Chapter One
Josie
Powdered sugar, orange zest, and chocolate cream cover my kitchen. The scent is nice. It almost makes me wonder if I should shift to making candles. I could capture the essence of a bakery without the nonsensical mess I’ve woken up to every morning since a family of trash pandas decided to take up permanent residency on my lot.
At one point, they were coming in right through the back door. Turns out, the lock wasn’t latching properly, and they’ve taught themselves to turn doorknobs, so they just helped themselves to whatever I had in the fridge like furry little gremlins. Since then, the locks have been fixed, but they’re still getting in.
I pick up the phone and dial my friend Henry. He owns most of the land up here and I’m currently renting the building from him, which is another story all together. I’d hoped to have owned this space by now, or at least be on a rent to own status, which isn’t looking so great considering I keep losing inventory.
“Josie?” His voice is deep and a little concerned. I’m sure by now he knows when I call, it’s trouble. “What’s up?”
“Sorry to bother you. I’m sure you have plenty of things going on, but my raccoons are back and I’m not sure what else to do.”
“Fuck. Let me see if Maddox or Wyatt can come take a look for you. I have tattoo appointments all morning.”
The second he says the name Wyatt, my heart stops and my eyes squeeze closed.
Not Wyatt. Please, not Wyatt.
Don’t get me wrong, my body would love to see Wyatt again. The first time he helped me fix the locks on the shop door, I was dripping wet with fantasies of the two of us together. He’s tall, bearded, covered in tattoos, has biceps and shoulders like Paul Bunyan, and his voice is deep and graveled like he’s gargling rocks. What’s not to love?
Well… he walked in and out of my shop six months ago and never came back around for a date, despite the fact that he was telling my sister Molly how into me he was. My stomach clenches again. I don’t need that in my life. I need a man who doesn’t drag his feet, a man who is going to say the things that need to be said and do all the things that need to be manhandled… like me.
“Sounds good,” I say, not wanting to be rude to Henry, who’s trying his best. “I should have Raven’s birthday cake done by tonight. I’ll bring it over to her party tomorrow.”
“You’re a lifesaver. I’m sorry she changed her mind on the flavor a dozen times. That’s twelve-year-old girls for you. I’m a little nervous for thirteen, if I’m being honest.”
I laugh. “I remember thirteen fondly. I’m not sure my mom looks back on it with such joy, though. You should ask her.”
“God. Don’t tell me that. I need a few more years of our sweet little girl. Hell, I’d take just one more.”
I tilt my head to the side and smile into the phone with sympathy. “Maybe you’ll get lucky. Some girls stay sweet forever. My sister Molly never had a rebellious phase. She just got sweeter and sweeter.”
A chuckle bubbles up from his throat. “I’ll keep my hopes up, and you keep yours up too. We’ll get that raccoon thing taken care of. One of the guys will be over in a few.”
I thank him profusely and apologize for the trouble, before hanging up the phone and turning to my mess.
Ugh. The least these racoons could do is eat outside. I’m going to have to disinfect the whole space, which is not fun, and will probably shut me down for the morning, if not longer.
I pour a capful of bleach into a bucket and fill it with hot water as I head to the back to get a mop and the rest of the cleaning supplies. What I really need to be doing is figuring out how to react to Wyatt, or better yet, hownotto react to Wyatt. I can’t get all doe-eyed and horny. I have to stay calm, and act completely disinterested. He has to know I’m not going to sit here and wait for him to make a move. Maybe I have a boyfriend by now. Maybe I’m engaged. Maybe I just vehemently hate men who take their time.
The bell rings on the front door.Damn it.I meant to lock back up. I’m batting a thousand this morning.
“Sorry,” I say, wiping my hands on my apron before standing. “We’re not open yet.” If I was being truthful, I might not be able to open at all today. It’s going to take hours to clean this mess and even more time to catch up on baking.
“It’s me, Josie.” Cami says, making her way behind the counter. “Henry said you had another‘break in’last night, so I thought I’d come over and help. I just dropped Raven off at school.”
Cami looks cute in anything, but this morning she’s sporting a jogging suit that hugs all her curves and her hair is tied up in a loose bun on top of her head.
“I hate accepting help, but I’m going to,” I say with a smile, handing her a sponge. “I’m already so behind. Thank you!”
She smiles wide, rolls up her sleeves, and dips straight into the bucket to help. “Honey, I wouldn’t have left if you asked me to. I have a mountain of things piling up at home that I’m dead set on avoiding. I’ll stay until Maddox shows up. I think Henry said he was free to help you out. Then I should get back to the sheep and some laundry that’s calling my name.”
Maddox.Maddox is Henry’s brother. He’s not Wyatt. I guess I should be happy now, though a flush of disappointment washes over me instead. Then again, maybe it’s relief.
It’s probably relief.
“Great,” I say, scraping the frosting off the silver counter. Most of the white cream has dried, so it’s chipping off faster than I thought. “I have no idea where these animals are getting in.”