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“Hold your horses,” Miranda scolds.
“Sorry, go ahead,” I tell her.
“After she left, I befriended the other woman, Harper, who’s her cousin. They own the bakery together, but Harper is about to move to California with her fiancé and Lacey is taking over and will eventually buy her out of the business. Apparently, Harper’s fiancé is some big shot out in California. He’s the one that paid for the new ovens for them. Anyway, to the good parts. Lacey is very much single. She’s a single momma to a little boy and girl. Her cousin didn’t go into all the details, but said that she’s had a bad couple of years but has survived and is making things better for her and the kids.”
“That doesn’t sound that bad,” I tell her, my excitement returning. “I like kids and could date a single mom.”
“Damn straight you can. You’re so good with my kids, I don’t see why you wouldn’t be with others.”
I don’t miss my sister’s trust in my abilities to adapt, and it gives me the confidence I need to see if that feeling is still there when I see Lacey tomorrow.
“Thanks for doing some digging. I hope it wasn’t too hard to do so.”
“Not at all. It helped that Noah and the little girl—whose name is Hope, by the way—started playing together before she had to leave with her mom. I was talking to both Lacey and Harper before they left and then just continued talking to Harper once Lacey was gone.”
“Hopefully, she won’t be mad her cousin just spilled all that to a stranger,” I muse, knowing my sister would be pissed if I’d told someone all her personal business.
“It was all very casual. Don’t worry, Garrett, I wouldn’t do you dirty. I want you to find someone to settle down with. I’m not going to risk that before it can even start by digging too hard.”
“Alright, I trust you, but if this was to go anywhere and we get to the point that we meet each other’s families, I don’t want her to think I sent you to find out about her.”
“Did you have any of her baked goods? Because, damn. They are fantastic. It’s a really good thing they aren’t here in town, or I’d be there every day, and my waistband can’t handle that kind of sweetness in my life on a daily basis.”
“I did, a giant cinnamon roll,” I tell her.
“So, if it was ever brought up, I can just say you wouldn’t stop raving about it and I just had to go try it for myself.”
“If you say so.”
“I do, now are you going to ask her out tomorrow?”
“I don’t know yet. I’ll feel things out tomorrow when I’m there and if it seems right, then maybe.”
“You’ve got this! I can feel it in my bones.”
“I’m glad someone is confident.”
“Call me and tell me how it goes. Love you, Garrett.”
“Love you, too, Sis,” I tell her before the line goes dead.
5
LACEY
I lookover the order sheet for the cake I’m about to work on. I pull out my decorating items, along with the tub of frosting. Before I get going, I mix up the colors I’ll be using for the border and accents requested.
I love decorating cakes. I let the details pull me in and completely zone out of everything that is going on around me, and so that’s why when someone taps me on the shoulder, I startle in surprise.
“Lacey, it’s just me.” Harper laughs as I spin toward her.
“Shit, you scared me. I was in the zone.”
“I’m aware.” She laughs some more. “Garrett is here to install the second oven,” she says, pointing to the back door and the man who I haven’t been able to get out of my mind since he was here the other day. He looks just as scrumptious as he did then. The way his clothes fit his body makes me wonder what he’d look like naked. I immediately shake my head, trying to get those thoughts out of my mind. I can’t be thinking of this man naked. I just can’t go there right now.
“Oh, hi,” I finally greet, my voice a little squeaky.
“Good afternoon,” he greets as he walks deeper into the kitchen. “Hope I’m not interrupting anything.”
