AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She tried to remember the last thing he’d said before leaving her on Thursday night: “I’ll see you next week.”
Hmm. Apparently, he’d meant that in a very literal way.
Her phone chimed, making her jump. Her heart answered with a thump so hard it seemed to echo inside her head. Hands shaking, she swiped at the screen; it was a text from Flynn. He was coming over later after an unexpected shift at the hospital, so without reading it she set her phone down, disappointed.
“What am I, in middle school now?” she asked her empty living room.
At least she assumed this was how an infatuated middle-school girl might act about a boy she liked.
“I wish I’d gone to middle school. Ha.” She barked out a bitter laugh. “I bet no one who went to middle school ever says that.” There’d only been a handful of guys around her age in Saltdove, and they’d felt more like family.
She’d only ever dated in the Army. And not much, and never one guy long enough to consider him a boyfriend. Admittedly, she hadn’t tried very hard. She’d been busy, focused on her goals. At paramedic school in Michigan she’d been so intent on her studies and nervous about her grades that she’d turned down any requests beyond friendly group gatherings or study sessions.
Not that Tag was her boyfriend. Was he?
“Either way, I’m being ridiculous.” Standing up, she grabbed her jacket and headed out the door. She was just hungry. A donut would help, or two. She’d walk to the Donut Den because that way she could do the preemptive calorie burn. Or at least wear off the frosting. Okay, fine, some of the frosting.
Mr. Most Eligible Bachelor obviously had plenty of experience. She needed advice. Once again, she found herself wishing for a girlfriend to talk to. Not that Flynn wasn’t great. He was, but from the way he’d acted when she’d told him about Tag, she didn’t think she was going to get a lot of help from that quarter.
Ally pushed through the door of the bakery and instantly began to relax. The smell alone could count as aromatherapy. The soothing combination of yeast and maple and vanilla stirred into her, and just the promise of sugar was added comfort.
A teenaged girl with deep dimples and a long French braid smiled at her from behind the counter. The name embroidered across the top of her bubblegum-pink apron was Molly.
“Good morning,” she said. “What can I get for you today?”
“Hey, Molly. I’ll take one maple bar, one of the half-chocolate, half-maple bars, two cinnamon twisties, two apple fritters and one of those cream-filled things. Oh, and, mmm…two…Emilys? How many is that, nine?”
“Yep, nine.”
“Might as well make it a dozen, then, huh? That’s probably cheaper at this point, right?” Ally stared up at the board and tried to calculate the cost per donut versus a dozen.
Molly grinned. Ally figured she probably got this a lot, people losing their ability to count and do math in the presence of fresh-baked pastries.
“It is cheaper. What would you like for your last four?”
“Four? I thought you said I had nine in the box.”
“Yep, you do. But our dozen is a baker’s dozen. If you buy twelve, you get one free.”
“Wow. Does anyone ever get this close and not buy twelve or thirteen or whatever?”
Molly giggled. “Not really.”
“Brilliant. Just surprise me. Anything will do.” It was too many donuts. She’d give some to Flynn tonight, stash the rest in the fridge and take them into the hospital tomorrow morning. That would help her popularity. She’d eat all the chocolate-covered ones to stave off any mud jokes still floating around.
“I’ll have a cup of coffee, too, please. The big one, and I don’t need room for cream.”
“You got it.”
Ally settled in at a table in the corner facing the door. Three donuts and half a cup of coffee later she was already feeling better. She’d just pulled up Flynn’s message when a voice floated over to her.
“Look at our Tag. He’s always been such a good-looking boy, but I swear, he just gets more handsome as time goes by, doesn’t he? Made to be photographed. Like one of those underwear models, but with clothes. Which is too bad, now that I think about it.”
