There was just something about Avery Whynot that left me tongue tied.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Mateo
This was a bad fucking idea.Bad idea, bad idea, bad idea.
I couldn't do nothing, though. Not after seeing how Avery looked at Levi at yoga.
I knocked on the front doors to Evie’s bakery and waited patiently. The sky was still dark, the sun not even close to rising.
Evie’s familiar face appeared on the other side. Usually her expression was a slice of sunshine, but today she scowled at me as she unlocked the door. “What are you doing here so early?”
“I want fresh conchas and a coffee, please,” I said. “I’ll do anything for them.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be at the fire department?”
“Not yet,” I said. “And I’m on call. Don’t worry, our town is safe.”
She crossed her arms. “Can’t you get them when I open?”
“No.Pleaseeee, Evie. I’ll owe you one.”
Evie pressed her red lips into a thin line and regarded me with a look that had my insides shriveling. Even though the bakery wasn’t open yet, she was already dressed to conquer the day. She wore a bright blue dress with an apron over it, her pastel pink tennis shoes squeaking against the checkered floors as she took a step back to let me in.
“Who’s the special someone?”
“You already know.”
Evie’s brows shot up. She stared at me for a moment and then let out a long hum.
“But you’re not gonna say anything to anyone.”
She tipped her chin up. “I never agreed to that.”
“You will if you want me to keep your secret.”
Her mouth dropped. “And what fucking secret is that, Jimenez?”
I wasn’t going to say it aloud, because I didn’t need to. She knew exactly what I was talking about, because just like she kept my secret—I kept hers.
Right when Avery had moved back to Whynot, it’d been pretty clear I was pining for her. Our group had gotten together for an event, ended up drinking too much, and Evie and I had confided in each other.
For two years, Evie had known how I felt about Avery.
Just like for two years, I knew how she felt about Austin Whynot.
“All right, fine. I’ll make her coffee exactly how she likes it. But why now, Mateo?”
“Why not?”
“Oh my god.” She sighed, waving her hand to follow her. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Rescue me. Help me win the girl.”
Evie shook her head as she led me behind the counter. Even this early in the day, everything in her shop was organized and perfect. The scent of pastries warmed the kitchen, a rack full of them waiting to be picked clean by everyone in Whynot.
“I have so many questions.” Evie grabbed a set of tongs and pulled two pink conchas off a tray and put them in a bag. “But I’ll ask them later. I’m on a tight schedule.”
