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“You’ve been working like crazy, and I’ve got extra hands tonight. Good ones. Not those silly birds who couldn’t tell a spatula from a spoon. Olivia is a godsend. Anyway, go spend the evening with your man.”
“Oh.” Relief fills me. Why do I let my mind always go to the worst places? It’s because I keep waiting for the bad to come. It always does. Everything has been a bit too good to be true. Especially when it comes to Knox.
“Still can’t believe someone finally landed Knox Lovejoy.” Olivia lets out a dreamy sigh. She’s adorable with her wavy blond hair and dimples.
I’d be irritated at how gorgeous she is if I hadn’t already met her girlfriend, who is just as adorable as her. Olivia is a hopeless romantic. She spent most of the afternoon telling me about her favorite romance novels. I loved every second of it. She’s so much cooler than any of the girls I worked with back in the city.
“I knew the whispers about him and Nora were bullcrap. Besides, the rumors that he’s been waiting years for you to come back home are way sweeter.”
“He’s a sweet man,” I say.
If you had told me I was going to utter those words a few months ago, I probably would have thought you were completely insane. I never would have believed you. Hell, it’s hard to believe a lot of the things Knox told me last night, but he had no reason to lie.
“Ruby, you have a visitor,” Jamie says, poking her head into the back. I immediately smile, thinking it’s Knox. “It’s Mr. Lovejoy.” Jamie’s words take me by surprise.
“The old one?” I try to remain calm and keep the smile on my face, but inside I’m anything but.
“Yep. Crabby, too.” She comes into the kitchen, clearly ready for me to handle it.
“Didn't know Abner ever left his throne,” Grams says dryly.
“He’s looking for me?” I point to myself, making sure I heard her right. Jamie nods.
My anxiety grows at her confirmation. I know Knox’s parents are snotty. His mom was, especially. Even with all the sweet things Knox has said to me, my mind still goes back to high school.
Years ago, when I was a sophomore and Knox was a senior, we shared a moment, and he’d even given me his number and told me to call him. I’d actually planned to. In that small interaction we had that day, I thought I saw a different side to him. That maybe all those times I’d thought he’d been staring at me weren't a figment of my imagination.
Up until that point, I’d always told myself I was crazy. That there was no way Knox Lovejoy was into me. But our little interaction that day had me thinking something else entirely.
All of it had been crushed moments later, though. I’d been on cloud nine when I walked away with his number programmed into my phone. So much so that I went the wrong way. I had been in a bit of shock that he gave me his number since he never gave it out to any girls at school.
Once I realized I’d been headed down the wrong hall, I turned around. When I passed him, I overheard him talking to Todd who asked why we were talking. He told him it was because he needed to place an order at the bakery for his dad’s birthday. Todd wasn’t satisfied with that answer and had pushed more, asking Knox if he was interested in me. Knox had gone on to say his mom and dad would never approve of me. That Todd should stay away from me too, because his parents would think the same.
I snap back to the present. His father is waiting out front.
“Okay.” I take a deep breath before I rush over to the mirror above the sink we use to wash our hands. I give myself a once-over. I grab a paper towel to wipe some flour off my cheek.
“Don’t you dare.” Grams comes up behind me, glaring at me in the mirror.
“What?”
“You’re out of Knox’s league. Not the other way around.”
“Hey, no one is out of anyone’s league.”
“Then remember that,” she orders, grabbing my elbow and pulling me into the front of the bakery. Mr. Lovejoy turns at the sound of the door swinging open. He pays me no mind, his eyes going straight for Grams. “What do you want with my granddaughter, Abner?”
He opens his mouth and closes it.
“Well? Cat got your tongue or something?”
“I came to tell her to stay away from my son,” he finally says.
Grams bursts into laughter. I wish I could laugh along with her.
“When did you grow a set of balls?”
Mr. Lovejoy tries to speak again, but Grams keeps cutting him off. “God knows you didn’t have them when you married Georgina.”
