Page 56 of Half Baked

“We have a show to get ready for, and then we’ll make a plan after.”

“A plan?” I scoff, tipping my head back to flash him an incredulous look. “You can’t be considering this.”

“We’ll hear her terms. I need to know what happens to you if we say no to this.”

“Hayden,” I sigh. “It’s too much.”

“I need to go change,” he insists. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”

Guess we aren’t talking about this then. I release a deep sigh but nod in agreement.

“Yeah. I’ll be the one in the apron.”

Chapter 25

Poppy

The dark skies and echoing thunder outside are fitting for my mood. It’s as if I conjured the storm through sheer stubborn indignation.

At each turn, my plans have been thrown to the wayside by our chipper showrunner. I have barely had the chance to talk about my bakery, my upbringing, and my motivations. And the only reason I have spoken about it at all is because Hayden went off script. While I have enjoyed the turn of events that put him by my side for this, I am decidedly not okay with the most recent twist she wants to introduce.

Everyone is together, ready to start as soon as Trevor gives us the signal. I steal a sideways glance at Hayden, amazed by how calm he appears. After all, it’s his painful past they are wanting to drag up for entertainment value.

“You okay?” he asks quietly.

“No. I want to smash a pie on Tara’s face.”

A deep laugh escapes him, amusement dancing in his eyes. “I think that would make for good TV.”

“Alright, we’re on in five, four—” Trevor starts, getting cut off by a high-pitched alarm.

“What is that?” I look to Hayden frantically because the sound is coming from him.

“My dispatch alert for the rescue team,” he tells me, withdrawing his phone and answering. I hear the wordsmaydayandcapsizebefore the pit in my stomach bottoms out and I stop trying to listen.

“Pick me up at the wharf, bring my kit,” he’s telling someone on the phone. Hanging up he turns to me and explains, “A group of teens went out thinking the clouds would pass, and they’re stuck out there capsized. I’m sorry, I have to go.”

“Of course,” I say quickly, allowing him to take my hand to lead me through the bakery to the front door. I can already hear the sound of a helicopter approaching. Everything is happening at a dizzying rate, and my heart is pounding frantically.

“I’ll call you after,” Hayden assures me, looking down the wharf.

I press my hands against his chest, as if my body is refusing to let him leave like this. “Hayden, please be careful.”

Pulling me in and planting a kiss at the corner of my lips, he says, “I promise I’ll be back, baby.” And then in an instant, he disappears into the storm.

Heat surges through me from the kiss and the sound ofbabyon his lips. I shouldn’t feel this feral over a simple slip of the tongue. And yet the next thing I know, I’m stepping out onto the wharf as well.

Sideways rain pelts me as I watch a rope with something like a harness drop from the helicopter, and then Hayden slides it on and is lifted in the air.

They are far over the angry sea, nearly out of sight, by the time the rope, with Hayden attached, is pulled into the aircraft. That didn’t look careful to me.

The door to my bakery swings open and Hannah’s voice calls to me through the storm. “Poppy? What are you doing out here?”

I don’t answer her because I’m honestly not sure. But I’m soaked to the bone from the mere minutes I’ve been out here, and my feet are still having a hard time carrying me back inside. I turn back to shore and see Fitzy standing at the start of the wharf with an umbrella and raincoat.

“Hannah, here!” I throw my keys to her and wipe at the water dripping down my forehead. “Lock up, please? I have to go.”

“Sure, okay,” she replies in confusion. “What about?—”

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