AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I cleared my throat and waved a hand toward the front. “I’m just gonna—grab another water.”
At the front counter, I gave myself a few seconds to gather my thoughts, to rid the images of Sophie’s bare breasts from my head. I shouldn’t be thinking about her this way. We had our chance, and it was over.
This time, I brought the bottle with me to give me something to do with my hands.
While I was gone, Sophie had pulled out several large bowls and flat pans. Bags and containers of ingredients covered the rest of the space.
“You do this every morning?” I asked her, trying to think of a way to fill the silence.
“I’m the only baker, so I work mornings and then leave early in the afternoon if I need some time off.”
I was used to getting up early for physical training, but it was something I continued to do after my discharge for my health. Never being able to take a morning off must be tough. “What do you do if you get sick?”
Her cheeks flushed. “I don’t.”
She worked when she was sick. I knew her tells. “That must be hard.”
“The business is doing well, and I’d love to hire another baker, but I don’t think I could justify the cost. I’d only need someone a couple of days a week, and would they bake the same way? Would it taste the same?”
I set the water bottle on the counter, bracing my hands on the cool surface. I was enjoying getting a clearer picture of Sophie as an adult. “It’s tough giving up control.”
She measured and poured ingredients into the large bowl as if she had the recipe memorized and could do this in her sleep. “I don’t think of it that way.”
“Hmmm.” We started dating a few years after her mother died, and it was obvious she was a huge help to her father. She ensured her sisters were awake each morning, ate breakfast, packed lunches, and got on the bus. After school, she helped them with homework and made dinner.
Her father meant well, but he had to work long hours to support his family. He wasn’t home for the bus pickup and drop-off, or even dinnertime. He helped out more on the weekends, which was when we spent time together. Thinking back, Sophie had a hard time letting go.
After a few minutes, she nodded toward a stool against the wall. “You can sit if you’re going to stay awhile.”
There was no edge to her tone, only softness. I pulled the stool over to the counter and sat.
“Do you need to get back to your daughter?” Sophie placed the first few trays of pastries in the oven.
“She’s still sleeping. Can I bring some of the fresh pastries home?” I wanted to stay in the warmth of the kitchen with the softly playing music and the smell of flour and sugar.
Sophie smiled. “Of course.”
She was proud of her business. When I met her, she was so worried about surviving each day and raising well-adjusted siblings that she didn’t talk much about the future.
“Have you always dreamed of opening a bakery?”
“Honestly?” At my nod, she continued, “I don’t think I had any expectations for the future, other than making sure my sisters graduated and knew what they were doing in life.”
My heart stuttered. An understanding of her filtered through. I’d asked her to leave Annapolis and come with me when I deployed.I’d asked her to leave her family.It wasn’t a question she could say yes to. Was it possible her rejection had nothing to do with me?
Hope sprung in my chest, but I tapped it down. I couldn’t be sure that was the case. It might just be wishful thinking.
She started on her next batch of dough, deftly measuring and pouring while keeping an eye on the oven. “Did you enjoy your time in the military?”
I couldn’t get enough of watching her—the freckles scattered over her nose and cheeks, the confident way she moved around the kitchen as she followed a recipe in her head.
She paused and then shook her head. “Sorry, that was an inconsiderate thing to ask. I don’t even know much about your deployment or what you faced.”
I moved around the counter and placed a hand on hers. Her warmth radiated through my skim. “I loved my job.”
Her gaze drifted from where our hands were touching to my face. An awareness passed between us, and I moved away, needing to sever our connection.
“Why did you leave?” she asked as I moved back to my spot on the stool.
