Mann Cakes: A Beach Pointe Romance

by Mysti Parker

  Silence blared, leaving the elephant in the room that had to be addressed. Might as well come out with it. “So, were you really looking in my window?”

  Garrett took another drink then set the bottle on the coffee table. He leaned over, elbows on his knees, and stared down at the rag rug she’d woven for a folk-art class. “Guilty.”

  More goosebumps. A rush of heat to her face and neck made her reach for his Gatorade. After a healthy swig, she set it back on the table. “And what exactly could you see?”

  He scratched at the stubble on his chin and glanced at her before returning his attention to his feet. “Nothing much, just a blurry silhouette. You had some candles or something burning, and the flickering light… It was a pretty sight. I’m sorry. I really only stopped to look for a moment when Jesse pulled up.”

  “Oh.” Another thought occurred to her. “Did you know it was me?”

  He smiled and ducked his head. “No, I didn’t know this was your apartment. I guess I’m just a generic creep.”

  Somehow, it felt less flattering, but Morgan had to laugh. “I guess you can’t blame a guy for looking. I should probably get a curtain.”

  “Probably, but I didn’t mind the view.” He looked up at her with a one-sided smile and held her gaze for a moment.

  Her cheeks grew hot, and so did the rest of her body. Maybe Garrett felt it, too, because his cheeks turned red like they had been when he first came up.

  He took a big gulp of Gatorade then surveyed the apartment. “I like what you’ve done with the place.”

  “This old junk? It’s just my artsy-fartsy side.”

  “I like it. I always thought you were a great artist.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I always thought you were a genius.”

  Garrett smiled and chuckled. “No, I’d have won a scholarship to MIT or something if I was a genius. I guess I never wanted to be that far from home.”

  “And then you joined the Air Force and went to Afghanistan.”

  His smile grew wider, crinkling the corners of his eyes. “See? No genius here.”

  “I don’t know. Maybe you are. Not everyone is talented at so many things. Like you and your cooking.”

  “Most people can do that.”

  “I don’t cook very well, actually. I can whip up cupcakes and frosting, but it’s all Paige’s recipes. The most I do is experiment with decorating and colors. It’s one way I can keep being an artist.”

  “So, why did you leave school? You were in a good art program, right?”

  Morgan shifted in the seat. She always felt uneasy when someone asked about that. It was Paige’s personal baggage which had brought her back home, not anyone else’s, but she trusted Garrett enough to tell him at least part of the truth. He was so easy to talk to.

  She sighed. “I came back to help Paige with the business after her boyfriend Vic… Well, he left her. And she was barely juggling all the bills and taking care of Ty on her own.”

  “So, she asked you to come back?”

  “No, she didn’t ask. She’s too proud to do that, but she's my sister. I couldn't let her handle everything alone.”

  He held her gaze, eyes soft and warm as though he admired her. “That’s amazing. You’re amazing.”

  “You think so?”

  Morgan realized she had moved closer to him as they talked. His spicy aftershave, diluted with the salty sweat that still cast a sheen on his skin, was a hundred times better than any candle.

  “I know so.” Garrett closed the last few inches between them and caught her lips with his. They were soft and warm and oh, so luscious.

  Her breath caught from the welcome surprise, and he drew back quickly, then jumped to his feet like he’d been inside a jack-in-the-box. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—”

  She stood and put a finger to his lips before he could say anything else. “Yes, you should have.”

  Morgan wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Not just a peck, but a full-on kiss. For a moment, he just stood there like a tree. But before she felt like a total fool, Garrett hugged her tightly to his chest and parted his lips, kissing her back with all the hunger of her fantasies. Their tongues flicked together, tasting each other, exploring. Her fingers stroked the damp hair at the nape of his neck. Her lungs needed air, but she needed him more.

  Garrett broke away, still holding her tightly. He rested his forehead on hers as his chest rose and fell with deep, rapid breaths. Was he just coming up for air, or did he regret what just happened?

  She lay her head against his chest, feeling his thudding heart on her cheek. “Please tell me you wanted that as much as I did.”

  He was silent for an excruciating moment until she felt him nod. “But as much as I want that and more, I think we should slow down and do this right.”

  Pulling back, she stared at him until he met her eyes. “But what is this? We’ve been friends a long time, but I’m willing to be more than that.”

  “Yes, but as tempting as it sounds, I don’t want us to be just friends with benefits.”

  “Then what do you want, Garrett?”

  He let her go, picked up the Gatorade, and headed for the door. His reluctance to take control was driving her mad.

  Garrett opened the door and stood still for a few seconds as though trying to decide what to do. He looked over his shoulder at her. His eyes conveyed all sorts of emotions—desire, fear, guilt, even a touch of hope.

  “I want a date,” he said. “Not just coffee. A real date.”

  Her jaw dropped slightly. She blinked at him, dumbfounded at the simplicity of his answer. But that was Garrett—he said only what got the point across.

  Point taken.

  She came to the door and clung to it while he crossed over the threshold and turned back to face her. His legs were wide, arms behind his back, perfect posture—she now understood why women were crazy about servicemen. Garrett had always been cute, but the Air Force had transformed him into the hottest man she’d ever laid eyes upon.

  “I’ll take you up on that,” she whispered breathlessly.

  “Good. Next Sunday, noon?”

  A lunch date? That didn’t sound much more committal than a coffee date, but she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. “Sure, sounds great.”

  He nodded once, started to step away, but then turned back and swooped in for a kiss. With gentle hands cupping her cheeks, it was quick, but firm and full of promise. He stroked her cheek with a feather-light brush of his thumb. “Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight.”

  Then he was down the stairs and out of sight.

  Morgan shut the door, locked it, and ran to the bathroom. She hadn’t finished showering earlier. Now that she knew exactly how Garrett’s lips felt and tasted, and finally had plans for a real date, this promised to be the best shower ever.

  Chapter Nine

  Tanner had been looking forward to Saturday's farmers’ market all week. Garrett had come up with some fantastic recipes using local cheese, meats, and a few fruits and vegetables for variety. Farmhouse cheddar and apple cupcakes with savory bacon cream cheese icing were his personal favorite. He had to keep himself from eating a dozen at a time. He couldn’t risk putting on a bunch of weight, because he had to face reality. It wasn't just the food that kept the women flocking to their store, and now to their stall at the farmers' market.

  Like most Saturdays with perfect weather, people were out in droves. Except one booth was missing. Tanner walked the twisting pathways between booths twice and still didn’t find them.

  He tried to keep flashing picture-worthy smiles anyway. Their offer of “Instagram a selfie with a local Air Force vet, get ½ off a dozen Mann Cakes” had drawn a crowd. Jesse, the deputy sheriff, had to direct traffic so the line didn’t cause a backup on the main paths. Thankfully their booth had some walking space on the left side, so Jesse herded their waiting customers between tents. The line, which now stretched behi
nd the tent and up onto the courthouse steps, included women, young and old, and a group of gay bikers from a motorcycle club the next state over. Their crowd of fans didn’t win them any favors from their neighboring vendors or from Jesse. Tanner had caught a lot of frowns, evil eyes, and a few choice curse words whispered not-so-quietly while he had searched along the paths looking for Paige and Morgan.

  Back in their booth, while a woman searched frantically for her cell phone in her purse, Tanner nudged Garrett. “Okay, so, where are they? They did so well last week here. Why not show up again?”

  “I don’t know. Why don’t you call Paige and ask her yourself?” Garrett, the traitor, had apparently decided to clam up. He refused to talk about anything regarding the Baxter sisters. He suspected that Garrett and Morgan had hooked up, but of course, he wasn’t talking about that either.

  “Whose side are you on anyway?” Tanner demanded.

  “I’m here, aren’t I? Why do I have to be on a side, anyway? You’re being ridiculous. We’re probably going to sell out by noon, and you’re more worried about rubbing Paige’s nose in it than actually enjoying the day.”

  The woman finally found her cell phone, holding it triumphantly overhead with an excited, “I found it!” as though the crowd might cheer about it.

  They didn’t.

  Tanner stepped from behind the table, put his arm around her shoulders, smiled, and tilted his head toward hers like a good puppy. While she fumbled with trying to hold the phone and pressing the picture button with her thumb, her other hand landed firmly on his butt cheek. She finally took the pic just as she squeezed, and he flinched.

  Backing away from her, he hoped this wasn’t the start of a trend. Those bikers were eyeing him like candy.

  The woman slipped her phone in her purse and waited by the register, all prim and proper like she hadn’t just grabbed his butt, while he fetched a dozen cheddar apple cakes. After she paid and walked away, he looked over at Garrett, who wore the smuggest grin he’d ever seen.

  “Your face was priceless, bro,” Garrett said. “Keep smiling and looking pretty. We’ll be here for at least an hour.”

  Kiss my ass, Tanner mouthed.

  Garrett made smoochy lips and blew him a kiss. One of the bikers winked and blew another one.

  “Not helping.”

  How many times would he have to explain that they were straight? Business was good, but was it worth that kind of hassle? If Paige had been there with her booth, Tanner had to admit, he’d have enjoyed it a lot more. Maybe Garrett was right. Was he taking this rivalry too far?

  No, Paige had started it. She had stormed into their shop and accused him of sabotaging hers. He had every right to counterattack.

  ****

  At twelve fifteen, not a crumb was left, and the brothers had to turn away several disappointed souls. They were only off by fifteen minutes from Garrett’s noon-time prediction. But Garrett seemed ticked off about something. He didn’t say two words while they broke down the table and tent.

  “Want to grab lunch?” Burgers and fries usually made good peace offerings.

  Garrett shrugged. “Whatever.”

  They got in the Jeep and headed toward the main drag of Beach Pointe. Like most small towns, theirs had a modern commercial area where folks spent most of their time and money, despite the “buy local” movement. Everyone thought it was a great idea in theory, but they could make their paychecks go a lot further at Walmart than Ed’s Corner Store. The success of Mann Cakes right off the bat was a rarity among small businesses. Most wouldn’t make it past five years. Those that did found a niche and romanced the right clientele to keep them going for generations. Would their shop last that long? Who would they pass it on to? Most guys in their graduating class were engaged or in steady relationships at the very least; some were already married with a drool machine in tow. At one time, Tanner had imagined a similar future with Paige. He’d blown that chance all to hell. Maybe he should call one of those numbers some of the women at the farmers' market had tucked into his pants pocket while copping a feel of his butt.

  While he mulled over the sad state of his love life, or lack thereof, Garrett was his usual quiet, stone-faced self.

  Tanner didn’t want his thoughts to keep wandering toward her again. So, he broke the silence. “What are your plans for tomorrow? Linda wants me to come hang out with her and Clara. I’m thinking about taking Dad out on the lake for a couple hours.”

  “He’ll like that. I’m busy, though.”

  “Doing what? Bro, you’ve been giving me the silent treatment for a few days. What’s the deal?”

  Garrett pulled his attention from the world outside the window and focused on Tanner all squinty-eyed as though searching for the right words. “I’m going on a date with Morgan.”

  Tanner let out a victorious, “Ha!” and slapped the dash. “I knew it! You’ve been sneaking around behind my back, you sly devil.”

  “We’re not sneaking. It’s nobody’s business, that’s all.”

  “Not even your twin brother’s?”

  “No.”

  “You used to tell me everything.”

  “You used to not act like a two-year-old.”

  “How am I… Never mind. No use arguing when you’re being such a prick.”

  Garrett kept staring out the window.

  “I know you heard me.”

  “Shut up and look over there.” Garrett nodded toward the right side of the road, where the parking lots for several stores converged into one big shopping center.

  One of those fundraiser car washes had set up in one corner of the lot. At least a dozen cars were lined up waiting for a badly done wash job so they could fund a cheerleading camp or whatever the charity of the day was. Except it wasn’t a cheerleading squad or a basketball team or youth group.

  “Holy shit,” he said, flipping on his turn signal.

  “No kidding.”

  The Baxter sisters were running this car wash, along with some ladies Tanner didn’t recognize. Not that he was paying much attention to them. Paige wore black short shorts and a white T-shirt with the Two Sisters logo. She sprayed water over an SUV while chatting with one of the other ladies. Her wet T-shirt clung to her like a second skin. The sun shone on her just right, showing the creamy flesh beneath, the fullness of her breasts behind a black bikini top and the perfect points of her nipples. He could see why Garrett practically had his tongue hanging out like a dirty dog. Morgan was stretched up over the SUV’s hood, her short shorts allowing a peek of both ass cheeks.

  Tanner turned into the parking lot.

  “I thought we were getting lunch,” Garrett said, his voice distant like he didn’t give a damn about eating at the moment.

  What a coincidence. Neither did he. “Later. The Jeep needs a good wash.”

  “Mm…okay.” His poor brother’s IQ had bottomed out. With a nice round ass like Morgan’s, jiggling every time she moved, who could blame him?

  He pulled up to the end of the line, which consisted mostly of high-school, college, and twenty-something male drivers. Tanner smiled to himself—so that was where all their male customers had gathered. Maybe he should storm up to Paige and accuse her of flashing her tits to draw in business. He grimaced. That was pretty low, even for him. Where had all this anger come from? Maybe he’d expected a different reaction from their reunion, and this was him being too sensitive about it. But what did he expect? Did he think Paige was going to jump into his arms, wrap her legs around him, and cry happy tears for his return? He knew that wouldn’t happen, but somewhere in the back of his mind, he had hoped she’d be at least a little happy to see him.

  Garrett’s stomach growled, angrily reminding Tanner that they missed lunch and had been sitting in the car wash line for half an hour. He shifted in his seat, glancing around as though he was afraid they’d be recognized. “Shouldn’t we go back and open the shop? Our sign said we’d be back at one o’clock.”

  “Chill, bro. Just being a
good supporter of our competition. Waving an olive branch, you know?”

  With a quiet groan, Garrett closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Don’t make a scene, please. Things are going good with Morgan and me. I don’t want to ruin that.”

  “What do you think I’m going to do? Tackle Paige and key all the cars? Have some faith in me, bro.”

  Garrett slid a sidelong, skeptical glance at him. “Whatever. Just don’t screw it up.”

  The Jeep crawled along the line until they were three cars behind the current wash-in-progress. A bouncy young woman with a long blonde ponytail and a clipboard came up to the window. Tanner rolled it down with his signature nod and wink. She blinked at him and pressed the clipboard to her chest as if she needed to keep her boobs from jumping out to grab him. He recognized her as one of the many college girls who flocked to the shop every morning.

  “Brittany, right?” He flashed a smile and threw out a little southern charm as a bonus. “How much for a wash, hon?”

  She smiled back, head tilted as though amazed he’d remembered her name. “Yeah, it’s me! Um, it’s ten dollars.”

  Truth be told, he’d have never recalled who she was had she not been wearing a lanyard with her name in sparkly ink.

  “What brings you out here?” he asked innocently.

  “I’m getting some community service hours.”

  “Really? What’d you do? Graffiti? Littering?”

  Her cheeks reddened in an instant, followed by a nervous smile. “No, nothing like that. It’s for the sorority. We’re all required to get a certain number of hours in a semester to benefit charities.”

  He glanced at Garrett, who gave him a warning look. He ignored it. “How exactly is Two Sisters Cupcakes a charity?”

  “Oh, no, they’re raising money for autism.”

  “Really? Why?”

  Garrett stuck a ten-dollar bill in his face. “Here, I’ll pay.”

  “Great, thanks!” The girl took the money and put it in a belt pouch. She reached over Tanner, tits propped on the open window, and handed Garrett the clipboard. “Just put down your name and an email address if you want us to send you a receipt for tax purposes.”