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“Here we are,” she announced, gesturing to the kitchen as she continued her deranged realtor shtick. “This is where the magic happens.” She glanced at the sink, recalling the magical orgasmic explosion that had occurred there. And blast her crazy lady nerves. She couldn’t have the livestream viewers think she was talking about sex. After catching them sucking face in the driveway, it was a logical conclusion and one she had to snuff out. “And when I say magic,” she crooned, “I mean baking magic, not sex magic. Nope, no sex magic in this kitchen. We save that for the soundproof room in the basement or the bedroom.”
Landon gawked at her—and rightly so.
She had to get control of her naughty-word spewing, sex-talking mouth.
She stared at her husband like a deer caught in the headlights and madehelp-meeyes at him, praying he’d decipher her ocular cry for assistance.
He strode toward her and flashed his dreamy pop star half-grin at Tanner and his livestreaming glasses. “Why don’t we turn this over to our baking coach, Mr. Schuman Sweet, from Cupid Bakery. We’re so grateful to have him here, and he can fill everyone in on the first challenge,” Landon said with practiced ease. Then again, he was a pop star. He had experience speaking to the masses—and thank God for that.
“Thank you, Landon,” the baking coach replied, watching her for a beat as one would regard a shrieking hyena. He slipped a card from his pocket, then focused on Tanner’s camera glasses. “The first challenge is the sugar cookie challenge,” he read. “Today, our celebrity contestants are tasked with preparing this bakery staple to celebrate the one-year anniversary of…” The man cleared his throat. “Of Denver’s Singing Grannies Choral Group.”
Was this guy getting emotional about old ladies singing?
Stop and focus.
“Cookies for singing grannies, okay,” she whispered as Landon took her hand and led her to the corner of the room.
“What’s going on?” he whispered as Schuman addressed the camera.
“What do you mean?” She leaned against the counter, trying to play it cool, but she hadn’t noticed Tanner’s box perched on the edge. She startled when her elbow bumped the cardboard surface.
“You appear to be a little jumpy.”
“I do?”
“You do.”
She fiddled with the corner of the cardboard box. “Anytime I’ve been on camera, I’ve worn a mask. It must be nerves.”
“Relax, take a breath. People are watching because they want to be entertained. They want to escape through you,” Landon said calmly, as though when he wasn’t living the life of a pop star, he enjoyed moonlighting as a hostage negotiator.
She nodded and exhaled a slow breath, then scanned the items in the box and noticed the lollipops.
Thank you, candy gods.
She plucked a red one from a plastic bag and jammed it into her mouth.
Landon watched her go to town on the sucker. “Do you think you should be eating those?”
“I’m sure one won’t hurt, and I could use the hit of sugar.” She stilled. “Hmm, it tastes…odd,” she noted, then continued sucking away like she’d entered a lollipop eating contest.
Landon eyed her warily. “Is something wrong with it?”
“It’s cherry, but it’s got a peculiarly earthy flavor,” she answered as Landon glanced at Mr. Sweet.
He pressed his hand to her back and leaned in. “Get your earthy lollipop fill, bonbon. It sounds like our baking coach is wrapping up his intro.”
A strange calmness came over her as she chomped the sucker into tiny slivers, swallowed down the sugar-laden treat, then tossed the stick behind the toaster to dispose of the evidence.
Thank you, cherry-flavored sugar.
Libby would be impressed with her Zen master skills.
She focused on Mr. Sweet, and just like Landon had guessed, the man was wrapping up his commentary. He crossed the kitchen, entered the living room, and settled himself on the couch. The man expelled one hell of a yawn as he positioned a throw pillow behind his neck.
At least he was making himself at home. Surely he’d perk up when it was time to bake.
But there wasn’t any time to worry about Schuman Sweet chill-laxing in her house. Tanner turned to them, and she turned up the wattage on her grin, but the guy removed the glasses and slipped them into his pocket.
