“You’re back!” Her smile is wide, and I puff out my chest.
“How did it go?” I walk in and shut the door behind me, turning the closed sign around and looking over her.
“Why do I feel like I spent the day in my mixer?” She’s exhausted but happy if her soft smile and shiny eyes are anything to go by.
“Because your opening day was fucking phenomenal.” I push off the door and move closer to her. The cabinets, which housed all the fresh pastries this morning, are now empty. She sold out.
“That was amazing.” Her grin is wide, her eyes sparkling, and I’m proud of her.
“You should’ve seen the line at the door before we opened! I sold out of sourdough before noon. All the donuts and the cupcakes you iced were all gone by two, and the after-school rush cleaned me out of everything else. Thank goodness Melissa was here to help.”
I saw her line. I drove past here so many times today to check on things, but aside from helping her for a little bit, I gave her space to do her thing. Yet here I am, right on closing. I’m turning into a man I don’t recognize around her.
“And you. Thank you so much, Griffin…” She takes a step toward me. “You came to my rescue earlier.” She lifts onto her tippy toes and places a small peck to my cheek. My hands move automatically, holding her waist. The urge I have to turn my head to put my lips on hers is strong, but I resist. She lowers back down, my hands moving from her waist, one lingering to her side, where I grasp her fingers, them curling into mine a little.
My heart pumps a little faster than usual, my chest feeling warmer at the contact.
“You need to put your feet up.” I notice her cradling her bump, the one that seems to have doubled in size since I first met her over a month ago.
“Yeah right.” She snorts a laugh. “I need to get things ready for tomorrow.”
I frown, not liking that answer.
“Seriously?” I don’t know too much about baking and owning a bakery, but I guess she does need to replenish.
“I need to get some more sourdough proofing, get the cookie dough ready, more icing and cupcakes…” She looks around, rubbing her belly a little in one spot.
“Are you in pain?” My frown deepens. Not liking it. Hudson told her weeks ago she needed to rest and she hasn’t. I know she has a lot on her plate and not a lot of help, but she does need to take it easy. Her due date is almost here.
“No, just junior kicking my bladder again.”
I’m amazed. When she moved my hand to her bump last night, and I felt the baby kicking, I was in awe. Never felt anything like it.
“What are you going to do with the baby once it arrives and you’re here?” There’s no way she can work and have the baby, especially if the bakery is as busy as it was today.
“Let me show you.” Her grin is magnetic and she turns, her hold on my hand tightening as she pulls me into the kitchen.
“There,” she says, pointing to the spare area in her kitchen currently housing boxes and a few other bits and pieces.
“What?” My brow pinches, not getting it.
“I plan to put in a bassinet, a soft mat, some shelves to hold all the baby things. The baby can sleep while I serve and bake. Melissa was so good today, so she will help more. I also have a carrier so I can wear him or her during the day.”
“Wear?” I have no idea what she’s talking about.
“You know, wrap it to my chest. Like a backpack, but on my front.”
I still have no idea, but it seems practical.
“You haven’t been around babies much before, have you?” Her head tilts, her smile like the sun.
I grew up looking after my baby brother when my mom worked and my dad was too drunk to do anything other than yell. When he died, I never wanted to look after another kid. It hurt too much.
“No.”
“Hmmm, well, you’ll learn. I have a feeling this little one is going to love Grumpy Griff.” She grins, walking toward her bench and putting on a fresh apron as my eyebrow rises. Grumpy Griff.
She sighs, tired but happy. “I gotta get things ready before I fall into a heap.”
