Page 6 of Sugar for the Mountain Man
Sasha just squints at me, pulling back when she messes up a swirl. She cocks her head, and the look she gives me is so full of blunt affection it makes me want to squirm. “Maribel. Sweetheart. Let me get this straight. You, the woman who is already overqualified for this place—which is why you’re my assistant head baker and not just a weekend decorator—aregoing to pretend you don’t know what you’re doing to impress a man?”
The embarrassment hits me in a warm wave. She sees right through me.
“He doesn’t know that,” I mumble, looking down at my own flour-dusted shoes. Maybe I’ll flip my goal then. I’ll use my knowledge to win him over. I just have to do something. “I just… We talked, and I felt something. Like… I’m not the only one feeling the way I do. All this time, I felt invisible.”
His saying my name did more damage than he can ever imagine. Now I want to hear him say it again and again.
I’m totally gone for this man.
Sasha hums, as if she’s thinking about my request. Returning to her task, she nods. “Keep him out of the back. I don’t want any makeout sessions happening next to the ingredients.”
My face goes hot at her suggestion, and I struggle to believe such an outlandish scenario could possibly happen.
“That—” I scoff and shake my head. “I’ll keep it professional!”
Laughing at my pink ears, she finally nods and gives me the permission I need to reply to the first text Wesley sent a few days ago. While I’m mid-type, she lifts away from her cupcakes once more.
“Maribel?” She pauses long enough to shoot a side glance in my direction. “Just… be careful. You don’t really know much about the guy since he keeps to himself. I’d blame myself if anything happened to you.”
With a smile coming to my lips at her concern, I nod. “Don’t worry, Boss. I know enough. He’s a good guy, I promise.”
Deep in my chest, I know he is. From the moment I laid my eyes on him, I felt it in my guts. Everything I’ve learned about him since then has only solidified my feelings.
* * *
The bakery is kind of haunting after hours. With the blinds on the front windows shut and the town silent, all there is around me is the hum of the equipment I still have turned on.
Feeling on edge because of everything going on, any unexpected sound easily makes me jump. Sasha’s warning still simmers in the back of my mind, but I try not to linger on it for too long.
Just as I’m finishing cleaning up my mess, my phone rattles against the stainless steel surface. Checking the device, my heart does a little flutter when I see the text waiting for me.
Wesley is here.
Oh boy. Here we go. I can do this. I take a steadying breath, smooth my apron, and rush over to unlock the door.
Before I tug it open, I steady my heart and reinforce what fuels me.
He’s always so reserved and reclusive, like the world took something from him and he’s afraid to ask for it back. I want to give it to him anyway—even if he doesn’t know how to hold it. I can do this. I can be what he needs.
The evening air washes in, cool and crisp, and with it comes Wesley.
My breath catches. Tonight he’s dressed down. A soft, gray t-shirt stretches across his shoulders, and worn, dark jeans hug his thighs. His hair is slightly mussed, as if he’s been running his hands through it. Tonight, he looks more like a regular person instead of sticking out like a sore thumb.
Is it because the day is almost over? Has he let his guard down with the setting sun?
I drink him in, this new version of him, from the hesitant set of his shoulders to the way his eyes, the color of a stormy sky, find mine in the dim light. For a moment, I just stand there, lost in a daze.
Remembering that I’ve got a goal here, I straighten up. “Hi. You made it.”
He nods. “I’m a man of my word.”
He’s also a man too serious for his own good by the looks of it. Still, he’s here, and I’m prepared to do whatever I can to win this man over.
Motioning him to follow me inside, I lock the door behind him. Now we’re both here to soak up the silence. Having him all to myself is causing my stomach to flutter. Even more now that he’s following closely at my heel.
Hoping to extend this to a few taste tests, I bring out only three different types of desserts. Hoping to expand a little to discover what he likes and what he doesn’t, I motion to him to join me at the counter.
I can’t have him tucking himself away like he normally does. Right here, he’s within my reach and close enough that I can enjoy his presence.
