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Dani nods. "Oh, he seems like a great kid."
"Yeah, and Owen’s his dad. So, obviously, he's a good guy if he has a son like Brady. And the guys on the team all seem to like him. And Nathan Armstrong has very high standards for the people he spends time with—" I give her a smile and a wink. "So I can assume that Owen is a good guy. And he was sweet and almost a little awkward when we met at Crew’s party."
Owen seems like a rub-my-feet kind of guy.
"So he ordered a bunch of stuff for the guys because…" Dani trails off as if she’s still not quite sure how that all fits together.
And I'm not either, except for one thing. "He stopped by the bakery to check on Brady and Lydia one day, he made a comment about how he thought the bakery wasn't doing very well."
Dani's eyes widen.
"I corrected him, but maybe he didn't believe me."
"So you think that maybe he placed this huge order to help you out?"
I frown. "Maybe. Which is kind of a dick move, right?"
Dani laughs. "Actually, it's kind of sweet and romantic."
I shake my head. "It's not. It's him one, not believing me and two, thinking that I can't handle my business without a man injecting his help and money."
"Or, maybe it's a guy who likes you and is trying to make your life a little easier."
I sigh. "We are going to see this differently no matter what. So, I think I just need to talk to Owen about it."
Dani looks slightly concerned. "Just don’t be mean to him."
I look at her in surprise. "I'm not going to be mean to him."
"If you're insulted by this and you think that he thought you needed help, you might be mean."
I open my mouth. But then close it, thinking. Okay, I might be mean. I won't try to be, but I can get very defensive. Especially about the bakery. My mom and dad buying it for me in the first place is hard enough, but I definitely don't want some guy waltzing in and thinking that he needs to keep me afloat.
"I will try really hard not to be mean to him," I say, feeling like that's at least a promise I can keep.
"Would you go out with him?" Dani asks.
I groan. This is exactly what I knew would happen. "Sweetheart, I barely have time to sleep. I can't date anyone."
"But when you date the right person, they make your life easier," she says. "They help you, they make you happier, dating them is better than not dating them."
I would love to argue with her. And six months ago, I absolutely would have. But dammit, she knows more about this than I do. She doesn't just have one relationship, she's technically got three going on. And yes, those guys — including my brother, shockingly enough — seem to make her life easier. They help her out, they support her, and they definitely make her happy.
If I said I wasn't at all jealous and didn't want any of that, I'd be lying. Of course, I want that. Even if I am crawling into bed after midnight, completely exhausted, I would love to be curling up next to someone.
The nights when I barely get a chance to eat because I'm doing books, or inventory, or waiting for something to come out of the oven, would I love to have someone drop by with dinner and keep me company? Absolutely.
I love taking on this bigger business challenge, and when it's done, and I have my dad paid off, and Books and Buns is going full steam ahead, I hope I'll be able to relax a little bit, step back, and look at the rest of my life. As much as I love cupcakes and cookies, I don't want them to be my entire life.
But for right now, it is.
Especially considering that the man I want to ask me out is not.
"I just can't focus on that right now. I know what you're saying, and I am thrilled for you. But right now, the idea of adding something else to my plate makes me want to cry."
"Let me know if you need more help from me," Dani says. "I know I've been a little absent and you’ve been really understanding, but I want this business to succeed, and I love you. You're my best friend. I want to be there for you."
I do need to lean on her more. It is her business, too. But still, it was my father who bought it for us. He did it because of me. I just feel like I'm the one who has to pay this off. But I nod. "I will. In fact, next weekend I could use your help."
