“It’s not one I hold, I’m afraid.”
“Patience was probably myfirstlife lesson, and it was taught by my love of baking.” I run my fingers over a bar of dark chocolate, contemplating another purchase. “Cooking is hot and fast, but baking requires hours of waiting. You never know how it will turn out until it’s too late.”
“Sounds stressful.”
“It is. That’s what makes it so fun.” I decide against the chocolate, but as soon as Theo thinks I’m not looking, he slips it into the cart.
I pretend not to notice.
Once we have everything on my list, I let him wander. It’s his first time in the market. I’ve only been once before, but I already have it memorized, recognizing that he’s leading us to the fresh vegetables.
He adds a few carrots to the growing pile of food. “If you’re baking, I’m making dinner. That only seems fair.”
I lift a brow. “Really? I didn’t know you could cook.”
“Of course, I can cook. How do you think I survived this long without you?” He scoffs. “I’ll make soup. That sounds nice on a cold day like today, right?”
Itisespecially chilly these days. It was warm enough in San Diego to take the occasional dip into the ocean, though I could never stay in for long. I’m not as strong as my brother. Here, it still feels like the late days of winter, even though we’re well into spring. It’s been rainy lately, too. The wet weather is great for the trees we’ve been planting, but not so much for keeping warm.
I look out at the gray morning sky. “Yes. That sounds perfect.”
It’s the first day of the week we haven’t had to work. A day of baking and eating food I don’t have to make myself sounds divine.
Spending it with Theo is great, too. He could be with anyone else, doing anything else. I know there’s a group going to a bar, a few visiting a castle, and others going on a tour. As fun as those ideas all sound, I need a day to decompress.
Instead of going with them, Theo is right on the same page—and like everything else, I tell myself it means nothing.
It doesn’t. Nothing at all.
“That smells amazing.”The scent drags me away from the couch and into the kitchen—a place I should already be.
I haven’t even started with my croissants; if I delay, that means waiting longer for them. My body begs for relaxation, and all I can do is listen—but more than that, it’s begging for a bite of his hot soup.
The warm, earthy smells of herbs and vegetables fill the air, and I already know I’m in for a treat. Theo’s homemade cooking will be better than when we stopped at a local restaurant, and even better than when I pick up pastries from town.
Nothing warms you up quite like someone else’s home cooking. I’m so used to warming other people up with my sweets that I forget what it’s like to let someone else take care of me. Theo is doing that now—and he looks good while he’s doing it.
A white T-shirt clings to his form as he bends over the stove, diligently stirring his concoction. “Thanks.” He stands upright, flashing a proud smile. “It’ll be done soon—way faster than your fancy twelve-hour croissants.”
“Allcroissants take that long! Mine aren’t even fancy…”
I’m still learning the craft of croissant making. All I’ve ever wanted is to dive headfirst into baking, but that wasn’t possible. Paying my way means I’ve always had to take it slow, and I’ve always been a few steps behind my peers.
“I guess I should get started with the croissants.” I sigh and check on the bowl of milk, yeast, and honey.
Theo watches me over my shoulder. He’s not too close, but it’s enough to set my heart on fire. “What is that, anyway? It looks wild…”
“Activated yeast. Believe it or not, this is the look we’re going for. Sometimes, ugly things become pretty later.”
“I’ll take your word for it.”
“Don’t be so shallow.”
Theo is anything but shallow. He doesn’t need to defend himself, and to my surprise, he doesn’t.
I step away and measure the remaining ingredients—water, butter, sugar, flour, and salt. It’s easy. Most goods use the same ingredients. The dough is shaggy, mixed by hand with a wooden spoon. I can still feel Theo’s eyes on me.
“What about the eggs?” he asks. “You made a big deal of them earlier.”
