Chapter 4

CHAPTERFOUR

It had been almost a week since Finley hurt her wrist, and since Brock had started showing up in the mornings to help with her baking. Her wrist was completely healed, but Brock hadn’t stopped coming by. Davis had also shown up every other day since he’d first knocked on her door. Both men had been a huge help.

But it was Liam who’d already changed her life as far as her bakery was concerned. The man was seriously perfect. He was charming and friendly, and he’d immediately mastered the art of the upsell. If someone bought a cinnamon roll, he could usually talk them into getting a muffin or a cookie for later. Not only had Finley’s sales increased in just the few days he’d been working for her, but it felt as if the general vibe of the store had lightened as well.

Usually she had to split her time between working the front counter and baking in the kitchen. But with her being able to concentrate solely on mixing, icing, and getting trays in and out of the oven the past couple days, she’d been way more productive, and her regulars didn’t feel like they had to rush when they were deciding what they wanted.

Finley had even been able to try out a few new recipes and keep the front racks better stocked. She should’ve hired someone a long time ago.

If Liam continued to work out, Finley hoped to expand her business. She hadn’t had any time to offer special-order cakes and other baked goods, but she’d always hoped to provide that service one day. She was super excited to make Lilly and Ethan’s wedding cake, and she knew her friend wouldn’t have any problem recommending her to others…particularly clients who hired her to photograph their own weddings.

All in all, things were going extremely well, both professionally and personally. She saw Brock every morning and, more often than not, he stopped by after The Sweet Tooth closed to chat some more. They hadn’t gone out on their second date yet, but they planned to do it soon.

Bowling wasn’t really Finley’s thing, but she didn’t really care what they did, as long as she got to spend time with Brock. It seemed silly that she’d been so reluctant to get to know him, and she regretted the lost time her insecurities had cost them. He was down to earth, friendly, and amazingly, he seemed to really be into her.

She heard the bell over the front door ring as another customer entered the store. She heard Liam greeting whoever it was, then he was at the door leading into the kitchen.

“There’s a Khloe here, asking to speak to you,” he informed her.

“Really? Send her back. And for the record, she’s always welcome in the kitchen when she comes in. Just like my other friends.”

Liam nodded. “No problem. I’ll send her back.”

A few seconds later, Khloe appeared in the doorway. While Finley had hung out with the woman a time or two, she didn’t know her nearly as well as she did Lilly, Elsie, Bristol, and Caryn.

This morning, Khloe looked…stressed. That was the only word Finley could come up with. The quiet librarian had always been pretty reserved. None of Finley’s inner circle knew much about her. She’d shown up in town around a year ago and had snagged the librarian job. Sometimes she and Raiden—another member of Brock’s SAR team—seemed to get along so well, Finley wondered if there wasn’t more going on between them than boss and employee. But other times, they seemed to barely tolerate one another.

No matter what was going on between them, Raiden’s dog always adored Khloe, much to everyone’s surprise. The bloodhound was completely devoted to Raid, and didn’t seem to even notice anyone else…except his employee.

Khloe came into the shop frequently to get a breakfast cinnamon roll, but never to talk to Finley, specifically, so she was very curious as to what prompted the visit. “Hi,” she said brightly.

“Hi,” Khloe returned. “I don’t mean to interrupt.”

“You aren’t,” Finley reassured her. “Is something wrong?”

“No,” she said without hesitation. “But I need your help.”

“Of course. What’s up?”

“I have to go out of town for a while…and you know about the kittens I’ve been taking care of behind the library. I’m worried about leaving them. I was wondering if you could keep an eye on them for me?”

“Of course I will!”

“I’ve been feeding them in the mornings and checking on them throughout the day. I made a cat house for them, to keep them out of the sun and dry when it rains. It’s just a wooden box with a hole in one end, but they seem to really like it. It’s next to the dumpster out back, and people who park back there have left them alone so far, but I’m still worried.”

“Aw, of course you are. I would be too. I’ll be happy to keep my eye on them. How long will you be gone?”

Khloe’s eyes dropped, and she suddenly found the floor extremely interesting. “I’m not sure.”

Finley’s brows furrowed. She didn’t like that the other woman was suddenly looking anxious. “You know you can tell me anything and I won’t say a word to anyone, right?” she felt compelled to say.

Khloe looked back at her. “Of course. It’s not a big deal, just something I have to do back home.”

Finley wasn’t fooled by her attempt at acting nonchalant. Whatever she was doing, wherever she was going—she didn’t even know where “home” was for Khloe—it was important…and clearly stressing out the librarian.

The last thing Finley wanted to do was add to the woman’s stress level, so she said, “All right. Do I need to get some cat food?”

Khloe shook her head and her shoulders dropped a little from their defensive hunched position. “No, I’ve got it. You want to come over and let me show you what I’ve been doing?”

“Yep. Good timing. I just took these cupcakes out of the oven and they can cool while I’m over there,” Finley said with a smile. “Is the mama cat there too?”

“Sadly, no. I haven’t seen her around, which is why I’ve been taking care of her kittens. I don’t know if she got run over or some other animal got her…”

“Oh, that is sad.”

Khloe nodded.

“Are they healthy? Have you brought them to the vet?”

Surprisingly, Khloe’s lip curled in derision as she said, “I wouldn’t bring any animal I loved to see that jackass.”

Finley blinked at her harsh assessment of the only veterinarian in town. Dr. Ziegler was in his fifties and had been Fallport’s vet for years. “Um…okay,” she said tentatively.

“He’s so old school he might as well have gotten his license in the eighteen hundreds,” Khloe griped. “He has no clue about the new procedures that have been approved for the simplest of ailments. Not only that, but he won’t let owners be with their pets when they need to be euthanized. Who does that? He claims it’s less traumatic for people, but that’s bullshit. What about the animal? While I have no proof, I know they’re aware that they’re dying. Would you want to be dying and surrounded by strangers? No, having your loved ones around would bring you comfort when you’re scared and confused. It’s barbaric—and I don’t trust him as far as I can throw him.”

Finley frowned. “Yeah, that’s not cool. I don’t have any pets, but I can’t imagine not being with them if I needed to put them down.”

“Exactly. He’s too set in his ways. Not willing to even consider alternative treatments like acupuncture or homeopathic remedies. So to answer your question—no, I haven’t brought the kittens to him. He’d probably want to put them down because they’re strays,” Khloe said.

Finley had never seen Khloe so worked up before. She seemed like a completely different woman at the moment than the one Finley had gotten to know a bit. Normally she was very succinct with her words, as if she didn’t really want to talk at all, didn’t want to be noticed. Except when she was arguing with Raiden, of course. But right now, she was standing with her hands fisted, practically shooting daggers from her eyes. If Dr. Ziegler had been there right that second, Finley had no doubt he’d been quaking in his boots.

“All right then, the vet is out. Do the kittens look okay? Should I be on the lookout for anything? And if something does happen, should I take them to Christiansburg?” That was the closest town to Fallport. It was forty minutes down I-480.

Khloe took a deep breath, as if to calm herself down. “They’re fine. Healthy. Nothing’s going to happen. I just need you to make sure they’re fed. They do tend to wander away from their home these days, they’re old enough now, but they always come back at night. If a storm or anything is forecasted, you can bring them and the box inside the back of the library. They always come back if bad weather’s approaching.”

“Inside? Does Raiden know about them? Wait—why don’t you ask him to look after them?”

“Of course he knows.” Khloe grinned, and Finley thought when she smiled, it changed her entire countenance. Made her look more approachable. She wrinkled her nose adorably. “I would ask Raid, but…he’s got a lot on his plate right now. He works really hard at the library, and then with the search and rescue obligations. I just don’t want to bother him with one more thing. Besides, Duke doesn’t think much of the kittens, and the feeling’s mutual. Just make sure you shut the door that leads to the main part of the library, and let Raid know they’re back there, and they’ll be fine.”

“Okay.”

“I really appreciate this,” she said.

Finley nodded and went to the sink to wash her hands. She’d had no idea that the woman was so passionate about animals. Finley had lived in Fallport for a while now, and she hadn’t even met the local veterinarian. She didn’t know how Khloe had gotten such a bad impression of the man, but she decided that the kittens couldn’t have found a better champion.

After telling Liam she’d be back, Finley and Khloe cut through the square to get to the library. It was located directly opposite The Sweet Tooth. They waved at Art, Otto, and Silas. Two people were sitting in The Circle, the gazebo in the middle of the grassy area of the square, and Finley smiled at seeing the small The Sweet Tooth bag between them. It never got old, seeing people enjoying the things she baked.

They walked around the southeast side of the library, away from The Cellar. The library was between Doc Snow’s medical clinic and the pool hall, and some people laughed at the irony of the staid building next to the notorious bar, but it’s not like the respective patrons really mixed. The library closed well before the rowdiness ramped up next door.

Finley spied the box between the dumpster and the building as soon as they turned the corner. There were no kittens in sight, so she assumed they were out exploring, like Khloe mentioned.

Khloe opened the top of the box. There was a blanket inside, which she shook out before returning it to the box. She told Finley she’d bring her some clean blankets and towels to switch out with the dirty ones, as well as a bag of the food she’d been giving them.

They ooh’d and aah’d over the pictures on Khloe’s phone of the kittens. There were three of them, a calico, a black kitten, and a brown and white one.

“They’re pretty used to me, but don’t be offended if they don’t take to you right away. They tend to run when anyone other than me gets too close, which I’m not totally upset about. The last thing I want is someone from The Cellar messing with them. But since you’ll be feeding them, they’ll get used to you fairly quickly, I think. And I’m pretty sure everyone else thinks the box is simply trash, so they don’t bother to come investigate. That, and they’re too invested in getting into the bar quickly to get drinking,” Khloe said dryly.

“Are you going to try to find them homes?” Finley asked. “I mean, you can’t let them live out here forever, can you?”

Khloe sighed. “No. And yes, I’d love to find homes for them.”

“What about Bristol or Lilly?”

“What about them?”

“They both have fairly large properties. I bet they wouldn’t mind taking them.”

“You think?”

“It couldn’t hurt to ask.”

“Maybe I will. In the meantime, I appreciate you keeping an eye on them for me while I’m gone.”

“Of course,” Finley told her. “And you really have no idea how long you’ll be away?”

Just like that, a shutter seemed to fall over Khloe’s eyes. “No. I’m hoping not more than a week, but honestly, it could be longer.”

“Are you sure everything’s all right?”

“It’s fine,” she said curtly, making it clear she didn’t want to answer any more questions about where she might be going or why. “I usually feed them in the mornings. I don’t live that far away, just a few streets over. I come over before any businesses open. When cars start pulling into the lot, the kittens tend to head off to do whatever it is they do during the day.”

“That’s not a problem. I’m at work around four-thirty every morning anyway.”

“I know,” Khloe said with a small smile. “It’s why I asked you for help.”

“Do I need to do anything with them when I leave for the day?”

“No, they should be fine. Just keep an eye on the weather app. I appreciate this so much.”

“Of course. And please know…if you do ever want to talk, I’m a good listener.”

Khloe looked almost melancholy for a moment before her features cleared once more. “Thanks. But I’m good.”

“Promise?” Finley asked.

“Promise. Now you probably need to get back, and I’m sure Raiden’s grumbling under his breath about me being gone so long.”

“Really? He doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who’d care about that sort of thing.”

Khloe shrugged. “Yeah, you’re right. He probably doesn’t even know I’m gone,” she said with a small chuckle.

Finley wasn’t so sure about that. While trying to avoid staring at Brock when she was with their group of friends, she’d noticed Raiden eyeing Khloe the couple times the woman joined them. She wasn’t sure of the dynamic between the two. They really were hot and cold, some days fairly friendly, and others doing their best to stay away from each other.

“You’ve got my number. If anything seems off, please text me,” Khloe said.

“I will. Although I’m not sure what you’ll be able to do from wherever you are.”

“You’d be surprised,” Khloe said mysteriously. “Anyway, while I didn’t want to ask Raiden to take care of the kittens, I’m sure he’d help if you needed him to.”

Finley nodded. “When are you leaving?”

“This evening.”

Her eyes widened. “So soon?”

“Yeah.”

“All right, well, travel safe.”

Khloe smiled. “I will. Thanks again.”

Finley took that as her cue to return to the bakery. She said her goodbyes to Khloe and headed back around the side of the building. She could’ve cut through the library, but she was enjoying the crisp fall afternoon. It was October, and Lilly and Ethan’s wedding was right around the corner. From what she’d heard, the renovated barn on Bristol and Rocky’s property, where the ceremony was going to be held, looked awesome.

She’d met with Lilly a couple days ago, and she’d approved the vision Finley had for the Halloween-themed wedding cake. The ceremony was going to be laid-back, and while it wasn’t a costume thing, Lilly wanted everyone to be comfortable…which meant no suits and ties and no fancy gowns. And that was more than all right with Finley.

Liam gave her a chin lift as she entered, and Finley was pleased to see how much he’d sold even in the short time she’d been with Khloe. Yeah, things were definitely looking up for her, and Finley couldn’t help but smile as she headed into the kitchen to ice the cupcakes she’d made earlier.

* * *

Looking at his watch, Brock saw it was three-thirty. Finley should be done at the bakery, unless she was staying late…which was more often than not. She worked damn hard to make her business a success, and Brock was extremely proud of her.

“Gonna take a break,” he told Jesus.

“Got it. Time to see Finley. No problem,” his partner said with a grin.

Brock didn’t even care that all of his employees knew he was head over heels for the pretty baker.

“Liam told me she paid him his first paycheck early. Said she knew he wanted to send money home to his sister, and she wanted to make sure he could start doing so quickly. I swear I thought he was going to cry,” Jesus told Brock. “Not only that, but she included an extra five hundred dollars…a gift to help make sure his sister got the care she needed as soon as possible. As far as I’m concerned, I’m never getting my kids’ birthday cakes and treats anywhere but from The Sweet Tooth from now on.”

Brock wasn’t surprised at Finley’s generosity. That was just who she was. He made a mental note to give his own donation to Finley to pass on to Liam. He didn’t think the man would take money from him directly, but from his boss? If it was simply included in his paycheck, that might work. “She’ll appreciate that,” he told Jesus.

He pulled out his phone as he walked toward the enclosed yard behind the shop. Caryn and Drew used the area for working out some mornings, and Caryn had even arranged for some of the less-damaged vehicles in their lot to be used in training for both the Fallport Fire Department and the junior firefighters program she was starting. The FFD was going through a major change in personnel and training regiment, which in Brock’s eyes was a good thing.

When he was employed by the government, he’d constantly gone through additional training, not only to keep his skills up to par, but to learn the new ways smugglers were trying to get their illegal goods into the country. The fact that the FFD hadn’t bothered to do any kind of training in several years was appalling and downright negligent.

Brock wandered out into the yard, enjoying the feel of the sun on his face after being cooped up in the bays most of the day working on cars. He clicked on Finley’s name and realized he was smiling as he waited for her to pick up.

“Hi,” she said when she answered.

“Hey back,” Brock said. “How was your day?”

“Good. Busy. I finalized the last of the details for Lilly and Ethan’s cake. I’m planning on baking a trial run cake next week, so I can tweak anything that doesn’t work from the design, and to make sure Lilly likes it. We sold an extra three dozen cupcakes today, and I just pulled a new batch of pumpkin spice cookies out of the oven for tomorrow. I’ll ice them in the morning. Oh, and Khloe brought over stuff for me to take care of the stray kittens she’s been looking after, while she’s out of town.”

“Where’s she going?” Brock asked.

“I don’t know. She wouldn’t say. In fact, she seemed downright mysterious about it, but I didn’t want to pry. Said she’s not sure when she’ll be back either.”

“Hmmm,” Brock murmured.

He made a mental note to ask Raiden about his employee, make sure she was okay. Their relationship seemed complicated, but surely he had more info than Finley. Brock liked Khloe. She was a little standoffish, but she hadn’t done or said anything to make him think she wasn’t a good person. Besides, Duke liked her—hell, the bloodhound loved her—and Brock had always trusted an animal’s instincts.

“So…do you have any plans for tonight?”

“Well, I was going to go home and try a new recipe for pumpkin sugar cookies. And I want to make sure I remember how to make my molasses cookies before I put them on sale in the shop.”

“Yum,” Brock said with a hum. “If you need a taste tester, I’m available.”

Finley giggled, and Brock couldn’t remember hearing a better sound. He loved when Finley was happy.

“I’m not sure I can trust you. You have the palate of a starving man who hasn’t had sugar in years.”

She wasn’t wrong. He didn’t have the patience to make anything sweet on his own, and when he shopped, he usually stuck to high-protein, low-sugar items. Being with Finley this past week had shown him exactly what he’d been missing. He’d loved every single thing she’d asked him to taste, including the oatmeal cherry cookies he hadn’t thought he’d enjoy. “True. But I think it’s more that the things you make are just that good,” he told her. “Any chance you’d like some company while you bake tonight?”

“If that company’s you, then yes,” she told him.

Once more, Brock sighed in contentment. He loved that she didn’t play games with him. She wasn’t coy, didn’t try to pretend she didn’t want to see him as much as he wanted to see her. “And what about tomorrow evening? I thought maybe we could try that bowling date we talked about.”

“I’d love it,” she said immediately. “Although I have to warn you, it’s been years and years since I’ve played.”

“No problem.”

“In fact, I’m guessing you’ll probably be embarrassed by the way I bowl. You know, standing at the line, holding the ball in both hands, before leaning over and lobbing it down the lane…where nine times out of ten it ends up in the gutter.”

Brock laughed out loud. But he was already looking forward to standing behind her, checking out her sweet ass every time she bent over to roll the ball.

“Brock? Did I lose you?”

“Sorry, no, I’m here. And I don’t give a shit how you bowl or how many gutter balls you roll. I just want to spend time with you.”

“Same,” she said quietly. Then asked, “How was your day? You put any cars back together?”

Brock chuckled. “It was good. And I didn’t get to put together any engines or anything, but I did get to do about eight oil changes and rotate three sets of tires,” he said wryly.

“Wooo. Thrilling day then, huh?”

Brock had already told Finley that he much preferred puzzling out what was wrong with a car’s various systems, keeping it from running at peak performance. Oil changes weren’t high on his list of favorite things to do, but money was money, and he’d change oil all day long if it meant keeping his business going. “Pretty much. You want me to grab something for dinner before I come over?” he asked.

“How about if I make something for us?” she countered.

“I don’t want to put you out,” he told her.

“Brock, throwing some chicken breasts into the lower oven while I use the upper for my cookies isn’t going to put me out. You like broccoli?”

“Yes.”

“Good. I’ll bake some of that too, with lots of spices and maybe a little cheese on top. I’ve been lazy this week with dinner, and I need some good stuff to counter all the crap I’ve eaten.”

“You aren’t lazy,” Brock countered immediately.

She chuckled. “When it comes to cooking real food, trust me, I am. Anyway, come over whenever. I’m finishing up here and should be home in thirty minutes or so.”

Brock wanted to hang up and immediately head to her house, just so he could spend as much time with her as possible, but he had another oil change to complete before he could leave. “Sounds good. I’ll text when I’m on my way.”

“All right. Brock?”

“Yeah, Fin?”

“This week has been great. And you’re a big reason why. Thank you for recommending Liam. And helping me in the mornings. And for encouraging Davis when he’s here. It…it means a lot.”

“You’re welcome. I’ve had a good week too.”

“I’m glad. I’ll see you later.”

“Later,” Brock said before clicking off the connection. He stood in the yard, daydreaming about his sweet baker for a full two or three minutes, before turning and heading back into the shop. The sooner he finished his work for the day, the sooner he could go home, shower, and get to Finley’s.