“On it, boss.” She winks as she crouches to take one of the bottom trays out. When she stands upright once more, her gaze travels to the front window and her eyes widen. “Oh shit! He’s here! Incoming! Your man is here!”
My head jerks quickly toward the window, one part of me hoping she’s lying while the other begs for it to be true.It’s true, he’s really here!Shane stands outside the bakery with a gift bag in hand, looking inside it. He swipes his free hand through his mid-length rich-brown wavy hair, pushing the rogue strands away from his view only for them to fall right back along the side of his face near the top of his ears.
“Oh, God!” I grab Octavia’s wrist, pulling us down behind the counter. “Why is he here? What do I do?!”
I pass my fingers through my hair quickly, pushing strands behind my ears as the bell above the door chimes. Heavy footsteps get closer and closer by the second until they stop.
“I’m burning up, aren’t I?” I whisper as Octavia holds back a laugh and nods. “Ugh! Do I at least look okay?”
A throat clears and I squeeze my eyes shut. Taking a deep breath, I open them and slowly rise from behind the counter while Octavia stays seated on the floor, snickering quietly. Shane stands right there, one hand resting on his side of the counter, eyes lit up with amusement and a small smirk playing along his beautiful lips.
They’re a little puffier than most men, giving him this pouty look, but I find them irresistible. It makes me want to flick them with my tongue before biting them slightly. See how beautifully my teeth imprint on them. The thought that pops into my mind out of the blue makes me flush even brighter as my eyes go wide.
“You always look beautiful, Aubrey,” he says, his dimples popping out as his smile grows wider.
My face feels like it’s on fire, and without thinking I start fanning away at it.I swear this excessive blushing is a curse.“Shane… What… what are you doing here?”
“I thought it was time I visited the place.”
He looks at the empty seats around the bakery and all the cute homey decorations I’ve put into the place. We never have many customers near closing time, maybe one or two. He then gazes down at his hand and lifts the gift bag onto the counter. “And well, I know I’m a little late, but I wanted to give you your gift.”
He pushes it toward me as my hand reaches out to bring it closer. The bag is covered with cupcake designs all over it, and teal-colored tissue paper comes out from the top.
“You bought me a birthday present?” My fingers pick delicately at the tissue. “I didn’t know you knew when it was,” I say quietly, not able to meet his eyes as my heart swells with love.
“I know more about you than you might think, Aubrey.” His words take my breath away.
My eyes snap up to his turquoise-colored ones. They’re such a fascinating shade, vibrant blues and greens swirling together, and depending on the weather or his mood, they become greener or bluer.
“Why?” It’s barely a whisper, the question falling from my lips on its own will.
His gaze searches mine, something passing through it. “Isn’t it obvious?”
“Oh my God!” Octavia squeals from the ground. I throw my leg to the side, kicking her subtly. “Ouch!” she whispers harshly.
I don’t answer his question, because that would mean admitting that he likes me the same way I like him, and I’m not ready to believe that entirely. Instead, I refocus my attention on the gift before me.
“Can I open it?”
He smiles tenderly. “Of course.”
I carefully pull out the tissue wrappers, setting them down on the side, and peek inside. There’s a wrapped gift in the shape of a big book, but when I pick it up, it kind of wobbles as if it’s flexible.Maybe a paperback?I push the bag and tissue aside, setting down the gift, and begin peeling off the wrapping delicately, my heart hammering in my chest and my hands shaking slightly with each tear of paper.
When I finally get it in full view, a small gasp leaves my lips. It’s a beautiful rust leather-bound recipe book with a tiny silver whisk embellishment on the wrap closure, and at the top of the cover “Aubrey’s Bakery” is embossed into it.
When I flip the cover over, a typed-out note greets me saying,“May all your biggest dreams come true, starting with the title of this book. Love, Shane xx”.My eyes well with tears as I glide my fingers over the note, feeling his choice of word penetrate me.Love.
“Oh, Shane…”
“I know you probably already have a ton of books that you write your recipes in, and it’s okay if you don’t use this one right away. I just…” When I look up, I find him rubbing at the back of his neck as he chuckles nervously.
“I thought you might like this one, and I mean you… you can never have too many recipe books, am I right?” He laughs. “I did some research on it, and they say that bakers can have over twenty books filled from front to back with recipes. So I thought it would be a good gift idea sin—”
Oh, he’s rambling, it’s adorable. At least I don’t feel so alone getting tongue-tied in front of him.
“Shane,” I interrupt him. He snaps his jaw shut as his hand drops from his nape and his eyes fall to mine, his Adam’s apple bobbing with a swallow before he sighs. “I love it, thank you. It means a lot to me.”
“Oh, he’s adorable!” Octavia whispers to me with a giggle from her spot.I forgot she was there.
