you dizzy to look down?”

Tiffany shook her head, those golden curls of hers flying every which way in the process. “Nope!”