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Her nervous look melts into a smile as I finally realize who she is. “That’s me.”
My mouth drops open. I can’t help it. Brett has been my best buddy since high school, and the last time I saw his kid sister was over eleven years ago. She was about ten, while Brett and I were already nearing our thirties. Daisy was a late surprise baby for the Capello family. She was shy but persistent, always trying to follow me and Brett around, but she was just a kid so I didn’t have a whole lot to do with her besides saying hi.
This curvy angel is Daisy Capello?
My brain is struggling to accept it, and I’m letting the silence drag on for too long. Eventually, Daisy breaks it. “So! Lincoln. How have you been? Brett told me you were back in town but I never see you around.”
I give myself a shake and force myself to answer. “Sorry, uh, yeah. I’m good. Brett told you I was back?”
Daisy nods. “He said he’d seen you a few times. He’s really happy you’re back in town. He’s probably too grumpy to admit it, but I know he missed you.”
I almost smile. As soon as I made up with my brother, seeing Brett was my next priority. I didn’t stay in touch with Brett as much as I should have while I was in the military, so when I went knocking on his door, I was worried things would be awkward between us after so long. But when he saw me, Brett pulled me into a hug. Just like with Nash, it was as if no time had passed. I instantly got my best friend back, and I’m really fucking grateful for it.
“I missed him too,” I tell Daisy. “But don’t tell him I said that.”
She smiles knowingly, her pretty lips curving upward. “So, are you back for good now?”
I nod. “Sure am. I’m out of the military now and living up on Snowfall Ridge, helping my brother with the Marion Retreat.”
Daisy’s gaze softens. “That’s awesome. It’s so sweet that you named it after your mom. Marion was such a nice lady—I met her a few times when I was a kid. She always gave me candy from her purse.”
My head is still swimming, but I can’t help but smile at the mention of my mom. “Yeah, she carried candy around everywhere. She had a real sweet tooth.”
“I know the feeling.” Daisy smiles, gesturing to all the cakes surrounding us.
“Did you make these?”
“I didn’t bake them all, but I decorated most of them.”
I look around at the cakes with newfound appreciation, eyeing the artful swirls of frosting and the towering layers of sponge shaped to look like all kinds of things. I smile at the sight of a cake made to look like a mini wintry scene, with mountain peaks and fir trees. It’s perfect.
“You’re talented,” I tell her. “Really talented.”
“Thank you.” She blushes, her cheeks turning an adorable shade of pink. “Sorry, I never asked what you came in for. What can I get for you?”
“I’m actually here to pick up an order.”
Understanding dawns on Daisy’s face. “Oh, of course! You must be here to get Nash’s cake. Give me one second, it’s in the back.”
She vanishes through a pair of double doors behind the counter, and my heart thuds as I watch her go.
Fuck.
I shouldn’t be reacting to her like this. She’s Daisy Capello, goddammit. She’s my best friend’s kid sister and she always will be, even if she’s all grown up now. Hell, even if she wasn’t Brett’s sister, she’s still too young, too pretty, too perfect for a scarred old veteran like me.
I swallow down the bitter thought as Daisy comes back through the doors holding a box.
“Here you go,” she says, setting it down on the counter in front of me. “Nash already paid. I hope his wife loves it! It’s a chocolate cake made to look like her cat with a Happy Birthday message frosted on top.”
I chuckle. “I’m sure Ava will love it. She’s crazy about that cat.”
My laugh dies in my throat as the double doors to the backroom open once again and a man walks through them toward us. He’s young, probably about the same age as Daisy, with sharp cheekbones and a bored look in his eyes, like he’d rather be anywhere else than here. I hate him on sight.
“Oh, Lincoln, this is Jake,” Daisy says, gesturing to the guy.
Jake nods at me curtly. I don’t nod back. There’s something shifty about him, but he’s a good-looking twenty-something-year-old, which means he’s probably the kind of guy that Daisy will go for. Hell, maybe they’re already together. She didn’t introduce him as her boyfriend, but maybe she just assumed I’d put two and two together.
Fuck, this shouldn’t bother me. I shouldn’t be clenching my fists at the thought of Daisy having a boyfriend. This isn’t normal.
