AllFreeNovel
Share Us
* * *
Jenny
Very early on Monday morning, Jenny parked Rick’s truck outside the back entrance to the bakery and contemplated how to unload all the trays in the back by herself.She’d needed to borrow the big vehicle to fit everything inside.
Maddie would be here soon to help, but dammit, Jenny wanted to impress her new friend.
You don’t gotta do it all yourself,Rick always said to her.But she often found herself having to.Toby was a case in point.After Jenny’s ex tried to convince her to either have an abortion or adopt Toby away, neither of which were ever in her plan, she’d decided to take some other advice he’d had a habit of giving her and lose some weight.Just over two-hundred pounds of useless ex-boyfriend, to be exact.
Man, had it felt good.Ever since, she’d done it alone.With the much-needed support of her family, but essentially, the buck stopped with her.
If she could birth a child and raise him, do the night wakings and all that other stuff, she could fucking well carry six big trays of sweet treats into the back of the bakery.
She stared at them, wondering if they had been quite so wide last night.
She bent over and grabbed the top two trays.Could she take a third?
“Mornin’.”
At the low drawl of a greeting, Jenny stood up so fast that she almost took the trays with her.Like a shot, Levi was behind her, steadying the load, his body warm against her back.
“You gave me a fright.”
“Sorry.”He let go, took a step back, and then she could breathe again.He looked contrite with those big brown eyes, shadowed by the battered denim cap he always wore, soft chestnut curls peeking out from beneath it, kissing the nape of his neck.His habitual cigarette was tucked behind one ear.“Gettin’ ready to open?”
“Yep.I’m hired on while Laurie’s arm heals.”
“Can I give you a hand?”
“I wouldn’t say no.”
He easily carried three of the loaded trays at once.Jenny took two, trying not to look at Levi’s ass in those jeans.
“Why’re you up and about so early?”
He glanced over his shoulder at her.“Headin’ to the butcher’s shop a few doors down to get some scraps.There’s this cat that comes around the auto shop and always looks hungry.”
Jenny’s heart softened.OfcourseLevi took in waifs and strays.He couldn’t just be a regular asshole that she could tell herself to avoid.“A stray?”
“Ain’t got a collar.Not sure ‘bout a chip.Thin fella.Where d’ya want these?”
“On the counter there, the wide one.Thanks.”
He moved past her and again she caught a hint of his scent, freshly cut grass, and some woodsy cologne.She tried not to draw too greedy a breath.“I’ll get the last one.”
She liked that he didn’t assume she needed help with the two she carried, or say something patronizing.He just helped.
“There you go.That all right?”Levi asked, setting down the final tray, heavy with raspberry-studded blondies.
“Perfect.Thanks.”
“You need anything else?”His gaze held hers and she saw a muscle in his jaw move, like he was chewing over something to say.
“Um.No.I don’t think so.”He made some small move, a precursor to leaving, and of its own volition she heard her own voice add, “Want a coffee?I was going to make one for myself, so….”
“Sure.Thank you.”He took his cap off, ran a hand through his tumble of curls and shoved the hat back on again.“What can I do while you brew it?Ain’t used to bein’ waited on.”
Jenny jerked her chin towards the big commercial oven across the space from them.“Can you preheat that oven?Three-fifty should do it.”
