CHAPTER 20

Alysha

ALMOST A YEAR HAD PASSED since I’d finally gotten my big break. I’d thought it would never happen. That I’d forever be looking to the future, hoping and waiting for someone to give me a chance.

Then it had finally happened. I didn’t know how it came about but it did. The loan officer had already told me I didn’t have enough collateral to be worth the investment, and then they suddenly changed their mind. The finance fairies were finally in my court and now, here I was, realizing that dream.

Make a Wish Bakery was everything I had hoped it would be. No longer did I have to stare at the ugly inside of Coffee and Stuff. Instead, I had the walls painted a pale mint green which just looking at them calmed me. Jade and I had designed the uniforms, avoiding everything we’d hated about the old ones we’d been forced to wear at Bruce’s shop.

The uniforms were black pants and green shirts that matched the paint on the walls. On the top right corner of each shirt was a shooting star, the company logo, and the name of the bakery. Unfortunately, we still had to keep our hair up, or face the health inspector, but it was a small price to pay to own my own place.

“You did good, Aly,” Jade said coming up beside me behind the cash register.

I smiled at her as I finished up the next customer’s order. “We did a good job.”

Jade’s grin widened. “Yeah, I guess we did.”

While I was technically the owner and boss, Jade had become my right and left-hand woman. She acted as assistant manager as well as the creative mind behind all our advertising efforts.

It had been her idea to put the shop next to the college. A decision that was by far the best ever. Coffee and Stuff was on the other side of town and most students didn’t have time to travel the ten minutes it took to get there. So, a shop right beside the campus had ended up being a gold mine.

No, if it hadn’t been for Jade, I would never have gotten the shop off the ground. Nor where we were today, a line down the block and the ledger in the blacks.

I had everything I’d ever wanted and I should have been happy. But for some reason, even as I reminded myself of that fact, a pain in my chest said something was missing. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out what it was though. Shrugging it off, I continued to serve the never-ending line of customers with a genuine smile on my face.

“There’s a guy staring at you,” Terry—who I had convinced to leave Coffee and Stuff to work for me—said. He pointed a dark red-painted nail out the window of the shop.

I followed the direction he indicated until my eyes landed on a man standing across the street. To someone else, it might seem like he was just observing the shop trying to decide if he wanted to come in. But just like Terry had said, the man was clearly staring at me, and when our eyes locked he lifted a hand as if he knew me.

I lifted my hand, my brow furrowed. Maybe he was from one of my classes and I just didn’t remember? No. I’d have remembered someone like him.

As I tried to figure out where I knew him from, the man made his way across the street and toward the shop. My eyes ate up his long legs encased in form-fitting jeans, and his muscular top half displayed by his t-shirt. He had a strong jaw and an aristocratic nose, and that pain in my chest panged.

Why couldn’t I remember him?

He stood at the back of the line—that had for once stopped just inside the door. I became more anxious with each customer I helped. My heart beat faster, my palms becoming sweaty. It was as if I wanted to see this guy. I hadn’t felt this way about anyone since . . .

I shook the thought off. I wouldn’t let my ex ruin today for me. He was long gone. Moved to a different county as far as I knew.

“Who’s the hottie?” Jade asked quietly at my elbow. I glanced at her and then back at the guy she had been referring to. Who happened to be the same man I’d been waiting on.

“Hi,” my voice came out breathless for some reason and I cleared my throat. Jade giggled and I shot her a warning look, then turned my attention back to the man in front of me, “Welcome to Make a Wish Bakery, how can I help you?”

There that was better, I commended myself. I could be a normal person. He was a customer like all the others.

Except he wasn’t. His dark eyes glittered with amusement and he leaned his elbows on waist high counter, “I heard your place has the best coffee in town.”

“Is that so?” I quipped, forcing myself not to grin like an idiot. His voice was deep and accented, though I wasn’t sure from where. It had to be something Middle Eastern.

“Most definitely,” he nodded, his grin broadening, “So, I just had to come over and check it out myself.”

Not even paying any mind to the customers waiting behind him, I asked, “And where is that?”

“Oh, I live quite far away from here,” he commented and then smirked as if it were some kind of joke, “It’s another world altogether.”

“Well, that sounds interesting,” I drew out. His words triggered something in me. He was so familiar, “I’m sorry, this is going to sound crazy,” I blushed and shook my head, “But have we met before?”

The man straightened, the expression on his face one I could only describe as hopeful. “Unfortunately, I haven’t had the pleasure. I’m Mac,” he held his hand out for me to shake.

I stared down at it for a moment, nervous about touching him for some reason. Then I pushed away the feeling and slid my hand into his.

The moment our hands touched, my eyes widened. A hot desire zipped through my hand and settled low in my stomach. Suddenly, everything came back. How I’d dropped the bottle in the water bucket. Mac’s sudden appearance. Bruce breaking his leg. Even what had happened with Jared. Then it all ended with Mac disappearing around the same time I got my loan.

“It was you,” I accused, anger filling me, “This is all because of you.”

Mac didn’t even try to deny it though, I could read the guilt on his face. He tried to remove his hand from mine but I held fast. I jerked him forward and pressed my mouth to his. All the emotions I had for him came spiraling into me and I shoved those into our kiss.

We would have stayed like that had Jade not cleared her throat behind us. Finally releasing him, I growled, “Don’t you ever leave me again.”

Giving me one of his panty-melting grins, Mac replied, “Never. You couldn’t wish me away.”