Chapter 1

Amelia

It’s February first and I’ve just started working for Sweetheart’s Treats about a month ago. It’s the only bakery in our small town of Palace, Texas. The owner, Carly, is a total sweetheart, hence the name of the shop. Her parents paid for her to start living her dream. My dad is a great man, but there’s no way in hell he has the ability to give me something like that. I’m at a community college because money is scarce. My dad, Derek Wright, happens to be the sheriff. He’s been on his own since my mom abandoned us when I was two. He does what he can for me, but we’re in a small town and his salary isn’t great.

I reach for the handle and tug on the door. It’s locked. That’s surprising because Carly should already be here, and she never locks it since she knows I’m coming. I call her, but it goes to voicemail. I step back and notice none of the lights are on. With my hands surrounding my head, I press my face to the wind. Through the picture window, I can see a man through the kitchen door. Immediately, I call my father.

“Dad, Carly’s not answering her phone and there’s a man in the kitchen. I can’t get in, but all the lights are off.”

“Get back in your car and wait for me.” His voice is hard because he’s worried. “Do not try to make contact.” Too late. His eyes dart to mine, staring at me through the window. They are bright but because of the morning sun glaringly pounding on the glass, I can’t make them out. He throws me a quirky smile. I jump, gasping and dropping my phone. If I wasn’t staring, I wouldn’t have been noticed. That can’t be good if he’s a thief. I step back and look down at my phone that’s face up on the ground. Thankfully, I had it in an Otterbox case. It may have been a lot of money, but I’m clumsy. The last phone and insurance cost me more. Lesson learned, but now I don’t think it matters. I need to run, but I’m standing there like a fool.

“Amelia, Amelia,” my dad hollers through the phone. I scoop it up just as the front door opens. I freeze with my eyes trained to the intruder. A ridiculously, fine one. Holy shit, the man’s fucking hot as hell. He’s got short light brown hair and those eyes I noticed are a bright greyish blue. He crosses his arms, leaning against the open door, smiling at me. I’m still standing there with my phone in my hand admiring his strong arms.

“You’re Amelia, aren’t you?” he asks. He knows my name and I’m trying to breathe because my heart is going wild and my insides are a mess. “I’m Blake Reynolds, Carly’s brother. Please come in.”

“Amelia,” my phone says. Wait, it’s my dad, I totally forgot about him.

“Dad, sorry about the false alarm. It’s Carly’s brother.” My dad starts to say something, but I miss it because Blake steps away from the door and takes the phone.

“Sir, my sister is sick and asked me to look after the shop. You know that flu is going around and unfortunately, she’s got it.” He holds the door open, tilting his head for me to enter. I go in, feeling ill at ease about it. Not that Blake gives me a bad, dangerous vibe, but because I might make a total ass of myself. He’s so freaking fine that I am panting and mentally picturing his moving lips on mine. I’m so focused on them, that I don’t hear what he’s saying to my dad. He ends the call, locks the front door again, then walks towards me with his brow cocked.

The look on his face makes me nervous. His stare commands me to keep my eyes on him. He cracks a smile, but there’s a seriousness to it. He places a hand on the counter and leans in inches from me. “Amelia, don’t stare at me like that or you’re going to make me a liar.”

“A liar?” I ask, stepping backward, hitting my thigh on the edge of the counter. It stings, but I ignore it.

He shakes his head at me. “Yes, your daddy told me that I better keep my hands off you. And those lips of yours are tempting me more than a kid with a chocolate cake.”

“Why would he tell you that?” I ask. He only says that to boys who want to take me out. He’s ruined a lot of dating opportunities over the years. I’ve never had more than a kiss before. Sexy Blake wants to kiss me.

“Because…he’s a dad. I’m sure I’ll be that way when we have daughters. Seeing how he’s the sheriff in town, I’ll try to keep my hands off you for the time being.” I’m stunned because he’s like super-hot and I’m pretty sure he just referred to having babies with me. Shaking my head, I clear it.

“When is Carly coming back?”  I hope it’s soon.

“I don’t know. She’s got a bad case of the flu. They took her to the hospital Saturday night.”

I gasp. “Oh no, is she okay?”

“She will be. She’s normally as healthy as an ox,” he says with a shrug, turning around and moving to the back. Damn, does he have a nice ass. He’s wearing a pair of jeans that hug it and a dark green cardigan sweater with a white dress shirt underneath. The man is a live model. I’m mentally drooling. I pause to check my lip to see if I actually am and thankfully it’s all clear.

“I’m sure she wouldn’t appreciate the ox reference,” I reply, following him to the back. There’s a lot of things to do before the shop opens in twenty minutes and nothing is ready to display. Normally, Carly has the first round of baked goods coming out of the oven by now.

“Well, that’s what happens when you have a bratty little sister,” he tosses out, grabbing his coat.

Leaning against the oven with my arms crossed, I question, “Is that something all brothers say?”

He’s midway through putting his coat on when he asks, “Why? Do you have any that need their ass beat for calling you names?”

“No. I’m an only child, but it’s common with my friends.” He finishes sliding on his coat and damn, he looks sexy in it too. It’s a short length leather jacket and fits him so perfectly.

“I love her anyway. She begged me to come in, so I did. I’m keeping the shop closed for the morning, so the cleaning crew can disinfect the place, but fuck if I know how to bake. That’s where you come in, my princess. Carly told me you can do it,” he says, reaching for my hand and giving it a squeeze. He needs to stop touching me because I can’t think when he does.

Shit. I’m nowhere near as good as Carly. She has the skills and went to school for it. The shop opened a month ago and this was my first baking job. As soon as the opportunity came up, I jumped on it because my old boss at the store wouldn’t quit hitting on me. Tyler stops in once a week and luckily Carly deals with him while sending me to do something in the back. He’s obsessed, and I regret that I haven’t told my father about it yet.

“You can bake, right?” he asks, looking down at me. He actually towers over me because he’s freaking tall. Well, since I’m short most people are to me, but he’s at least a foot taller than me. He’s waiting for an answer, smirking at me in growing anticipation.

“Sure, but I can’t design like Carly and I don’t have all the recipes memorized,” I explain. I’m not what the town is expecting, then again people don’t want a side of the flu with their cupcakes.

“Princess, you got this,” he says before taking my hand and leading me out the back door.