Baby?What? No. Surely I’d imagined that.
Evie’s head whipped around and she paled. “Fuck. Nick? What the fuck?”
My heart rate shot up. “You two know each other?” I asked.
“Fuck.” She winced, another sob shaking her. “I can’t do this right now.”
“Both of you get out of the fucking way,” a firm voice said behind us.
Matthew’s expression was deadly serious, but I didn’t want to leave her, and clearly Nick didn’t either.
“Just show us your arm,” Nick said gently. “We can?—”
“Leave. Both of you,” Evie cried. “Fuck. I can’t do this. I just want Matthew here. Go.”
My ego was bruised by that. I’d known Evie her entire life. Our lives were so enmeshed, I couldn’t imagine her not being in it. Why wouldn’t she want me here? Why wouldn’t she let me help?
“Evie—” I started.
Evie shoved me back, revealing her arm. My heart stuttered to a stop. The burn wasbad.Really fucking bad. My ears started to ring as she growled at me.
Every time someone I cared about was hurt, I started to spiral. It wasn’t like she was having a heart attack, but my brain still automatically jumped to my dad and how he was here one moment and gone the next. My breaths shortened as I stared at her arm.
“Evie, let me help,” I rasped. “Please.”
“God, Austin, do not do the older brother thing right now. Get the fuck out of my bakery.”
Nick stood up quickly and leaned over, turning the oven off. He grabbed my shoulder, but I shook him off, standing abruptly.
Oh god. Evie was hurt. All the alarm bells went off in my head. Every fiber of my being told me to stay. I couldn’t leave her when she needed help. Why?—
“I’ve got her,” Matthew said sternly. “Go wait out front. Maybe help customers if they come in.”
“Yes,” Nick agreed. “We can do that.”
“Ican do that,” I snapped at him.
Nick glowered at me, but followed me back to the front of the bakery. I glanced back at Matthew and rubbed my chest as pain bolted through. Evie’s sobs were killing me, but he was talking softly to her. Of all people to hold her right now, he was probably the best.
“She got burned bad,” Nick said under his breath.
I turned all my ire on him. I grabbed his shirt and shoved him hard against the wall once we were out of earshot. I heard another hiss from the cat on the counter.
Nick smirked. “I know he’s my child because he automatically despises you. He’s a pretty good judge of character, by the way.”
“Fuck. You.What in thefuckare you doing here, Nick? And how in the hell do you know Evie?”
Nick cocked his head. “Seems like one of us has grown up and the other has kept his head all the way up his small-town ass. Evie and I went on a date. That’s how I know her. Now take your fucking hands off me, or I’m going to put you on the ground, Whynot.”
“Fuck you, Steele.” I released him as a customer stepped into the shop. “Get the cat off the counter. You’re nothing but bad news. And stay away from Evie.”
“Not a chance in hell, Whynot.”
CHAPTER FOUR
Evie
It wasn’t my first burn, but it was the worst one I’d ever had. The rack had caught in the oven, and I’d yanked it with all my strength without realizing how stupid of an idea it was. It fell forward, and I braced the hot metal with my forearm.
