Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 121755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121755 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
He lifted his gaze to me.
Just like when I gave him that look when he said he’d be waiting after I made the delivery last night, he caught my look now, and I knew he instantly deciphered it by the way those blue-blue eyes warmed and the whiskered skin around his beautiful, full lips softened.
“No big deal, babe,” he said quietly.
“They’re Boston cream, filled with custard. I have leftover custard,” my mouth offered without my brain even close to catching up.
“Sounds good. You want me to take care of getting rid of that for you, I’ll do it after I feed you dinner.”
I blinked.
Dinner?
“This one ready to go?” he asked, taking charge of the sheet cake.
I opened my mouth.
And swish, the sheet cake was gone, and he was walking to the door.
“Gabe,” I called.
He said nothing.
“Gabe!” I shouted.
He was out the door.
“Goddammit, he’s done it to me again,” I snapped at the cupcakes.
I just love that guy, Dreamer dreamed.
He’s a pain in our ass, Logic griped.
I stabbed my stamp on the tops of the cupcake boxes, boxed them and was dealing with the ribbon when Gabe returned.
Okay, just let him do this. You’re no less tired than you were last night, Logic stated. You’ve had a weird day. You’re worried about Mr. Shithead. You have a busy day tomorrow. Deliver these, demand he takes you home, and if doesn’t, just call a Lyft when you can.
Or you could go out to dinner with him, Dreamer suggested. Just, you know, get to know him better.
That’s not happening, Logic decided.
Why not? Dreamer demanded.
Because it’s not smart, safe or protective, Logic pointed out.
How boring is all of that? Dreamer asked.
Smart, safe and protective isn’t boring, it’s smart, safe and PROTECTIVE, Logic retorted.
It’s BORING, Dreamer returned.
“Good. You grab that one and we’ll go,” Gabe said, seeing as, while two of my treble personalities were having a discussion, I’d paid attention to them while I fashioned the ribbons around the cupcake boxes rather than doing what I should have been doing—paying attention to Gabe—and now he’d commandeered another box and was again out the door.
Thanks, guys, I entered the conversation. You walked me right into that one.
You’re welcome, Dreamer replied.
Argh!
I nabbed my bag, my phone, shoved my phone in my bag and then grabbed the box and headed out, juggling the box while I locked up.
“Hey, Will,” I heard called from the pool area to see Jacob was grilling, and his fiancée, Alexis, was keeping him company.
It was her calling a greeting.
“Hey!” I replied.
“We need to talk about our wedding cake,” she yelled. “You have time this weekend?”
That was going to be my present to them since some shit had gone down with Alexis’s dad after the engagement announcement. He’d put his foot down about not paying for the wedding because he didn’t approve of his daughter’s choice for a groom.
Since Alexis was a ballerina, not a badass, it took some strength and a lot of emotion, but she found it and told her father to go jump in a lake. She then decreed they were going to pay for it themselves.
It was a drama, it was sad, and it caused Martha to rant and rave for at least a full month to anyone who would listen, because everyone knew, those two were perfect together.
From what I could tell, it sounded like Alexis’s dad just was not at one with letting his baby girl go, when she might always be his baby girl, but she wasn’t actually a baby girl anymore.
To say nothing of the fact that Jacob was awesome. He was a member of the Hottie Squad at NI&S. Great job (if, perhaps, sometimes dangerous). As far as I could tell, fantastic pay, benefits and work environment. And he made it no secret he worshiped the ground Alexis walked on.
So what Alexis’s dad’s deal was, I did not know, except he was a man, and they tended to do unreasonable, damaging crap on the regular.
“I have a few cakes to make and deliver tomorrow, but if you’re around tomorrow night?” I suggested.
“Totes!” she replied. “I’ll pop over around six.”
“Great,” I returned.
And, whoosh, the cupcake box was out of my hands because Gabe was there.
Before I could turn a glare on him, I watched Jacob grin knowingly, and Alexis beam happily on a little jump and clap of her hands.
Someone save me.
“Later!” Alexis cried.
“Later,” I mumbled with a wave in their direction and followed Gabe to his Jeep.
I saw the boxes carefully laid in the back seat and I would not express how grateful I was that he treated my work and livelihood as it should be treated. I also did not express gratitude as he waited until I got in to hand me the last box. After he rounded the hood and got in beside me, I further did not express gratitude that I did not have to take three trips to my own car to load up.