Chapter Seven

Snow

I needed to get the weekly order to the coffee shop, but I also had two batches of muffins in the oven. If I timed it just right, I should have been able to drop off the delivery and make it back before the muffins were done, but my mind wouldn’t let me relax.

What if the oven decided to turn off? Or worse, what if it went haywire and shot up to a thousand degrees? I could almost see the flames licking up the walls, smoke billowing out, and the whole house gone because of some muffins. Gah. I just needed someone to keep an eye on them.

My eyes drifted out the window over to Bones’ garage. I could make out him sitting on one of those rolly seats next to the frame of a motorcycle. He was home.

I chewed on my bottom lip and was torn. How crazy would it be if I asked Bones to keep an eye on my muffins? I didn’t know him that well—though after that last little exchange we had yesterday, I felt like we’d broken the ice. Kind of.

I checked the timer again.

Twenty-five minutes.

I needed to decide right now if I wanted to take the chance on leaving the oven unsupervised or see if Bones was up for helping me. I could always offer him a fresh-baked muffin in return for his help.

“Screw it,” I muttered and grabbed my jacket. Before I could talk myself out of it, I marched over to Bones’ garage and crossed the driveway with as much purpose as I could muster. My stomach twisted with nerves, especially since he could see me coming. Those clear garage doors made it impossible to sneak up on anyone.

When I got to the door, I hesitated, then knocked lightly.

“Sugar,” Bones called, “just come in.”

I rolled my eyes but pushed open the door and tried to mask how thrown I felt by his casual confidence. Most garages I’d seen were drafty and uninviting, but Bones’ space felt like a whole other world.

The two large bay doors were at the front, framing the garage that housed two motorcycle lifts. Each one had a bike perched on it, one gleaming as if it had just been polished, the other clearly in mid-repair. Three large red toolboxes lined one wall, some of their drawers slightly open, with every imaginable tool organized and ready.

Toward the back was a setup I didn’t expect at all. A couple of big leather couches, a recliner, an oversized TV playing some car show, and even two pinball machines in the corner. A desk on the far side held a messy stack of papers with a few stools in front of it. It was warm, well-lit, and organized—yet it still had that laid-back, rough-around-the-edges feel that somehow fit Bones perfectly.

“Didn’t know you had a whole man cave in here,” I said, stepping further inside.

Bones looked up from where he was sitting on one of those low seats with rollers by the bike that was in pieces, and he gave me a slow grin. “Ah, it’s just a little setup to hang out in when I need to rest or think for a bit.”

“Very nice,” I muttered as I glanced around his garage and tried to look casual while my heart was thumping a little too fast.

He raised an eyebrow and wiped his hands with a rag. “You find time in your busy schedule to see what I’ve got going on over here?”

Oh, I was definitely interested in what he had going on over here, and over there, and… well, practically everywhere. But I cleared my throat, tipped my head to the side, and pretended his question hadn’t flustered me. “Uh, well, not really. I actually need a favor.” I held up my hands, a little self-conscious. “That is, if you have time. I don’t want to bother you.”

Bones chuckled, stood up from the seat, and walked over. He leaned against the edge of his desk and crossed his arms in that way that made his muscles look, well, extremely distracting. “What do you need from me, Sugar?”

Oh, wow. That was a loaded question. I swallowed back the not-so-innocent thoughts that ran through my mind and forced myself to focus. “Well, if you’re not too busy, I was wondering if you could… maybe keep an eye on my muffins while I ran out to make a delivery.”

Bones’ grin widened, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “I’m assuming when you say muffins, you mean actual muffins?”

“Yes,” I laughed and felt my cheeks warm. “I normally have Kelsi and Tom to help me, but they’re both gone till after the New Year. I just need to run to the coffee shop to deliver their weekly order, and I’ll be right back. The muffins only have about twenty-five minutes left in the oven, so it wouldn’t be for too long.”

“That the only delivery you have today?” he asked and watched me like he was already putting the pieces of my day together.

I wrinkled my nose. “Um, no. I have a few more things to do. There’s a sheet cake for the Christmas party at the balloon factory, and I’m delivering pastries for the library fundraiser tonight. Plus, I need to decorate some cookies for the Montgomerys, and there are more muffins I need to pack up for tomorrow’s delivery.” I realized I was rambling and pressed my lips together.

Bones raised an eyebrow. “And you’re going to do all that by yourself?”

I shrugged and tried to play it off like it was no big deal. “Uh, well, yeah. I don’t really have much of a choice with my usual help out.”

He looked me over, and his eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “What if I made your delivery to the coffee shop? Then you could keep working while the muffins bake.”

I blinked at him, surprised. “Uh, well, yeah, that would work. But that’s a lot more time than just having you keep an eye on my house to make sure it doesn’t catch fire.”

Bones chuckled, and the sound was low and warm. “I think I can manage a delivery to the coffee shop without any trouble. Besides, you’ve got a lot on your plate. I don’t mind lending a hand.”

I hesitated, biting my lip. “Are you sure? I don’t want to take up your whole afternoon. And it’s my plate that is full, not yours.”

He shrugged like it was the easiest thing in the world. “It’s no problem. I was just tinkering around in here, anyway.” He dropped the rag on the desk and gave me a reassuring nod. “I’ll get your order dropped off. You just focus on getting everything else ready.”

Relief and gratitude flooded through me. “Thank you, Bones. I really appreciate it. The boxes are just by the front door. They’re all labeled, so it should be pretty straightforward. Gertie knows what everything is, so you pretty much just have to help her load it in the walk-in freezer.”

“Got it.” Bones gave me one last grin before he headed toward the door, leaving me standing there feeling both surprised and incredibly grateful.

“You coming, Sugar?” he called and was already halfway out the door.

I hightailed it after him and managed to skirt around him to walk into the kitchen first. “The eight boxes are right here.”

“Damn,” he sighed, taking in the neatly stacked boxes. “That is a lot.”

I shrugged. “Not really when you think about it. This’ll keep the coffee shop’s case full for a week.” I lifted the lid off the top box, showing him what was inside. “It’s all raw and frozen. Croissants, bear claws, two types of muffin batter already portioned out, and four dozen decorated cupcakes.” I put the lid back on. “Everything’s ready to be thawed and baked when they need it. Well, everything except the cupcakes. That would be a mess if they tried to bake those.”

Bones looked at me, eyes widening. “Wait, I’ve had the bear claws from the coffee shop. They’re amazing.”

I felt my cheeks heat up at the compliment. “Well, thank you. I make them, then the coffee shop just bakes them fresh.”

“That’s amazing.”

I grabbed the top box, not sure how much more of his praise I could handle without completely melting. “Yes, well, we need to get these loaded up before they start thawing. You can take the delivery van.”

Bones shot me a teasing grin. “You don’t think I can fit these on the back of my bike?”

I rolled my eyes and headed toward the door. “I think it’d take you eight trips, and that’s only if you didn’t dump them all over the road.”

Bones laughed his warm, low chuckle, which made me smile. “You’d be right about that one, Sugar. Though, I was thinking I could take my truck.”

I paused and tilted my head. “No, take the van. You’re not using your own vehicle and gas to help me out. The van is ready to go.”

He followed me outside and over to the delivery van parked at the end of the driveway. We loaded up in two quick trips and stacked the boxes neatly in the back.

Once everything was packed, Bones slid into the driver’s seat and rolled down the window. He leaned an arm on the door as he looked over at me. “I won’t be long,” he promised and gave me a smile that sent my heart racing.

“Take your time. Well, actually, on the way back, take your time. You kind of need to get those boxes over there ASAP before they start thawing.”

Bones nodded, and his grin widened. “You got it, boss.” He backed out of the driveway, giving me one last look before heading off toward the coffee shop.

I watched him drive away and felt unexpectedly light. It wasn’t every day I had someone step in and help me like that. And not just anyone—a guy like Bones. There was something about him: the rugged, rough-around-the-edges look with that warm, teasing smile… he was as helpful as he was good-looking.

I shook my head and let out a little sigh as I realized I’d just been standing there, watching him go like some lovesick fool.

With a start, I remembered the muffins still in the oven. “Oh, shit!” I muttered and spun on my heel to dash back into the house before I could burn the place down.