Page 14 of A Soldier's Destiny
Chapter 5
After Rori had gone to bed, he’d been unable to resist the call of the apple strudel they’d brought home from Alex’s house. If he hadn’t already been in awe of her, he would have after his first bite of the flaky pastry melted on his tongue into the perfect combination of sugar and cinnamon covered apples. He’d never been a huge fan of sweets, but she’d changed that. Chase had been right, and he hated to admit it. He totally understood why the people who owned the gym should be thanking her for staying open.
Waking up at zero dark thirty was nothing new to Raptor but heading into the kitchen at that hour for anything other than coffee was something else entirely. After what Steele had said the night before he’d expected the worst, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as he’d led him to believe.
From the moment they entered the bakery she was a dynamo of activity. After the fifth time of nearly causing a disaster with a tray of croissants, he stayed out of her way unless she asked for help. While he watched, she turned a bunch of white stuff into assorted breads, rolls, and pastries. It was finally his turn to assist with loading the display cases giving him something more to do than stand guard and drool. His stomach had been growling for hours from the scent of freshly baked bread.
Fifty-pound bags of flour were lined up four high along one wall, and how she lifted them he had no idea. She wasn’t a ten-pound weakling but damn those bags were dead weight. The woman was incredible. Next to them were shelves holding large bags of sugar, then rows of spices, yeast, and containers with stuff he’d never heard of before. Who knew there could be so many types of sugar? Rori used at least three different types creating her masterpieces while he tried to stay out of her way. Watching the little powerhouse bake enough to fill the display cases on two hours of sleep and a buttload of coffee was amazing.
Raptor had never run a business, and after watching all that went into it he was thankful. The bakery was a lot more than just making all the food. Rori had everything timed down to the second as she moved from one project to the next. Always a few minutes ahead of the timer. The dough for the different types of bread and rolls was first so they could rise. Then she’d work on the dough for the croissants that she’d made the day before and get them in the oven.
Once the baking was finished she put in orders for her supplies and had everything done before the bakery opened at six a.m. The last thing she did was make two huge urns of coffee and set them to brew so when she opened the doors everything was ready.
Raptor was surprised to see just how many customers were waiting outside when he unlocked the door. She’d been born and raised in Willow Haven and her parents had been well-known, which probably helped her get started. But this success, it was all on her own with sheer hard work and perseverance. Thinking back to the night they’d met in Paris, he shouldn’t have been surprised. She’d been strong then and she was even stronger now. Which made it even harder to believe someone wanted to do her harm.
It was probably a good thing he hadn’t been in town much because after that strudel last night he’d be visiting every morning. Since he still wasn’t able to go back to his morning ten mile run he’d be in deep shit. He missed it, it had been his routine for over a decade, but he’d been warned that pushing his leg too hard too fast would cause a shitload of other issues. Hopefully, he’d be able to ease into them again as soon as he got clearance from the doc.
It was over an hour before the steady stream of people tapered off long enough for Raptor to be able to grab them each a cup of coffee. “I bet you’re ready for a caffeine boost.”
“Oh yeah. That’s a given and thank you. But I’d really love a nap.”
“I can’t believe you do all of this yourself every day.”
“Why? It’s been my dream for as long as I can remember and what I went to school to learn. I enjoy cooking different dishes and creating new recipes, but baking is my first love.”
“Lily said you went to theCordon Bleu?”
“Yup. I’d planned on staying in Paris, but then everything changed.” This was sticky territory. Did he keep asking questions or should he just admit he was there? In his experience truth was always best. But he didn’t want to dredge up the past. Would she even want him around after she knew who he was? It might be too painful, but he didn’t want to deceive her either.
“That night was horrific, for sure.” She turned to him, her big ocean blue eyes filled with confusion, then recognition dawned as she remembered him. He hadn’t been sure she’d seen him clearly enough to recognize his face. Plus the shock of everything she’d been through could have clouded her memories.
“You were there? Yes. Youwerethere. Oh my God. It was you. The man who helped me after everything happened. It wasyou, wasn’t it?”
“I wasn’t sure if you’d remember. I recognized you last night, but when you didn’t say anything, I didn’t want to push it.”
“You saved my life.”
“I think the EMTs had more to do with that. I’m sorry I couldn’t help your parents or your boyfriend.”
Sadness brought shadows to her eyes, but she didn’t let them linger, blinking them away and offering him a bright smile even though it seemed a little forced. “No, don’t feel that way. You did so much. I wanted to thank you, but you were gone before I had a chance.”
“I was in Paris on a layover on my way back home from a mission. The flight attendant told me about this great restaurant. If I’d been ten minutes earlier things might have been different.”
“You can’t think like that. I have to believe that everything happens for a reason. If not, then I wouldn’t be able to cope with this. I lost everyone I loved in one moment of hatred.”
“I’m sorry. Is that why you came back to Willow Haven?” But the jingle of the bell on the door ended their conversation. Relief that she remembered him and didn’t blame him for not saving her family, eased the tension in his shoulders. There was so much he wanted to ask about her life since then, but it would have to wait. Maybe knowing he helped her before would make her more accepting of his protection.
Willow Haven was a medium size town, but Jasper would swear that there wasn’t a person who lived there that hadn’t come into the bakery. Rori had to even bake additional croissants she’d had proofing for tomorrow. He wondered if it was because they’d heard about the window and were there to offer support. But they didn’t have another chance to talk until they closed the bakery at three. Alex had come by at lunch and Ethan and Steele had checked on Rori, they said, but he was convinced it was more to check on him. He understood their need to protect her, but she was stronger than they realized, and too stubborn for her own good. As he discovered when he broached the subject of installing the deadbolt locks on her doors.
“It went a lot better than I’d expected today.”
“Were you worried about working in a bakery after all of your life and death missions?”
“Maybe a little,” Jasper said with a grin. “The closest I get to cooking is throwing something in the microwave.”
“Really? That’s what you eat when you’re not on a case? Well, while you’re here how about I teach you how to cook?”
“You don’t have to do that. I’ve lasted this long I think I’ll make it a few years longer. I’m sure the preservatives help keep me young.”
