A surprise cake was even sweeter. She tapped her pen against the page and ran through her mental catalog of flavors. "Why don't I do three tiers, so there's plenty of cake for people to take home. Alternating dark chocolate cake with raspberry fruit filling and milk chocolate buttercream with a layer of vanilla cake with white chocolate buttercream. It'll look elegant and cool. I promise. Those are some of my most requested flavors."
"You probably can't go wrong with chocolate."
Even as he spoke, her brain worked on other combinations as excitement and the desire to really impress him and his family took over. She pulled up images of all the cakes on her computer and adjusted the monitor so he could view the slides. "Or, since it is a celebration occasion, maybe a champagne cake with ganache, raspberry buttercream filling, and honey icing? That would be nice for this time of year too."
Xavier studied the photos with a far more serious expression than she'd expected. That he took this responsibility seriously was obvious. "I trust you, you're the expert. But I guess I'd go with the champagne one. That sounds and looks impressive."
"Great choice. Thanks for asking me to do it." She wrote out a slip and handed it to him. The money would help so much. Especially since the orders hadn't exactly been pouring in.
"It's the least I can do after Rocky killed one of your cakes in his excitement."
Laughing, she opened her calendar. "I appreciate it. When do you need this?"
"Is next weekend doable? If not, we do family dinner every Sunday so we can reschedule if needed."
That gave her a full week. And a longing for a family dinner with more than just one person. "Next Sunday is perfect. It'll be ready. Do you want to pick it up that morning? I'm happy to deliver it if you'd like."
"I can pick it up." He leaned forward and covered her hand with his. "We should get to know each other a little better. Before the competition."
The touch of his hand on hers sent ripples of heat through her. His eyes, the most mesmerizing eyes she'd ever seen, captured her gaze. She moistened suddenly dry lips. "I'd like that. I also want us to do a few test runs of baking together so we're walking in as prepared as we can be."
"When do you take a break? We can start by grabbing a cup of coffee."
Before Ashley could respond, Katie burst into the room. "Great idea, guys. Go on. Go now. I'll hold down the fort."
Ashley lurched back in her seat, holding a hand to her chest. "Don't do that. You startled years off my life."
Xavier smiled at her with brows raised, waiting for her answer. She hadn't felt the surge of attraction for anyone in... ages. They did need to get to know each other better. Time was already ticking away. "Why not? I shouldn't be gone too long though."
Katie waved toward the outer room. "You haven't taken a break all day. Go. Enjoy. Take your time."
"You're pretty eager to get rid of me." She was a little taken aback by her sister's enthusiasm, even though Katie had made her feelings on Ashley's non-existent social life known, but Katie just grinned and made a shooing motion with her hands. When Ashley glanced back at Xavier, she couldn't help the excitement fluttering through her blood. "Just give me a few minutes to change."
She hurried up the stairs and into her apartment, drawing deep breaths to calm her pounding heart.
No time for a shower. She stripped off the coat and T-shirt and pants. Xavier looked far too tempting in his shades of blue. She tore through her closet. The red shirt with the open shoulders, her favorite black skirt, boots, and shrunken leather jacket made her feel more like herself. A dash of eyeliner, a splash of perfume, and a kiss of red lipstick completely restored her confidence.
When she returned to the bakery, Xavier was laughing over a story Katie relayed about one of her friends in Chicago. They both turned to face her. Katie grinned and gave an approving nod. Heat creeping over her skin, Ashley shifted her focus to Xavier.
Xavier's gaze traveled over her body but quickly returned to her face. "You look great."
"Better than the baker's coat, right?" She smiled and strolled toward him. The closer she came, the more awareness skittered along her spine. The closer she came, the stronger the pull between them grew. "Where to? I'm craving caffeine."
"I know a place that serves the best cup of cappuccino in the city."
During the three block walk to the coffee shop, Ashley was acutely aware of the warm sun kissing her skin, the cool air enveloping the buildings, and the number of people rushing along the street. Being with Xavier heightened all her senses. She smiled at the shadows cast by the leaves of the trees onto the sidewalk.
A middle-aged woman and a young boy walked up to them. The woman waved as the boy clung to her leg. "Excuse me, Xavier? I'm sorry to bother you, but you're my son's favorite player. Could he have an autograph?"
"Sure." Smiling, he crouched and shook the boy's hand. "What's your name?"
The boy looked at him with wide eyes and hero worship in his gaze. "Chase."
"It's good to meet you, buddy." Xavier accepted a pen and a flier for spring baseball sign-ups at the local rec center from the woman and signed it with a flourish.
"Thanks!" Chase clutched the paper and beamed.
His mother placed her hand on Xavier's arm. "Last season was rough. We're really pulling for you and the team. Are you happy with the new head coach? Do you think the atmosphere in the locker room will be better?"
Xavier rose, ruffling the boy's hair. "Coach seems like a good guy. The entire team is ready for a much better season. We'll work hard, I promise."
"I know you will. Make sure you take care of yourself. You've been doing so well with that for the past few seasons. Keep it up." She patted him again and then stepped back. "We'll let you get on with your day. Thank you again."
He shook their hands again then smiled at Ashley. "Sorry about that."
The thought struck her that she wasn't having coffee with a regular guy. He was one of the city's favorite sons. A hometown hero, with people as proud and invested in his success as she expected his own family to be. "No worries. I'm sure it happens a lot."
"It does, but I like it. And I'm damn lucky that I get to live out my dream. This city is special. I wouldn't want to play anywhere else." Xavier paused outside a terra-cotta colored building and opened the door for her. The building had housed a pizzeria when she was growing up. She'd spent many teenaged nights hanging out in a corner booth.
Once they were inside, the hostess greeted Xavier by name and quickly seated them at a table by a window overlooking the street. Within a minute, a server arrived and took their order.
Ashley set her purse aside and scanned the room. Dark, square tables perfect for intimate meals and quiet conversation. Wooden floors polished to a high shine. Soft music that added to the ambiance but didn't overpower the mood. Unwinding here would be easy.
Xavier was so tall, his legs bumped into hers under the table. "So, I saw the video that you sent to the producers. But tell me about yourself."
She took a deep breath. Where to begin? "I'm twenty-six. I pretty much eat, sleep, and breathe baking. My mom started the bakery when I was a kid. She worked for years as a bakery assistant, and having a place that was her own was like the icing on the cake, pun intended."
His lips twitched. "She taught you to bake?"
"Yes. My favorite memories are baking with her. My sister and I spent so many afternoons in the kitchen with her or poring over cookbooks. Our bakery specializes in custom cakes, cupcakes, pies, and cookies. I love experimenting with new recipes. Mom was the same way."
"In the video, you said that your mom had passed away?"
Pain bloomed into a dull ache that gripped her heart. "She passed away almost a year ago. She had cancer. Baking is the only thing I can do that makes it feel like she's still with me."
Xavier reached for her hand. "Family is everything to me, too. My mom died when I was a kid. Cancer, too. Losing her was like losing my world. I'm sorry for your loss."
> His words were spoken with such sincerity and touched her deeply. Tears threatened, but she sniffed them away, determined not to break down. "Thank you. I'm sorry you lost your mom too."
The server arrived with the cappuccino and a plate of biscotti and Ashley was grateful for the moment to compose herself. She lifted the large cup and carefully sipped the piping hot brew. "You were right, this is the best I've ever tasted."
"Try the biscotti. My buddy opened up this place a few years ago. He spent a year in Italy first, studying with a master baker over there. He's pretty proud of the biscotti."
She broke a cookie in half and dunked it into her cup, then tasted. The rich flavor of anise exploded on her tongue. "So good. I've tried making this before, but it never comes out quite right."
"I've never tried baking anything like that at all. My brother Ryan inherited all of the cooking talents in the family. I'm not much of a baker. I'm sorry to have to tell you that." Expression apologetic, he bit into a cookie and then sipped his cappuccino. "My brother mentioned that you might be expecting me to be better than I am, so I've watched a bunch of baking videos since I last saw you, but I don't think I've retained all that much. Mostly, they just made me hungry."
"They can have that effect on me, too." Ashley shared a smile with him. Their fingers brushed as they both reached for another biscotti. "We can work on the baking. But I have to say that I'm a little surprised to see you in a baking competition, especially if you don't bake."
"I don't say no when it comes to helping a charity. But yeah, I don't see how my football skills will be useful in a kitchen."
She searched for a way to ease his discouragement. "You essentially play against a clock in a game, right? In the competition, we'll be baking against the clock. So there's one similarity for you."
"The rest is all new. I looked at the competition details. It's three rounds spread out over three days. And each round has a theme ingredient that we have to include."
"Right. But we won't know what it will be until the host tells us at the start of each round."
"So how do we prepare for this?"
"We bake. A lot." She swirled the remainder of her cookie in her cup. "We'll need to practice. At least once. More would be better. And a lot more would be best. I'm voting for the third option if you have the time."
His face grew serious. "You want to win pretty bad."
"The prize money would help a lot." That was the truth. She didn't know him well enough to share how desperately they needed to win.
Xavier's brows drew together, and he tilted his head. "I want it too. My foundation could really put that money to good use."
She'd devoured every bit of information she could find about him, and that included learning a lot about his foundation. "I read that you host 5k runs twice a year and donate the money to a breast cancer charity. I'd be more than happy to donate cupcakes or cookies for the finishers' table for the next race or future ones."
When he smiled, his eyes crinkled at the corners. "Well, now I really feel a lot of pressure to step up my baking game so you'll still like me when they roll around."
If he were stepping up his game, then he'd take the competition seriously. She really needed him to be this serious version of himself, not the version famous for throwing extravagant parties and enjoying life a little too much. With that in mind, the conversation with the woman seeking the autograph echoed in her thoughts. Ashley took a sip of fortifying caffeine and then set down the cup. "What did that woman outside mean when she said to keep taking care of yourself the way you had been for the past few years?"
His smile vanished, and the light in his eyes dimmed. "She meant that I let myself have too much fun during my first few years in the league. And she's right. But I've settled down." He leaned across the table, gaze intense and hands tight around his cup. "If you're worried, don't be. I'm not that guy anymore. I'm taking this competition as seriously as I take my training. And to that end, how about if I shadow you on a regular basis? It'll give me time to learn more about baking, and it'll give us plenty of time to practice."
"You'd do that?" Surprise brought her up short. Having him at the bakery would help them become more familiar with each other and hopefully, develop close to as good a rhythm as she and Katie shared when baking together.
"This whole thing is new to me. It's like learning a new playbook. If we want to win, we need to be as prepared as possible."
"You're right." She bit her lip as a new worry rolled in. "I'm afraid I can't afford to pay you much." Or, at all. Damn it.
He waved away her concern. "I don't want any money. It's like an internship. And maybe we keep it quiet, so my teammates in the competition don't get the same brilliant idea and try to do this with their bakery partners."
"Good plan. And as thanks for your commitment, you can have as many cupcakes and cookies as you want."
"It's the off-season. I can afford to cheat a little on my diet." His grin came back full-force, almost stealing her breath with the power of his smile. He raised his cup. "To a winning partnership."
She clicked her cup against his and for a moment, let herself imagine what winning the whole competition would feel like, and how it would dissolve the crushing weight of worry. Xavier was a true competitor. Hopefully, he'd make a good teammate for her.
He leaned back in his chair. "While you were changing clothes, your sister said that she's only home for a few more weeks."
"Having her home has been a big help. She's going back early to take a class during a summer session. I'm going to miss her."
"It's nice you can work well together. Working with family or friends can be both a blessing and a curse."
"True, and we've had our moments. But I'd do anything for her." She pushed another biscotti in his direction. "Your family works together, don't they? I remember reading something about them owning a gym?"
"My dad's gym. He's mostly retired now, but my brothers Ryan and Shane run it. And during the off-season, I'll sometimes help out there too. We can drive each other crazy, but I'd do anything for them too."
The more they talked, the more he impressed her. Very much a regular guy, not at all full of himself considering the admiration and adoration of thousands, maybe millions, of fans. He entertained her with stories of his brothers, and she responded with her own of growing up with Katie and some of their first baking disasters.
After their second cup of cappuccino, she glanced at her watch and mildly groaned. "I'd better go. I can't believe we've been here for two hours." Guilt and low-grade trepidation over spending time with Xavier when Katie was stuck at the bakery alone pushed her to her feet.
Xavier waved off her offer to pay and discretely handed several bills to the server.
The walk back to the bakery left her senses just as full. He paused beside the bakery's double doors, and his hands lifted to rest on her shoulders. His gaze held hers for a long moment while her stomach turned like kneaded dough. Then he leaned down, slowly.
Ashley inhaled sharp and deep. Did he want to kiss her? She tingled in anticipation, but so many things—the threat of Katie bursting out again, the people passing by, the fact that she hadn't kissed anyone in ages, and the knowledge that they were going to be working together in a quasi-professional capacity—held her back. She laid her hand on his chest, intending to keep her distance.
He glanced down at her hand then his gaze took a slow journey back to her eyes. "I had fun today. Thanks for sharing your caffeine break with me."
"I'll see you on Sunday morning when you pick up the cake." Ashley watched him with a mixture of wonder and unease. She felt his heartbeat, steady and strong, under her hand. Not wanting to break contact, she slid it up to his face. The slight stubble scraped like fine sandpaper against her palm.
His eyes closed at her touch, and his hand covered hers, keeping the connection. The wailing siren from a passing ambulance pierced the silence. Xavier opened his eyes and took a step back. He lowered her hand
from his face but kept their fingers linked. "See you then."
Ashley nodded, forced herself to break the connection, and hurried inside.
The scent of cupcakes, the sight of the familiar logo, and the sound of Katie working in the kitchen made reason and responsibility return. Ashley took one final peek at Xavier walking away.
What was she doing? She didn't want any complications with their partnership in the upcoming competition, and she certainly didn't have time for distractions that could interfere with her focus on her business.
Xavier Brennan was a complication and a distraction rolled into one.
CHAPTER FIVE
The scent of something amazing filled Ryan's kitchen. Xavier sniffed in appreciation. "You are feeding us whatever that is, right?"
"Sure. The chili and cornbread need a while yet, but I figured you guys would want to stay for dinner." Ryan rolled his head from side to side. "Work was brutal today. I'm so glad we hired another manager to help out with the load, but sometimes, utter chaos still reigns at the gym. Grab a beer and have a seat."
After making sure Rocky was occupied with a toy and treat, Xavier complied. Ryan's kitchen was one of his favorite places to hang out. So many good memories had happened around that table. They'd met Leo's wife Kelsey for the first time there. And the first time Everson had joined them for family dinner, Xavier knew that Ryan had fallen hard for the man.
Shane and Everson joined them, and then Ryan set two stacks of index cards on the table. "Baking terms and definitions. With illustrations."
"You made us flash cards?" Impressed and touched and not entirely surprised, Xavier reached for the pile closest to him. "Will there be a quiz later?"
"Not tonight. But a pop quiz could happen any time between now and the competition. So, be prepared."
He studied the cards. Folding in... how to measure flour... how to separate eggs... Card after card of Ryan's Notes For Non-Bakers offered tips and tricks and explanations. "This is so freaking nice of you."
Hometown Hero Page 3