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Since you’re offering, I wouldn’t mind if you kissed it better.
I pounded my fist into the bread dough, again and again, trying to drown the relentless echo of Beau’s words.
After leaving the hospital, I headed straight to the Bread & Butter Bakery, seeking refuge in the large, spacious kitchen. Since I was the head baker, I had a key and I could let myself in whenever I wanted to. The bakery was ten times better than the cramped kitchen in my apartment anyway.
For hours, I kneaded one batch of bread dough after another, soothed by the smell of yeast and the familiar rhythm of my work. Wisps of hair escaped my braid, clinging to my damp forehead with sweat. My arms ached from the exertion.
The memory of Beau lying on the ground in the rodeo arena, unmoving, still churned my stomach. For one heart-stopping moment, I really thought he might be dead and it terrified me. Made me sick with worry.
I furiously shaped the bread dough into loaves, setting them aside to rise before their final bake. Then I started on the next recipe without taking a break to rest my sore feet. The clock on the oven read 4:30am. I’d been baking the whole night through with no signs of stopping.
The thing I hated most was the fact that I’d wanted to do more than just kiss Beau in that hospital room. I’d wanted to shed my clothes and climb into bed with him, to feel the hot glide of his skin against mine and know—truly know with absolute certainty—that he was okay.
That’s why I couldn’t stand his teasing anymore. The harder I tried to get over Beau, the more I fell in love with him. When he asked for a kiss, it only served to highlight just how much I craved him.
To make matters worse, I’d dragged Cody into my mess and now I had to let him down gently. He was a sweet boy—a few years younger than me but that wasn’t the problem. I couldn’t lead him on. It would only break his heart.
Half an hour later, the bakery was open for business and the typical morning rush began. I was grateful for the distraction, too busy to spend much time thinking about Beau.
With a tray of fresh, steaming hot croissants balanced on my hip, I left the comfort of the kitchen and braved the bakery. As soon as I pushed the door open, the hum of activity rose up to greet me. The cashier—Daisy—looked harried as she juggled a line of regular customers who were nearly filing out the door.
“You’re supposed to let me know when you’re drowning out here,” I said as I approached the glass display case.
“I’ve got it covered,” Daisy countered, even though her voice cracked.
Fresh out of high school, she was eager to learn about baking and running a business in the hopes she might start something of her own in the future. I admired her determination and desire to dream big, but the poor girl had a habit of biting off more than she could chew without realizing it.
“I’ll give you a hand in a minute,” I said.
Daisy blew out a breath of relief with an apologetic look.
“Thank you.”
I slid the door of the display case open and started restocking the nearly-empty tray of croissants. The carrot cake muffins were getting low, too, I noticed. I’d have to take care of those later. As I worked, I overhead bits and pieces of conversations filtering around the bakery. I didn’t pay much attention, until I caught Beau’s name and my ears perked up.
“…Beau already checked himself out of the hospital last night. It’s a miracle he’s still walking around after getting thrown by that horse.”
“I certainly hope he’s taking it easy. You know, I wouldn’t mind convincing him to kick back at my place. I’d take good care of him.”
A snort of laughter.
“Oh, I bet you’d never let that man leave your bed. Wouldn’t make him wear a single stitch of clothing, either.”
My cheeks burned and something unbearable tightened in my chest. I glanced up to see two women about my age seated at a nearby table with coffee and apple danishes.
I chastised myself for eavesdropping, and yet I couldn’t resist listening in when their conversation continued.
“We dated for a while, two or three years after high school. Best sex of my life, I swear.”
I fumbled the tray of croissants and nearly sent it crashing to the floor. Gripping it tight until my knuckles turned white, I gritted my teeth and hurried to finish my task. I didn’t want to hear any more of this.
“You should reconnect with him. Now that he’s injured, I’m sure he’ll have plenty of free time on his hands for rest, relaxation, and…other activities. Rumor has it that he’s single again.”
No response came for a moment or two. I found myself holding my breath, waiting, straining to hear what the answer would be.
Please say no, please say no.
“That’s not a bad idea. Everyone knows Beau will never settle down. I’m not looking to get married anytime soon either. I could use a fun little fling for the summer.”
