Chapter 4

 

After going to Benny’s, I didn’t bother doing anything else. I took some Tylenol PM and headed straight to bed to get over the damn hangover and whatever else was going on with all the emotions running through me.

My alarm woke me up way too early to start my morning, which was opening up the Forever Sweet Bakery for the early crowd that liked their donuts and coffee before work.

Opening on Mondays was the worst because everyone was particularly grumpy and liked to take it out on the keeper of their coffee and donuts by being rude. At least I didn’t have my hangover headache, and I’d showered, so I didn’t smell like ass anymore. There was some sort of silver lining.

With most of the morning crowd gone by nine a.m., I had time to put some cupcakes in the oven, frost them, and bring them out just as the resident author, Brooke Carrington, came in for her usual all-day writing session.

“What are you working on today?” I asked, putting the cupcakes in the case as the brunette bombshell set her laptop up on the corner table by the window.

Brooke flashed a smile, adjusting her glasses and messy bun. It wasn’t fair that the petite girl could look good in her sweatpants and messy bun while I looked like a hot mess who just rolled off the garbage truck.

“Rockstar romance, as usual,” she said, grabbing her sparkly black wallet out of her messenger bag and approaching the counter.

“Do you need me to play some Metallica? Do they have anything romantic? I can’t even think of a romantic rock star.”

Brooke laughed, shaking her head as she stopped in front of the white counter. Carla, the owner, bought the former downtown post office and gave everything a fresh coat of distressed white paint. A shabby chic array of tables made of pallets and painted white with mismatched chairs surrounding each one and painted the same shade of dark red decorated the place. Two large glass cases filled with cupcakes, cakes, and trays of cookies sat diagonal to the long, white counter I worked behind with the Forever Sweet logo hand painted on the front of it.

“No need for mood music. Eddie sent me a playlist that I’ll be listening to from my computer.” I swore I saw her cheeks tinge red at the mention of her boyfriend, who happened to be a former Friendship, Texas, resident. He was now a country music superstar currently on tour while the couple built a house just outside Friendship city limits.

I knew this not just because Brooke was a regular in the bakery but because her parents and Eddie’s lived behind our property. Eddie grew up on the TL Ranch, and Brooke was the girl next door. They were seven years older than I was, so I didn’t think much of them growing up, but damn, did they both grow up to be a good-looking couple. Hell, I could hashtag the shit out of their relationship with one single word: goals.

“Just holler if you need it,” I offered with a smile.

Brooke handed me her card. “I may need the help. And caffeine. A caramel macchiato and a strawberry croissant. For now. I may need more as the day goes on.”

I typed in her order and swiped the card. “You know I’ve got your back. I’m your sweets and caffeine dealer. It sounds way better than bakery worker.”

She laughed as I handed back her card. “Hey, you’re more than a bakery worker. Your mom told my mom you were doing photography now? Why didn’t you tell me that? I could use some new headshots, you know?”

I blinked and opened my mouth then closed it again before shaking my head. “Oh. No. Definitely not a headshot girl. I do school portraits with a company, and I do some newborn and senior sessions when people really need me.”

Brooke laughed. “Author headshots shouldn’t be that much different from a school photo. Come on! We could do a fun little photo shoot here in the bakery even! Books and cupcakes.”

“I, uh, I can ask Carla,” I offered, turning away from her so she couldn’t see my shaking hands, which I had to control before I tried steaming the milk for her drink.

The truth was school portraits were easy. They didn’t require me to step out of the box, and if a parent didn’t like them, they just scheduled a retake. I rarely did the newborn or senior photo sessions because those required creativity. Though I wanted to go crazy, I was also afraid of people hating the pictures I took. So I just took direction from the Pinterest poses they wanted and did the edits needed. I knew it wasn’t the best way to go about things, but it was the safe way.

Safe like staying in Friendship, Texas, instead of saying screw it and going to school in New York. I probably could have gone for a degree in business and art, but I didn’t. I convinced myself it was art school or nothing at all. But really, I didn’t even download, print, or fill out any applications for any schools in Texas or New York or otherwise.

I was afraid of change, and the more things started to change in my life, the more I started to realize why I hated it so much.

The bell rang over the front door, knocking my nerves out. “Be right with you,” I yelled over the sound of the espresso machine.

“No rush,” a deep male voice said.

I didn’t turn around until I had Brooke’s drink in her mug and set it on the counter. I barely got the hot cup to her before my hand started shaking again as I stared at Jordan freaking Webber.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, breathlessly.

“I’ll come back for my croissant,” Brooke muttered, skittering to her table.

“Oh. Don’t let me interrupt, ma’am,” Jordan said, putting his hands up, which caused his black t-shirt to ride up slightly and give a view of his tanned stomach and the black outline of some sort of a tattoo.

I fumbled with the handle of the pastry case, keeping my eyes on the flaky crusts instead of his abs. “Coming right up, Brooke,” I squeaked as I put the croissant on a red plate. I made my way around the counter, keeping my eyes on the wooden floor until I got to her table.

“Who is that?” she mouthed, wiggling her eyebrows.

“An ex,” I mouthed back before she widened her eyes and I turned, heading back behind the counter.

“Can I still order something, or are you going to run away?” Jordan asked, putting his hands on the counter and leaning in.

I took a deep breath. He smelled heavenly—like soap and sawdust. I didn’t know that was a sexy scent, but on him, it made me want to just bury my face in his body. All over his body. Dammit, I really needed to get laid and stop thinking about the guy who left me for New York.

“Uh. Yeah. You can order. Weird that you’d come here, though. Most of the people who visit and aren’t regulars drive into Rockwall or Wylie for mainstream, drive-thru coffee. Of course, you are a New Yorker now, so you’re probably looking for something hipster.” I found myself rambling and couldn’t stop.

I looked up to see Jordan smiling, his blue eyes shining as he looked directly at me. “I don’t think anyone’s ever called me a hipster. But I’ll take it.” He ran his hands through his hair, and I tried not to gulp as I thought about what it would be like to run my fingers through those silky strands. Or pull them. Or you know, whatever else I could do to his head.

“The only coffee maker at my grandma’s house is a percolator, and no one knows how to use it, so my aunts sent me here to get some coffee and donuts while we finish cleaning today,” Jordan said, the corner of his lips turning into a slight frown.

“Oh. Sorry. About the coffee. And your grandma. Wow, that was dickish of me not to say anything yesterday. Though, to be fair, it was kind of a shock to see you,” I said, turning toward the counter that housed the espresso machine and our coffeepot that was completely empty.

“It’s no problem. I was shocked to see you too. But a good shocked. You still look just as good as you did in high school. Maybe even better.” His smile returned.

“Uhhhhh, yeah, you totally look good too.” I tried not to stutter or stare at the tattoos peeking out of his shirt. In high school, he had a four-leaf clover on his shoulder blade and another small anchor on his hipbone that some guy did out of his barn in Caddo Mills. They were both pretty crude, but these new brightly colored swirls looked professional from what I could see.

“I need to make a fresh pot, so it’ll be a little bit,” I said, grabbing the canister of coffee grounds and trying not stare.

“That’s cool. I’ve got some time. And then maybe you’ll share a cup with me, and we can chat?”

I almost spilled the coffee grounds all over the counter instead of getting them in their rightful spot. “Um. I don’t really have a break right now.”

He laughed slightly. “Do I make you nervous, Abbey?”

“No? Why on earth would you say that?”

“Because you just scooped coffee grounds in there without a filter. Unless that’s a different kind of coffee machine …” He pointed at the coffeemaker that definitely needed a filter.

“Shit,” I muttered, scooping out the coffee and throwing it into the nearby trashcan.

“Sorry about that.”

I shook my head, taking out the last of the grounds before I put in a filter. “Not your fault. I’m scatterbrained.”

“Yeah and I’ve always loved that about you. You didn’t fit into the mold or get mad. You just did whatever. Flitting from place to place.” He laughed again.

“That’s one way to describe me. Klutzy and awkward is another one,” I said, scooping the grounds in before filling the pot with water.

He shook his head. “I never thought that about you.”

“You might be the only one.”

“What about your boyfriend? Surely, Joey doesn’t think that ” he said, leaning on the counter.

“Joey and I broke up,” I blurted without even thinking what I was saying.

“Oh? Good for me then.”

I opened my mouth to say something and then shut it; my eyes widened as Teagan bounced in. Literally bounced. Not sure the girl was wearing a bra under her thin little dress, and her hair was so blown out and teased, I swore it could have knocked someone out.

“Abbey! And who might you be? Someone new in Friendship?” Teagan added a twang to her slight accent as she approached the counter. Then Teagan performed her signature move in which she ran her hand from the back of her neck down the curve of her chest. It made every guy melt.

I found myself glaring, waiting for Jordan’s eyes to trail, but instead, he shook his head and laughed, looking at me and hitching his thumb in Teagan’s direction. “Well, you might have recognized me right away, but obviously, Teagan didn’t.”

Teagan frowned, putting her hand on her hip. “What’s going on?”

I smirked. “Teagan, you remember Jordan Webber from high school.”

Teagan blinked hard. “Oh, my God! Jordan! You cut your hair, and holy hell, you got a body! Where were you hiding that in high school?”

She lunged forward and enveloped him in a big hug. He barely wrapped his arms around her and gave me a WTF look before she let go, grinning broadly up at him. “How long are you in town?”

Teagan looked in my direction and mouthed, “Holy hell, he’s fine.”

I widened my eyes and watched her grin like a Cheshire cat before looking up at Jordan, and I swore she pulled her dress down ever so slightly so I could practically see her nipples.

Jordan gulped, running his hands through his hair. “A few weeks at least. Helping to clean and fix up my grandma’s house to sell.”

“That’s perfect. You should totally come out with us on Saturday. We’re going to that bowling alley in Rockwall that used to serve us when we were underage but still has great drink specials. You’re coming, right, Abs?” She blinked her big, mascara-covered lashes, looking in my direction.

“I have Sofie’s baby shower on Saturday,” I muttered.

“Sofie? As in Sofie White?” Jordan asked, turning his full attention toward me.

I nodded. “Yeah. She’s kind of my stepsister or something. Our parents are dating.”

Jordan laughed, shaking his head. “I remember Sofie in art class. She had those braces forever, and that fro she used to stick pencils in. Who did she end up marrying?”

“She’s not married. She hooked up with this guy, an Olympic swimmer who is best friends with Lia Conti’s swimmer boyfriend. Now, she’s having his swimmer baby,” I said it all practically in one breath.

Jordan’s eyes widened. “A lot’s changed since I left, I guess.”

Teagan put her hand on his arm, and I swore I saw him wince. “That’s why you have to come with us, Jordan. Come on; if Abbey’s too busy, you can always take her spot.”

“I’ll go,” I blurted without even thinking.

Teagan and Jordan both stared at me.

I shrugged. “The shower isn’t going to last all day. And I can drive us all if we need it.”

Jordan smiled, his eyes meeting mine. “Cool. I guess it’s a date.”

“I wouldn’t call it that,” I replied.

“A date it is!” Teagan squealed.

And just like that, I had plans for Saturday night with the one guy I was planning to avoid.