“Emma, this is ridiculous. Ask the man out on a date.” I wash my hands and tie an apron around my waist.
“Cam, I appreciate what you’re trying to do, and I honestly mean that, but please just trust me when I say it’s not that easy. Things have always been done a certain way around here and I don’t want to be the one to rock the boat.” She buries her attention in the pantry, stacking ingredients on the long butcher-block counter.
I let out a sigh of my own. “Fine.” I grab the eggs from the fridge, already well-versed in Emma’s routine, even after just a few days working in the bakery.
We complete the rest of the morning setup, Emma doing most of the baking, me unloading trays and filling the display case, in near silence, but it’s not awkward and stilted like it was with Ethan. Aside from Ben, Emma is the only person in Heart Springs who really seems to get me—and who seems to have any interest in getting to know the real me. And since Ben ditched me last night, she might now be the only one who legitimately cares about me, so I won’t push her. I’ll just do my best to make her life easier. And maybe continue to subtly encourage her to pursue Ethan and smash the patriarchy and all that.
Mimi pushes through the door of the bakery right after the morning rush, not even trying to hide her scowl.
I hold up my hands. “I told you trying to make me fall in love was a terrible idea.”
“Ethan is a kind, successful, intelligent young man.” Her hands land on her hips and for a moment she almost reminds me of my grandmother.
I shudder. “I never would say otherwise. Ethan is all those things, he’s just not the man for me.”
“You will not get out of here if you don’t play by the rules, Cam.”
I check behind me, but Emma is safely tucked away in the back kitchen, oblivious to this conversation. “You don’t scare me, Meem.” She does scare me, a little bit, but I sure as hell am not giving her the satisfaction of knowing that. “I can take you.”
Ignoring my very weak threat, she crosses her arms over her chest and smiles, but it’s smug. “Lucky for you, I have two more men waiting in the wings.”
“Can’t fucking wait.”To hate them toois implied.
Mimi nods her head and the next thing I know, the door is swinging open again like she has telekinesis or just really good timing.
But my attention is quickly pulled away from my fairy torture mother. It lands squarely on the man who strides through the door, and it stays there.
Because holy hell.
He’s hotter than Chris Hemsworth and Sebastian Stan. Combined. Tall and broad with arms that could totally rip a tree trunk in half. Golden brown hair and bright green eyes and a smile that could quite literally drop panties. My frilly pink ones might have just burned right up.
Okay, Mimi. You win this round.
“This is Jason,” she says, her smirk growing even smirkier. “He’s bachelor number two.”
Jason sticks out his hand, and I daintily place mine in his huge paw. His fingers completely dwarf mine, and as he brings my hand to his lips, I don’t even roll my eyes at the ridiculous gesture.
“Pleasure to meet you,” I say in the sweetest voice I’ve managed since landing in this war zone.
“Same.” Jason’s voice is gravelly and rough and sexy as fuck.
Smiling coyly, I lean over the bakery counter, glad I chose a dress with a lower neckline this morning. “I’m looking forward to getting to know you better.”
“Same.”
Okay, so the man doesn’t exactly have a way with words. The date I have in mind won’t really require anything more than one-word responses anyway. Words like “yes” and “more” and “fuck me harder.”
Mimi steps in front of Jason. “You’ll be accompanying Jason to the End of Summer concert in the park in two days.”
“End of Summer?” My brow furrows and I know I’m going to need extra Botox by the time I break free of this place. “Didn’t summer just start like a few days ago?”
“Eventually you’ll realize things work a little differently around here.” Mimi hooks her arm in Jason’s and drags him to the door.
“Nice meeting you!” I call to his retreating broad, broad back.
He waves in response, following along as Mimi tugs him down the sidewalk.
I bite my lip, holding back a grin.
