CHAPTER 24
Walker
“Thought those were my apology cupcakes?” I remind Tally as I lean against the refrigerator, watching as she frosts one cupcake after another and places them on a platter to take over to the farmers market. The woman has been a machine all week, baking and decorating and plotting with her sister far later than I could stay up.
The plan is to bring the baked goods to the farmers market today and make more content. And I suppose hopefully sell some cupcakes. Who the fuck knows. The girls seem to have a plan, and I’m trying not to get in the way of it. My only plan since Tally arrived two weeks ago has been to stay away from her. Which I’m failing at spectacularly because here I am again, staring at the way she sways her damn hips to some sad song.
It’s hypnotic really, the way her lilac-spandex-covered ass rolls from one side to the other, the caramel waves on her head jostling with her movement. She’s got on a white crop top that falls off one shoulder, exposing the straps of her lilac bra.
I push off the fridge and step closer to her. “You almost done?”
From this close I can smell the sugar from whatever she’s making mixed with her shampoo, and the combination has my cock stirring even though the past few days have beennothing but a shit show and I’m stressed to all hell over the tulips.
Although the longer I stand in this room, right behind her, with her warmth so close it sets my skin on fire, the urge to touch her, to smell her, totasteher grows exponentially.
I pull back and put my hands in my pockets as she looks over her shoulder. “Almost.”
With a cupcake in her hand, Tally spins toward me. I’m expecting her to offer it to me, but instead she takes a huge bite and then closes her eyes as she hums. Forget her hips being hypnotic. The sight and sound of Tally closing her eyes and eating a damn cupcake is downright erotic.
A whimper slips past my throat, and Tally’s eyes fly open. “Want one?”
“Well, they were supposed to be for me,” I grumble. “Though I don’t even eat cupcakes.” The pout that forms on her lips has me adding, “But I guess I can try one of yours.”
The way Tally lights up fills me with insane pride.I did that.
Like a man who knows he’s thoroughly fucked, I watch Tally grab another cupcake and slather it with frosting. She watches me pensively as I bite into it. I’d probably have faked loving the cupcake, but I don’t have to.
“Fucking hell, that’s—” I take another bite and groan, my eyes falling shut. “What is that?” I stuff the rest of it into my mouth. It’s the best thing I’ve ever eaten. Hands down. I had no idea a cupcakecouldtaste like that. Sweet and salty, spongy, decadent. “Holy shit, Tally. What the hell?”
Her shoulders relax, and her surprised laugh rings out. “It’s a honey cupcake with salted caramel frosting.”
I shake my head as I look around her, wanting more.
She giggles and grabs another one, but I’m staring at the frosting bowl I’d like to stick my head in.
“How the hell did you make this?”
“There was this bakery on the Capemy parents used to take us to every year after Daffodil Festival,” she tells me as she swipes the frosting onto the cupcake for me. “They had honey cupcakes, and my dad always loved them. I went back a few years ago, wanting to surprise him with a batch on my way home from Nantucket that summer, but the bakery had closed.” The smile that was on her face slips and her lips twist. “I told my dad that I wanted to get the recipe so I could make them for him because we hadn’t been able to go on vacation for a long time, and he’d just smiled and said he bet I could make them even better. Then he stayed up all night with me and taste-tested every version until I got the recipe just right.” She dips her finger into the bowl of creamy frosting and grins. “The salted caramel frosting was my own addition, though. He loved these cupcakes.”
It’s clear as day she misses her dad, and that ache to make things easier for her squeezes my chest. “Of course he did.”
She licks the frosting from her finger and my dick jumps as she pierces me with those golden eyes. “We’re going to fix this, Walker.”
I take a slow breath through my nose, trying to calm my raging dick.
I’m pretty sure these cupcakes could broker peace, but I doubt they’ll put off Frank’s plans. Even still, as stressed as I am about the farm, none of our problems are really her fault. The tarps on the tulips were a Band-Aid. To save the farm, we’ll need a lot more than cupcakes and a few more weeks of spring.
—
“Is it always this crowded?” Billie asks as we walk to the farmers market with more bouquets of flowers. We sold out of everything on the table in the first half hour.
“It’s normally a decent turnout but nothing like this.”
My sister shakes her head. “It’s insane. And why does everyone keep trying to take your picture?”
I pull the cowboy hat over my face to hide. “People are weird.”
“Tally looks pretty today,” Billie continues as we reach our table.
