Skye:Laine ate the last one and now Alistair says he’s starving.
I roll my eyes affectionately.Men.
Me:Give me thirty minutes.
Skye:YOU ARE MY HERO.
I set the phone down and smile.Whatever complicated thoughts are swirling around my head this morning, one thing remains constant.The guys at House of Ink always make my day better.
****
Thirty minutes laterI’m pulling my car into the familiar parking spot outside the shop with a fresh batch of cupcakes sitting carefully in the passenger seat.Chocolate again, because apparently the entire crew has collectively decided chocolate is the superior flavor.
The bell above the door jingles when I step inside.
“Please tell me that’s what I think it is,” Skye calls immediately.
I laugh.“Good morning to you, too.”
She pops up from behind the counter like an overly excited jack-in-the-box.
Her dark hair is pulled into a messy bun and her eyes light up the moment she sees the bakery box in my hands.
“Cupcakes,” she breathes dramatically.
“You’re ridiculous.”
“Maybe,” she says, already grabbing the box from me.“But I’m a ridiculous woman with pregnancy cravings and baked goods.”
The shop is the same as always.Bright artwork covering the walls.The hum of tattoo machines.The faint smell of ink and antiseptic hanging in the air.
It’s comfortable here.Familiar.
“Quinn!”Alistair calls from his booth.
“Morning.”
Laine glances up from his station where he’s sketching something on a tablet.“Please tell me you brought extras.”
“I always bring extras.”
“Good,” he says.“Because Alistair eats like a horse.”
“Hey!”Alistair protests.
Skye opens the box and gasps dramatically.“Oh, my God.”
“What now?”I ask.
“These look amazing.”
“They’re cupcakes.”
“They’reart.”
I laugh and shake my head.Then my eyes drift across the room automatically.Damien sits at the small desk near the back, laptop open in front of him.He’s wearing those glasses again, his brow furrowed slightly as he types something into a spreadsheet.
He looks up at that exact moment and our eyes meet.And something warm spreads through my chest.
