“It’s perfect. You already have a good customer base from your online shop. You can easily transfer them over to a brick-and-mortar building. Come on, baby. You have to try harder than this.”
She chuckles, looking over at the store and then back at me. “I’d have to take out a loan. I mean, I have some money saved up, but it won’t be enough. And after the divorce, it’s going to be hard.”
Wiping my mouth, I place my sandwich back down on the crinkled paper it was wrapped in, and then wipe my hands.
“This is the best part. You won’t be doing it alone. I’ve been wanting to invest my money in more things, and an up-and-coming bakery seems like a brilliant investment. Plus, my company will do all the renovations, which will cut down on the initial cost to get this place up and running. The man who owns the mall will work with me. He’s renting this place out to me for half the cost of anyplace else for the first five years.”
“I can’t let you do that. Mitchell, that’s too much.”
Reaching across the armrest, I grabbed her hands in mine.
“Ella, for years I’ve watched you do everything in your power to take care of the people around you. Your sons, your friends, your family, Andrew, Hell, even me.”
Her gaze drops to her lap. I lift it back up with a finger under her chin.
“After college, you looked at a washed-up football player that had no plans for anything else and spoke life into me. You’re the one who told me I had more to offer the world than tackles. It was your words that inspired me to open my business. And even if you and I aren’t together, I want this for you. I want to be the one to give this to you because I love you and you deserve it. Please, let me do this."
Her brown eyes fill with tears. She turns back to the simple glass storefront.
“You really believe I can do it?” She turns and looks at me, tears running down her cheeks.
Reaching across the console, I used my thumb to wipe them away. “Hell yeah. Have you not tasted your lemon pound cake? That shit alone could make us billions.”
I live for the soft laughter that flows from her lips. She sniffles and wipes her eyes as she turns to face the store again.
“Okay,” she mumbles.
“Okay? You’re going to let me invest in you?”
Her grin is contagious.
“Yes!”
“Hell yeah.” I pull her over the armrest and plant my lips on hers. I push my tongue past her lips and into her mouth, sucking on her bottom lip as I go. She moans in my mouth and I attempt to pull her even further into my lap. She laughs and pulls back from the kiss.
“Whoa. We don’t have time. And this parking lot is too full for a repeat of the trade show.”
I lean in and drop one more quick kiss on her lips before letting her go. “Eat your lunch.”
Although I go back to my side of the truck and allow her to hers, I won’t lie as if my dick isn’t hard as a brick. With Jacob being with me, it’s been damn near three weeks since I’ve been able to get my fill of her. And I’m going through withdrawals.
“Aunt Ella, you make the best fried pork chops,” Jacob says with his mouth full of food.
Tonight, we were having dinner at Ella’s. This has become part of our routine. Either Ella cooks, or I will bring home dinner. We all sit around the table when all the boys are here and eat dinner together. It doesn’t feel abnormal because we would do this a few times out of the week even before Ella and I started dating.
“Jay, you say that about everything my mom cooks,” Cam playfully teases his best friend.
I’m seated at the head of the table closest to the door. Ella was across from me at the other end. On my right is Jacob, and next to him is Cameron. On my left is a silent AJ.
“It’s okay, Jacob. At least I know you actually appreciate what I cook,” Ella gives Cameron a playful scolding look.
“Hey, I like your food,” Cameron says in his defense. “Just not your roast, or meatloaf. And I don’t like that one casserole thing either.”
Ella tosses her head back and laughs at her picky-eating son.
“Your food's good, Mom,” AJ mumbles.
After Cameron’s birthday party, Ella asked me to have a talk with her oldest son. She mentioned that he’s been lashing out at her, and she thought something was wrong. Last week, I sat AJ down and had that talk.
