She’s absolutelybeautiful in the photo on her website. But I know she’s even more gorgeous inreal life. I want to contact her so bad. There’s an email address and evensocial media icons. I click on the Instagram and look at all the photos ofcakes and cupcakes and desserts that she’s handcrafted. They’re all amazing.This woman has talent, which shouldn’t surprise me because she’s already themost perfect woman I’ve ever met.
I scroll throughthe pictures, smiling at the ones that feature her wearing an apron and beingin her element. There’s other girls in the photos who must be her coworkers,like that girl Livi she told me was her best friend. There’s also smilingcustomers and one picture of Alexa standing next to some guy who looks a like ayounger Clint Eastwood. The photo makes my heart tighten when I see it. Somaybe that’s why she ghosted me. She’s married. Or has a boyfriend.
My heart pounds asI read the caption:
My rock and my hero! I couldn’t have opened this bakerywithout him!
But then there’s ahashtag below it that makes all the air rush out of my lungs.
#loveyoucuz
So he’s her cousin?Thank God. There’s no other evidence that Alexa is in a relationship, and Iscroll through the entire Instagram page. I feel like such a stalker, but Ican’t help myself. I met the girl of my dreams and then she disappeared withouta word. Shouldn’t I at least try to win her back?
I’m about to fallasleep when I suddenly remember a pressing question. I can’t believe I didn’tlook it up sooner. If Alexa’s bakery is hundreds of miles away from me, that’llmake a relationship all the more complicated.
I go to thebakery’s website again and click on the location. I put it into Google mapsbecause I’ve never heard of a place called Mable Falls. I hold my breath andclick on the directions tab so it’ll tell me how far away my dream girl is fromme.
I watch the screenpopulate the best route, and the map zooms out to show it all. My heart leaps. Forty-fiveminutes away.
That’s nothing.
We’re practicallyneighbors!
I drive that far toshow houses all the time.
I am renewed withenergy as I sit up in bed and stare at the Google map on my phone as if it’ssome kind of holy grail. She’s closer than I thought. She’s just a short driveaway.
My whole worldwould change if she decided to be my girlfriend. But as much as I’ve built thisup in my mind, there’s still a very big problem standing in my way.
What if she doesn’twant me the way I want her?
Chapter 13
I’ve done such agood job convincing Livi that I don’t care about the handsome man I met athotel that she actually believes me. We worked together all week, and I nevermentioned him once, after declaring that our junk food movie night helped mepurge him from my system. The truth is far from that, of course, because Ican’t stop thinking about Gabe. But at least no one knows that. It’s prettyclear that Livi thinks I’ve moved on when she approaches me ten minutes beforeclosing. Her eyes are wide and clearly hiding something and her smile is alittle too big to be natural.
“Guess what?” shesays, bouncing up on her toes.
“I’m scared toask,” I say.
“No worries! It’s agood thing.” She wiggles her eyebrows again.
“Now I’m somehoweven more scared…” I say with a laugh.
“So …” Livi says,drawing it out longer than she needs to. I’m reminded of when I was a kid andwould ask my mom for something that I knew she wouldn’t want to buy.
“We’re going on adouble date tonight!”
Whatever I’d beenexpecting, this isn’t it. I cross my arms. “What are you talking about? I’m notdating anyone.”
For the briefestsecond, I wonder if maybe it’s Gabe. But why would it be Gabe? Livi doesn’tknow him.
“It’s just a fun,friendly, double date,” Livi explains. “Me and Mason, and you and Lee. He’sthis guy Mason met at his motorcycle shop. He’s totally cute and he’s singleand I think you’ll like him.”
“Being cute andsingle aren’t my only qualifications for liking a guy,” I say, feeling nervousenergy race through me. I’m not ready to date another guy right now.
“I know, but he’sreally nice,” she says, frowning a little. “I’ve met him a few times at theshop and today he was saying that he’s had a few bad dates lately because hecan’t meet any nice women and I just realized ya’ll would make a great couple.”
“I don’t know aboutthis …” I say hesitantly. Going out with a guy I’ve never seen, let alone met,is kind of awkward. Plus I’m totally not over Gabe yet, even though I’ll neversee him again.
