Nearing the register, music drifted from the back—90s country. There was no denying Cassie had good taste in music.
“Hello?” I called out, raising my voice over the volume of the music.
A few seconds later, the music stopped as Cassie appeared from around the corner with a black apron tied over her clothes and flour dusting her hands.
“Come back here,” she said softly, a small smile tugging at her lips. “I have a surprise for you.”
I followed her into the back, the room where regular customers couldn’t go. The further we went, the stronger the delicious scent hit me—warm pumpkin and cinnamon. My stomach practically growled as I glanced around, trying to figure out where it was coming from.
Cassie opened the industrial-size fridge and pulled out a pan with a dark-orange-colored roll resting on it. Setting it down on the counter, she dusted the surface with flour and placed the dough gently on top.
“What’s your favorite dessert at Thanksgiving?” she asked as she started rolling it. “The one thing you can’t go without?”
Her kindness was catching me off guard. Not that Cassie wasn’t kind––she just wasn’t kind to me. And for good reasons right now. Even though I had confided in Cassie about something deeply personal, I still broke her heart and, maybe for her, that was unforgiveable.
“Pumpkin pie,” I answered still hesitant as to why I was here in the first place. “You know, all McKinley men have a sweet tooth.”
“I remember that, actually,” she said, grinning. “That’s exactly why I’ve summoned you here today.”
“Summoned?” I asked, raising a brow. “You’re not about to sacrifice me, are you?”
Her eyes lit up mischievously. “I’ve never sacrificed anyone, but I’m willing to try anything once.”
“The scariest part is I can’t tell if you’re joking or not,” I said, slipping my hands into my pockets, trying to hide my nervousness.
Cassie’s lips curved into a teasing smile. “Don’t worry, Jace. I don’t plan on sacrificing you tonight.”
“Well, that’s a relief,” I muttered, earning a quiet laugh from her. On the inside, I was actually relieved some.
“The real reason I asked you to come here today is I’m thinking about adding pumpkin rolls to the menu, selling them by the slice,” she explained, brushing a bit of flour off her hands. “But before I do, I need a taste tester. Someone with a serious sweet tooth who knows their way around dessert.” She paused, meeting my eyes with a familiar spark. “And since you seem to know your way around a good dessert, I thought you might know a thing or two about pumpkin rolls.”
She grabbed a large stainless-steel kitchen knife from its spot in the wooden block and sliced a piece off the roll on the counter. A thick layer of cream cheese swirled through the pumpkin roll, the smell of cinnamon making my mouth water more by the second.
“Here,” she said, placing it in my hand. “Take a bite and tell me what you think. Don’t hold back—be honest.” Her eyes sparkled as she waited for my response.
“Did you poison it?”
“No, pinky promise,” she said, holding up her finger.
Was this Cassie Blake calling a cease fire between us?
I wrapped my pinky around hers, taking a small bite at first. Pure deliciousness. Then without a second thought, I shoved the rest of the slice into my mouth, devouring it in seconds.
Here’s to hoping she was telling the truth about the lack of poison.
Cassie blinked, stunned. “I’ll take that as… it was good?” she asked hesitantly.
“Yup,” I said, licking my lips. “I hope you don’t plan on selling the rest of this roll because I’m definitely stealing it and taking it home.”
“I can make you one to take with you on Thanksgiving too, if you want. I’m sure June would love it too,” she offered.
“What are you doing for Thanksgiving? Spending it with your mom?” I asked, suddenly realizing I’d never seen Cassie at a McKinley Thanksgiving, even though she was practically family.
“That’s actually why I asked you to come here today. Not because of Thanksgiving—because of my mom.” She hesitated, her fingers twisting the edge of her sleeve. “I’m not sure what you said to her, but she told me you convinced her to go to rehab… said you made her believe she was worthy of a second chance at life. So… she’s gone for the next few months.
Thank you for whatever you said to her by the way. You have no idea how much relief I felt watching her get on that plane. Every part of me was sure she’d change her mind at the last ––but she didn’t. I haven’t felt this at peace since I can’t even remember how long.”
“You probably felt the same way Colt did when he dropped me off at the airport the day I left,” I admitted quietly. “He’s always stuck by my side—the same way you’ve always been there for your mom.”
