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They watched him shuffle back through the door he’d entered.
The Dukes spent the next twenty minutes inspecting the bakery. Upstairs was just a big storage area with views of the river.
“You could have tables up here, and a deck,” Zoe said.
Ryder grunted, not willing to admit that was a good idea, and they headed back down to inspect the kitchens, which were a health hazard and right out of the seventies.
The doorbell chimed behind them, and Sawyer turned to see who was entering because he was fairly sure the bakery never got customers. He nearly swallowed his tongue as Birdie and J.D. walked in.
“What the actual fuck are you three doing in here?” his friend demanded.
“I heard they do really good muffins,” Zoe said.
“And chicken rolls,” Ryder added. He was now making notes in his book. Zoe held the measuring tape.
“Hi,” Sawyer said to Birdie.
“Hey.” She nodded and smiled at everyone but didn’t look him in the eye.
Little Miss Sunshine may have said she was a one-night-only girl, but he’d bet she’d not done it often, if ever. If he’d been thinking clearly, that should have stopped him from getting his hands on her. But Sawyer was pretty sure nothing would have stopped him that night. He’d wanted her the moment he’d seen her in that dress.
She was in another one of those long floral skirts, a black tank top, and black boots. Her hair was in a messy bun. He’d told himself he wouldn’t want her again. The itch was scratched. He was wrong. Sawyer felt a powerful urge to pick her up and find the nearest surface to lay her on.
Fuck.
He moved to talk to Ryder, who was now in the kitchen and away from her. He was a grown-assed man, and he could control himself.
“It needs to be ripped out and replaced,” his brother said. “But this wall here”—he tapped it—“also looks out to the water. We could turn it into a half wall and sell coffee and ice cream.”
“Why is he speaking like that?” J.D. pointed at Ryder. “Your sister won’t tell me, even when I smiled at her. She just rolled her eyes and said that shit doesn’t work on her.”
“We raised her well,” Sawyer said. “Why are you here?”
“Birdie and I were getting lunch, and Bart Matilda told me there was finally going to be a bakery that actually sold food people wanted to eat in town, and he was pointing here. We looked in the window and saw three Dukes,” J.D. said. “A gaggle of Dukes in this town means trouble.”
“Quack quack,” Zoe said, coming up behind them. “Now take your Rodeo Drive tailored butt out of here. We have things to discuss. Not you, Birdie, you can stay.”
“I don’t take orders from you, little Duke. Get out of my face,” J.D. said.
“Language, bud,” Sawyer said.
“You’re not serious.” His friend turned back to glare at him. “When every word that comes out of her mouth at me is an insult.”
His friend rarely lost his cool. So, it was interesting to see him doing just that with Zoe. Sawyer looked at his sister. She was smirking. Having been the recipient of that smirk, he cut J.D. some slack.
“Leave him alone, Zoe,” Sawyer said. She wasn’t happy about it but stomped away to Birdie, who was still standing where she’d been since she entered.
“All right.” Mr. Limpet walked back out of the room.
“All right what?” J.D. demanded.
“Never had so many people in here. I should have baked a batch of something today,” Mr. Limpet said, putting his thumbs into the braces of his overalls.
“All right what?” J.D. asked again.
“I’ll sell for that amount and the lodge accommodation and meals,” the older man said, ignoring J.D., which didn’t happen often. Ryder, Sawyer, and Mr. Limpet shook hands. J.D. put his out too because he hated missing out on anything. The old man shook it and then shuffled back to his card game.
“You’re buying this place,” J.D. said slowly. “You’re buying this place, and I’ll be able to walk down the road for those donuts you make that have caramel inside and the hard outside.”
