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That’s the second time today I’ve been caught acting like a creep around Daisy. I seriously need to get my shit together.
I drive back up the mountain and head for Nash’s, texting him to let him know I’m here. He comes out to grab the cake, desperate to keep it a secret from Ava.
“Thanks. I owe you a drink,” he says as he takes the cake box out of the passenger seat, pausing when he catches sight of my expression. “You okay?”
“I’m fine. Tell Ava happy birthday from me, alright? I’ll come see you both soon.”
We say our goodbyes, and I drive back to my empty cabin, my mind full of Daisy Capello.
4
Daisy
I wake up the next morning with the same question on my mind as last night.
Am I imagining things?
The truck sitting outside the house looked just like Lincoln’s…but why would he have been coming this way? He lives only a short drive down the mountain from Brett’s cabin, and my tiny basement apartment is a huge detour. I must be seeing things. It was probably a different guy driving a similar-looking truck. Either that or there was some entirely coincidental reason for Lincoln to be driving past this place. It’s the only thing that makes sense. What reason would he have for following his best friend’s younger sister around?
Still feeling a little jittery, I get ready for work, taking a second to look in the mirror before I leave.
“You are beautiful,” I tell my reflection, taking a deep breath. “You are worthy. You are perfect. You are enough.”
I try to repeat these affirmations every morning. It was a New Year’s resolution that I made for myself, hoping to improve my confidence. I just hope if I say the words often enough, I might start to believe them.
Once I’m ready, I head up the steps to the side door of the house and let myself out into the frosty morning air. It’s a short drive to Heavenly Cakes, and I think about Lincoln as I traverse the quaint streets of Winterdale, remembering the way we talked last night. It felt so natural to be close to him, and even though I love my brother, I wish I could have spent more time alone with Lincoln. There’s something so magnetic about him. And that voice…God, I could listen to his manly growl for hours.
“Good morning!” Emily calls as I head into the cake shop, sighing with relief as the warmth envelops me. I love this place—the elegant displays, the smell of vanilla frosting, and especially Emily beaming at me from behind the counter.
“Morning.” I smile at her.
She wiggles her eyebrows. “It’s still there.”
I pull off my coat and hang it up before reaching for my apron. “What’s still there?”
“That look in your eye.” She’s still grinning at me like she knows something I don’t. “I recognize that look.”
“What look?”
“There’s a little twinkle in your eye,” she says triumphantly. “I noticed it yesterday too. You, my dear Daisy, have got a crush.”
My cheeks heat up involuntarily, and I know I must look like a slice of red velvet cake as I say, “No I don’t.”
Emily shakes her head, laughing. “You’re such a bad liar. Just admit that you like Jake!”
It takes a moment for me to process her words. “Jake? You think I like Jake?” I almost laugh with surprise. It’s not a crazy thing to assume—Jake is the kind of guy a lot of people would go for. But he’s not my type. My type is Lincoln Stirling and nobody else. Always has been. “He seems like a nice guy,” I continue, breathing a sigh of relief. “But no, I definitely don’t have a crush on Jake.”
Emily’s smile falters and she sighs. “Damn, I really thought I was onto something there—”
The door opens, cutting her off, and Jake walks in, the same bored expression from yesterday already in place.
“Hey Jake!” Emily says brightly, acting like our conversation never happened.
The rest of the morning passes slowly. Since Jake is still so new to the job, I spend most of my time helping him out, forcing myself to concentrate. But every time the door to the shop opens, my gaze shoots up expectantly. I know I’m being dumb. Lincoln only came in yesterday to pick up his brother’s order, and I doubt he’ll need a specialty cake for himself anytime soon, but that doesn’t stop my pulse from quickening when the bell above the door tinkles.
“I’m heading over to the bakery for a little while,” Emily says once lunchtime rolls around. “I’m needed for a couple of things, but I’ll be back this afternoon. Will you be okay training Jake by yourself until then?”
“Sure. I’m going to teach him about inventory management after lunch.”
