He brushed off his hands and smiled. If possible, his smile made him even more handsome, and his straight white teeth weren’t creepy when they peeked out from between his lips. Cripes. I desperately need to get laid. I was ogling this guy like he was a fine cut of meat from Butcher Don’s shop.
“I’m new here and haven’t had time to investigate the bakery. You’re always closed when I’m done with work, and I’ve been so busy setting up house on the weekends I keep forgetting to take a break.”
“I see,” I said, just as a bolt of lightning lit up the sky and the thunder followed almost instantly. I screamed and jumped into the back of the van, huddled there until the last of the thunder rumbled overhead.
“Hey, Amber, it’s okay,” he said softly.
I glanced up to see him kneeling on the floor of the van with one knee, his hands out to me to keep me calm. “Just a spring storm. It’s not going to hurt you, but if we don’t get these boxes inside, the rain is going to ruin them.”
I was shaking, and my heart was pounding when I lowered my arms from over my head. I had to swallow around the lump in my throat before I could speak. “Sor—sorry. I overreacted. It took me by surprise.” I stiffened my shoulders and climbed out of the van, slamming the doors closed again and grabbing the handle of the cart. He was carrying the sheet cake while I pushed the cart, and we hurried toward the entrance of the school to get inside before the rain started in earnest. We dodged inside just as the skies opened and the rain poured down again.
“Wow, just made it,” he said, lowering the giant cake box to the counter before he grabbed his bag.
“Thanks for helping,” I said, closing the door against the rain. I would have to wait out the storm before I headed back to the bakery.
“Anytime,” he said, offering a wave before he disappeared through the door of the cafeteria.
That left me standing there staring after him, wishing I knew a whole hell of a lot more about Bishop Halla, but knowing that was never going to happen.
Girls like me don’t end up with guys like him.
Two
The bell rang over the door of the bakery, and I stood up from where I was packaging bread to see a woman walk through the door.
“Momma!” I exclaimed, limping around the counter to hug her.
She chuckled while she hugged me tightly. “Hi, baby girl. I wanted to stop in and say goodbye.”
My parents were heading down to Florida to see my sister and her family. They would drive their RV down and camp out in my sister’s backyard. You were never going to find me in an RV in Florida, but my parents loved going down to visit the grandkids.
“Did you get everything packed?” I asked, handing her a pastry from the case to snack on while we visited.
She took a bite, and her eyes rolled back in her head. “Damn, Haylee sure knows how to make a cream cheese Danish.”
“Mrs. Larson!” said baker said from the doorway as she came bustling into the room. “I’m so happy I got to see you before you left.” Haylee hugged my mom just as hard as I did. My parents had practically raised her, and even in her formalness, Haylee considers my mom her mom.
“Girl, you’ve known me for twenty-five years. Call me Phyllis, or better yet, Mom,” she scolded, hugging my best friend. “What are you going to do, introduce me to your children as Mrs. Larson?”
“Wait, I’m having children now?” Haylee asked with laughter in her voice.
“Yes, lots of them. Little mini-bakers to keep this town in cupcakes for generations. I miss seeing you. How’s that man of yours?” she whispered in Haylee’s ear. “Is he treating you right?”
“You don’t have to worry, Mrs. Larson,” Brady said from the doorway of the bakery with a huge grin on his face. “No one is going to hurt her ever again.”
“Especially not him,” I added, my eyes rolling. “Haylee can’t sneeze without him taking her to the doctor.”
“Ha-ha,” he said from the doorway, but his smile was sheepish because I wasn’t that far off. “I love her. What can I say?”
“You can keep saying that,” my mom said as she patted Haylee’s face. She then held up the pastry. “I’ll keep saying these are amazing. I need some to take with us for the trip. It’s going to be a long summer without any cupcakes from The Fluffy Cupcake.”
“You’ll be too busy to care,” I promised, boxing up some of their favorite treats to take along on the trip.
“Well, I just wanted to stop in and let you know we were leaving, so keep an eye on the house,” Mom said when she took the box from me and offered a second hug. “Your dad is in the RV by the lake, or he would have come in, too.”
“I saw him last night, but hug him for me and tell him I love him. Keep me posted on your whereabouts as you go.”
“Always do,” she promised, kissing Haylee’s cheek again on her way to the door. “I put the rest of our milk and juice in your fridge to finish up. There’s plenty of meat in the freezer for you.”
What? I live with my parents, okay? It’s not like I live-live with my parents. I have my own apartment and rarely see them since they are always running around the country.
“Thanks, Mom, but I know where the grocery store is. I’m not going to eat your food.”
“You most certainly will!” she scolded. “If you don’t, it will be
