It was probably nothing.
—
Saturday afternoon, I finally decided to break in the new baking supplies. The mixer was sitting on my counter, looking so beautiful it felt criminal not to use it.
I was also pretty sure the guys outside hadn’t had a home-cooked dessert in a while. And if Hawk heard about it… well, that might annoy him.
For some reason, that thought made me smile.
I tied the floral apron around my waist and opened the pantry. Chocolate chip cookies felt right—simple, comforting, nostalgic.
The mixer purred softly as it whipped together butter and sugar. I leaned against the counter, watching it work.
“This is amazing,” I murmured.
I had always baked everything by hand. Using the mixer felt like unlocking some kind of secret level in life.
Flour, eggs, vanilla, chocolate chips—soon, the kitchen filled with the warm smell of cookies baking. For the first time all week, I felt genuinely happy.
Thirty minutes later, I stood on my front porch holding a plate piled high with warm cookies. Their sweet smell drifted into the cool evening air. I scanned the street.
Sure enough, a motorcycle sat two houses down, exactly where I expected.
I walked over, my heart racing slightly with the thrill of it. The guy sitting on the bike straightened immediately when he saw me approaching. Big guy, dark beard, leather cut.
“Uh… hey,” he said.
“Hi,” I replied, holding out the plate.
“I made cookies.”
He blinked.
“Cookies?”
“Yes. For whoever’s stuck watching my house all day.”
The guy looked completely unsure what to do for a moment before slowly taking the plate.
“Thanks.”
“No problem.”
He grabbed one of the cookies but paused before taking a bite. Instead, his eyes moved over my shoulder toward the street behind me before flicking back to my face.
“Anyone talk to you today?”
I shrugged casually.
“Lots of people.”
His brow furrowed slightly.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” I said with a small laugh. “Gas station clerk, some guy getting coffee, probably the mailman at some point… why?”
The biker went completely still for half a second. Just long enough to notice. Then he nodded slowly.
