Page 28 of Almost Love

“Late start today?” Oakley hummed in response, as the giant continued to glare. Luna turned to look at the tattooed brute and rolled her eyes. “Roscoe, stop it.”

Roscoe softened a little, but didn’t stop glaring at Oakley. “What do you want with Chef Kinney?”

“We’re friends,” he forced out, his mouth suddenly feeling very dry. Turning to Luna, he smiled a little. “Is she okay?”

“Yes! Sorry, ignore Roscoe. He’s protective of Chef Kinney. Who is at a wedding.”

“Wedding?” He scrolled through the information he’d stored after googling her.

“She makes wedding cakes. That’s what we’re known for, because she’s incredibly talented. So she’s at a wedding, prepping the cake.”

He nodded, remembering a link to an interview, and stepped away from Roscoe as Luna moved around the counter. “Do you know when she’ll be back?”

“Chef’s out all day, but she made you a special batch of donuts,” Luna said and set a bakery box in front of him.

Oakley smiled, pulling the box closer and found a phone number scribbled in the top corner.Is that…holy shit!“Did she leave this for me?”

“Yup! She wanted to hear your thoughts.”

“On the donuts,” he said, even though it was so obvious.She gave me her number.

“Yup. Chef was here really early this morning before she had to be at the venue.”

“Seriously?” He couldn’t stop the smile that stretched across his face, because she’d done this forhim. “Thanks, Luna.” He took a step back, his heart racing at this development. “Have a good day.”

“You too, Oakley. See you tomorrow!”

He lifted one hand in a wave and as casually as he could, Oakley walked out to his jeep.Why can’t I stop smiling?Because he’d had a dream about Clementine and frosting mere hours ago. Because she’d been at the bakery early that morning to make him donuts. Because…because…because…

She’d finally warmed up to him enough to trust him with her phone number.

Oakley was glad that when he got to the Needle, the front desk was empty and everyone was busy. Because it allowed him to sneak into his workstation with the donuts without letting everyone else know. He set the box down and stripped out of his layers, hanging everything up in the corner. Then once he was settled and able to think clearly, he picked up his phone and texted Clementine.

Oakley

About to dive into your special batch of donuts.

Hope the wedding goes off without a hitch.

Then before he could send her another text—because multiple texts without a single reply from the other person was a bit much—he put his phone away. He breathed deeply and flipped open the box. Like always, a dozen donuts stared backat him. From the looks of it, she’d taken his flavors seriously. He wondered if she’d made large batches or one donut each and if she’d specifically come into the bakery that morning just for him. The thought made him giggle and he slapped a hand over his mouth to stifle it.

Reaching for the first one with a light glaze and tiny pieces on top, he knew it was the Maple Glazed with Bacon. He sniffed it and then took a bite, feeling the warm donut melt on his tongue. The flavors were incredible. He’d never been a fan of sweet and savory mixing when he was a kid—see the conversation about Thanksgiving. But now, the combination of maple and bacon was magic. With dough as an added layer, it was even better. He took another bite and then set it back in the box. Working in order from the top left, he broke off pieces from each donut and savored it slowly. He behaved like some kind of expert, rolling the dough around his mouth before making notes in his phone. The itch to check if she had replied was there, but he knew better than to get caught up in that.

Don’t come across as too eager, that’s the key here.

However, the final donut changed the game.

Tiny pieces were baked into the donut and sprinkled over the white layer on top. It was only once he took a bite that he understood what Clementine had done—she’d taken his comfort food and turned it into a donut.

Milk and Cereal.

Specifically Rice Krispies.

The emotional overwhelm shocked him, so he wasn’t aware he had company.

“What the fuck happened to you?” Fox asked as Oakley pouted at the last bit of the donut.

“You were right,” he mumbled, “the fascination has turned into something else.”

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