He said he’d see me tomorrow…which is today.
When, today? Is he coming here to the bakery? Or…
“Juliette!” I jump out of my skin at my mom’s tone. “You’re lucky you’re my daughter, or you would be fired. A customer is asking for you. Get up there, and I’ll fix these.”
“Are you sure?”
“Juliette. I love you. Now get out of my kitchen.” She playfully whips me in the butt with her towel.
I quickly wash my hands, remove my apron, and hang it up before heading to the front. I’m more suited for the front of the shop today, with my dazed mind—as long as Mom is feeling up to baking, I’ll be more useful up here.
“Hi, baby.”
I spin around at the familiar deep voice. “Harrison,” I gasp, placing my hand over my heart. “You’re here.”
He steps around the counter and cups my cheeks. “I told you I’d come.” He leans down, and I lift my chin, aching for him to kiss my lips. I’ve been dreaming about how they make me feel when they are pressed against mine.
Instead, he tilts his head and kisseshis favorite, my beauty mark.
I throw myself into him and tightly wrap my arms around him, clinging to him for dear life.
“I missed you so much.” I squeeze tighter, not wanting to let him go.
I feel his body relax under my hold as if he’s relieved, then he pulls back, looking down at me. The depths of his blue eyes catch mine, holding me captive. “I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear that.” He bows his head and finally kisses me, allowing his plump lips to take mine with full suction before leaning back and raising a questioning brow. “This shit’s over, baby. You’re coming home, and you’ll never leave us again. Right?”
“I didn’t?—”
“I know why you did it, Jules, but never again. Never. Ever. I can’t fucking stand being without you.” He pulls my head into his chest and holds it against his wildly beating heart. “You’reourfamily now. If anyone has an issue, it’s them breaking our bond, no one else.” I suck in a breath at his declaration.
My love for this man is boundless, with a passion that words can hardly capture.
Being encased in his arms floods my mind with memories, while his touch reminds me that no memory or image could ever replace being consoled by his actual touch.
“Come outside with me for a moment,” he mumbles, grabbing my jacket from the closet and helping me put it on.
“Let me tell Mom where I’m going.”
He zips up my coat. “She knows. Don’t worry,” he replies. Then he leads me the opposite way through the back door into the courtyard area, which is alive with colorful mums and cabbage that Mom and I planted for the fall season.
With his hand pressed against my lower back, he walks me to the corner, where a large wooden table stands with papers stacked on top.
What the heck is that?
He takes a deep breath, and it’s the first time I’ve gotten a good look at him in the light.
“Are you all right?” I frown.
He maneuvers me in front of the wooden table. “I need to talk to you about something important, and I’ve been dreading it.”
My heart drops. “What is it?”
For a split second, an alarming feeling of anxiety plummets to the pit of my stomach, thinking maybe he saw Rachel again.
Only Harrison would never do that to me, so I have to believe it’s something else.
He rubs his temples. Whatever it is has him stressed.
“A while back, when you told me about being pushed out of the bakery, something didn’t sit right with me. My staff and I did some investigating and found something unsavory to say the least.”
