Sadie peered over Avery’s shoulder. She’d picked her up from school an hour ago and brought her back to the bakery to help with cookie prep for the next day. They were working in the front of the shop at the counter while they waited for Eastern to stop by.
“Avery, that is the best-looking cookie dough I have ever seen. Have you been practicing?”
She beamed. “No. But I’ve been doinga lotof dreaming about cookies.”
Sadie bit the inside of her cheek to stop the laugh. “Dreaming about cookies would definitely help. I do a bit of dreaming about cookies myself.”
Avery continued to knead the dough while Sadie rolled her own dough into balls and placed them onto cookie sheets. In the morning, these would be ready to pop into the oven to bake. Her grandmother had always said chilled cookie dough was the secret to the best cookies. Well, that and plenty of sugar.
“What did you do at school today?” Sadie asked.
“Miss Davies asked us what we wanted to be when we grow up.”
“Really? And what did you say?” When Avery was younger, she’d often switched between fairy and mermaid. Sometimes when she couldn’t decide, it was a fairy mermaid, which honestly, didn’t sound so bad to Sadie.
When the handle at the back door rattled, Sadie frowned. The door was locked, and after a few seconds the noise stopped. She was still looking in that direction when Avery answered.
“I told her I wanted to help run Sugar and Spice and be adopted by my stepmom so that you’re my real mom.”
Sadie’s gaze shot back to Avery, her jaw dropping, heart clenching in her chest.
For a moment, she was speechless, letting the impact of those words settle deep in her chest. Then she crouched in front of Avery. “You know that I’ve loved you since the day I met you, right? And I don’t need a piece of paper to tell me you’re my daughter.”
Avery’s eyes shifted between Sadie’s. “But what if you and Daddy break up? Or you decide to move away again?”
“That won’t happen. I left for Atlanta because I thought I’d never have access to you again. It was a mistake. I should have stayed close. I won’t be making the same mistake twice. And even if somethingdoeshappen between your dad and me, he would never keep us apart. I know that with absolute certainty.”
“Good. Because I don’t want to lose you.”
Sadie pulled her into her arms. “Me neither, baby girl.”
The front doorthunkedin its frame, and they both looked up to see Scott trying to push inside, but it was locked.
Goddammit, could the man not take a hint?
She moved around the counter and put her fists on her hips. “Go away.”
She had no idea if he could hear her, but he’d understand.
“Sadie…please. I came to say goodbye.”
Her brows flickered and she tentatively walked forward and unlocked the door. “What did you say?”
He stepped inside. “I’m going home.” He swallowed, his jaw clicking as he looked away. “I’ve just come to tell you that I’m done fighting for you. I screwed up, and my punishment is that I lose you. I get it. I also told my mother to stop bothering you. I would have left yesterday if I hadn’t woken up sick.”
She frowned. “You were sick?”
“Yeah, a damn stomach bug or something. I still feel like shit.” He rubbed his temple. “Anyway…thought I should say goodbye and apologize for harassing you. For my mother’s visits. Hell, even for hanging around your apartment building, hoping to get a glimpse of you.”
She pulled back. “You were hanging around my apartment building?”
He scratched the back of his neck. “Yeah, I was an idiot. And trust me, I got a mouthful from that woman who used to live on our floor. She even hit me on the back of the head with her purse, told me to stay away from her daughter like I’m some kind of stalker. Which, okay, I probably looked like.” He shook his head. “Anyway…I’m sorry. For everything. I didn’t deserve you.”
She stepped back, still not liking anything he’d done but relieved that he was leaving. “Good luck with everything, Scott.”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
He turned to leave but the door opened, and Jamie stepped in. One look at the other woman’s bloodshot eyes and angry scowl had Sadie rushing back toward the counter and grabbing Avery.
