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Unable to resist, I sink my teeth into it and moan aloud. Buttery, flaky goodness, and the sweet, tart taste of cherries. So good.
Damn it. It's the most delicious pastry I've ever tasted.
It's so good, I moan a second time.
I open my eyes to see both Dani and Kaia staring at me.
Dani gives me a smug smile, but there's something like relief in her eyes. Was she worried about my opinion? Why would she care? "Better than store bought?"
I shrug, then shove the rest of the danish in my mouth in case she gets any ideas about taking it from me. Even nearly choking is totally worth it for the taste. Kaia and Dani watch me chew, dropping crumbs all over myself, and I don't care.
I'm on some sort of weird cherry danish high.
I narrow my eyes at Dani as I swallow, but I have enough sense not to ask if she used drugs in the danish. I'll know in an hour or two.
Of their own accord, my fingers claw into the bag and pull out a cherry muffin. I take a bite and my eyes roll back in my head, but I manage to turn away from the woman who is my soul mate and the woman who definitely isn't.
I'm going to leave while I still have some dignity.
"Hold up, Grant," Kaia says. "I'll walk over to the meeting with you."
I pause, desperate for an excuse, but I'm still chewing on what has to be the best muffin I've ever tasted in my life.
"Don't you want coffee, Ranger?" Dani asks.
I don't want coffee. Ineedcoffee.
I turn back to the two women, both eying me with far too much interest, and sigh as I swallow. "Yes, and yes."
Rejoining them, I set my bag on the counter.
Kaia laughs, as Dani pours coffee into a to-go cup. "Still like trees better than people?" Kaia asks.
I don't know what I did to bring on that comparison. Is that what she thinks of me? Is that what she's always thought of me?
I stuff my hands in my pockets and rock back on my heels.
"Seems like you know him well," Dani says as she slides the cup across the counter.
Shit, I almost walked out without paying. I hand over my debit card. "Kaia and I grew up together." Hopefully, I can nip this conversation in the bud.
"We almost got married," Kaia says.
I bobble my coffee and a bit spills onto my hand. I hiss at the pain.
A napkin appears, and I take it, looking up at Dani. I hate the sympathy in her eyes. "Thanks," I grit out.
"I'm sure you'll hear the story," Kaia continues. "I left him at the altar, because I didn't know how to tell him I wanted a life outside Catalpa Creek."
I freeze and look at my ex-fiance. This isn't like her. She's always been a private person. I nearly missed her birthday the first year we dated because she didn't tell me about it. "Kaia," I say. "Maybe not the place."
Kaia's jaw tenses and her eyes flare. "You know everyone's going to be talking about it, Grant. You're the town hero and I'm the woman who left you at the altar. When Kade shows up, everyone's going to think I'm worse than the devil."
"Hardly the hero anymore," I mutter. "Lot of people blame me for your resort moving in."
She shrugs. "They'll get over it. Even my mother suggested I track you down and apologize for the cruel way I treated you."
The worry and sadness on her face make me want to hug her and tell her everything will be okay. Except she's not mine to hold anymore.
