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Before she could feel awkward, my phone rang. I dreaded it’d be my mother, who still didn’t know she was about to become a grandmother. It was April telling me she was sick and couldn’t come to work. She apologized profusely for not calling sooner, but she’d hoped she’d feel better until she started her shift. I felt for her because she didn’t sound well, and I knew she wouldn’t skip unless she needed to, but the Universe in all its toxic irony chose that moment to start the rush hour.
As customer after customer started to get in, I began to freak out, thinking I still had baking to do. Noticing my distress, Haley went behind the counter to help me manage the orders. She was a huge relief, but I still didn’t know what to do about the next batches.
My schedule was tight. I had to follow the timeline I’d set so I could bake in advance, but not so much that the goodies weren’t fresh. Either I’d spend even more hours baking—which was already proving to be hard, as I was getting tired and sleepy—or I wouldn’t be able to bake as much, and that would affect my sales.
I was trying hard not to freak out, telling myself I shouldn’t panic over things out of my control. Right on that day, a bus full of tourists from some church came in, keeping us busier than I’d ever been. Between the orders Haley was placing, she fished her phone from her pocket and typed something fast.
“I’m calling reinforcements.”
I wasn’t sure what she meant by that. A few minutes later, Benjamin, Mia, and Zach walked in.
“Where do you need us?” Mia asked.
I was speechless for a moment, not quite understanding what was happening.
“She needs help baking,” Haley explained.
Benjamin came behind the counter and kissed me on the temple. “We’ve got this, Forest.” He strode to the kitchen, for what, I didn’t know.
“Mia and I can handle the tables. If Hay needs some help at the cashier, we can pitch in. You’re okay with that, Izzie?” I just nodded at Zach like a lunatic and went with the flow. “Good. You might wanna give Ben some pointers.” Then they headed behind the counter to sanitize their hands and started delivering the food.
I hadn’t understood what he meant. When I noticed they’d be able to handle the customers, I went back to find Benjamin wearing an apron and picking ingredients from the fridge. His eyes met mine, and he gave me his signature cocky grin.
“So what’s the call, Chef? What should I bake?”
“Do you know how to bake?” My incredulity was evident.
“I sure do. I’ve learned from the best. Rosie is a great baker, and she taught me everything I know. I guess she knew I needed that skill to impress my woman someday.” He winked.
I wanted to jump on him and rip off his clothes—and I couldn’t blame the hormones for that. I wanted to kiss him with gratitude. I wanted to bake with him like a longtime couple and teach our kid to bake as well.
“I’ve just bought a special apron for this occasion at Mrs. Robinson’s.” He was tying the knot behind his back.
“‘Kiss The Cook!’ I loved it.”
“Kiss the cook?” He looked down in surprise. “Damn it, I read it wrong. It was supposed to say ‘Kiss the coc—’”
“I got the picture.” I laughed.
Getting a hold of my emotions, I jumped into action, guiding him through what I wanted. He followed my recipes, and we baked for quite some time. I couldn’t say if seeing him kneading the dough was what brought my lust to never before seen levels, or if it was because he was doing it to help me, while his family was doing the same out front.
Now and then, I’d check outside to see if I was needed, but they were dealing with everything like a well-oiled machine. With so many hands on deck, I completed my self-imposed tasks way sooner than expected.
While Benjamin cleaned himself, I met the guys at the counter to find the rush hour had subsided. There were a few customers here and there, already eating. Haley and Zach were in the corner of the counter, talking and smiling intimately, and Mia was leaning on it, chatting with one of my favorite regulars, Mr. Cross.
“How come are you over there? Are you allowed, young lady?” There was no bite to his words, and his lips were pulling up behind his stern facade.
“I have an in,” she whispered in conspiracy. “My brother is sleeping with the owner, so I have a free pass.”
His frown was immediate. “You’re related to the no-good-man that knocked the poor woman up?”
Her eyes brightened up. “Yes! You know him?”
“He’s not a no-good-man,” I defended.
Whispering dramatically, Mia contradicted me to the old man just as Benjamin came out. “He is.”
Mr. Cross turned his stern eyes at my man. “You’re the trouble?”
