CHAPTER TEN
The scent of cinnamon and baked goods fills the air as I sit down in a wooden teal chair in Anessa's bakery. I’ve lived in Pelican Bay my entire life, and I've seen this little corner building as many shops over the years, but her cute, pink bakery is, by far, my favorite. The adorable and tasteful Christmas decorations she’s strewn about the place only help. There’s garland over the fireplace, mistletoe in all the windows, a big wreath on the front door, and Christmas music piping from a speaker.
The one item completely out of place in the little, girly bakery is the group of large, imposing men taking up a considerable amount of space in front of the large window. Anessa's bakery has become the local hangout and meeting place for Ridge’s security firm, even though he owns a state-of-the-art building a few streets over.
"Here's your coffee. One cream, one sugar, and a kiss." Spencer leans over and gives me a quick peck on the lips, just enough to leave me dazed. "Mistletoe," he says pointing up to the ball of red and green leaves hanging above my head.
The action makes me giddy. How many big, muscular guys out there would take a minute to be super sweet? Especially in front of his also tall, imposing, big co-workers? Not many, but Spencer definitely has a romantic side. "Did you plan this?"
He winks. "Of course."
Spencer takes a large bite of a chocolate cupcake with chocolate frosting and chocolate sprinkles and saunters off to join the circle of other hot guys. It appears my guy likes chocolate.
I need to make him a batch of my secret recipe chocolate chip cookies.
And also figure out when I started referring to him as my guy.
"Is Spencer still stalking your work every day?" Tabitha brushes her hands off on her bright pink, full-body apron, sending a cloud of flour everywhere.
I work desperately hard to wipe off the dreamy look on my face while I watch Spencer walk away before I answer.
"It's surveillance," Spencer yells back, making my effort completely wasted.
"Uh-huh," she says, obviously not believing. "I've told Ridge to hurry up. It’s almost Christmas, and I want him around to make some memories of our first year together. The whole holiday is at risk.”
The mention of Christmas spikes my anxiety. I’d almost forgotten the holiday was so near. It presents a few logistical issues. I’ve known Spencer for two and a half weeks. Am I required to buy him a gift? And what would I get him?
"Are you coming to the Christmas Eve parade?" Anessa, with her brown hair falling over one shoulder asks.
"Yes, you absolutely must come. I hear it's like the highlight of the town festivals." Tabitha’s eyes widen, and she seems a little worked up over a parade that happens every year come snow or shine—normally snow. Very cold snow.
"I haven’t been in a few years. I guess I could watch."
Anessa claps her hands together a few times. "After the parade finishes, we can do hot chocolate and doughnuts here."
"I hope I can actually attend a Pelican Bay event for a change," Tabitha says.
"You do you have horrible luck when it comes to festivals." Anessa rearranges a few cupcakes in the display case and closes the back.
A loud, grating buzz comes from the back kitchen, and Tabitha perks up. "Oh, my cookies." She quickly turns on a heel and, without another word, pushes her way into the kitchen.
Anessa leans over her counter and whispers, "Do not eat any." Her eyes widen and her head shakes to emphasize her point.
A few minutes of cautious coffee sips later, Tabitha returns from the kitchen, a stack of dark brown cookies laid out on a plate in the shape of a Santa hat.
Anessa eyes the plate as Tabitha walks by. "Oh wow, Tabitha. They look much better than the last batch."
Tabitha stops a foot from me, holding the plate out at an angle. From my seated position, the cookies are at perfect eye level, and against my better judgment, I pick one off the top of the pile.
It's dark brown and brittle. A few pieces flick off as I lower the cookie closer to the small plate my cup of coffee sits on. Burnt doesn't begin to describe the abomination in my hand. It looks like she put the cookie through torture.
"What kind are they?" I ask before bringing the cookie to my lips.
"Chocolate chip." Tabitha grins, looking down at the plate. "They’re a little burnt."
A little burnt is an understatement. That’s like saying the Titanic nudged an icicle.
Much to my dismay, she doesn't walk away once the cookie is in my hand, but instead continues to stare at me. To help hurry this along, I stick the cookie between my teeth and try to nibble off a small bite. A huge chunk breaks off, crumbs falling all over the table.
"Still hot," I lie while trying my hardest to chew the cookie and not break a tooth.
"Two cupcakes, and put them on Spencer's tab," Hudson stops in front of Anessa's display case and points without touching the glass.
"I have cookies." Tabitha twists the tray in his direction.
Hudson crinkles his nose at the platter, not doing a good job of hiding his rejection of Tabitha's cookies. "It's okay, Tabs. Ridge doesn't care if his girl can cook. He once dumped a girlfriend over apple pie, so it's probably better."
"What?" I’ve heard more than a few of Ridge’s break-up stories over the years. He’s a hot topic on the phone tree, but I’ve never heard the apple pie story.
"It was right after he got out of the Navy. Some chick baked an apple pie and didn't put any cinnamon in it. You know Ridge…" We all nod. "They got into a big fight and he told her he couldn't date someone who didn't know how to put cinnamon in a pie.”
"Who dumped someone over pie?" Anessa asks.
“Ridge, of course.” Tabitha rolls her eyes with the answer.
The man in question peeks over at the mention of his name, but then his attention falls back to the phone in his hand as he places it to his ear.
Hudson laughs. "I spent four years in the military with Ridge. I could tell you a whole book on the girls Ridge left in the dust."
Tabitha rolls her eyes, harder this time. "Yes, we all know Ridge is shitty with breakups."
Tabitha moves just right, and a glint in the sunlight streaming through the open window catches my eye. Underneath my table, stuck between the wall and the table base, lays something shiny. I lean down and pick it up, realizing it's a piece of glass when the corner jabs me in the finger.
"We missed that one." Tabitha leans over and takes the glass from my pinched fingers. She throws it and the tray of cookies in a large trash can on the other side of the counter, leaving the empty plate on top of the display case.
"Hey Hudson, I've got a job for you," Ridge calls, not lowering the phone he has pressed to his ear.
Hudson’s face falls. "It better not include a dog." His attention turns to me for only a second, but long enough I notice his scowl.
Before anyone questions me what that's all about, I turn in the other direction and become super interested in the poinsettias Anessa decorated the counter with.
Ridge walks over and joins our quickly growing circle. "Nope, got a friend who needs a favor in San Francisco. Best pack a bag."
"San Francisco?" Hudson’s voice reveals his lack of excitement.
"He’s emailing the details right now."
Bennett, another hunky transplant brought to Pelican Bay by Ridge's security firm, comes over, and everyone circling my table steps back to let him in. "We need his help tonight to pull off this raid."
"Agreed. I'll call into the local P.D. for help, too. Anderson will want in on this," Ridge says, and everyone nods their heads in agreement, including me, even though I have no idea what we’re talking about.
"What's going on?" The whole thing sounds serious.
Warmth covers my back when Spencer rest his hands on my lower neck. "Hudson picked up a lead I was able to track through banking records. Someone purchased a property under one of Frankie Zanetti’s businesses, and we think they might be using it as a hideout. We’re planning a takedown tonight."
"A takedown?" Tabitha looks to Ridge, which causes him to scowl at Spencer. Apparently, that wasn't supposed to be widely known information.
He answers her with annoyance. "If we round them up in one sweep, the whole town will be quiet and safe for Christmas. Didn’t you say you wanted a quiet Christmas?
I definitely think Ridge is trying to appease his girlfriend, but the quiet Christmas sounds great to me. I don’t want a dead guy under the tree.
"What about Regina and my shopping trip tonight?" There are only two days until Christmas, and I still haven't gotten anything for Spencer. It's driving me insane. I usually have all my Christmas shopping done by Thanksgiving. It was bad enough my sister got a dog weeks before Christmas, now I have to find something for Spencer and Frankie, too.
Ridge tips his head back, clearly thinking. "I don’t have enough guys. Spencer is our computer man, and we need him in the office, working surveillance."
Spencer lightly squeezes the back of my neck and smiles. “Hudson can do it."
Hudson groans. "First the dog and now this. You hate me, don't you?"
“Hey!” I say, sounding more offended than I actually am. “Shopping with Regina and me is always fun.”
**
Two glasses clink together when I place the large beer pitcher back on the shelf. “Ugh. What do you get a guy you’ve been kind of dating for three weeks?”
Regina stops in the aisle right of head at me, and I almost walk into her, stopping a few millimeters in time. "Have you said I love you yet?"
"What?" It's only been three weeks. My best friend should know me better than that. "No. What kind of girl do you think I am?"
Regina laughs. "You have to say the words one day, Joslin."
"Maybe."
She starts to walk again, eyeing each display. "So, no I-love-yous yet. What about sex?"
"You ladies know I can hear everything you say, right?" Hudson stops a few feet behind us, but we keep walking, and he eventually catches up again.
I shrug. It wasn’t my decision to have him follow us all day. "Yes."
"Yes, on the sex, or yes, he can hear everything.” Regina turns back, stopping our entire line again.
"On both." I reach for a pink pan but pull back when I remember I'm shopping for Spencer and not myself.
Regina high-fives me in the middle of the aisle. "Woo-hoo. Look at you, sexy mama. Have you given him a blow job yet?"
"Ladies!" Hudson shakes his head in distress.
"Yes," I answer over Hudson’s groan.
Regina stops walking and we all follow suit. "Hey hot stuff," she addresses Hudson. "What do you want from a girl you’ve slept with but haven't said I love you to?"
"Regina!"
"What? He doesn’t know we’re talking about Spencer.”
Hudson smiles back at her. "Yes, you're right. I'd never have guessed."
"Whatever." Regina huffs. "I know what goes on in locker rooms. You guys talk about everything."
"Actually, guys only discuss girls they don't care about. If the guy likes you, he won't tell his friends a peep because he doesn't want his friends fantasizing. And, trust me, nobody has heard anything from Spencer about Joslin."
Is this some form of hot-guy logic Hudson is using to tell me Spencer likes me?
I think so.
"You women, however," he continues, "talk nonstop. I know way more about Spencer now than I did this morning."
"This is us picking out a Christmas gift, that’s all."
Regina fully turns around and sticks out her hip. "It's helping me a ton. Is he a moaner when he finishes or quiet? What’s his size?"
"Regina, boundaries."
Hudson hums and turns to his side. He fakes interest in a set of spatulas. It’s almost believable if they weren’t hot pink. His humming noises increase when Regina starts talking again.
"You said a dog has eaten everything in his apartment, right?"
Hudson’s attention turns back to us.
"You could say that,” I end with a casual one-shoulder shrug because I’m totally not going there.
Regina gives me a weird look but carries on. "You can buy him anything here and it would be useful."
"Ehhhh." It's meant to come out an answer but sounds more like a moose dying.
"Do you want to hit up Walmart?" she asks.
Hudson groans. "No more stores, please. I can't take anymore shopping."
"No," I put him out of his misery. "Too far away."
"Aren't you hungry yet? What if I took you both out to lunch?" Hudson’s eyes light up. He's really excited about food.
"I could eat." Regina shrugs. That woman could always eat. "Can we get tacos?"
"Sure." The new shopping plaza is halfway to Whitecap anyway.
Hudson nods his head enthusiastically. "You can get whatever you want."
"Okay, hurry up and pick out his gift, Jos. I’ve been promised tacos.”
"UGH," I whine. I'll never find anything to get Spencer for Christmas. Even with the mostly empty apartment, it doesn't seem right to get him trash bags or something useful. Slowly, I put down the grill attachments I’d been eyeing. I don’t know if Spencer has a grill.
"Wait. I have the best idea.” My smile grows with each word.
Regina shakes her head. "That look rarely means anything good."
"It will be great. Trust me." I grab her hand and pull her away from the cart—it was empty anyway. With Hudson right behind us, I lead our small line to the other side of the store.