* * *
“Well,as the one and only Dolly Parton would say, ‘If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.’”
Mae gaped at me. “Really? That’s your response to getting eliminated?”
I shrugged. I wasn’t going to drag her into my mess and tell her the real reason I got kicked off. Or that I’d already known this would be my last day on the show before I’d walked on set.
Today’s challenge had been suspiciously simple. And if there was one thing I could make in my sleep besides cupcakes, it was chocolate chip cookies.
Mae took hold of the bowl I was drying. “You can’t leave.”
I tugged it back, but she wouldn’t let go; instead, she pulled the other way.
I stopped tugging or risked turning this into a scene. “This is for the best. Really.”
She studied me with narrowed eyes but let the bowl go. “No, it’s not. It’s bullshit, that’s what it is. You are the best baker here. Everyone knows it.”
I shrugged, putting away the last of my cooking utensils. Brushing my hands over the workbench I’d become so familiar with over the past few weeks felt bittersweet. I was exhausted and eager for it to be over. But knowing this was it still sent a jab of sadness through me.
“It’s not just about skill. If they want to sell the winner’s product at the supermarket afterward, the audience has to love them. Clearly, they didn’t like me enough.”
Mae wiped away the tears tracking down her cheeks and pulled me in for a hug. “Don’t you dare disappear on me, Rayna Sweet.”
I hugged her back and chuckled. “You have every last one of my numbers. You know where I work and live. I think disappearing would be pretty hard, unless I moved to another country.”
“I’m coming to visit you as soon as this is over,” she vowed, and we stepped back. It was only her and Elise left, so she had about a week of filming ahead of her.
“You got this. And I’ll see you after you win.”
She gave me a half-hearted smile and nodded. “Thanks for being such an amazing friend.”
“You too, honey.”
She left, and I made my way to the changing room. Everyone else was already gone, but I’d had to do my exit interview and then clean up my workstation. No way would I leave it for the staff to do later. Mae had waited around for me, knowing I was planning on leaving tonight to head back home.
“Rayna,” Grayson called out when I came out of the changing room, back in my comfortable leggings and oversized sweater.
I waved at him, mesmerized by his long stride and wide shoulders. “What are you still doing here?”
“I was waiting for you. Are you okay?” He fell in step beside me, and our arms brushed.
Is this the last time I’ll see him?
“I’m fine. Honestly. I look forward to getting back to my bakery and sleeping in my own bed.”
“I just spoke to Pascal. I’m so sorry about this. I should have left you alone. But seeing you again felt like we’d been given a second chance.”
His words made me falter. “We were both in this together. You didn’t kidnap me every night and force me to spend time with you.”
“You want to get dinner? Or a drink?”
That sounded heavenly but would only drag out the inevitable—me leaving and never seeing Grayson again. “I’m not staying the night. As soon as I pack my stuff, I’m going back home.”
“What? No, that’s too soon. You can’t just leave. We didn’t—”
He stopped midsentence, his stiff demeanor and fidgeting hands catching my attention.
We made it outside, and I soaked in the balmy night air. I’d miss only wearing one layer of clothes instead of five to avoid frostbite. “I need to get back to my life. The show was fun, but why drag it out and stay? It’s not that late yet, so I’ll have a few hours of daylight left. I’ll stop somewhere along the way. The drive is too long to do in one go anyway.”
