Christmas music plays in the background while I bury my sorrows with a gingerbread latte and a large red velvet muffin my cousin, Sofia, has made. How she stays so slim while working in this small bakery, I’ll never know. I’m sure I’ve gained five pounds just looking at the thing!

“Are you going to eat that?” she asks, dropping into the seat opposite.

“I think I need to. It looks too good to just sit on a plate, right?”

She chuckles. “I better not show you the wedding cake I’ve just made then, huh?” She swipes a chunk of my muffin, popping it into her mouth.

I smile before I look around the store. She just fits at Ella’s Sweet Treats, despite having only been here for three weeks. She’d just finished school when she’d been offered a job here and I hadn’t had a chance to visit before today.

Taking a deep breath, I can’t help but feel relaxed here. It’s an amazingly beautiful store: Christmas cookies on red plastic trays in the window, paper-wrapped muffins, colorful fruit tarts and glazed flans, Danishes, macaroons and much more are on display in the glass counter. Freshly baked pies: pumpkin, berry, apple and cinnamon, and rhubarb, cooling on the counter behind the cash register. Everything smells so good but the strongest scent is coming from my latte. It’s thick and creamy with the flavor bursting on my tongue when I take a sip.

While I’ve let my eye wander around the store, my cousin has watched me with delight, and I can see the happiness she feels working here. Although her amazing talent isn’t going to waste, I long for the day when she has her own bakery. She’ll do wonders and go far.

“So,” I ask, “what wedding cake have you been making?”

She smiles, happy that I asked. “It has four tiers. Each tier a different flavor: red velvet, lemon, vanilla, and apple.” She shrugs. “It’s all about what the bride and groom want, so I’m here to please.”

“And you do it so well.”

“I do.” She primps so I roll my eyes as she giggles. “Okay, enough about me and my awesome baking skills, I want to know why I’m feeding you cake to cheer you up?” She tilts her head as she watches me closely.

“I’m missing someone.” I sigh into my latte. “Someone who I think I need more than anything.” I lift my gaze to Sofia’s concerned one. “I’ve fallen in love...and I don’t think he realizes how I feel about him.” I munch on a piece of muffin, chasing it down my throat with some latte, wincing when the two flavors meet.

“Yeah, not good mixing those two,” Sofia comments.

“Remind me next time.”

“You were saying,” she prompts.

I shake my head as I think about everything ahead of me. “I’m going on a trip to Montana.” I fidget with the large scarf around my neck.

“To see our cousins?” she asks, referring to the De La Fuente side of the family. They’re more like our second and third cousins.

“No…I’m going to let Tanner Jackson know how much I love him. It could completely backfire and blow up in my face. However, I’ve put it off long enough out of fear of his reaction, and I can’t any longer. Not when he’s getting married next month.”

Sofia pauses with her coffee halfway to her lips. “He’s getting married, and you’re going after him?”

“God, don’t put it like that,” I grumble and feel my nose start to twitch at the first sign of tears. “I love him, Sofia. The night we had together was so different than anything I’ve experienced before and I know he felt it, too. I need to know, once and for all, if it’s all a figment of my imagination or if he misses me as much as I do him. I have to know.”

Sofia places her drink back on to the table and grabs my hand. “Then you have to go and talk to him. Face-to-face because that’s the only way you’ll get the truth.” She frowns. “Tanner Jackson? Don’t I know that name?”

I wince and admit, “I met him at Sirena and Garrett’s wedding. His dad and Garrett are best of friends.”

Her eyes pop wide. “You’re talking about the hottie with face scruff. The dark guy who spent the evening with his brooding eyes solely focused on you. That guy?”

“You noticed him?”

“Are you kidding me? Madison and I spent a good chunk of the evening watching him…and you. We both gave him a full ten for that amazing ass of his.” She snickers and I’m not sure if it’s because of the shocked look on my face or the memory. “We also saw him follow you to the garage.” She wiggles her brows. “You looked rather flushed when you reappeared, only to disappear straightaway…with him.”

“I didn’t think we’d been that obvious considering no one ever mentioned anything.”

“Oh please, you both were so obvious.” Sofia grins. “Besides, I figured you’d tell me eventually.” She shrugs before adding, “I promise to keep it to myself.”

“I appreciate that.” I pause and worry at the doubt that has been plaguing me for months. “Do you really believe I’m doing the right thing in going to visit him?”

“He doesn’t know you’re going, right?” Sofia taps her lips with a finger.

“No, and he’s alone at the ranch. His father is at the Texas one…I asked Sirena to find out.”

Sofia laughs. “I bet she enjoyed that considering Garrett won’t let her lift a finger until after the baby is born.”

“She’s the one who offered to find out what she could. Mom has been there every day helping with Elias who is a handful now and into everything while she rests. It’s driving her crazy.”

“She’ll survive and I’m sure she’s aware Garrett is the way he is because he loves her,” Sofia says, softly. “I want what she has.” She sighs. “A husband, a baby...just someone so I’m not alone.”

I frown at my cousin. “Sofia, you’re only twenty-two, you have plenty of time. You’ll meet someone. Maybe he’ll be a customer.”

“The only male customers I tend to meet are the groom to the bride,” she complains.

I chuckle. “Well, let’s hope you don’t find yourself in the same situation as I’m in.” My tears slowly slip down my face, which I curse at. “I thought I was doing so well not crying,” I blubber.

“Mom always tells me a good cry will make me feel better.”

“Aunt Rosie used to tell me that as well…Ugh! I need to pull myself together and then head home and pack.”

Sofia reaches over the table and hugs me. “I don’t think you’ll need it, but I’m going to wish you luck. If anyone deserves some happiness, it’s you.”

As she says it, chimes echo through the store and Sofia glances back at the ovens, which are gently pinging. I quickly hug Sofia so she can get back to work and then leave, walking back to my apartment.

Snow slowly falls while Christmas music continues to follow me along the sidewalk. There’s a Santa collecting for a children’s charity, and a guy selling Christmas trees on the corner. The scent of pine hits my senses and I crave to have my own real Christmas tree, with a fire lit in the hearth, while I snuggle against Tanner knowing he’s mine. That’s all I want for Christmas.