Brownie Bites and Chocolate Kisses

By Barri Naven

Ashley Logan is elected to work on her company's charity drive, and her co-coordinator is gorgeous Mitch Crowley, the strong, silent type, and one of the most introverted guys she's ever met. Ashley has no clue how they're going to work together and make the drive a success.

 

Mitch Crowley can't believe his luck in being selected to work with the beautiful but unattainable Ashley Logan this summer, but he knows this is his one chance to impress her, and he isn't going to screw it up.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Barri Naven
• Release date: Apr 30, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223033592

Barri Naven

Barri Naven lives on Cape Cod where she avoids the summer traffic by hiding at home with her trusty laptop, long-suffering husband, and all the chocolate she can find. Escaping from reality in a romance novel, the ultimate goal a happy ending, is her idea of a good read.

Book preview

Chapter 1

"THIS IS THE BIG DAY, Kim. Well, biggish. We finally get to hear which option for the charity drive got the most votes," Ashley Logan said, walking into the Hartman Company’s café.

Kim Carlon grimaced. I hope it wasn’t the vegetable garden. Playing in the dirt isn’t anything like my idea of fun. Plus it’s already May, and I feel like gardens should be started before this. Or at least the seedlings should have been started.

Listen to you knowing all about planting. Growing things to feed people would be very cool and something to be really proud of. And the food pantry would love the donations.

Yes, but my parents had a garden when I was a kid and cool isn’t exactly the word I’d use to describe it.

But weren’t the fresh vegetables right out of the garden delicious?

When it was my turn to do the weeding or picking, I had to watch out for the spiders and the worms and other creepy things and they kind of ruined it for me.

Then I hope for your sake if the garden won, we can volunteer for the parts that don’t include creepy bugs, Ashley said.

Hear, hear. What are you having for lunch?

I thought I’d have some lettuce and tomatoes and cucumbers. You know, fresh from the garden and bug free. How about you?

Turkey.

Sounds delightful.

It will be. Which option do you hope wins? Kim asked.

I liked the tutoring one for the senior center. I haven’t figured out what I could teach anyone, but I like the idea of it. Maybe help them with their computers or cell phones.

That could be fun.

It’s always fun when I help my mom with her phone. Lots of laughs. Mostly mine, but it’s still fun.

How’s your mom doing?

Pretty well. A few weeks ago she joined a book club that meets every other week, and tonight’s the night, Ashley said.

Every other week is pretty ambitious.

I know. Talk about pressure to keep her nose in a book. But she said she’s ready to get out there and meet new people, and I’m happy for her. I didn’t like her staying home every single night all alone.

Do you still have dinner with her every week? Kim asked.

Oh, yes. Tuesdays. She always makes something different and I never know what it will be. And she tells me about book club and the interesting people she meets.

That’s good.

Ashley took a bite of salad. Yes, it was good. And it was a positive first step for her mother.

MITCH CROWLEY LOOKED up from his roast beef sandwich and saw the president crossing the café, his eyes on either Mitch or Wyatt. Or so it seemed. Had every error Mitch made since starting at Hartman come back to bite him? For the life of him he couldn’t think of any, but that didn’t mean there weren’t any. He didn’t have time to give Wyatt a heads up before Ted Hudson reached them, pulling out the chair beside Mitch and sitting.

Hello, Mitch. Hello, Wyatt. Listen, Mitch. Your turn this year for spearheading the charity drive. Can you take care of that for me?

I’ll handle it. He didn’t need to tell Ted he was probably the worst person to spearhead anything. He’d let the boss figure it out for himself, then Mitch would never be asked to help again.

Ted gave his shoulder a pat. Good man. I’ll send out the email this afternoon.

Not giving us a hint about which of the options won? Wyatt asked, grinning. Seeing as Mitch will be coordinating.

Ted stood and pushed in the chair. Who doesn’t enjoy a surprise?

As Ted walked away, Mitch thought about how much he hated surprises and wondered what fresh hell was coming his way.

What do you think it will be, Mitch? The clean up? The artwork on the side of the old hardware store downtown?

Mitch took a bite, not wanting to focus too much on any of the possibilities. No matter which project won, if he was in charge, it would be a disaster. We’ll find out later. It was a shame just taking up a collection for any of the charities on the list hadn’t been an option because Mitch could open his wallet as well as anyone else.

He’d voted for the animal shelter drive, and with luck, the shelter would win, although it was up against some tough competition. Mitch had wanted a dog for a while and he planned to adopt at some point, but as things stood, he knew leaving a dog home alone in his condo all day while he was at work was inhumane.

If he worked remotely, it would be a different story, just him and his dog together, all day every day. Would be great for the dog, but he could picture himself easily becoming a recluse, only leaving his condo when he or the dog needed food and exercise and other necessities of life.

You in there, Mitch? Wyatt asked, rapping the table a couple of times.

Mitch looked up. Right here.

Probably in your head, planning out the project. Maybe you don’t think so right now, but you’re the right guy to take this on.

He appreciated Wyatt’s faith, however misplaced, and he only nodded, not in the mood to disagree.

Chapter 2

ASHLEY SAW THE EMAIL from Ted Hudson and she wiggled in her seat, then glanced around to make sure no one had noticed, but since her cubicle blocked all but the top of her head from everyone else’s view, she was safe. For all she knew, they were all wiggling in their own seats. What a fine way to end a Monday.

Reading the email, her eyes jumping around as if she could locate the winning vote-getter sooner, she finally saw it, then stared at the words. This was unexpected, and she picked up her desk phone to call Kim.

Kim Carlon. Accounting.

Did you see the email? Ashley asked.

I did.

Is Chris right there? Is that why you’re using your professional voice?

That’s correct.

Are you surprised by the winner?

Yes.

Same here. Are you happy about it? Ashley asked.

Sure, Kim said.

I’ll talk to you later when no one’s hovering over you.

Thank you. Have a great day.

Ashley read the email again, wondering what she’d do for her part, then she wondered if a block of her Hartman colleagues had solicited others to sway their votes, first to get it on the list of options, then to snag the majority of votes. Otherwise, it didn’t really make sense.

MITCH READ THE EMAIL, feeling as if he were about to be given a test in a subject he’d never taken. He supposed he shouldn’t be surprised his favorite hadn’t won the vote since the animal shelter had only had a 10% chance of beating the other options, the same chance as the others. A second email from Ted came through, also addressed to all Hartman staff, and Mitch read the brief message announcing his position of quarterback of the project. When his desk phone rang with a call from Wyatt, he picked up the handset. Mitch Crowley.

Good or bad? Wyatt asked.

If those are the choices, I’ll go with the second.

A word of advice?

I’d appreciate that, if it will be in any way helpful.

Your admin, Ashley?

She’s not mine. Mitch and Ashley had been colleagues for a couple of years, but colleagues were all they were and all they would ever be, since the extent of his social abilities consisted of admiring her from afar.

Customer Service works hand in hand with Engineering, so let’s pretend she is.

What about her?

Ask her to help you. She helps you, doesn’t she? Wyatt asked.

She has, yes. Ashley Logan had helped him every time he’d asked, which hadn’t been often, and she’d always been efficient and quick about it. Maybe too quick, since once the projects had wrapped up, his excuses for speaking to her had no longer been valid.

From what I’ve seen and heard, she’d make a great co-pilot. Think about it.

Mitch disconnected, then checked the email again. Ted hadn’t said anything about Mitch getting help, and he picked up the handset, tapping the four digit extension.

Mitch, thanks for handling this, Ted said.

I had a question.

What’s that?

Can I have a colleague run this with me?

Absolutely. I should have mentioned that. I can assign someone.

Mitch thought of some of the personalities he might be forced to work with. I’ve got someone in mind.

Good. I’ll leave you to it, Ted said.

Mitch wondered if tonight or tomorrow morning would be a better time to approach Ashley. He knew how busy she was since every time he saw her, she seemed knee deep in work, but she’d still always made time to help him out. Picking up his phone again, he called her extension.

Ashley was about to log off when her phone rang. Hi, Mitch. Congrats on the fund raising project. If there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know.

Wyatt had been spot on about Ashley, and Mitch needed to get to the point since she was probably trying to get out of there for the day. Can I speak to you for a minute?

Of course. Do you want me to come to your desk?

No, I’ll be right over.

Should I stay logged on? Ashley asked.

No, you won’t need your laptop.

See you soon, then. Disconnecting and pressing the power button on her computer, she wondered what Mitch needed. He’d rarely asked for her help with anything, as if he were reluctant to ask, and he’d been patient and kind the few times he had asked.

Mitch logged off, then headed out of Engineering and down the hall, taking a left into Customer Service where Ashley’s cubicle was front and center in the now all but empty office. Thanks for waiting. Since you offered, I want to ask for your help with the project. I don’t know the first thing about running a bake sale, and I’d appreciate anything you can do.

I’d love to help with this. I’ve never done anything like it, but I know how to bake, so how hard can it all be, right?

If you say so.

She saw wariness in his eyes, but it wasn’t anything she hadn’t seen in his eyes before. Mitch Crowley was an interesting man who excited her curiosity, and working with him would give her a chance to find out a little more about him. The fact he was one of the best looking guys in the company, with his blue eyes and dark brown hair didn’t hurt, either. Do you want me to create a worksheet tonight and email it to you?

I’m not trying to pawn this off on you. Maybe we could work together. Side by side, I mean.

Chapter 3

SIDE BY SIDE SOUNDED really good to Ashley. Before she let her imagination take off with a flying leap, she reminded herself the man had never given any indication he was interested in her and this was just one more project she was helping him with. Of course. We can both figure things out together. When and where do you want to start?

Tomorrow before eight? We could work in the café or at one of our desks.

Maybe half an hour early? Will that give us time to get something accomplished?

It should be enough time. Thank you, Ashley. I’ll see you in the morning.

Have a good night, Mitch.

You also.

Mitch left her cube and she grabbed her purse and followed more slowly into the hall, then down the stairs to the first floor. He was a fast walker and was out in the parking lot before she’d even reached the lobby. She wondered what Kim would think of Mitch asking her to help, then smiled because she knew exactly what Kim would say. And she knew exactly what she’d tell Kim; Mitch was no more interested in her than he was in handling the bake sale by himself. She wondered as she started her Toyota if he’d volunteered for the project, then told herself there was no way he would have. Of all the Hartman colleagues she’d worked with, he was the only one who seemed to always stay at