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I shook my head, glad he couldn’t see that I thought he was hot when he got a little dominating about his desire for me. There was a scream and some kind of commotion from the front of the bakery. I jumped. “I have to call you back.”
“What was that?” Carlos asked, putting his hands out like he was going to karate chop someone. “Should I call the cops?”
“I’m not sure.” My heart was racing. Maybe we were being robbed. I leaned against the door and listened. I heard laughter and happy chatter. “I think we’re clear.” I pushed the door open and went out into the shop.
My employee, Kate, who was very hot and cold in her attitude and work ethic was laughing animatedly and pointing out various flavors of cupcakes.
I realized why.
Country music star, Jolene Hart, of the famed duo Hart-Rivers, was standing in Sugar Lips, dressed in very tiny denim shorts and a basic white tank top that showed off her curvy figure. Her signature blonde hair wasn’t as teased as it was on stage, and she had minimal makeup on, but she was still a bombshell. There was a man with her that I didn’t recognize. It definitely wasn’t her partner, Chance Rivers.
I smiled when she glanced over and spotted me. “Hi, welcome to Sugar Lips,” I said. I felt a little more starstruck than I was expecting.
I felt completely caught off guard when she gave me a big smile and came running over, throwing her arms around me in a big hug. “It’s so nice to meet you! I’m Jolene Hart and this is my brother Shane Hart. Cash said y’all are expecting a baby, congratulations, that’s so exciting.”
That explained a thing or two. “Oh, yes, thank you so much. I’m Sera, obviously,” I added, awkwardly. “It’s nice to meet you both.”
“Cash knows I have a sweet tooth and he mentioned this was the place to satisfy it.” Jolene rubbed her hands eagerly. “Now that I’m off touring for a few months, I just had to get my butt over here.”
“I’m her designated driver,” Shane said. “Otherwise she’ll be eating donuts and driving.”
That made me feel more at ease. I laughed. “Girl, I’ve been there, done that. Though these days I’m just trying to keep food down.”
“Bless your heart,” Jolene said. “Do you know what you’re having?”
“No, not yet.”
“It has to be a boy. I guarantee it.”
“Why is that?” Shane asked, rolling his eyes at his sister.
“Mama always said girls steal their mother’s beauty, and Sera looks amazing. She’s glowing. It’s got to be a boy.” She nodded as if it were all fact.
I was flattered that a country star thought I looked attractive, though I also thought she was being generous.
“That’s an old wive’s tale,” Shane said. “Sera, are you going to be home tonight? I’ll see you at the house then. Cash invited me and Mac over to use his golf simulator.”
“Oh, I still live at my own house,” I said. “Though Cash wants to bump up the moving date.” I stuck my hands in my pockets because I felt caught off guard. I knew Cash had friends like MacKay Lennox, who owned a whiskey distillery, but I hadn’t realized he knew a couple of Nashville’s music elite. The disparity in our lifestyles was once again enormous.
“I bet he does.” Jolene winked. “Okay, so what cupcake do you recommend for a girl who loves chocolate?”
I noticed Kate was taking pictures of Jolene on her phone. I went behind the counter and yanked her phone away from her casually. I shoved it in my back pocket. “We can definitely hook you right up with some amazing flavors. Would you mind first though if I took a picture of you and Kate? She’s clearly dying to ask you.”
“Of course.” Jolene smiled at Kate. “What’s your name, sweetie?”
“Kate. I’m a huge fan.” She held her hand out to me for her phone.
“I’ll take it with my phone,” I said. She would get it from me when she deleted that video or pictures on her device, whatever she’d been doing.
After Jolene posed together with Kate, Kate asked for a picture with Shane, who seemed amused by that. But I had a feeling Kate had a whole different reason for asking him that had nothing to do with him being in the music industry. The man was wickedly good-looking, with a slender but muscular build, lots of tattoos, and a devilish smile. I helped Jolene put together a six pack of doughnuts then she and Shane waved and took off.
“That was so cool. Give me my phone,” Kate demanded, the second they left.
“Delete all those pictures right now in front of me and then I’ll send you the pictures I just took.”
“Why?” She sounded scandalized.
“Because that was a private conversation. Jolene and Shane are friends with Cash. I’m responsible for protecting their privacy.” Not to mention mine. I didn’t need the whole world knowing I was having Cash’s baby.
“Lame.” But she complied, showing me her camera roll was free of the shots.
“Go in your trash and permanently delete.” I knew all the tricks because of Ava.
She groaned. “Fine.” She held the phone out. “Happy?”
I nodded. “I’m sending you the pictures now.” I gave her a smile.
“It’s so cool you know all these famous people,” she said.
Ironic, considering I was thinking it was exhausting.
Cash
“I’m going to throw up,”Ava said, her face pale, hair falling in her eyes, as we stood in the security line at Nashville International Airport.
“You can’t both be throwing up,” I said, shifting my hand from where I had been rubbing Sera’s back to grab the backpack that had fallen off of Ava’s shoulder onto the floor. “Your mother has already thrown up. Just breathe through your nose,” I told her, trying to sound calm and reassuring. “Small breaths.”
