Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
Mason
Going to Audrey’s bakery was not a big deal.
It was the grand opening. He’d been there yesterday for the soft opening. She was his closest friend’s little sister and now kind of his friend as well. It only made sense that he would go to support her on opening day. He doubted he would be the only one.
He was no longer engaged to Yasmine. There was no reason for the attraction to linger.
So why, as he made his way down the street, did it feel like his heart was racing? Why did his stomach feel a little queasy even though he’d had a healthy, nourishing lunch? Why did his palms feel sweaty when he wasn’t wearing gloves, and his hands weren’t in his pockets?
I’m being ridiculous.
Seeing the pink and cream awning sticking out over the sidewalk ahead of him, he gave himself a little shake.
He was building things up in his head; that was the problem. Talking to Asad had only helped so much, and now, he was putting all sorts of pressure on himself that didn’t need to be there.
As he approached, the door opened, and Brenda came out on the arm of Mick. Cassidy followed them with a vaguely disturbed expression. Spotting him immediately, Brenda’s face lit up.
“Mason!” She stepped forward, letting go of Mick to open her arms wide. “I’m sorry you and Yasmine didn’t work out.”
“Thanks, Brenda.” He bent down to hug her gently. “I’m fine, but I appreciate that. How is the grand opening going?”
“Fantastic.” Brenda beamed as she stepped back, her eyes brightly alight under the blue hat she was wearing over her white curls. “They’ve been busy all morning, and not just with the people who were here yesterday and came back.”
“Great.” He smiled at Mick and Cassidy. Unlike Brenda and Cassidy, who were both wearing warm coats and hats, Mick had on a t-shirt, no coat, and flip-flops.
At least he was wearing pants and not shorts.
Mick’s winter clothing choices always made Mason shudder, but somehow the guy never seemed to get too cold. “What are you up to now?”
“We’re going to see a movie,” Brenda said, beaming as she wrapped her hands around Mick’s arm again, leaning into him. “Ooh, just feel that muscle.”
“I’m going home, apparently,” Cassidy said, her voice oddly hollow. “I’ve been given the rest of the day off.”
“Yup. I’ll take care of Brenda, no worries,” Mick said, looking down at the much older woman on his arm and giving her a wink. “Really good care of her.”
Okay, well, Mason now understood the expression on Cassidy’s face. Did David know about this?
He was going to guess not. Mason could not imagine David reacting well to Mick escorting his grandmother around town. Especially with the way they were looking at each other.
The age gap wasn’t that much worse than Lincoln and Ashley’s, but Lincoln also wasn’t any of the team’s grandfather. And Ashley wasn’t any of the team’s sister.
He hoped Mick realized he was getting into. If that was indeed what he was getting into. They might just be messing with Cassidy and David. If anyone was going to assist Brenda in messing with her grandkids, Mick would be at the top of the list.
Fuck, he did not want to think about this. He just needed to get into the bakery, prove Asad wrong, and get out.
“Okay, well, have fun.” He gave them a little wave, shot Cassidy a sympathetic look, and shrugged when she glared at him and turned aside to let them pass. It wasn’t like he could tell Brenda that she couldn’t go see a movie with Mick any more than Cassidy could.
Brenda wasn’t going to listen to either of them.
That would definitely bear watching, although it was not on his priority list of concerns.
Letting out a long breath of air, Mason walked into the bakery.
It smelled amazing, just like the day before.
There was a couple sitting at one of the tables in the corner, totally engaged in their own conversation.
A tall man with broad shoulders stood in front of the counter.
Mason easily recognized Grant—who held David’s position on Harris’ team—from behind.
He was tall and broad enough that he completely blocked the sight of Audrey until she moved to the side to get something out of the display case for him.
Mason had been expecting Ashley, not Audrey, and the sight of her hit him straight in the gut, practically knocking the wind from him.
She was smiling broadly, her eyes lit up from within, her red ponytail bouncing as she moved.
Today, she had a black-and-white striped bow scarf tied around her head like a headband, rather than around her ponytail, and secured with an off-center floppy bow.
She had on a matching polka-dot dress, which she was wearing underneath the pink and cream store apron.
When had he ever thought of aprons as looking sexy before now?
Never.
The answer was never.
What the hell is wrong with me?
Obviously, his attraction hadn’t dimmed at all.
Maybe it was too soon? He and Yasmine had just called things off last night.
There was a part of him that wondered if Yasmine might change her mind. Maybe he was still clinging to hope that they would work things out, so his brain was still stuck on having cold feet.
He was tempted to turn around and run out back out the door, but just as he had the thought, Audrey’s gaze moved to meet his. Her eyes widened, then she smiled and waved.
Well, fuck.
He couldn’t run away like a coward now that he’d been seen.
“Hey, Mason, I have something for you. Let me just finish ringing Grant up.” The smile she gave him was sympathetic.
There was no escape. He took a deep breath and walked forward, greeting Grant as the other man paid for his pastries. Grant thanked Audrey, dropped a dollar in the tip jar, and headed out, leaving Mason and Audrey alone except for the couple in the corner.
“Here.” Audrey pulled a small tray out from behind the counter, something that wasn’t in the display case. It was covered with cupcakes that had a sprinkling of something on the top of the icing swirl. “Baklava cupcakes.”
“Baklava cupcakes?” His mouth watered immediately, his hand lifting to reach for one.
“Yeah, I heard about you and Yasmine and… well, I just wanted to do something to cheer you up. So, baklava cupcakes. I saved these for you, and whatever you don’t want, I’ll put up for sale.”
“Thank you.” Dammit. She really was as sweet as she was sexy.
His cold feet really knew how to pick them.
Even with the counter between them, he could feel the sizzle of their chemistry, of his attraction, as he picked up one of the cupcakes from the tray.
“How much for all of them?” He didn’t want to share the baklava cupcakes she’d made for him.
Was it ridiculous? Yes. But he hated the idea of anyone else getting them.
Her eyes widened in surprise.
“Oh, they’re on the house for you. I can box them up if you really want all of them.”
“I do, but I also want to pay for them.” If he paid for them, they would feel less like pity cupcakes. “I appreciate the gesture, but I don’t want you to lose money on me when I’m fine.”
Audrey’s lips pursed, like she was thinking about denying him.
“I’ll just put what I think they cost in the tip jar if you don’t tell me, and I bet I’ll overestimate what it would be,” he warned her. Surprisingly, her expression turned smug.
“Go ahead. As the owner of the establishment, I don’t have to take your payment, and I can’t take the tips. Technically, they’re for Ashley, although she doesn’t need them, so she’s giving them all to Alexis.” The little smirk on her lips as she got sassy with him made his hand itch to spank her.
Shit. Since when did he want to spank a woman just because she was being a little bratty with him?
Since Audrey.
He should go.
But she was putting the tray on the counter and taking out a box to put the cupcakes in. Mason decided the best thing to do was eat the cupcake he had in his hand, which would at least give him something to focus on other than the woman behind the counter.
Honey, orange blossom, and pistachio flavors exploded on his tongue at the first bite, and he moaned.
“Fuck, that’s good.”
Audrey lifted her head to look at him, her eyes sparkling again. Behind him, he heard the sound of the door opening as the couple that had been sitting in the corner exited the bakery. He was acutely aware that it was just him and Audrey in here now.
“Really?”
“Really. And I am more determined than ever not to share them.”
The pleased smile she gave him felt like it was warming him from the inside out. He wanted to always see her smiling like that.
Fuck me, I really need to get out of here.
“I’m glad you like them. I’m already thinking about making them one of the flavors of the week.”
“You should.” Even though he’d be tempted to buy them all. “I’ve never heard of baklava cupcakes before.”
“It’s really just the flavors.” She ducked her head shyly, putting the last of the cupcakes in the box and closing it up. Pushing the box over to his side of the counter, she smiled. “There you go.”
“Seriously, Audrey, you should let me pay you.” Mason reached into his pocket to pull out his wallet.
“Nope.” Shaking her head, she stepped back away from the counter, shoving her hands into her apron pockets as she did so. Then she suddenly frowned and pulled something out of one of them, holding it up to see what it was, and she made a face.
“What’s that?” Something about her reaction to the thing had his instincts alerting.
“I… it’s probably nothing. It’s just a note that I found on the bakery door this morning before we opened.” But she held it in front of her like she wasn’t sure she wanted him to see it or not, and she’d frowned when she realized what it was.
“What does it say?”
Her emerald gaze met his, and she hesitated. Mason lifted one eyebrow. Letting out a little huff of air, she set the note on the counter and pushed it over to him.
Picking it up, Mason felt his skin prickle. The letters were large and threatening, he didn’t need his reading glasses to see them clearly.
Get out.
Audrey
Watching Mason read the note, his expression like a thundercloud, Audrey couldn’t help but squirm.
Then again, she’d been internally squirming from the moment he’d walked in the door, all tall, dark, and handsome.
Watching his serious expression melt into pure pleasure when he’d bitten into her cupcake had done all sorts of wild things to her insides.
She didn’t have to feel as guilty about that now that he and Yasmine were no longer together, but considering they’d just ended things last night, she couldn’t entirely shake it.
Especially since she also still felt relieved that he was now single.
Not that she was going to do anything about it, no matter how good he looked and no matter how much she wanted to.
Although… it almost felt like Yasmine had been giving Audrey permission earlier…
That, or she was making things up in her head because it was what she wanted.
“Do you know who left it?”
“I haven’t got a clue. It’s probably just some kids or something.”
“Have you asked Alexis or Ashley about it? Alexis isn’t from here, right?”
“No, but she’s living here very quietly, and I can’t think of a reason why someone would want her to get out.” Audrey shrugged.
“Is there anyone who would want you to get out?”
“No. Maybe it’s someone who wanted this space?” She gestured to the bakery at large. “Or someone who really hates baked goods?”
That made the corner of his mouth twitch, but he shook his head.
“Can you think of anyone else who wouldn’t want you here?”
“My parents want me to go back to Philly, but they wouldn’t leave a note like this.
” She shrugged. “I really don’t think it’s anything to get worked up about.
I’m going to ask David to make sure we have cameras on the front door as well as the back, and if it happens again, then we’ll know who did it. ”
“Okay. You’re working the rest of the day, right? I’ll go stop by the office now. David should be there. I’ll give him the note and handle getting a camera on the front door.”
Audrey wished he’d laughed it off instead of taking it so seriously. It was making her nervous that he didn’t think it was a joke. But that didn’t mean she wanted her brother involved any more than he had to be.
“Oh, well, I wasn’t going to tell David about the note.
” She wrung her hands in front of herself, bringing them together and twisting her fingers.
“I was just going to ask him to set up the camera. He’s just got a lot going on right now, and I don’t know if this is even anything.
Someone might have left it on the wrong door. ”
Mason raised his eyebrow at her again. Pressing her legs together, Audrey told herself that she wasn’t going to squirm. Or find it sexy.
“Do you have to tell him? I don’t want him freaking out after everything that went on with Cassidy if this is just some stupid prank or a mistake.”
“Fine. I’ll handle getting the camera installed, and I’m going to stop by regularly to check in on things. If anything else out of the ordinary happens—anything—you’re going to tell me about it.”
“Yes, Sir.” She was trying to lighten the mood, but something flashed in his eyes at her response that took her breath completely away.
The air between them seemed to thicken, and she felt her body tighten all over, her pulse pounding so loudly, it could probably be heard on the street.
It felt like something momentous was about to happen…
Then he shuttered it, the light in his gaze dimming, metaphorically stepping back as he picked up the box of cupcakes and physically stepped back.
“Okay. I’ll stop back in tomorrow to check on things.”
“Great. Thanks.” Audrey brushed her hands over her apron as all the tension that had filled her body fled, leaving her feeling like a deflated balloon. He nodded his head and headed out the door. It was ridiculous to feel abandoned. Or disappointed. She was seeing things that weren’t there.
It was probably all the romances she was reading.
Audrey was grateful that Ashley was on her break and had missed all of that.
Although maybe she should mention the note to her and Alexis, to see what they thought.
Make sure there was no reason they would think the note was for them.
Mason taking it seriously made her feel like maybe she shouldn’t be so quick to brush it off.
She would do that this afternoon.
Tomorrow, Mason would be back. He was planning to check in regularly.
And if that gave her a little thrill to know he was going to be coming by often, that wasn’t something anyone else needed to know.