Sweet on You

by Katana Collins

  Me: Of course it’s okay. It was more than okay. Thank you so much.

  I did some quick math in my head. The arraignment was at 9:00. Brady was meeting me at the bakery at 7:15 to leave by 7:30. But if I was being honest, I wanted to hit the road as soon as he arrived.

  Me: Come by the bakery in the morning. I have to go out of town for a few hours, but I have something for you as a thank you. I’m leaving around 7:15. Can you join me for a cup of coffee before I go? Say… 6:45?

  It didn’t occur to me that that might be too crazy early. As a baker, every morning by six, I’d already been up for hours and was feeling like I needed a lunch break.

  I held my breath, still standing there on the sidewalk beneath the dim yellow glow of the street lamp, as rain started misting around me. The three little dots danced next to her name until finally her text came through.

  Ronnie: I’ll be there.

  And suddenly, it didn’t matter that I had so much to figure out. For a split second, I forgot that I was about to meet my daughter for the first time. And that her mother—my ex—was likely going to prison for theft like some crazy video game that only teenagers play. In that moment, I just felt like a young guy again. A guy with no worries other than impressing a beautiful woman he fancied.

  I walked back upstairs with a grin on my face so wide, Lana bombarded me with questions the moment I walked in the door.

  “Who is she?” she asked through her own smile.

  Tony grunted from the couch, reaching for my remote and flipping on the tv. “Leave him alone. He’ll tell us when he’s ready.”

  Lana’s brows jumped, disappearing behind her side swept bangs. “Are you going to tell me?”

  I crossed into the kitchen, grabbing the almond flour from my pantry. “When there’s something to tell, I will.”

  Lana rolled her eyes, following me. Behind us, I heard four feet land with a soft thud onto the floor and pad quietly over as well. Frost. She hopped nimbly onto the counter, purring and rubbing against my shoulder. “This whole year, I’ve never seen you go on a single date. I was beginning to wonder if you were asexual.”

  I rolled my eyes back at her and measured out the flour, dumping it into the bowl. “I’m just being cautious. I knew if we ever found Olivia, having a girlfriend could make a tough situation even more complicated. London wasn’t exactly known for being easy-going.” I snorted at my own wording. She was downright jealous. If a girl even looked at me wrong in the pub, she’d start a fight. Granted, she was higher than the clouds, but even still—I didn’t trust that she wouldn’t still be jealous like that now, two years later, even though we weren’t a couple anymore.

  “But… now, that’s not going to happen,” Lana said. “If anything, you actually have the better hand of cards here. Being the sober parent with a steady income and a reliable home. Actually, a girlfriend might improve how you appear to the judge.”

  “Lana,” I warned, cracking an egg and mixing it into the flour.

  “I’m serious.”

  I sighed. “I know you are. That’s the problem.”

  “Babe,” Tony said, spinning on the couch to face us. “Ease off. It sounds new.”

  I nodded. That was the understatement of the year.

  Lana chewed the inside of her cheek defiantly and slanted her eyes at her husband. “I’m just saying, it might be nice to have someone there with you to support you tomorrow. Maybe this girl could go with you—”

  My lungs filled with a deep breath and I sat the whisk down, turning to face Lana. Resting my palms on her shoulders, I gave her a gentle squeeze. “Thank you,” I said, giving her a smile. Two years ago when I moved here on a whim, following that postal stamp, I never would have dreamed I could meet two amazing friends like Lana and Tony. “Really. Thank you. But I’m fine. This girl and I are very new and asking her to come with me would be… it would just be too much to ask of her at this point. Understand?”

  Lana’s eyes softened as she nodded. But she continued chewing the inside of her cheek.

  “Now,” I said. “Are you going to help me bake? Or just stand there lecturing me for the next hour?”

  Lana rolled her eyes. “Hand me an apron.”

  “Good answer. Oh, and by the way, I wake up at three-thirty in the morning. So, I suggest we get to sleep by nine.”

  There was a collective groan in my apartment and I smiled into my bowl of dough.

  Even Frost seemed to groan.

  I dipped my finger into the heavy cream that was out and held it in front of Frost’s nose. She sniffed briefly before lapping at my finger. “You, little miss, should be used to these early mornings by now.”

  Meow.

  “You’re right. They never get easier.”

  Meow, purr.

  “What did she say?” Lana asked, her tone mocking me. She always made fun of me for talking to my cat.

  I glanced at Frost. “She said we should make some dog treats, too.”

  11

  Ronnie

  I arrived a few minutes late to Latte Da, Lex’s bakery, with Penny in tow. Surprisingly, he was a pretty fantastic dog—separation anxiety aside. But seriously, other than that… he was nearly perfect. It made my heart ache when Yvonne told me that he had been adopted and returned three times. It had to be because of what happened yesterday. And frankly, I didn’t blame those families. A dog who can’t be home alone? That’s almost an impossible situation to deal with.

  But right now? With Penny trotting in a perfect heel at my side, you would never know he had issues. He was sweet. Affectionate. Loyal. He loved listening to and pleasing me. He knew all the commands from “leave it” to “stay.” Hell, he even knew “hush,” as I discovered late last night when he was barking at something out the window and I yelled out, “Hush, Penny!”

  He immediately silenced and came back over, sitting at my feet with his ears back. It was the damned closest thing to an apology I’d ever seen from a dog.

  Bottom line: he was a good boy.

  I arrived at Latte Da and just as I was about to stroll through the door, I froze. Oh, shit. Were there health codes against bringing a dog into a bakery? I did not think this through. Now what was I supposed to do?

  I stood frozen outside his door in the chilly morning air. A gust of wind blew by, nearly taking my baseball hat with it. I caught it just in time, clamping my palm down on top of my head.

  I looked around. I could probably tie Penny up out here… but knowing his behavior, he would probably pull and bark and try to destroy whatever I tied him to in order to get back to me.

  I sighed and walked Penny to the bike rack just outside the bakery. He sat, patiently waiting like the good boy he was. Well, usually was.

  I looped the leash around the edge of the bike rack and pointed my finger in his face. “Penny… Copper. Listen. I am only going to be in there for the length of one cup of coffee. Got it? You sit here and be good. Be quiet. And maybe I’ll get you a croissant, okay?”

  He panted, his chocolate brown eyes bright like he was clinging to every word I said, trying so hard to understand me.

  As soon as I stood and took one step away, he barked. Loudly. A screeching, brain piercing bark that was painful at any time of day, but particularly so at 6:50 a.m. before most of Maple Grove was even awake. I spun on my heels and snapped, “Hush!”

  He quieted down immediately and sat. I glanced again at the door, suddenly grateful for the fact that Lex had giant floor to ceiling windows. Maybe if Penny could see me, he wouldn’t freak out so much?

  It was worth a try. I turned, taking a few slow steps toward the door. He didn’t bark, but I did hear a small whimper that I let slide.

  Opening the door, I faced Penny once more and said, “Hush, wait.” Before I slipped inside and closed the door.

  He continued staring at me through the glass, but at least he wasn’t barking. When I looked up, Lex was smiling at me from behind the counter. I smiled at Ford Kane, the only other person in
the shop and he gave me a friendly nod as he left, the door closing behind him. Lex came out from behind the counter, greeting me with a smile.

  “Hey,” Lex said, slipping the apron over his head. Wow. Wow. Instead of his usual jeans and Henley t-shirt, he was in a suit. A gorgeous three-piece suit with a vest and tie and everything. That, combined with his combed hair and British accent… well, he was downright debonair. Regal even.

  “You look…” Words evaded me. My eyes swept his body from the top of his styled hair down to his black dress shoes. My mouth watered, my hungry gaze greedy for more. I wanted to wrap that tie around my fist and tug his mouth to mine. “Fancy.” I finished and I was certain he noticed the long pause in between.

  “Yes, well. I have some… things… to take care of today.”

  “Right. Things.” He was still being secretive. Which I hated. I hated that he didn’t feel like he could open up to me about whatever was happening. It launched me right back to my days with Brandon. How he would always check his phone discreetly, hiding the screen from me. How he’d tell me I was nagging and acting crazy if I happened to ask what he was grinning at when he looked at his phone. My gut wrenched in the way it always did when I thought of my ex and I closed my eyes, willing all thoughts of him away.

  “Well, come on in… let me get you a cup of coffee.”

  I took a step toward Lex and as I went out of view, I heard the barking from outside and cringed.

  Lex’s eyes widened. “Penny?”

  “Just a minute,” I said, holding up a finger. Then I rushed to the door, cracking it open and telling Penny again to hush and wait. It worked. He quieted down and once more I entered the café, closing the door behind me. “I think I better stay in his sight,” I said, gesturing to Penny tied up outside.

  Lex nodded. “I’ll get your coffee.”

  “Just with a little almond milk, please.”

  “Have you ever had a bullet coffee?” Lex asked.

  I narrowed my gaze at him and did my best to hide my smile. “Of course I have. What do you know about bullet coffee?”

  “Well,” he said, pouring a bit of hot coffee into a small blender and opening a small fridge behind the counter. “I know that eating fats doesn’t cause fat production in the body and that first thing in the morning adding a little blended grass-fed butter to your coffee makes it creamy, frothy, delicious and is apparently healthy while also filling you up more than a regular cup of coffee. That said… would you like one?” He paused, then gave me a little shrug. “I’m thinking about offering it on the menu.”

  My smile widened. “I would love one.”

  He got to work blending and it only took about a minute before he was bringing the coffees over to a table closest to the window where Penny was now laying down, his nose practically touching the window, watching me.

  Lex also brought over two white paper bags and set them on the table. “These are for you as well. Just a little token of my gratitude for bringing my car back yesterday.”

  “That was nothing, Lex. Really. I was taking Penny for a run to tire him out anyway—”

  “Except it wasn’t nothing. It was something. And I’m so grateful you didn’t listen to me and brought it last night. I sort of have a… thing to get to this morning out of town and picking up my car would have slowed me down.”

  I glanced at his suit and tie, my gaze slowly raking over his sexy, dapper physique. Holy shit, this guy could pull off just about any look. Everything from a t-shirt and jeans, to work out clothes, to a three-piece suit.

  “Is it the, um, emergency from yesterday?”

  He nodded, taking a solemn sip from his coffee. “It is,” he answered, not offering anything more. And since he didn’t volunteer any more information, I didn’t pry.

  “Is Seth watching the café while you’re gone?”

  He shook his head. “No, a friend is. But I’ll be back later today, so it’s only for the morning.”

  There was a moment of silence before Lex nudged the bag toward me. “Look inside.”

  I opened the bag, the paper rustling loudly in the otherwise silent bakery. The bag was stuffed with pastries—a couple of croissants, a chocolate muffin, a bear claw. My stomach growled, but instead of diving in, I peeked up at him from over the bag. “Are these—?”

  “One hundred percent gluten-free. Some are made with sugar substitutes and others were sweetened with raw honey and pure Maple syrup.”

  My grin widened and I sighed in relief silently. I hated justifying my diet to people. I hated having to smile and grit my teeth eating something that I would only regret one hour later. But with these? No regrets. No breaking my diet. I dove my hand in, pulling out the croissant.

  “One is chocolate, the other is plain,” Lex said.

  I took a bite and my eyes fluttered closed as heaven exploded in my mouth. How in the hell he made guilt-free baked goods so damn good was beyond me. Because they were. So damn good.

  “How’d I do?” Lex asked. “I’ve never made a croissant out of almond flour before. I was worried that folding the dough with the butter, it would lose some of the crispy flakiness it’s supposed to retain.”

  “Oh my God,” I said, covering my mouth as I spoke because I had half-chewed food still in there. “Lex. It’s so good, I could kiss you right now.”

  His eyes lit momentarily, then quickly dulled as we both realized where we were. And who we were. Our situations didn’t warrant another kiss. He’d made that perfectly clear last night.

  “I’m hoping to make good on that promise soon. Real soon.” His voice held a graveled tone to it that, if I’d been standing, would have left me weak in the knees.

  I bit my lip, licking a flake of croissant crust that had stuck to the chapstick I had smeared on my bottom lip before I left this morning. Lex swallowed hard. Then, reaching out with the pad of his thumb, he swiped at my bottom lip, gently and slowly until he spanned the length of my pout to the corner of my mouth.

  His eyes crinkled with what could be described as a smile… but it held more sorrow than joy, and more than anything, I craved to know why.

  “I also made some dog treats for Penny. So you both get a thank you.”

  The door to the café jingled as a man about our age entered, also wearing a suit. He came up to us as Lex jumped nervously to his feet, glancing at his phone. “Is it time already?”

  The man in the suit nodded. “It’s time.” He looked quickly at me, then at Lex and held out a hand. “I’m Brady,” he said, introducing himself. “Brady Goldman.”

  “Brady Goldman, LLC,” I repeated. “I’m Ronnie Tripp.”

  He looked startled and tilted his head to one side. “Have we met before?”

  “No,” I said, shaking my head. “I’ve seen your posters around town. Your face is on nearly every city bus and park bench from here to the Concord.”

  He blushed and rolled his eyes. “My sister,” he said. “She runs my publicity and marketing and she insisted on those stupid ads.”

  Lex grinned, standing. “Obviously, they work,” Lex said, gesturing to me. “Ronnie remembered you.”

  “My sister could do wonders for your bakery, too. She’s a genius with marketing.”

  “As long as my face doesn’t end up on any park benches, I’ll give her a call.”

  “Now that I can’t guarantee.” Brady checked his watch. “We really need to hit the road. You ready?”

  Lex grumbled beneath his breath. “They’re supposed to be downstairs by now,” he said and punched something into his phone.

  “Who?” I asked.

  “My friends who are helping manage the bakery while I’m out today. I could just hang up the sign that says I’ll be right back… at least ‘til—”

  “I can stay and handle the counter until they arrive. Are they on their way?”

  He glanced toward the back room, texting some more. “I couldn’t ask you to do that—”

  “Lex,” Brady interrupted. “It’s at leas
t an hour drive without traffic. If we don’t leave soon, we might be late.”

  Lex sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “You really don’t mind waiting here a few minutes until they come down?”

  I gave him a smile. “If I minded, I wouldn’t have offered.”

  He took my hands in his, giving them a squeeze. “I will make this up to you.”

  “In croissants?”

  The corners of his mouth flicked up. “I can do more than just bake, you know.”

  If that kiss yesterday was any indication, then yes, I did know. I definitely knew. I tilted my chin to the door. “Go. You’re going to be late for whatever this elusive formal affair is.”

  “If you need to, you can bring Penny upstairs to relax in my apartment with Frost.”

  I gave him a look. “That’s probably not a good idea. He might destroy something.”

  Lex waved away my concern. “Not with Frost up there. He probably won’t have any anxiety with a furry friend to hang out with.”

  “How much longer is your friend going to be?”

  Lex glanced at his phone and sighed. “Honestly, I don’t know. I set two alarms last night—”

  “Okay, I’ll bring Penny inside.” I knew the second I stepped behind the counter, he would bark. Maybe Lex was right? Maybe the key to this separation anxiety was getting him a friend. I nearly rolled my eyes. Was I seriously debating adopting a second animal when I had barely figured out how to foster one?

  “Lex,” Brady warned with another glance at his watch.

  “I know, I know,” Lex said. “Just… text me if anything goes wrong, okay?” He grabbed my hand, giving it a squeeze. The moment didn’t last long, but with his fingers entwined in mine, I felt a buzzing electricity surge up my arm.

  I nodded. “Nothing is going to go wrong. Now go.” I held open the door for him, and he and Brady exited, with a quick pause to give Penny a pet goodbye. I grabbed his leash and while the café was empty, I scrambled up the stairs, with my dog charging at my side. Lex had said a friend was over and probably still sleeping, so I quietly opened the door and let Penny in. He greeted Frost immediately by going nose to nose and the two ran around the living room before settling down together on the couch.