Morgan paused at the entryway."I thought I smelled cookies."
"You can have some.I made way too many."
He looked around the room, taking everything in."Is everything okay?You look a little frazzled."
"Yes.No.I don't know."I wiped the sweat from my brow, panicking about the mess I'd left in his kitchen."I'll clean everything up."
"Don't worry about it."
"I made the mess.I can clean it," I said, reaching for a washcloth.
He studied me."You haven't baked here in a while."
"Yeah, I get my fix in the other kitchen.When I come home, I just want to relax."
"What's different then today?"His voice was measured as if he was assessing my mood.
"I met with Cooper about the appliances and furniture.It was a lot."Now that I didn't have baking to distract me, tension crept between my shoulder blades.
"Did Aspen go with you?"
"Yeah, and she presented some great options.It's just a lot to decide.How do I know if I'm making the right choices?"I wanted to bake, and I wanted a nice place for customers to eat, but beyond that, the options were overwhelming.What if I got it wrong?
"Aspen had ideas?"
I grimaced."It was nice to see the possibilities, but I thought I'd just do the same color scheme.But she had, like, four other options that were all great.How do I decide on just one?I won't get another chance like this again."
He moved closer to me."I'm sure whatever you pick will be fine."
"I want everything to be perfect.You said yourself this is my chance to make it better than ever.What if it's not?What if customers hate the color scheme?"
He moved closer."I think you're overthinking it."
"It seems like a big decision.How often do you get to renovate the entire store?Once?"I wiped the counter, my movements jerky.
He took the washcloth from me."Why don't you take a bath in my room?I'll clean this up."
I frowned."That doesn't seem right."
"I want you to relax."
I brushed my hair out of my face."You don't even need all these cookies."
"So we'll box them up for friends and family.I'm sure people will love to get them."
"I feel like a mess right now."I didn't have a house or a business.
"I think you're just overwhelmed, and after a nice bath and some sleep, everything will seem easier."He moved closer to me.
"I hope you're right."Because right now, I felt panicky.
He pulled me into his arms.
Morgan said he never had a girlfriend that he was serious about, but he sure knew how to make a girl feel special and taken care of."Thank you."
"That's what I'm here for."Then he let go of me and gently pushed me in the direction of the door."Go."
The thought of taking a bath was too good to pass up.I felt guilty that I was leaving his kitchen a mess, but he was right; I needed to relax.I couldn't be in this heightened state of stress for long.I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.I needed to let go of the worries.
