She cringed. “Oopsie?”
Guilty? Noah pointed a finger at his chest and then his thumb at his friend filling the back doorframe. Lost and found, all in the same day. “Is that for me or him?”
“You,” her small voice squeaked out.
Doing a double take, Noah glanced back at the tall man he’d played college soccer with years ago. Dark blond. Darker blue eyes. No way! “Harrison Hart is your brother? Harrison, she’s your older sister you talked about at school?” His buddy’s sister? Somehow it should have given him some relief. It didn’t. “Lola’s yours?”
“Wow, a smart one, Gretch! A first for either one of us.” His grin took the sting out of it. “How the heck are you, Noah?” He shook hands and clapped Noah on the back. “I’d hug you, man, but you’re a mess.”
“Harr…ison, funny as a crutch.” She stuttered. “You two know each other? Noah, we’re twins, actually.”
“She’s older, by the way. Five minutes and she won’t ever let me forget it. Never mind that, I came to pick up my sweet pea.” His face went all soft and mushy when he spied her sleeping in the playpen. “Hey, my baby girl. Daddy’s home,” he whispered as he reached in with a big paw and rubbed the back of his finger along her plump cheek.
Lola made sleepy baby noises, fought to open her eyes, and gave him a bubbly smile. Gently, he lifted her in his arms, nabbed the diaper bag off the nearby chair, and headed out with her. “Okay, back to what you were doing before I so rudely interrupted the kissy face.”
Gretchen groaned. “Really, brother?”
“Payback, sis.” He glared at Noah. “Treat her right, buddy, or you got me to contend with. In town long? We need to catch up. Leave your number with Gretch and I’ll get in touch.”
“Enough. Good night. I’ll see you in about three hours when I’m done here.”
“Yeah, right.” He shot Noah a narrow-eyed look.
Not someone else giving him the stink eye! How could Noah have been so dumb as to not make a connection between the two before now? The door banged closed behind Harrison. Looking down at the dripping frosting, Noah swiped at it with his towel.
“Here, let me. It’s the least I can do.” She tried, but it smeared more. “Crud!” Gretch moved closer.
Tendrils of her hair swung and caressed his jaw. She had no idea it sent fireworks through him. One simple touch? Seriously, Blackstock? Okay, a dozen looks, working with her for hours, brushing arms another ten times, and that one mind-blowing kiss! Just rocked my world!
“It’s getting worse.”
The ache in him did, too. “I’ll say.” He blew out a hot breath. Complications! Her, for one. Sister to his college buddy, for another. At least she wasn’t the single mom he suspected her of being. Relief shot through him.
She stilled, peeking up at him from beneath long lashes.
He fought the cravings in his body. “You didn’t feel the need to explain Lola.” All his assumptions went out the door—figuratively and literally—a few moments ago.
Straightening, she brushed back her hair and pressed the towel into his shirt. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“I thought she was yours.”
“Oh, everyone makes that mistake. Same coloring and everything.”
Her distraction irritated him. “Gretchen, forget the shirt, all right?” He caught her hand and tossed away the towel. “I figured some guy—”
“Knocked me up, right?”
Those incredible eyes of hers, filled with so much hurt, slammed into him. “I didn’t think any less of you.”
“No? Is that why you went in for the kiss, Noah? You thought I might just be easy?”
“Whoa now!” He dropped her hand and held up his. “Wrong again.”
“Again?”
“Jumping to conclusions. First, I’m the delivery guy. Now I’m the jerk who takes advantage. Like some rich playboy.”
With her eyebrows raised, her eyes wide, and her delicious lips parted in a slight O, he realized he’d hit the nail on the head.
Reaching out with one finger, he lifted her chin up to close her mouth. A hot current surged from her to him, searing him. Why did you have to touch her? “Thanks.” Sarcasm dripped.
“And you didn’t think badly of me?”
The accusation shot through him. He choked on the answer. Noah shook his head as a well of sadness washed over him. Impossible to fix The women in his life were all impossible for him to deal with. “I think we’re done here.”
Chapter 6
“What happened to lover boy?” Harrison snatched up a freshly baked pineapple Danish from the tray. He sank his teeth into it and moaned. “Good,” he mumbled while chewing.
She swatted him away with a hand towel. “Don’t eat up all my profits. These are the special of the morning. You know that new girl who comes in every week?” At his blank look, she said, “Right, you’re usually gone by then. Well, pineapple anything is her fav. I promised her and a few other customers I’d make them today.”
He leaned a hip against the counter. “Noah’s a love ’em and leave ’em kinda guy, sis. Not like you to be bowled over for any guy, especially the rich one.”
“Mistake. He helped with a delivery. The rest I’d like to erase.”
“Don’t get me wrong. He’s a good enough guy. Just not a permanent one.” He shoved away. “Since I have a few hours off, let me help you out.”
His words bothered her; they were answers to questions bubbling in her mind all night long as she tossed and turned in her bed. He doesn’t want you. Why should she care anyway? It wasn’t as if she was looking.
Gretchen glanced around and took in the disarray. She’d worked long into the night after Noah had left, finishing her cakes and whipping away her troubled thoughts while trying to numb her tingling lips.
Popping home for a quick nap and even quicker shower, she’d refreshed enough to turn right around and set up for her new recipe.
“If you can brew some coffee and tea, that will work. And take care of the earliest customers, too.”
“Got it.” He stilled. “Look, Gretch, last night wasn’t the right time…I got laid off.”
Her heart plunged to her knees. “You figured this was coming.”
“Oil fields aren’t making much nowadays. Let thirty of us go in one swoop. I’ll get something else. Until then, back to pitching in around here and woodworking.”
“No worries. You’ll find one.” Her throat closed up; she hadn’t told him how sales had slipped these last weeks. His pieces were a work of art; however, they required great care and he had to develop his clients. It took time and money for that.
Money! She couldn’t burden her brother with any more at the moment. He’d lost his house, his savings, and half his retirement account in the greedy battle with his ex and her high dollar lawyers. Broken down, he’d swallowed his pride for Lola and accepted Gretchen’s invitation to move in with her until he got back on his feet.
Now, faced with her lagging business, her concern turned to deep-seated worry.
How could she support them all?
Her train of thought went to the contest. And just as quickly to Noah. A ping of regret shot through her. No, it was best this way. He was a judge.
But would he hold their brief encounters against her?
***
Taking the last tray of cinnamon rolls out of the oven and sliding it on the cooling counter, Gretchen heard the commotion out front. She dusted off her hands and marched out with her hands on her hips. “Hey, hey, break it up, will you?” She smiled at her friends Danny and Max.
“There she is.” Danny came up and high-fived her. “Got good news and bad news.”
Her smile faltered when Max joined him, clapping a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Wh…what?”
“Give her the bad news first, Danny.” Max gave his brother an extra tall cup of coffee. “Don’t tell Jonathan about this.” He stuck his thumb toward the pastry cases. “Or that.�
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“Heck no! He chewed us out the last time.” He shuddered. “That’s what we get for having a future doctor for a brother. Geez!”
“Ah. News?” Gretchen prompted him as she noticed several customers at tables and her brother grinning from ear to ear behind the counter. The fragrant caramel brew in her friend’s cup made her mouth water. She needed a cup of joe soon.
“Oh, yeah. See, it’s like this. The contest entries were counted and sorted through the night. Only one per person, but they found lots of doubles and triples. Tossed out hundreds, maybe thousands.” He scratched his head.
“So, how is this my bad news?” Actually, she may have a slim chance now.
“Hold your horses.”
That made her smile.
“Can I have a cinnamon roll first?”
“Fresh from the oven.” She nodded to a spot behind him. “Max, snag a table. I’ll meet you there in thirty seconds.”
“Now that’s what I call service.”
In less time than that, she was back with two plates for her buddies. She plopped down in a chair, grateful to finally sit. Max slid a cup of coffee her way.
“Ah, friends. What would I do without you two? Thanks.”
Their silence stretched as she sipped. They bit into the buns and moaned, but still didn’t talk.
“Speak.” She drilled Danny with a glare.
“Okay.” He held up a hand. “Because of the—”
“Double dipping,” Max offered.
“They’re taking a closer look at who entered and if there’s any more problems. Like…conflicts of interest.”
“I’m glad they’re taking this seriously. Rules are rules, right?”
The guys avoided her stare.
“What?”
“We may have gotten you in trouble.” Danny’s eyes dropped lower than his voice. “Gretch, we didn’t mean to, honest.”
Her heart stopped beating. The coffee left a bitter taste in her mouth. It rushed back to her. The people at King’s must have seen Danny help her. That and the brothers had introduced her as their friend. And then there was Noah. She swallowed the lump stuck in her throat.
Years of hard work and hours spent hunched over her mixing bowls, trying out recipe after recipe, rolled through her mind. Gretchen blinked back the sting of tears. Searching her little shop, she found more people today. But was that enough to save her? Probably not. The rent increase loomed next month. And more days than not lately, she barely had two pennies to rub together.
Lola’s child care ate up a huge chunk of their income. Jana, her one dedicated employee, hadn’t gotten a raise in over a year. Now with her brother laid off, they’d feel the pinch even more without his paycheck. Tightening their belts didn’t seem possible; even if they pitched in and took Lola out of her daycare, it wouldn’t solve the declining sales and business.
“I guess I’m out then.” The contest and Just Desserts. The one-two punch!
‘To be determined.” Danny hung his head.
“No hard feelings, guys. We’re friends. You tried to help me.” She attempted to brush it off in front of them.
“There’s one bright spot.” Max grinned.
“I still get to keep you and all the Whitfields.” Without a doubt, she’d keep in touch with the four brothers and their growing families.
“Of course. That’s the good news. Annabelle and I have set a wedding date.”
She smacked him on the arm. “No way! I’m invited?”
“Do pigs fly? Well, scratch that. I meant, it’s a no-brainer. That and we want you to make our wedding cake.”
Tears did come then. Gretchen swiped one from the corner of her eye. They’d ordered dozens of goodies from her, making her the baker for all their family birthday and celebration cakes.
Max grabbed a napkin from the container and shoved it at her. “Come on, Gretch, no waterworks. That’s Annabelle’s line of work.”
Gretch laughed; his bride-to-be created stunning water fountains and landscape designs for her business. “Dang, Max, I never thought I’d see you get married.”
“Me, neither,” Danny chimed in. “Any of them. Jay and Paige need to catch up.”
“What’s the holdup for them?” Gretchen pressed the napkin to her eyes. She couldn’t afford to look all blotchy and red-eyed in front of her other customers.
“Don’t you know? It’s me.” Danny shrugged. “No one thinks I should be on my own.”
“Well, it’s going to be hard for me to leave all my brothers.” Max sighed.
She played with her cup, too upset to think about drinking coffee. “So you all either live together—like my brother, Lola, and I do—or next door to each other. You know, houses on the same block.”
Wide-eyed and open-mouthed, they jerked to look at her and then to each other. “That’s it!” they said in unison.
“Perfect! Gretch, you’re a genius!” Danny jumped up, threw his arms around her, and planted a loud smack on her cheek.
“Interrupting anything?” Noah’s sexy, raspy voice shook her from her head to her toes.
***
A riot of emotions ricocheted through Noah’s gut. How could one chance meeting with Gretchen Hart less than twenty-four hours ago rattle him so dang much?
He stood by her now, watching her friends depart.
She cleared the little table and handed him some of the trash. “You can make yourself useful while you bother me.”
His chuckle broke up the brick of jealousy he’d had sitting in his chest a few minutes ago. “You’ve been crying.” Now something clutched inside him.
“You win some, you lose some.” She smiled at the young couple leaving. “Thanks for stopping by. Come back and see us soon.”
They gave her a tepid stare. “We’re just looking for a space to rent. We heard this one may be available soon.” The woman swept her with a look, clearly sizing her up.
Pain rippled across Gretchen’s face. “Oh, you’ll love the neighborhood. Lots of good people here who look out for one another.”
“So, it’s true then?” The guy part of the couple—with the too-eager puppy dog look—wrapped his arm around his girl, squeezed, and then smiled widely at Gretchen. “You’re closing up shop?”
“Who’s to know what the new landlord will do, right?” She held up her palms and shrugged. “Thanks again.” She moved around them and walked to the back.
Noah nodded curtly at them and then followed Gretchen.
Her brother frowned as he passed by the register while Harrison rung up a sale. “You again? I used to like you, too. Don’t you think you should leave my sister alone?”
“Nice to see you, too, Harrison.” He tossed the trash in the bin and kept on moving. The silence unnerved him. Gretchen stood at the big center counter, staring off into space. Alarm bells went off in his head. “There’s more.” Noah noted the dark smudges under her eyes.
“Business isn’t the best. I guess my coffee doesn’t compete with theirs. Or my anything. That and…” She hesitated, glanced at him, and then looked away. “King’s is reviewing the entry forms. Some people broke the rules. Now they’re examining if there’s any conflicts of interest.”
“Those guys. They were from King’s, right?”
“Friends. Employees. Three strikes against me.”
“Three?”
“You, too.”
“How so?” Dawning hit. “Judgeship.” He cursed under his breath.
“Yeah, what you said.”
Harrison burst in. “Yo, Gretch, do you have the birthday cake ready for,” he looked at the name he’d written down, “the Kline party?”
She shook her head and wiped her hands on a nearby towel. Going to the tower of waiting orders, she read off the paper of the box on the fifth row, “Lemon, raspberry filling with—”
“Buttercream frosting,” Noah finished. Our cake!
“Got it in one!” She forced a smile. “I’ll bring it out, Harrison.”
“They’re in a hurry,” he tossed over his shoulder before he left.
“Excuse me.” She tried to go around Noah.
“Can I see?” There was something indescribably intimate about that question; he immediately responded with a deep, throbbing ache.
“Isn’t it supposed to be, I’ll show you mine if you show me yours?” Her giggle escaped.
Looking at her, he wanted to kiss her again. Here. Or anywhere. Hadn’t that been what his dreams had been filled with all night long? You got it bad, man!
“Come on, follow me. I have to show the family for their approval anyway.”
Less than a minute later, she greeted the two women warmly, gingerly placing the box down on the counter. “So good to see you again, Mrs. Kline.”
“Mom wouldn’t sit still the moment I told her you were the one baking it,” the younger of the two gushed.
“Is this the birthday girl you brought with you today?”
The older white-haired woman actually blushed. “My, honey, I haven’t been a girl in over sixty years!” She winked. “But the stories I can tell.”
Noah chuckled along with the others.
“I’d love to hear them someday. You game?”
“You’ve got a deal!” She clasped her hands and beamed. “My cake?”
Gretchen flipped the lid open and turned the box around to show them. Holding her breath, she waited.
The woman—Mary Lou, by the delicate lettering among the red roses on the top of the icing— pressed her hands to her cheeks. “It’s so beautiful! I’ve never had a bakery-made cake for me before!”
“Special cake for a special lady,” Gretchen said.
“I can’t wait for my party.”
“Anything else for today?” Harrison rang up the sale.
“I shouldn’t.” The daughter eyed the bakery case. “But I will.” She giggled. “What’ll you have, Mama?”
“Do they have oatmeal raisin cookies? Those are my very favorite ones.”
“Coming right up.” He selected that one and the daughter directed him to a triple chocolate one for her.
Between the trickle of customers in line and the need for Gretchen to chat with all of them, it was nearly an hour later before Noah got her alone again.
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