“This is amazing,” I whispered, taking in the hidden gem. “How did you find this place?”
Teddy grinned, clearly pleased with my reaction. “Remember, I grew up in Harmony Grove. As a kid, I’d heard rumors about there being a secret lounge in the back of the Tap but I’d chalked it up to urban legend. One day, I saw the owner slip through this door. I had to find out what was behind it, so I asked. Turns out, it’s a little reading room for regulars to enjoy. I’m pretty sure it’s all but forgotten about by most people, so it’s a nice place to sit and chat when you don’t want to deal with the noise out in the bar or worry about people getting into your business. The guys like to give the women a hard time about gossiping, but those old men are just as bad. I figured you might appreciate it. “
I couldn’t help but smile, touched by his thoughtful gesture. “You’re right, I love it. It’s the perfect place to escape the world for a while.”
We spent the next hour in the secret room, browsing the bookshelves and sharing our favorite titles. As we talked, I felt a connection with Teddy that went beyond just the renovation project. We shared a love for stories, and it was clear that we had a lot more in common than I initially thought.
I glanced at my watch and realized it was getting late. Okay, so it was barely past seven but I had to be up at two to start baking.
“I should probably get going,” I said reluctantly. “I have an early start tomorrow.”
Teddy nodded, his eyes filled with understanding. “Of course. I don’t want to keep you. Maybe we can do this again sometime?”
I felt my heart skip a beat at the prospect of spending more time with Teddy. “I’d like that,” I replied, trying to contain my excitement.
As we walked back through the bar, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something special was unfolding between Teddy and me.
The following morning,I arrived at the bakery earlier than usual to start prepping for the day. The remodel shifting from dream to reality had me feeling inspired. I wanted to get the breakfast staples baked off and in the case so I could play around a bit before I had to start working on icing the cookies Lacey had baked yesterday.
I hummed to myself as I went about my tasks, my mind wandering back to my evening with Teddy. The memory of following him to the hidden library brought a smile to my face. It was only supposed to be two guys catching a meal together but by the time we left the Tap, it felt like something more. If I was being honest with myself, I wished the night had ended with a kiss, and that definitely wasn’t something friends or professional connections did.
I caught sight of Jasper striding toward the bakery as I slid trays of still-warm muffins into the display case.
Jasper entered the bakery with a flourish, his usual wide grin on his face. “Shiloh, you’d better dish about your little dinner date with Teddy.”
I laughed and shook my head. “It wasn’t a date, Jasper. We just went for burgers and beer to celebrate ironing out the details for the remodel.”
Jasper’s grin grew even wider. He rounded the bakery case and pulled out a morning glory muffin. It was odd to me how he helped himself in the mornings, yet in the afternoons when he visited, he acted like a proper customer, waiting for me to serve him. “Come on, you can’t fool me. I saw the way you two were looking at each other yesterday. There’s definitely something going on there.”
I rolled my eyes, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks. “You’re imagining things. It’s business, that’s all.”
Jasper moved behind the counter and draped an arm around my shoulders, giving me a playful squeeze. “Shiloh, I’ve known you since the day you first rolled into town, and not once have you had the goofy look you did yesterday. And you’re practically glowing this morning. Glowing, Shiloh. Guys who hang out with buddies for the night do not glow.”
I tried to shrug off his suspicions, focusing on arranging the pastries. “We had a good time. Teddy’s a nice guy, and we got along well. There’s nothing more to it.”
My face burned as I spoke, conscious of Jasper’s intense stare. I had let my mind wander to how Teddy’s lips would feel against mine, and what it would be like to feel those huge arms wrapped around me. Would Teddy have invited me home with him if I hadn’t been so caught up in maintaining distance? If I’d invited him to my house, I wasn’t sure my bed could have held up to the things I wanted him to do to me.
I’d never been the type of guy to think with my dick, but this morning it seemed to have hijacked the connections to my brain. I hoped Jasper wasn’t able to read my thoughts.
He sighed, his arm slipping off my shoulders. I could tell he didn’t quite believe me, but he didn’t press for more answers either. “All right, I won’t push since you’re obviously not going to give up the goods. But I want you to know that I’m here for you if you ever want to talk about it.”
I smiled, grateful for him knowing when to drop it for a change. “Thanks, Jasper. I appreciate it.”
For the next hour or so, Jasper hung around the bakery, helping me with various tasks and chatting about the latest gossip from his salon. His presence was a welcome distraction, and I was able to momentarily forget about the confusing thoughts I had about Teddy.
As the morning wore on and the bakery began to fill with customers, Jasper eventually disappeared to the salon, leaving me to work the rush with Lacey. It was only during a brief lull in the crowd that I had a chance to check my phone, and I found a text message from Teddy.
Hey, I hope your day’s going well. I’ll be stopping by later this afternoon to take some measurements. See you then.
I felt a flutter of excitement in my chest, even as I reminded myself that Teddy’s visit was purely professional. Still, I couldn’t help but look forward to seeing him again.
The day flew by in a whirlwind of activity, and before I knew it, the bakery was closing. As I began the process of cleaning and restocking for the following morning, the sound of the bells caught my attention.
Teddy stood in the doorway, a tape measure and notepad in hand. “Hey, Shiloh,” he said, giving me a warm smile. “I hope now’s a good time for me to take those measurements.”
I returned his smile, feeling my heart skip a beat. I needed to get a grip. It wouldn’t be very professional of me to go around glowing every time Teddy texted or showed up.
Good lord, Jasper had gotten into my head, and now I had the word “glowing” playing in his voice on repeat. I chuckled, drawing a curious look from Teddy. “Of course, come on in. I’ll just be finishing up some cleaning while you work.”
