Page 4 of The Sweetest Risk

I open my phone to my text messages and give her the device, simultaneously eager for and dreading her reaction. Knowing Tess, she is going to eat this up and make it seem more than what it is: a stupid dream.

Tess’ jaw drops and then she breaks out into a full-fledged smile.

“You didnottext Tristan Lawson your very detailed account of a very spicy dream you had of him last night!”

I slap my hand to my face. “I did.”

“I have so many questions. But first, how did that happen? Did you intentionally text him?”

My voice goes up what seems like a thousand octaves. “No! I fell asleep on the couch and woke up super groggy and disoriented…”

“Ha, I would be a little disoriented too if I was doing anything resembling what you were doing with him in the sin bin.” Her eyebrows wiggle and she smirks as she drinks from her oversized tumbler of coffee.

“Tess, focus please. Anyway, I just saw the T & L and assumed that I was texting you.” I cover my face again. “Ugh this is the worst thing that could ever happen. Tristan is going to hold it over my head until the end of time.” I hold my hand out to get my phone back from my best friend but she looks back down at the screen, still with a silly smile on her face.

“Is he flirting with you?”

I guffaw. “Absolutely not.” I grab my phone, turn it on silent and place it down on my desk.

“I don’t know, B.” She says accusingly, “Even though you two allegedly hate each other, I have always felt there is something underneath the surface of pure loathing.”

“There is no allegedly. And there’s nothing underneath other than more hatred. It was just a stupid dream, Tess. It wasn’t real.” My stomach is aching. I blame hunger, so I take another bite of a scone. Tess is observing my every move like a detective trying to piece all the clues together to solve the case. “What?”

“And why can’t this become a reality again? Remind me.”

“Well, first, I despise the man, and he feels the same about me, so it would never work. Plus, he falls under my one and only dating rule.” Our students start to trickle in. Perfect timing because I want to change the subject and focus on work. “So like I said, Tristan and I will never be a reality.”

4

10 Years Ago

“Brooke, you are making a mess! Your brother and his guest are going to be home any minute and I don’t want it to look like a bag of flour exploded in my kitchen.”

I take out the batch of cupcakes from the oven and replace it with a fresh one. Closing the oven door, I say, “I am almost done, Mom! I am trying to make cupcakes from scratch and it’s taking me a little longer than expected! Besides, I’m sure whatever girl Bradley has decided to bring home for Thanksgiving won’t care that the kitchen is dirty…she’s probably too busy fawning over him to notice.” I stir the batter vigorously, annoyed that I am feeling rushed.

“I don’t really fawn over Bradley. He’s not my type.”

I slow my stirring and look over at the hottest guy I’ve ever seen in my life. He is wearing a backwards hat and a black full-zip hoodie and dark sweats. He has the most perfect hazel eyes and knee-weakening smile. His wavy, dark brown hair peeks out of the sides of his hat and he has the smallest amount of stubble on his jawline. My body feels tingly all over. I mean, I’ve had crushes on guys before where I get cute, innocent little butterflies–but these butterflies are not so innocent and are flapping wildly in my stomach. My mouth becomes dry and I feel like the breath has been knocked out of me. He is about as tall as my brother, yet seems so much larger.

“You must be Tristan! Bradley has told me so much about you!” My mom’s voice snaps me out of my trance. I put down the bowl and wash my hands in the sink. I must be scrubbing really hard because Bradley comes up to me and asks, “Hey little sis, are you okay? You’re super flushed and you haven’t even said hi to your big bro!”

I grab a hand towel and take a deep breath before turning to my brother. He gives me a huge bear hug and then decides to do the thing I hate from us growing up. In front of his friend from college. Correction: hot friend from college. He puts me in a headlock and messes up my hair.

“Ugh Bradley, why are you the absolute worst?” I push him away and slowly make my way around the island to greet this hunk of a man standing a mere two feet from me.

“Hi! Um, I’m Brooke. Bradley’s little sister.”

His large hand grabs mine and he says, smiling, “Nice to meet you, Brooke. I’m Tristan.”

Okay, those butterflies are traveling all over my body. My name coming out of his mouth is pure magic.

“You have a little…” His finger wipes the bridge of my nose and my eyes flutter at the sudden touch. “...flour.”

I instinctively wipe my nose after he returns his hand to his jacket pocket. Perfect Brooke.

“Woah, B, are you opening your own bakery or something?”

“That is the dream. One day. These are the first cupcakes that I have made from scratch. No help from Betty Crocker. All Brooke Beckett. Do you want to try one and tell me what you think?”

---