"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
