by Amy Aislin
“I can fix this.” Standing, Anna hopped down the porch steps, rounded the house, and was back a moment later with the hose. She handed her beer to Stella. “Hold my beer.”
“Oh no.” Already anticipating the cold water, Tay stood and grabbed Andy’s hand. “Run, Andy!”
Three things happened at once.
Tay and Andy ducked.
Anna turned on the hose.
And Dakota stepped out of the house, getting a face full of frigid water.
Gasping, Anna dropped the hose, both hands coming up to cover her mouth. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry!”
“Well.” Water dripping from his hair, his nose, his eyelashes, and soaking the front of his sweater and the towel he held in one hand, Dakota blinked and licked his lips. “This certainly wasn’t how I expected to be greeted.”
“Daddy, you’re all wet.”
Tay fell over, he was laughing so hard.
He was still chuckling several minutes later. Resting against the bathroom doorjamb, one of Dad’s T-shirts held in a loose grip, he smiled at the scene in front of him while party sounds filtered up from downstairs. Andy sat naked in the bathtub, slamming his hands into the water and splashing it everywhere. Dakota knelt next to the tub, shirtless, damp hair standing up in clumped spikes, and poured water over Andy’s head with plastic containers Tay had found for him in Mom’s Tupperware drawer. Flour melted off Andy’s face and he laughed, the sound reaching into Tay and pulling at his heartstrings.
There was very little that Tay wanted in life for himself. Hockey. Art. A love like his parents had, the kind that made him want to make Dakota laugh because it instantly made everything better. The kind that poets spoke about. The kind that made him throw caution to the wind and dive in with both feet. The kind that made him willing to risk it all just for Dakota to love him back.
The kind that’d last forever.
Was it unfair that he’d gotten all three? Maybe. But he’d worked damn hard for the first two. The third had dropped into his lap quite unexpectedly, but he wouldn’t give it up for anything.
Andy said something Tay missed. Whatever it was made Dakota chuckle, the rumbliness of it making Tay’s bones vibrate. If he’d thought his heart had stumbled at Dakota’s feet earlier, it was nothing compared to the cartwheels it performed when faced with the two guys Tay couldn’t wait to spend the rest of his life with.
Dakota spotted him, and he grinned so wide that Tay felt it all the way into his toes. “What are you doing? Get over here.”
“Yeah, get over here, Tay.”
Tay went, sitting next to Dakota, exactly where he wanted to stay for a long, long time.
Dakota wasn’t sure what Tay and Andy had planned for his birthday. Whatever it was involved him being out of the house for a few hours in the afternoon, and to say that he was slightly concerned was an understatement.
God, they better not burn the house down. Part of him fully expected to arrive home to a pile of rubble.
As he walked down the sidewalk in The Junction with Calder at his side, he shook his head. Tay might be young, but he wasn’t a child. If Dakota trusted him with Andy, then he had to trust him with everything else. Simple as that.
Shoving his hands in his coat pockets, he side-eyed Calder. “Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”
“It’s just up ahead.”
While March had been uncharacteristically mild, with April came the return of colder weather and overcast skies. No snow, though that didn’t mean it couldn’t still happen. Dakota popped the collar of his coat like a hipster to fight the wind, which was appropriate since The Junction was a perfectly hipster neighborhood in Toronto’s west end. They passed a store selling video production equipment, a Thai restaurant, a high-end furniture store, a spa, and a flower shop.
Were they going to wander around aimlessly until Calder got word from Tay that they could head back? If so, Dakota needed a coffee to warm up STAT. And maybe a snack.
As it happened, Calder stopped them in front of an empty storefront sandwiched between a coffee shop and a store selling locally made olive oil and balsamic vinegars. The white paint was peeling in places, obviously having been neglected for some time. Same with the bright Kelly-green door. The door was bookended by a large glass window on either side. Both had For Sale signs taped to them.
“Before we go in,” Calder said, pausing before pushing the door open. “I want you to know that you can say no and I won’t be offended.”
“Say no to what?”
“You’ll see.”
Inside, the floors were dark wood, matching the wainscoting along the right wall, and the walls were paneled with cream-on-cream wallpaper that had seen better days. A long counter painted white with detailed molding ran almost the entire length of the left side, topped with glass display cases. Behind it were white shelves with a chalkboard between them. From the ceiling above the counter hung chandeliers shaped like lightbulbs.
That was when realization hit.
Before he could ask, a woman descended the short set of stairs at the back of the store that led to—he assumed—additional seating.
“Louise.” Calder held out a hand. “Thanks for meeting us on a Sunday.”
“Happy to.” She turned to Dakota, hand outstretched, pieces of her curly orange hair escaping her bun. “You must be Dakota. It’s nice to meet you.”
“You too,” he said slowly. “Except, I’m not sure why I’m here.” In fact, he had a pretty good idea but—what?
“I haven’t told him yet,” Calder said to Louise.
She nodded. “Ah. Why don’t I give you two a few minutes then? I’ll be in the other room.”
Once she’d headed up the stairs and gone all the way to the back of the room, where Dakota could just make out a handbag and a winter coat, he rounded on Calder. “We’ve only had our website for a month and already you want to open a bakery?”
Calder smirked. “So you do know why we’re here.”
“Wasn’t hard to figure out once I saw the interior.” Whoever the previous owners were, they’d put in a lot of time, effort, and money into making this place bright and welcoming, although the months of neglect as it had sat on the market showed in some of the wear and tear. Running his fingers over the countertop, Dakota glanced around with new eyes. The wallpaper could be replaced, the floor was in desperate need of a vacuum, and overall it needed a fresh coat of paint and some air fresheners to get rid of the smell of abandonment.
It was perfect. Dakota was already considering the possibilities. But . . .
“You’re hesitating,” Calder said, reading him correctly.
“I . . .” Rubbing his jaw, he took it all in, his old dreams of opening a bakery with his cousin making a comeback after so many years dormant.
They could put the prepackaged cookies on the shelf to the left of the chalkboard. The one on the right could feature prepackaged chocolate-dipped pretzel sticks or biscotti. Could they partner with other local businesses to sell small-batch pure vanilla extract or baking supplies?
The chalkboard would feature the daily specials, obviously. And the glass cases would house the cookies, cupcakes, and anything else that struck their fancy. They could branch out to tarts and donuts and cinnamon rolls if they wanted.
There’d be small, two-seater tables along the wall and bright lighting. They’d continue to take custom orders, of course, and they’d need to find someone to manage the store; he and Calder couldn’t bake and decorate and also worry about customer service. They’d need employees and—
Jesus. His heart thumped in his chest.
There was a gleam in Calder’s eyes he hadn’t seen in a long time. It matched the excitement uncurling in Dakota’s stomach, and his palms went sweaty. “Can we afford this place?”
Calder shrugged. “There’s no way I could by myself. But together? Maybe. We can always apply for a small business loan if we need to.” He leaned back against the counter. “What’s making you h
esitate?”
Sighing, Dakota propped himself against the wall across from him. “I’m just thinking ahead. What if Tay gets traded?”
“You’d move with him?”
They hadn’t been together that long; didn’t matter. He was all in. Had made the conscious decision that he’d be all in as soon as he’d told Tay he loved him. “I’d seriously consider it.”
“Then we close up shop here and open a new one wherever.”
“Seriously?” Dakota said with a small chuckle. “You’d drop everything and go?”
Calder shrugged again. “You’re one of the only things keeping me here.”
“What about Evan Lacroix?” Dakota teased, thinking back to how Calder had spent family skate, as well as the Foundation’s celebration party, with Tay’s teammate. “Won’t he be sad if you move?”
“He’s retiring after next season, so he can do whatever he wants.”
Dakota stared at him. “Okay, I was totally kidding, but . . . Really? Is there something between you guys?”
Calder’s grin was very self-satisfied.
How had Dakota missed that? Had he been so wrapped up in Tay that he hadn’t noticed what else was going on around him? He didn’t think so.
He narrowed his eyes on his cousin. “Is that the date you went on the night the team made it to the playoffs?”
“Not sure I’d call that a date so much as a booty call.”
“How come you didn’t tell me?”
“I don’t know.” Scuffing his foot against the floor, Calder glanced away. “It felt too new. Like I’d jinx it if I mentioned it out loud.”
“Tell me now.”
“Maybe we should talk to Louise first?” Calder jerked his head in Louise’s direction.
Dakota bumped shoulders with his cousin as they climbed the steps up to the seating area side by side. “You should invite Lacroix to my birthday dinner tonight.”
Calder didn’t say anything but his smile spoke for itself.
Forty-five minutes later, Dakota’s head was in the clouds. As they walked back to Calder’s car parked a couple streets away, he was so lost in thought he almost collided with a jogger.
“The price isn’t as steep as I expected,” he said, sliding into the passenger seat.
Grinning, Calder pulled away from the curb. “Yeah. I think it’s been on the market a while. And the location?”
“Is perfect. Even the interior is perfect. With the way it’s set up, we wouldn’t have to do much remodeling.” Everything had fallen into their lap so neatly, Dakota was almost afraid to trust it.
“Should I make an appointment with the bank?”
Dakota smiled at Calder in answer, and they spent the ride home bouncing ideas back and forth.
Fuck. He was about to own a bakery, and he’d be doing so without having overthought it. Yes, there were details to sort out, but he’d channeled Tay’s willingness to share his comic, even though it scared him, and dove in. Sometimes, you just had to risk the shot.
“There’s your job to think of too,” Calder said.
“Right.” Dakota suspected there were reduced hours in his future so he could devote more time to their venture. First, though, they had to wait and see if they could get the place. Everything hinged on the loan because while the price wasn’t as high as he’d thought, it was still a lot considering he already had a mortgage and Calder had his condo.
Their strategizing lasted until they walked in the front door of Dakota’s house. It smelled like cake, and music was blaring. “What the . . .”
Shedding their winter gear, they headed for the kitchen, the source of the music. Dakota stopped in the doorway, snorting a laugh, heart tripping all over itself at the scene in front of him.
Andy and Tay were singing along to Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off,” bouncing around the kitchen as though they’d eaten too much sugar. Spatulas were used as makeshift microphones, and hips shook it off as they danced with abandon. Tay replaced the lyrics about fakers fake, fake, faking with bakers gonna bake, bake, bake, using the spatula to pretend-mix ingredients in an empty bowl, and Dakota laughed outright.
“Daddy!”
In the next moment, he had an armful of four-year-old.
He didn’t know why he expected Tay to whip the spatula behind his back, embarrassed at being caught. Rather, he danced up to Dakota, pecked his lips, and then sang in his ear.
“You know the words.”
“Why do you say that like it’s a bad thing?” Tay asked, shimmying backward in some kind of moonwalk imitation.
“Because its Taylor Swift.”
Tay pointed his spatula at him. “You’re just jealous you don’t share a name with the coolest chick in music.”
“Sure,” Dakota said, shoulders shaking with his laughter. “That must be it.”
“Whoa,” Calder said slowly, stretching it out to five syllables. He stepped farther into the kitchen and whistled low. “Did a tornado come through here?”
It wasn’t a stretch.
Taking in what he hadn’t noticed, too distracted by his boyfriend and his son, Dakota followed Calder’s gaze. Flour and what he suspected was dried dough coated the counter. Dirty mixing bowls, spatulas, and measuring cups and spoons were piled haphazardly next to the sink. Baking ingredients sat discarded on top of the stove. There was even flour on the floor.
On the table of the breakfast nook, he spotted the corner of a cake and a tall gift bag Dakota presumed held expensive scotch, a birthday gift from Tay.
Oh, he’d missed the icing crusted on a cabinet. He raised an eyebrow at Tay.
Who pointed at Andy. “He started it!”
“No,” Andy said, giggling, squirming to be set down. “It was your idea.” He grabbed Dakota by the hand. “Come see, Dad.”
Dakota was led to the breakfast nook, where there was indeed a cake. It was circular, roughly the size of a dinner plate. The icing was pale blue and clumpy on the outside of the cake, knife lines indicating where Tay and Andy had tried to smooth it down. The piping along the bottom was indigo. It was also lopsided and uneven, but it came from the heart, which made it beautiful. Little pink fondant hearts were laid out in a crescent shape along the left. On the other side of the cake: Happy Birthday Daddy/Kota.
His heart stretched and stretched, weightless and euphoric.
“Do you like it, Daddy?”
Fighting the lump in his throat the size of the cake, he picked up Andy and hugged him close. “I love it.” He caught sight of Tay out of the corner of his eye, hovering near the counter uncertainly. Reaching out, Dakota grabbed him by the front of his T-shirt and hauled him closer.
“I know it doesn’t look like yours,” Tay said, arm coming around Dakota’s back, “but—”
“No.” Dakota kissed his temple, then Andy’s. “It’s amazing. It’s perfect because it’s from the both of you. Thank you.”
Andy patted his cheek. “Happy birthday, Daddy.”
Tay tucked his face into Dakota’s neck. “Happy birthday, Kota.”
“And my birthday gift to you,” said Calder from behind them, “is taking Andy home with me for a sleepover tonight.”
“Woohoo!” Andy wiggled down and ran out of the kitchen. “Imma get my backpack.” Feet thumped up the stairs.
“Don’t run on the stairs!” Dakota called after him. Of course, Andy ignored him.
Calder followed him out. “We’re not leaving for a few hours.”
Dakota watched them go, anticipating a child-free night with Tay. Already his fingers itched to run over Tay’s sweat-slicked bare skin, to card through his hair, to make him beg and plead and cry out.
Looking at his mess, Tay groaned. “I promise I’ll clean this up.”
Dakota kissed him. And then he kissed him some more. Tay’s startled laugh turned into a muted moan, his mouth opening for Dakota’s tongue. Pressing into Tay’s lower back, Dakota nudged him that much closer, fitting a thigh between his. He was warm and solid and rea
l in Dakota’s arms, and although Dakota had given him his heart already, now Tay owned it, for better or worse.
Pulling back with a smile, he said, “I think I’ll keep you.”
Tay scowled. “You’re just figuring that out?”
God. Had anyone ever made him laugh like Tay did?
He kissed Tay’s neck. “Thank you for the cake. I really do love it.”
“I don’t know if it’ll be any good.” Lips pursed, Tay turned his frown on the cake. “The recipe is Calder’s, but I think we did something wrong ’cause it turned out really grainy once we baked it. And the icing’s from a can. We just added food coloring. Also, the hearts aren’t even.” He said this last point with a grumble like he had a personal grudge against fondant. It reminded Dakota of their time in the coatroom at the Foundation’s celebration party weeks back, when Tay had poked at the fondant on his plate.
That was the first time Dakota had connected with someone in years. The first time he’d considered throwing his insecurities and reservations about dating again out the window.
Fuck, he was so deliriously happy that he’d done so. Now that Tay was in his life, he couldn’t imagine it without him. Without his bouncing energy and wide smiles and quiet determination. Without his willingness to make puzzles with Andy. Without his ability to make him laugh at the most random things.
“It’s perfect,” Dakota said. And because he couldn’t not, he kissed Tay again.
Tay made a sound deep in his throat before inching back, a teasing uptick playing on his mouth. “Wait until you see what’s in the gift bag. I got you the good stuff.”
“That so?”
“Uh-huh.” Against Dakota’s lips, Tay said, “And I plan on tasting it off you later.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Tay’s grin settled something into place in Dakota’s heart before he kissed him again.
JULY—THREE MONTHS LATER
In true Tay fashion, after a conversation with his agent and team management, he publicly came out in such a way that had nothing to do with him.
My boyfriend’s bakery in The Junction is coming along! he’d written on Instagram in mid-July with a picture of Dakota painting the walls of his bakery a rich cream after he and Calder had removed the wallpaper. Grand opening coming early September. In the meantime, you can still request custom orders from Once Upon a Time Cakes. Link in my bio.