by Laura Pavlov
Let’s move on.
They had no idea that there were people I was trying to avoid. And I had a ton of missed calls from unknown numbers. I knew better. Unknown callers to most people were just an annoyance. A telemarketer. A political sales pitch. I’d wish for such an irritation.
Unknown callers for me were something else completely.
I had blocked my mother on my phone since returning from France, and Todd had been blocked for even longer. I didn’t want either to know where I was. That was one of the benefits of moving out of Gramps’ place. But my picture in front of the bakery had been splashed everywhere, so the unknown caller was most likely enemy number one or enemy number two trying to reach me. My mother would see this as a financial windfall, because I owned the place, which meant there was cash on hand. Todd would see this as an opening. It was neither. I had washed my hands of both of them—but keeping them at bay was the challenge now. I’d spoken to Gramps last night, and he said he hadn’t seen or heard from Mom in several months, and I could only hope that would continue. I’d promised to come by this weekend and do the grocery shopping for him, and we’d have a visit.
I pulled my hair into two buns on top of my head, channeling my inner Princess Leia, and slipped on a navy and pink floral skirt that stopped just above my knee. I paired it with a white T-shirt and a denim jacket. It was still chilly in the morning. I sat down to slip on my Chucks and laughed as I tied them and thought about Ford’s comment when he’d followed me home a few nights ago. Pompous ass. I’d known he and his driver were behind me, and I hadn’t really minded. Not that I was scared. It took a lot to scare me. I’d visited much worse neighborhoods than the one I was currently residing in. And, well, growing up with Valentina DeLuca for a mother—I’d had my fair share of terrifying experiences over my lifetime. This neighborhood was swanky to me. But Mr. Moneybags probably thought it was dangerous because my building didn’t come with a doorman or offer valet.
Fuck him.
I’d seen him every morning since, and he didn’t bring it up. Instead he usually just snarled about the coffee not being ready or made a snarky comment about my sneakers. I usually had a witty comeback for him, which seemed to entertain him. Witty banter was my specialty, and Ford Montgomery could hold his own with me.
I walked to work and quickly made a few batches of butter cookies and pumpkin donuts as both had been big sellers this week. I told Molly she didn’t need to come in until eight today, as the rush didn’t start until then and she was exhausted.
There was a knock on the door, and I’d already put on the coffee because I knew Mr. Moody would be stopping by, but I was elbow deep in dough. I called out, “It’s open.”
The bell chimed on the door to let me know he had entered, but he didn’t say anything, which was rare for him. Usually he greeted me with an attitude.
“I’m in the back. Coffee’s on.”
“Hey, Harls.” Todd stood in front of me, leaning against the doorframe to the kitchen.
All the wind left my lungs. I hadn’t seen him in almost a year, and I’d hoped he’d stay away.
“What are you doing here? And don’t call me that,” I snapped.
“You won’t take my calls. You’ve blocked me on social media and your grandfather won’t tell me where you’re staying. What option did I have? You’re all over the press with this bakery gig, so I took a shot. You know I’m not a morning person, but here I am.” Todd was just under six feet tall, and his blonde wavy hair was longer than it used to be, he wore blue joggers and a gray T-shirt. He looked good, I suppose, but he disgusted me, which sort of canceled out his surfer boy, good looks.
“Yeah, and I made it clear that I didn’t want to see you. We’ve already talked about it. It’s done. There’s nothing left to say,” I said, reaching for a towel to clean the flour off my hands.
He moved closer and I tried to step away. My back hit the refrigerator, and I raised my hands up to put some distance between us, but he pushed forward, crowding me.
“There is something left to say. I love you, Harls. I’ve changed. And now that you’re back, and you’re finally opening the bakery, I mean, why not give us another chance?”
I laughed, an evil chuckle I’d mastered over the years dealing with my mother and shoved at his chest. “I don’t do second chances, Todd. Not after you freaking showed me your true colors and then stalked me for several weeks. We’re done. Please leave. I won’t ask nicely the next time you show up, so I suggest you stay away.”
He gripped my shoulder hard and used his other hand to wrap around the back of my neck before his mouth crashed into mine. My heart raced and I tried to push away, but his weight was too much. I bit down hard on his lip, but he pressed his mouth against mine even more.
He pulled back, or I thought he did. It took me a minute to realize what was happening. Ford Montgomery was there, throwing my ex-boyfriend against a wall. Ford’s hair was a bit disheveled, which looked even sexier than usual. His tie was tilted to the side, and he had two fistfuls of Todd’s T-shirt in his hands. The veins on his neck bulged as he pressed Todd up against the wall.
“She told you to leave. I suggest you get the fuck out of here before I call the cops,” Ford shouted. There was no sign of the uptight, arrogant prick I was so familiar with right now. He was manly and sexy, and if I weren’t seeing this with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe it.
“Who the fuck is this, Harls?” Todd shouted, shaking and twisting and trying to break free of Ford’s hold. Ford stood a few inches taller than Todd and was clearly stronger.
He pressed his forearm up against Todd’s throat, and I walked over to stand beside him. “Ford fucking Montgomery… the fourth. I suggest you do as he says and get the fuck out of here.”
Ford let up on his hold and dragged Todd toward the door, but not the door that went out to the street, he opened the door to the lobby and called out for security.
“He’s not allowed in this building again. Get him the hell out of here.” Ford shoved my ex-boyfriend out the door as two security guards grabbed him.
He turned back to face me as I yanked off my apron, patted my Princess Leia buns in place and pulled myself together.
“Who the hell was that, Harley? And why would you let him in?” he shouted.
Yes, he actually shouted at me. I believe I’m the victim here, and he’s full-on blaming me for what just happened? This dude was part arrogant prick and part sexy hero—but the arrogant prick always seemed to win out.
“Don’t raise your voice at me, you jackass. I left the door open because you insist on having your coffee ready when you get here. Some of us have actual work to do, and can’t stand by the door waiting for you,” I said, poking my finger into his rock-hard chest.
And wow. Ford Montgomery had some serious muscle under his swanky suits.
He wrapped his hand around my finger and held it there as he stared down at me. The contact sent all sorts of chill bumps down my arms.
“I have a key. Next time I’ll let myself in, so keep the door locked. You don’t know this guy? He acted like he knew you.” His sapphire blues locked with mine, and his warm breath tickled my cheek.
“He’s my ex-boyfriend.”
He continued to hold my finger in his hand and his thumb stroked the inside of my palm. I couldn’t move, and as weird as it was, I didn’t want him to let go or lose contact.
“You’ve obviously got shit taste in men,” he said.
I yanked my hand away at his words. “You’re an asshole.”
“Well, let me remind you—I’m the asshole that just saved your ass.”
“I don’t need saving, Montgomery. I can take care of myself,” I said, turning toward the kitchen. The man ruined everything. I had appreciated him stepping in, but I would have been fine if he hadn’t. I’d have kneed Todd in the groin or bit him even harder. I didn’t ba
ck down from fights, and I was no damsel in distress. I’d survived much worse than Todd over the years.
“You could have fooled me. Looked like he had you in a pretty vulnerable position from where I was standing.” He followed me into the kitchen and crossed his arms over his chest before leaning against the refrigerator. I reached for a to-go cup and poured him his stupid cup of coffee.
“Well, you’re wrong. I can handle Todd just fine.” I handed him the drink and moved over to the island to clean up the flour mess I’d left when my asshole ex-boyfriend interrupted me.
“Are you always this stubborn. It’s quite annoying,” he said, raising a brow at me.
Cocky bastard.
Before I could stop myself, I flicked at the pile of flour and shot it at Ford Montgomery. It was quite comical to see the white powder scatter all over his pristine black suit. A little flour landed on his cheeks and nose, and I raised a brow in challenge. “Get used to it.”
He didn’t move at first, but then he set his coffee down and I thought he’d swipe at his fancy clothing and face—but instead he reached for the flour and grabbed a fistful in his hand before chucking it in my face.
I gasped and tried to clear the flour from my eyes as a white cloud formed around me. Ford’s laughter filled the space, and I coughed and laughed at the same time. I couldn’t help it. I hadn’t expected him to do it. I thought he’d get mad and storm off.
“Next time just say thank you. No need to flick flour at your hero,” he said with a smirk.
I shook the powder off the best I could and walked to the little mirror I’d hung in the kitchen to clean myself up. Good lord, I was a mess. My buns were covered, so I tipped my head over and tried to shake them out.
“You’re delusional, Montgomery.” I swiped the final remnants off my face, and aside from the little bit stuck to my scalp, I looked presentable.
Ford brushed away the flour from his suit, but he still had some on his cheek, and I wasn’t about to tell him. “Thanks for the coffee.”
And just like that, he was gone. In the last ten minutes, he’d come in and ripped Todd away from me, held my finger in his hand, insulted me and we’d had a flour fight. The man was a storm, even on the sunniest of days.
Had he rescued me? Maybe. I mean, as creepy as Todd had been, he’d never been physical before, and I’d like to think that I would have been able to shove him away. He certainly wasn’t the first guy to push himself on me. But at the same time, my heart was racing, and I’d been nervous, and Ford Montgomery had come to my rescue.
I just wouldn’t tell him that.
The weekend had come and gone, and another week had flown by. I hadn’t heard from Todd again. I was thankful for that one reprieve. Ford and I had gone back to being snippy with one another, and I swore someone followed me home the last few nights, but I looked back a several times and didn’t see a car. Maybe I’d imagined it. It was Friday, and I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I was looking forward to the weekend. I was beyond exhausted. Physically and mentally.
“So, what are your plans this weekend? You want to go out tomorrow night? Oscar has this friend that’s super cute. I thought you might want to meet him. You know, a double date, so there’d be no risk of being stuck with him, because you’d have me,” Molly said, jumping up on the counter to sit as she took a bite of her brownie.
“No. I’m not looking to meet anyone. But thanks.” I wiped down the last table, as we’d just closed.
“Come on, Harls. We haven’t been out since you got back from Paris. It doesn’t have to be a date. Just a night out with friends. He’s a really cool guy, and at the very least he can just be a friend, right?”
I shrugged. I never could say no to her. “Fine. But not this weekend, I need to spend time with Gramps.”
“Yes.” She fist-bumped the sky and jumped down from the counter. “So, it seems like Mr. Sexy scared the bajeezus out of psycho Toad, huh?”
I moaned. I’d filled her in on what had happened last week with Todd and Ford. We were both happy he’d given up after his one lame attempt. “Apparently, yes. At least for now.”
“Damn. I wish I could have seen Ford with flour on his face. The man is deliciously sexy. I can’t even picture him throwing flour at you.” Molly burst out in laughter, and I couldn’t help but join her. I wouldn’t have believed it if I weren’t there either. He was so formal all the time, and he had been ever since.
“Well, trust me when I tell you I flicked a little bit at him. He threw a fistful in my face. The man plays dirty. Don’t be fooled by the Armani suit.”
I pulled out some dough to throw in a few more batches of cookies that I could freeze for next week.
“Ooh, a dirty, sexy man in Armani sounds dreamy,” she said, her head falling back with a chuckle. “Are you really going to stay and bake? Do you want me to help you?”
I knew she had plans with Oscar and I could use the quiet time to process these first few weeks as a business owner. I’d sold a hell of a lot more than I’d expected, but I’d also worked harder than I’d ever worked in my life.
“No. It won’t take me long. Get out of here. It’s Friday night. I’ll text you when I get home.”
“Okay. Love you, Harls,” she said, leaning over to hug me.
“Love you.”
I rolled out the dough for the butter cookies, put on some music, and enjoyed the quiet and the calm. I owned this place. This was my bakery. I thought of Gram and how much she would have enjoyed this. I’d started baking with my grandmother before I could even walk. There are pictures of me sitting in my high chair with a ball of dough and some flour. The woman was the best baker I’d ever known, and I aspired to be half as good as her. I called Gramps after I put the cookie sheets in the oven.
“Hey, sweetheart. Two weeks down. How do you feel?” he asked, his voice was warm and comforting. Just what I needed after another crazy week.
“I feel really good. Sales were so much better than we expected so I’m hoping to get that loan paid off faster than I’d planned to.” I hated that my grandfather had put his home up for collateral when he cosigned my loan.
“My girl, you worry too much. Take your time. I can’t take it with me. Seeing you live your dream, well, it’s my greatest accomplishment. So proud of you, darlin’.”
A tear ran down my cheek. The man had sacrificed so much for me. My mother had been a shit mom from the day I was born. She’d made it known that I was a mistake, and Gramps and Gram had stepped up and treated me like I was something special.
“Thank you. I’ll be out tomorrow to visit, okay?” I said.
“Looking forward to it. I wanted to let you know that your mother called today. She asked if I knew about the bakery and where you got the money for it. I told her I wasn’t discussing your business with her, and she hung up.” His voice shook a bit when he spoke.
A sick feeling settled in my stomach. The woman’s intentions were never good. Always paved with darkness and deceit. But I’d been living with this my entire life. It wasn’t new.
“I’m sorry. I’m sure this puts you in a bad position.”
“Not at all, honey.”
“Love you, Gramps,” I said.
“Love you, sweetness.”
I disconnected the call and pulled the cookies out of the oven when a knock at the door startled me. It came from the lobby entrance, and I took off my apron and walked over to see who it was. Ford stood on the other side with a gorgeous blonde woman beside him. They looked like freaking royalty together.
“Hey. I was just closing up,” I said, anxious for them to leave. For some reason, I didn’t want to see him on a date with a beautiful woman. I mean, we had nothing in common, and it shouldn’t bother me, but it did.
“Don’t be mad at Ford. I’m the one who insisted on knocking. I’ve been hearing about this bakery for the las
t two weeks. I work two buildings down, and it’s all anyone has talked about. I’ve been wanting to get over here, but I haven’t been able to get away yet,” the woman said. She looked to be a few years older than me, with blonde hair and brown eyes. She was about my height but stood taller in her high heels. She dripped elegance and sophistication.
“Oh, thank you. I’m just baking a few batches for next week. Would you like something?” I asked, moving around the counter as they stepped inside.
“We’re on our way to dinner.” Ford cleared his throat, appearing uncomfortable, which wasn’t really abnormal for the man. “You can get dessert there.”
“Will you stop being such a wet blanket. It’s a pastry. She offered. By the way, I’m Chanel.” She smiled as she took in all the cookies still in the display case.
“I’m Harley. Nice to meet you. I have the refrigerated items in the back, if you’re interested in more than the cookies?”
“Nope. A coworker came back with a few butter cookies this morning and I’ve been craving them ever since,” she said. Her hair was curled, and in a deep side part with a clip pinning back one side. She wore a cream dress and jacket, and I suddenly felt very self-conscious. I could feel Ford’s eyes on me. I tightened my ponytail and forced a smile when I turned to look at him. His sapphire blues were intense as they studied me.
I placed four butter cookies in the white waxed bag and handed it to her.
“Thanks, Harley. I’ll definitely stop by again next week.” She opened her purse, and Ford shooed her hand away and reached for his wallet.
“Oh, no worries. I’ve already closed out the register. You are a partner, after all,” I said with a forced smile.
He dropped something in the tip jar, and I didn’t acknowledge it. It felt like pity money. He was on a date with a hot chick, and I was standing here in my tennis shoes and probably had icing on my face.
“Thank you. Have a great night.” Chanel turned on her heels and made her way to the door.
“Sorry about coming in so late,” Ford said, reaching over the counter and using his thumb to wipe something off my cheek. It was sweet but it made me even more self-conscious and I didn’t like that.