“That look would be consternation over how to pay the contractor you hired.”
Ben smiled wide. “Ah, nice young man, huh? So brawny.”
She chuckled. Brawny, yes. Yes, yes, yes. “He’s a shifter, dad. They’re usually pretty brawny. And you know how I feel about them.”
“One bitter cup of coffee doesn’t mean every cup will be nasty.” Her dad returned to the commercial oven for another tray of cookies. “He’s single too. I asked. My radar isn’t bad this time, sweetheart; I promise.”
She rolled her eyes. Always optimistic about her love life, her dad wasn’t shy about steering her toward men he thought were suitable. Too bad his taste sucked.
“Speaking of single and bad radar, Marybeth is in heat and getting a little aggressive about it.” She side-eyed Ben, whose smile had fallen into a worried expression she hadn’t seen where Marybeth was concerned before. She was an annoyance, but maybe more?
Ben silently filled the cookie racks and Allie turned back to the tray of sticky buns she’d made earlier. A few minutes of silence passed, and she couldn’t take it anymore.
“Something I should know about Marybeth, dad?”
“Not really. She found me after the sprinkler incident yesterday and filled my ears with her high-pitched, hurt-your-head voice. You know the one, “Benjamin Rowe, your daughter tried to drown me after I offered her my business, and I might just have to ask for damages to replace my blouse because of the water damage. It’s three-hundred dollars, ruined.”
“Three hundred dollars,” Allie gushed in disbelief. Marybeth’s late husband had left her way too much money.
“She made me a deal.” Ben’s voice was heavy with regret. “I took it to save you from having to pay up. And she promised to still place an order for her party.”
Allie wiped her hands on her apron and turned to her dad with a furrowed brow. “Tell me you didn’t make a deal with that troll.”
The oven timers dinged, and Ben turned to take out the baking sheets.
“It’s nothing serious. I’ll just escort her to the party, that’s all.” Before she could argue, he held up a hand and gave her his stern look, which was more sympathetic puppy than firm father. “She also promised not to sue, whatever that means.”
“It’s her classic threat. You know that.”
Rustling from the corner said Becks had roused from her nap. The stool wiggled as she bolted from leaning against the counter to sitting. “I’m here,” she announced groggily as if she’d just arrived. Rubbing her eyes, she looked around with narrowed eyes. “Wait, how did I get here?”
Allie ruffled her friend’s dark brown hair. “You spent the night at my house, and I drove here, you lunatic. I don’t think these new meds are working for you, honey.”
Ben nodded in agreement just as a knock came from the front door. Allie looked at the overhead clock. It was just after six a.m. and she hadn’t yet opened the front door. Quickly wiping her hands with a towel, she headed to the front of the bakery. The familiar click and pop of the front door lock being turned stopped her in her tracks.
Chills raced down her arms as she hurriedly turned on the light switch and flooded the area in golden light.
Dax groaned and rubbed his eyes with one hand.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Allie demanded. Her heart jumped, but it wasn’t from being startled. Dax’s huge arms were bare, the gray tee shirt he wore cut off at the sleeves and clinging to his chest. No water required this time to mold it to his perfect body. His blonde hair was tucked behind his ears, the ends curling at the base of his neck.
He held up a single key on a ring and spun it around his finger. “Your dad gave me this so I could start as early as I like.”
“Oh, wonderful.”
He grinned wide, showing off the divot in the center of his chin. “Something smells really good.”
Allie cocked one side of her mouth. “That would be the scent of my despair.”
“Your despair smells exactly like chocolate chip cookies.”
Dax made a slow saunter around the room, perusing the space with a practiced eye. Jeans clung to the round rise of his ass and gripped the length of powerful thighs. Shifters might be cocky asshats, but she couldn’t deny this one was sexy as hell.
“Remember what I said about staring?”
Dax’s voice startled her. Allie’s face heated as he gave her a slow glance over his shoulders. She wet her lips and squared her shoulders. Her fingers actually itched caress the rise of his ass.
“Add it to my tab, I suppose. Seems the bill’s already getting high, thanks to the restoration crew you sent over.”
