Jared still hasn’t spoken. He feels a million miles away right now.
I wait for the machine, not bothering to turn around when I hear them slowly leave the table and traipse down the hall to the garage. They close the door, and seconds later, I hear their cars start.
Someone moves at my side, and I eye Lucas as he reaches into the cabinet behind my head.
I guess I was right, after all. He didn’t stay close last night because he wanted to. He did it because he still sees me as alittle girl.
“You used to bemyfriend,” I tell him, braver with him than with my brothers. “You used to have my back while I was growing up.” I jerk my chin toward the hallway where my brothers just disappeared. “Now you take their side?”
He trusted me more when I was a kid.
“Because they’re right,” he says in a stern, but quiet voice. “Noah Van der Berg and Farrow Kelly have reputations.”
I shake my head. “Young men with reputations? Scandalous.”
As if he, or my brothers, were angels at that age.
“I’m not kidding, Quinn,” he says, setting down a coffee cup. “Noah is a womanizer, and Farrow is dangerous. They don’t want to be your friend. They want one thing.”
“That’s not true,” I spit out, gripping the counter behind me. But then I soften my voice, playing. “I’m such a good cook, I’m sure they’ll want a hot breakfast when we wake up in the morning too.”
He slams the cabinet closed next to me, and I jump. But I almost smile for the first time since I came down the stairs this morning. My heart is racing. I like talking back.
“You’re not my brother,” I tell him, and then mutter to myself, “And my brothers are not my parents.”
I’m an adult.
He stares down at me, and I tighten my jaw.
“No.” He shakes his head. “I’m not your brother, your father, or your uncle.” His voice falls to a whisper. “And I’m asking you to stay away from them.”
Something swells in my chest as his rises and falls, almost flat against mine. I can just feel his breath on my hair.
I drop my eyes. “But you leave tomorrow night,” I remind him before looking back up. “Right?”
If Noah’s my workout buddy or Farrow gives me a ride home, what’s he going to do about it?
I walk away, feeling his eyes on me as I go.
Hours later, and I’m still riding my emotions, the embarrassment turning to anger. Not that it’s been a bad thing because I’ve been moving my ass and chewing through little jobs—one after the other—since I arrived at the bakery this morning. My multi-tasking skills have broken a new record, I’m sure. The self-talk and rehashing the entire argument with my brothers and Lucas kept my legs fully charged and my awareness at an eleven.
I shouldn’t have given in so easily with Madoc and Jax. There were so many things I could’ve said, like reminding them that I’m a grown woman, but as usual, I think best when it’s too late.
I stuffed a glazed strawberry donut in my mouth for lunch without even the slightest bit of guilt. I worked it off before I even ate it.
“Thank you, everyone,” I call out, putting chairs back down after Hailey mopped. “Good job today.”
Noel and Codi slip out the canvas bags that line the bread baskets on the wall and take them to the laundry while Hailey finishes cleaning the case and counters.
“If you’re working tomorrow, we’re out of here by two,” I tell them.
“Yeah!” Noel shouts, whipping off his apron that’s stained with coffee.
I check the lock on the front door and head to Hailey at the computer. “Were you able to submit that order?”
“Done,” she chirps.
One more accomplishment today. Delegating. I taught her how to order more inventory, and both her and Noelhow to prep for lunch. I’m glad I had kept the menu simple and devised a grab-and-go section to alleviate the number of orders. They all learned quickly. Maybe now I can start staying in the back to bake more during the day so I’m not here so late.
