by Piper Rayne
“Mallory said she’s coming here today so I’m gonna go wait.” Lily takes her cookie and walks out of the kitchen.
Cat fastens her apron behind her back and moves to the sink to wash her hands. “What do you need me to do today?”
I’m not even sure why Cat wants to help so much. I mean, she has her own paintings to work on, but she’s been here every day since I opened.
“Um. Can you box these? Charlie’s taking them to Dane.”
“I think you should deliver them yourself,” Charlie says, stealing another cookie from the tray.
“I’m busy.” I grab the chocolate chunk and grater.
Charlie looks through the cut-out and back at me. “I don’t see people piling in, plus you have a whole glass case full of goodies for people to choose from.”
Charlie doesn’t take no for an answer easily.
“If it’s such a bother for you, I’ll just call him to pick them up. I mean I didn’t add a delivery charge.” Even I know what I’m saying is complete bullshit and the fact that neither of my friends calls me on it, says they’re back to assuming something happened with Dane.
“I’m sure he’d love to pick them up.” Cat shares a look with Charlie and the two stifle a laugh.
I picture he and I last night and can’t help but remember how good he smelled. I had to squeeze my thighs together when he cornered me. I’m not sure I would’ve objected if he’d tried to kiss me on that sack of flour.
“Bossman took the day off,” Charlie says, and the pit of my stomach weighs heavy with disappointment at her words.
Which is ridiculous because what do I care if I won’t be seeing Dane Murray today?
“I thought Dane never took a day off?” Cat questions and Charlie shrugs, jumping down from the counter.
“Not unless it’s something to do with Toby.” She pulls her phone out. “Which reminds me, I need to get to the bar because Toby’s coming after school and I get double the pay to watch him until Dane returns.” Tucking her phone back in her pocket, she grabs two cookies off the cooling sheet.
“You do know that’s how I make a living, right?” I call out to her and her laugh can be heard until the doorbell chimes.
“Seriously, that girl has a bigger sweet tooth than Lily,” I comment, finishing up the last cupcake with chocolate shavings. “And she left without taking the cupcakes.” I blow out a breath and sit down on my wooden stool, flexing my hands.
Cat secures the lid to the box and taps the bottom. “She did it on purpose.”
“Yeah, but if he’s not going to be at the bar anyway, then I don’t have to rush. She could’ve mentioned that when she first came.”
Cat organizes the boxes and sets them on the completed side, then works on arranging the cookies on a plate.
“Um, Ava, we should keep this G-rated, don’t you think?” She holds the cookie up in the air with a smile.
I shake my head. “Both of you have dirty minds, I swear.”
She laughs, positioning them on a tray to put out in the glass case. “I’ll deliver the cupcakes to Dane once I see his Mustang pull up. No worries.” She leaves the kitchen with the tray as I sit there, realizing for the first time how much work this bakery thing really is.
Especially when I’m trying to keep things going because I opened after the summer rush.
An hour later and I’ve cleaned the entire kitchen because tonight I promised myself I would snuggle in bed and watch TV until my eyes eventually give out. The after-school rush of parents and their kids have come through already. Cat is sitting with Lily helping her with her homework at a table by the door and other than the soft music I put on over the speakers, there’s no other sounds.
I close the blinds to block the sun from streaming in when his car pulls up along the curb. My heart picks up pace, and my hand freezes on the wand of the blinds watching him step out of his sports car.
I’m prepared to see his jeans and t-shirt, my mouth already salivating from the anticipation of seeing how the cotton stretches over his shoulders or how his jeans hang low on his hips. Then a pair of brown dress shoes land on the road and he rises out of the car like an Adonis. I swear every woman in a ten-mile radius senses him. His light brown hair gelled so that every strand is perfectly in place. A crisp white shirt lies under a blue suit jacket and matching blue slacks in a slim fit showcasing how strong his thighs are.
Not that I need to see him in those pants to know how strong they are. I felt them the night he held me up on his lap while he plunged in and out of me.
My body warms from the memory and my pounding heart thuds in my ears.
Standing in the window like an idiot, I don’t realize he’s swiveling on his dress shoes and heading my way.
“Oh.” I back up and run into one of the chairs, circling around until I’m facing Cat and Lily, who are staring at me with concern.
“You okay?” Cat asks, her pencil pausing above the paper she’s using to show Lily something.
“Yep. I just forgot I have something to do in the back.” My footsteps increase the closer I get to the kitchen as I race to beat the door chime. By the time I reach the kitchen, I hunch over to catch my breath while searching for something, anything to pull out to look busy. Dane knows no boundaries and he’ll see no problem with coming back here.
The door chimes and my stomach ruptures into full-on flight mode.
“Dane!” Cat screams.
Smooth, Cat.
“Uncle Dane!” Lily screeches and I hear the metal chair slide across the floor.
“Hey, Lily. You off from pushing baked goods today?”
The sound of his deep voice is resonating between my thighs.
“Homework.” I don’t have to be in the room to know she’s frowning.
“Well, you don’t want to be pushing cupcakes the rest of your life.”
Lily giggles.
“What’s going on with you?” Cat asks.
“Why? You thinking you picked the wrong single dad?”
I can just picture the cocky expression on his face when he said that.
“Um. Is that an actual question?” I see Cat round the counter and pull his boxes from the bottom shelf.
Okay, yes, I’m spying on them.
“Did Charlie tell you they’re ready?” Cat asks.
“What?” he asks, sounding a little confused. If he’s not here for the cupcakes why is he here?
The door chimes again. “Who dressed up the monkey?” Marcus chokes out a laugh.
“Daddy!” Lily screeches again, this time a more loving tone.
“Lily Lu,” he greets her and I watch Cat’s face light up. “You’re not hitting on my girlfriend, are you?” Marcus asks. Dane’s just out of my range of view now, but his voice has moved closer.
“You know my number one rule, I don’t take what belongs to others.” He pauses for a second and I can only see the back of his head so I wonder if he’s wearing that panty-melting smirk. “I might have to fight you for the little one though.”
“You’ll be fighting me for the little one,” Cat comments and I assume Marcus is giving her that look that says you are the perfect woman.
“Where’s the Mad Batter?” Dane asks and I rush over to the fridge, peeking my head in, trying to find something to do. Anything. Seriously, how can I not find one thing out of place? I am not this organized of a person.
“She’s working. You know her, the work is never done!” Cat’s chipper voice gives me time. If I didn’t just scrub down the kitchen, I’d smack a pile of flour all over it.
“I’d like to thank her for the cupcakes.”
“Oh yeah, the cupcakes. Is that what they’re calling it these days?” Marcus laughs. “Don’t you and your happy family have somewhere to be?”
“I’ll ring you up and then we’re going to dinner,” Cat says and then I hear the sound of her pressing buttons on the iPad.
“You guys get going. I’ll wait for the Mad Batter to be done. I’m sure
she can ring me up.”
Cat looks behind her and sees me shaking my head.
“She won’t be done for awhile. It’s no problem.” She presses more buttons.
“So, what happened today?” Marcus asks Dane, and I tiptoe closer to hear their conversation now that their voices are lower.
“Lily, pack up your bag. We’ll finish at home,” Cat calls out over their conversation and I grit my teeth.
“It just takes time. Though I might as well hand them my checkbook between all the fees,” Dane says to Marcus.
“It’s for the best though, right?” Marcus says back.
“Yeah, but...” Cat decides to open the cash drawer and since I bought it at a restaurant salvage store, it’s clunky and loud and now I can’t hear shit.
“I never knew you could clean up so well.” Marcus laughs, and Cat starts untying her apron.
“I’ll be right back,” she says.
She appears in the kitchen doorway, her eyebrows raised at my ear perched to the wall.
“Hmm.” She takes the apron off her neck and hangs it up by the fridge.
“What?” I whisper, my hands going up in the air.
“Nothing.” The smirk says it’s something. “So, Ava, I’m heading out for the night.” She speaks loud enough so everyone in the place can hear her.
I tilt my head and roll my eyes at her. “Thanks for the help.”
She pats my arm. “Anytime. Go home and get some sleep tonight.”
“I will.”
She leaves the kitchen and I hear Marcus and Dane talking until the door chimes.
Finally, the tension in my body drains and I sit on the stool, contemplating why I care so much and contemplating why Dane in a suit resulted in the same reaction as if Chris Evans had walked into my store.
Shaking my head and forcing myself not to think about it any longer, I stand to leave, but he appears in the doorway—his sunglasses hanging off the pocket of his suit jacket, his shoulder leaning on the doorframe, ankles crossed.
“Dane.”
“I’m getting déjà vu when you say my name so breathlessly.” His cocky smirk is in place and though I usually want to smack it off his face, this time I find myself wanting to kiss it off.
Fuck, stop it, Ava.
“Funny. What can I do for you?” I ask. My fingers need something to do so they knot together in my lap.
“I wanted to thank you for the cupcakes.”
I nod. “You’re welcome.”
“A whole dozen for free. I should repay you.”
With his mouth?
Crap. No Ava. Stop it.
“Not necessary. Thanks for your help last night.” I nod, my comebacks not nearly as snappy as they should be.
“Any man would love to be a girl’s knight in shining armor.” He winks and my heart skips a beat or two before I think of something to say back.
“Well, I wouldn’t go that far. I’m not afraid of the dark.” I grab my purse from the counter. If I leave, he leaves and then I can pull myself together and remind myself why Dane Murray is not the man I want to be with.
“You closing up early tonight?” He’s pushed off the wall now, his stance wider, blocking my way out of the kitchen as he plays with his sunglasses in his hands.
“Yeah. If I don’t sleep soon, I’m going to collapse.” I turn off the lights in the back.
He steps to the side, extending his arm out for me to go first in an exaggerated movement. I wait for him to grab the three pink boxes of cupcakes, which he does with ease.
Well, Ava, he lifts kegs of beer on the daily.
“Then I’ll try not to invade too much.” I open the door and he steps out, his sunglasses in his free hand about to cover his eyes.
“What?” I ask, the door still in my hands.
“I’ll try not to invade your dreams too much tonight.” He winks, puts his sunglasses on and turns around. “Sweet dreams, Ava, or rather, dirty dreams.”
I immediately look right and left to see if anyone is close by. Phew, no one.
His laugh rings out as he crosses the street and disappears into his bar. He must have a game plan and I need to figure it out if I’m going to stay one step ahead of him.
7
Dane
It’s Saturday morning, and Toby came to the bar with me because he wants to earn some extra money for the new Xbox football game he’s been begging me for. He’s washing the tables down while I sit at the table reserved for my dad and his friends, although, they haven’t been coming as much lately. Probably because they’d don’t agree with the grill.
I shake my head recalling the conversation when I originally wanted to get permits to open a restaurant alongside the bar. He never understood why the bar wasn’t good enough, but I knew there was an opportunity for growth with how much the tourist season had increased. I mean we’ve opened more bed and breakfasts, and I might not agree with it, but large hotel chains have inquired about opening up in town. Town council will never let that happen.
“Can we order it tonight?” Toby asks, spraying down another table and chairs.
He is a hard worker, I’ll give him that.
“We have your game first.”
The phone rings and I walk over to the counter to grab it.
“Happy Daze,” I answer.
“Dane?” Norma, the previous owner of the bakery’s shaky voice will always be recognizable to me. Hell, she’s been my cookie supplier since I was two.
“Miss Sawyer. How is Arizona?”
I tuck the phone under my chin and sign a few papers from the beer distributors that needed my attention.
“Oh, it’s nice but I miss Climax Cove. Hey, dear, I had a question for you.”
“Sure. I always have time for my pseudo-grandma.”
She giggles and then starts coughing.
“You okay?”
She clears her throat, and I grab hold of the phone to pull it away from my ear. I’d rather not lose my hearing today.
“Yes. Sorry.” Another clearing of her throat. “The girl that took over the bakery…”
“Ava?”
“Yes, Ava. How does it seem business is going?”
That’s sweet she’s worried about her.
“I guess it’s good. She’s changed the whole thing into an Alice in Wonderland theme.”
“Oh, nice. Well, she’s late on her payment. I wanted to make sure she was still in business.”
Damn it. I knew her opening right after summer wasn’t the wisest decision, but Ava isn’t one to take advice from others.
“Could you not call her?” I ask.
See, this is what people find wrong with a small town. I shouldn’t know about Ava’s payment being late, it’s none of my business. The gossip mill has thinned out as the cemeteries have grown, but it will never truly die off.
“I don’t want to stress her out. To be honest I was nervous letting her take over the business on a payment plan rather than buying outright, but what choice did I have? It’s a small town and she was the only person that showed any interest. She’s a good girl and I think she’s good for the money, I just wanted to make sure it was open.”
“And why am I your first call?”
If things have already hit the mill about Ava and me, then we have spies around here.
“You’re across the street.”
I cock my head. “Makes sense.”
“Well, I have to take my sister to the doctor.”
“I hope all is well there?”
She laughs, spurring another coughing fit. “Yes. Things here are nice. Please don’t say anything to Ava, I would hate for her to feel like we’re talking about her.”
I refrain from the smart-ass comment I could say back.
“Sure thing.”
“I’m sure business will pick up for her.” I hear shuffling on the other end. “We need to leave. I’ll talk to you soon. Bye, Dane.”
The line clicks dead before I can respond. I press the of
f button and my gaze shifts over to the window so I can see across the street.
The sun is shining today and Ava’s moved a few of the tables out onto the sidewalk. Her door is open and I see her preparing to open inside by sliding those delicious crack cakes—that’s what I’m calling her cupcakes now—into the glass case.
“What are you doing?” Toby pulls me out of my daze and I look back to find his eyebrows raised.
“Nothing.” I stand up, grabbing the phone to put on the base.
“You were staring at Miss Ava.”
“No, I wasn’t.” I crinkle my eyes to throw off his scent.
“You were bent over on the bar, staring.”
Of course, he can’t leave well enough alone.
“Are you done?” I ask.
Parenting tip—always distract.
“Yeah. So, did I earn the money for the game yet?”
“Take that spray and rag into the back. Then we need to get you changed for your baseball game.”
He smiles taking my answer as a yes. I can’t complain, he’s a good kid and if he wants a video game, it’s the least I can do.
My gaze veers out the window again, but Toby rushes out a second later, his uniform in his hands, so I shift my gaze his way.
“Ready?” I ask.
“Yeah. Carter totally rocked first base at the last game,” Toby says.
I ruffle his hair and nod to the bathroom to change. “And put your clothes in a neat pile to change into later,” I call out.
His response to my directions is to shut the door.
With Toby in the bathroom and no one else in the bar since we’re not open yet, I stand at the window, like a stalker, watching her smile as she stands with samples on the sidewalk. Her long hair is pulled back into a ponytail and her jeans are form fitting, but today she has red Chucks on, rather than her usual black ones. I notice a bicycle chained to the bike holder in front of Nail Me Hardware store beside her shop and I realize I’ve never contemplated whether she has a car.
“Dad!” Toby’s voice startles me and I turn so fast, I pull a neck muscle.
“What?” I ask, cringing.