Page 5 of Sweetly Yours

“Great,” he says, and there’s no mistaking the happiness in his voice. “I’ll look forward to it.”

“Me too,” I admit, my heart pounding as the words slip out.

After we say goodbye, I set my phone down and let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. Frankie stirs in his bed, lifting his head to blink at me lazily.

“Well,” I tell him, my cheeks still warm. “I guess we’re going out on Friday.”

Frankie snorts again, and I laugh, the butterflies in my stomach refusing to settle.

CHAPTER FOUR

BROCK

Ihang up the phone and let out a slow breath, leaning back in my chair. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this kind of anticipation—like something big is about to happen.

Willow said she’d come.

I can’t stop replaying the sound of her voice when she agreed, soft and a little uncertain, but there was something else there too. Hope? Excitement? I don’t know, but whatever it was, it’s got me smiling like a damn fool in the middle of my office.

“You’re smiling like a psycho.” Ethan’s voice cuts through my thoughts, and I glance up to see him leaning against the doorway, arms crossed, his expression smug.

“Do you ever knock?” I grumble, but I can’t wipe the smile off my face.

“Not when you’re making that face,” he says, walking in and dropping into the chair across from me. “What’s got you all sunshine and rainbows? Did we land a big client or something?”

“Something like that,” I mutter, leaning forward to shuffle through a stack of sketches on my desk.

Ethan raises a brow. “Or is this about the bakery girl you can’t stop talking about?”

I glance up sharply, and he smirks. “Oh, don’t even try to deny it. I’ve seen you staring off into space with that lovesick puppy do look.”

“Do you want something, or are you just here to annoy me?”

He smiles wider, leaning back in the chair. “Both. But mostly to annoy you. So... what’s the deal with her?”

I shake my head, but I can feel my defenses slipping. Ethan’s been my best friend and business partner for years, and he’s annoyingly good at getting me to open up. “Her name’s Willow,” I say finally. “She owns Sweetly Yours.”

“Sweetly Yours,” he repeats, nodding slowly. “The bakery with those amazing muffins you brought into the office last week. Good choice.”

“She’s more than a good choice,” I say, the words coming out before I can stop them. “She’s... different. I don’t know how to explain it.”

Ethan raises a brow, clearly intrigued. “Different how?”

“She’s beautiful,” I say, and the memory of her big brown eyes and soft smile flashes through my mind. “And not just on the outside. There’s something about her. She’s kind, genuine... real. She’s not trying to impress anyone or be something she’s not. She’s just... Willow.”

Ethan stares at me for a moment, then lets out a low whistle. “Wow. You’ve got it bad.”

I shrug, leaning back in my chair. “Maybe I do. But for once, it doesn’t feel like a bad thing.”

He watches me for a moment longer, then stands up and claps me on the shoulder. “Well, I hope it works out for you, man. She sounds like a good one.”

“She is,” I say quietly.

After Ethan leaves, I glance at the clock and realize it’s already late afternoon. My guitar leans against the wall by my desk, and I pick it up, strumming a few chords absentmindedly.

Music has always been my outlet, the thing that grounds me when everything else feels chaotic. And now, knowing Willow will be there Friday night, listening to me play... it’s like I’ve got something new to look forward to.

I don’t want to screw this up.

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