Page 14 of Playing for Keeps
Caroline swept the broom acrossthe floor, pushing the small sprinkling of dirt into the dust pan. “Go ahead.”
Skye stopped at the end of the counter and squished her brows together. “You know, I’d be happy to cover for you if you ever wanted to leave early or sleep in.”
Of course Skye would offer something like that, even knowing it was useless. If Caroline wanted to be anywhere else, she wouldn’t have worked so hard to become the owner of this place.
The Cakery was her home away from home. Taylor Ranch where her family still lived would always be the best place on earth, but she’d been in love with this little bakery since she learned how to walk. Growing up under the Burrows’ patience and guidance had solidified a bond that had shaped her entire life.
She’d always hoped and prayed they would consider passing the store to her when they retired, but no one could have known her dreams would come true after a tragedy. She’d wanted to call The Cakery her own, but not at the expense of Mr. Burrows’ health. They still enjoyed working as regular employees for Caroline during the busy season.
“Thanks, but I’m fine. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Skye hoisted her purse higher on her shoulderand wiggled her fingers in a playful wave. “Bright and early. Love you!”
“Love you too.”
Caroline gathered her long hair into a high ponytail and secured it with a band she dug out of her apron pocket. All that was left to do was clean the bathrooms, and she’d be on her way home in fifteen minutes.
The jingle of the bell above the door had Caroline lifting her chin and slipping on a friendly smile. “Hi, welcome to The?—”
The first sight of the man standing just inside the door stopped her in her tracks. What in the world?
Justin McKinnon was in her bakery and staring at her with wide, panicked eyes.
Ugh. Those eyes. She turned into a helpless puddle of warm ganache every time his chocolate eyes locked with hers. It had always been that way. She turned into a robot without free will whenever Justin had given her his full attention.
The memories came rushing back like a tsunami. After all the effort she’d put into keeping them securely locked away where they couldn’t hurt her, everything in the past flooded over her.
The whole-body ache was only made worse by the sight of him looking all too well. She’d seen plenty of photos of him over the years, and there had been a few unfortunate times when she’d looked at a television or online video at just the wrong momentto catch him filling up the screen and choking the life out of her all over again.
Seeing him in the flesh was a hundred times worse than those glimpses, especially when he looked at her like she was the only thing in the world.
The way he used to.
His dark hair was cut short the way he always liked it, and his frame was broader, sturdier than those traitorous videos had led her to believe.
Was he taller? He’d left her when he was only twenty years old.
She’d been a naive eighteen-year-old herself, but life hadn’t givenhera glow-up since then.
The only thing that had changed her appearance since then was her mastery of a hair wand. After working such a long shift, and pulling it back, there wasn’t anything flattering left to her hair style. There was next to nothing left of her makeup at this point. Of course, the love of her life who broke her heart would choose to show up at a moment when she wasn’t looking as fresh as a daisy.
She’d imagined meeting Justin again plenty of times, and she’d gone through all different scenarios. Sometimes she punched him in the face. Sometimes she kissed him the way her heart ached to do. Sometimes she just told him how much he’d hurt her.
Now he was standing in her shop looking waytoo good in a police uniform, and she couldn’t do anything except reach for the back of the pink chair at one of the small tables. If she didn’t take a breath soon, she was going to pass out.
Justin’s chest rose in a deep swell before he strode toward her, eating up the empty space between them like a race car barreling toward the finish line.
And her traitorous body didn’t do anything. Nothing? Really? Where was her self-preservation when she needed it?
The man who’d once held her future in the palm of his strong hand stopped mere inches in front of her. The gaze from dark-brown eyes she knew so well roamed her face, leaving a tingling rush in its wake.
A sharp pain tore through her chest. She’d missed him so much, and her stupid heart didn’t know any better.
So many people spouted advice against young love, and maybe they were right sometimes, but that wasn’t the case for Caroline. She’d recognized her match at eighteen, and seeing him now only validated what she already knew.
She couldn’t help it. She had no control when it came to her feelings for Justin. It was as if she was only meant to have one love, and she’d stupidly wasted it on the first boy who treated her like the light of his life.
But what happened when he changed his mind and didn’t want her anymore?
