Chapter 12

Monday morning I was sitting inside La Petite bakery filling Maria in on the last few days. There was flour dusting her pale pink t-shirt that said Rolling with my Doughmies and had a picture of a cinnamon roll on it. I always knew what specialty goodie she'd be making based on the shirt she was wearing. Today was no exception and I was chopping the pecans for the filling and glaze for her ooey gooey cinnamon rolls.

"Are you sure you don't want to fire me?" I asked.

Her hands were still halfway through the process of rolling out her cinnamon rolls, and she looked at me like I'd grown a second head.

"Are you kidding? I need all the help I can get right now."

When I'd texted her to see if she wanted an extra pair of hands this morning before my date, she'd happily taken me up on the offer. One of the hockey players had posted a selfie online with one of the muffins from Hannah's order. Orders had started pouring in as a result.

"But what if you get nasty comments once people find out I work here?"

She left the dough and walked over to wrap me up in a big hug. "You're stuck with me until the day I can't bake anymore."

I didn't even mind that she'd covered my shirt in flour too. Instead of a cinnamon roll shirt, I had on a purple bakery shirt that said Keep Calm and eat a cupcake.

"And you're okay with me moving in?" I'd spent yesterday packing my things, and seeing if there was anywhere I could afford to stay. It was a good thing I didn't have much. A couple suitcases and boxes were all I needed to pack up.

"I wouldn't have offered if I had a problem with it." She let go of me.

"But what if I'm the reason you close?" She'd fought so hard for La Petite and I'd never forgive myself if I was the reason she had to close.

"Then we can move to the middle of nowhere, adopt a bunch of cats, and start over."

I laughed. "Why cats though? What do you have against dogs?"

"My neighbor's dog barks all the time. I'll pass." She returned to the dough. "Hey, maybe you could be a dog walker. I'll give my neighbor your info, and you can take the dog out so I can get some sleep."

The life of a baker definitely wasn't easy. Getting to the bakery by 3 AM meant trying to go to sleep early in the evenings. More than once I'd heard her complain about her nextdoor neighbor stomping and making loud noises that made it hard for her to sleep. I suspected that underneath all the complaining, she was trying to hide another feeling.

"When did he get a dog?" I asked.

"About a week ago. The thing is constantly making noise and I'm living on caffeine to stay awake."

That explained the batch of cookies she'd forgotten to add sugar to the other day. "I'm sorry, I was so busy complaining about my life."

"That's what best friends are for Lia. We rant and we listen. I listened and so have you."

"And here the internet says best friends are for providing an alibi."

She smiled mischievously, "Well if a dog goes missing. I was at your place."

"Noted."

We laughed and finished making the ooey gooey rolls.

Maria popped a tray into the preheated oven. "What time is Nate meeting you here?"

I glanced at my watch. "In an hour. He had to drop Penelope off at school. Did you see the interview Hannah posted from after the game?"

"You mean him fielding all the questions about your engagement that's straight out of a romance novel?"

"Yeah, but it'll probably end up like a crime novel. You should have seen some of those looks his ex gave me at the salon." I shuddered.

She rolled her eyes, "Let me know if you still feel that way after he kisses you."

"Who said anything about kissing? There will be no kissing a man I just met."

"You didn't just meet him though. You've been flirting with Super Dad for months. The sparks from your banter make it feel like the fourth of July. Of course there will be kissing. You're gorgeous, he's gorgeous. There needs to be smooching of the best kind so you can tell me all about it. Otherwise that's like cookies without chocolate, cake without frosting, brownies without--"

"You're ridiculous." I cut her off. She could go on for a long time when she started making food comparisons. "Why don't you find someone for your own sparks? Like that neighbor of yours."

I waggled my eyebrows at her and laughed at the glare she shot me.

"My neighbor may be hot, but he's the most inconsiderate, insufferable, man. You couldn't pay me to kiss him, and I haven't been on a date since that last guy I swiped on. He told me I tasted like garlic. We'd just had Italian with garlic bread. What could he have expected?"

"You're better off without him."

She nodded her head emphatically. "You know I am, and I knew it too when he told me that I'd be more attractive if I cut out carbs. Who ever heard of a baker that didn't eat carbs? So I better be the first person you tell about your kisses with Nate."

I lifted and dropped one shoulder in a semi shrug, "How about I see how breakfast goes with him first?"

"Go pick out your box. I'd hate for it to sell out before you get a chance."

"Don't lie, you'd love to sell out. But I want first dibs on those cinnamon rolls."

She shooed me to the front of the store so I could put together a to-go box for Nate and I. I hadn't thought to ask him if he preferred to eat at the bakery or somewhere else. The upside of having helped Nate when he came into the bakery is I knew what to pick out for the both of us. I added a couple of the bacon and egg croissants he liked so much, before adding two of my favorite chocolate muffins to a mini box. Movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention and I saw a line of customers already lined up outside the door, a really long line.

"Maria," I called out nervously.

When she came to the front I pointed to the long line of people. "How much more can you bake?"'

"More if I didn't have to man the counter."

I pulled my phone from my pocket and pulled up the text messages between Nate and I. We'd sent a lot of messages back and forth over the weekend. "I'll text Nate. He'll understand the need to reschedule."

I couldn't leave Maria without help to face this crowd.

"No! You don't need to cancel your date."

The moment I finished typing that I needed to help Maria I hit send. "Too late. Now get to baking."

"One hour Lia. Tops." She went back to the kitchen to start mixing up yummy things. "You can still go on your date."

We were swamped as soon as the door opened, and I rushed to fill boxes and bags as I rung up orders. People were getting hangry from waiting so long in line, and I thought we were one muffin-shortage away from a riot. We'd already run out of the blueberry and banana nut muffins. I didn't even know how much time had passed when the energy of the crowd shifted from annoyance to an excited buzz. People parted as Nate and two of his teammates strode through the door. They were wearing their blue jerseys and jeans and Nate had his incognito hat on. His gaze found mine, and a warm smile slowly formed on his face. A gentle flutter stirred in my stomach as a sense of warmth enveloped me.

People were asking for autographs and selfies, and his teammates obliged them as Nate confidently walked up to the counter. The customer I was ringing up stepped to the side to give him more room.

He leaned in close to me, and he smelt like a combination of amber and something woodsy. His lips barely brushed my forehead before he said, "Hi."

My insides turned into a pile of jelly, and I had to hold onto the counter so I didn't fall to my knees. "Did you get my text?"

He nodded and pointed to his teammates. "That's why I brought reinforcements."

Maria chose this moment to bring out a tray of freshly iced cinnamon rolls. She stopped midstep and her jaw dropped at the sight of Nate. She was seconds away from a full fan-girl moment when she shook herself. Focused on filling up the display with the cinnamon rolls, she worked fast as she swapped the empty tray for the full one.

Nate smiled at her. "Mind if I help? I can box orders while Lia rings them up."

"What about your date?" Maria asked and glanced at me.

He offered her one of his adorable shrugs. "I don't mind waiting for the morning rush to die down."

"Wash your hands, then Lia give him your apron." Then she walked into the back to bake something else.

Nate washed at the sink I directed him to before returning. I untied the apron from around my waist and he lifted the loop up from my neck. The barest touch of his fingers sent goosebumps across my skin.

"This is really kind of you," I told him.

He shrugged and looped the apron over his head and turned so I could tie it for him.

A throat cleared, and I looked over to see one of his teammates grinning at the two of us like a cat that got the cream. Nate shook his head and offered introductions. His teammate who was grinning at us was Lou, and the other one was Dan. Lou was the apparent genius who made the post online and caused the long line of customers.

"Think I can get one of those gooey things?" Lou asked.

"I'll put one to the side for each of you." I offered.

Lou grinned and slapped Dan on the back, and pulled a backpack from off his shoulders

Dan rolled his eyes. "Coach is going to make us do so many laps."

Once the treats were put to the side, we got to work. Nate helped to box whatever people pointed to, and offered suggestions of things he'd tried when they were not sure what to get. Lou and Dan helped entertain the crowd, and the line moved much more smoothly. By the time the last customer left with the last of the cinnamon rolls, I was exhausted.

I flicked the sign from open to closed. Lou and Dan had taken a seat at one of the tables, their imposing size making it look like a kids' table.

Nate pulled off the apron, and I took it from him to hang up. "I have a box of things for us if you're hungry."

He followed me eagerly to the back.

Maria was holding her experiment plate, piled with a variety of goodies she wanted to tweak the next time she made it.

"Want one?" She asked us. "I'm thinking about making these for book club."

I shook my head. "I got plenty for us earlier. But Lou or Dan might."

"The goalie?" Maria asked, perking up like a kid about to meet Santa.

Nate only had to nod, and she was through the door to the front with the plate. I shared a chuckle with Nate, and put my apron up on the hook. I turned around to find Nate was much closer than I'd thought, and the kitchen was still too hot from all the baking. I stepped around him, and I wasn't so sure the warmth I was feeling had anything to do with the ovens. I picked up the box I'd packed earlier from off the counter and held it out to him.

"Do you want to eat here? Or we can find a spot somewhere..." I let the question trail off since he was not taking the box.

He checked the time on his watch. "Here would be good. Our appointment at Radiant Diamonds is soon."

"I really don't need a ring." I protested once more.

"You really do." He took the box from me, and held open the door for me back to the front.

"Well don't worry about paying for a real stone. I'm good with a fake one." I told him as I walked by.

"We'll see."

We walked into a glare-off between Lou and Maria. Dan was happily eating an eclair. Lou picked up one of the blueberry muffins, but Maria smacked his hand and he dropped it back onto the plate. Dan picked it up and started eating the muffin.

"Oh come on." Lou slumped in the chair. "I only got one."

"Everything okay?" I asked.

Maria pushed the plate to Dan, then turned around and stomped over to me. She looked at Nate. "You and anyone that's not Lou are welcome here anytime. Now get that idiot out of my bakery."

She stomped into the back room, and both Nate and I turned to look at Lou.

"What did you do?" Nate asked him.

"She won't let me have any more," Lou whined and tried to reach for one of the scones on the plate.

Dan pulled the plate closer to himself and leaned over it like the goalie he was. "No touchy."

Lou stood up and walked to the front door. "Fine. I'm outta here."

"What was that all about?" I asked Dan.

He shrugged. "All she said was 'You' and you saw the rest."

Nate and I ate with Dan, but Maria didn't come up to the front again. I wanted to check on her, but I knew she wouldn't want to talk about it while Nate and Dan were here. I'd have to try and get it out of her later. For now, I listened to Nate and Dan praise Maria's skills, and debate over the best thing.

"Alexis is going to be so mad she didn't come with me." Dan said as he looked at the empty plate.

I lifted up the chocolate muffin I was saving for later and handed it to him. "Give her this one."

He smiled at me like I was an angel and took it. "I'll bring her next time I come in."

Maria poked her head out, and when she saw that Lou was nowhere to be seen, she came out to clean up the tables and counter. She shooed us all out and locked the door behind us. She insisted that Nate and I should enjoy our date, and that Dan was welcome to bring Alexis by anytime.