Epilogue Flour, Frosting, and Forever
Braden
A few months later…
“ A gain? How many times per week are you baking cupcakes?” I arch a brow at Mina as she dusts flour from her face.
It’s a moot gesture, considering her outfit and every counter is also coated in the white stuff.
She’s lucky she’s so damn adorable.
“They love them.”
Laughter flies from my throat. “Of course they love them. They’re kids.”
She leans against the counter, a sly grin on her face. “You love kids. And you love me.”
She’s right on both counts.
I stroll over and cage her in my arms, not caring that I’m now also wearing a dusting of flour. “Is this your way of finagling me into helping with the cupcakes?”
She rises on tiptoe, grazing her lips against mine, her breath warm and sweet from sampling the wares. “Is it working?”
Mina already knows the answer. Of course, it is.
I love seeing her this happy. Mina’s taken the Sparkwood arts community by storm with her studio, The Rhythm Collective—a space that blends traditional dance with global movement, taught by resident artists from all walks of life.
It’s her dream come to life, and I’m walking that path right alongside her.
It doesn’t hurt that she’s already got a solid client roster and is set to outpace Bitsy and Vanessa’s studio.
The icing on the cake? Her aunt called Mina and asked if she might assist their move into the twenty-first century. Mina, always gracious, said she’d be happy to help… when the next blue moon rolls around.
Hey, she was nicer than I would have been.
Mina’s phone rings, and she glances at the screen. “It’s Leo. He’s probably calling about a shoot in the city. You’ll tag along with me, right?”
I shrug, my gaze intent on the cupcakes I’m frosting. “Maybe. Have to see if it’s worth my while.”
Mina gives me a hip check and a quick kiss as she grabs her phone off the counter. “I’ll always make it worth your while. I’ve always wanted to make love in Central Park.”
“Now you’re talking.”
I did not expect my lady to be such a freak in the sheets… but I’m absolutely here for it.
Mina answers the call, balancing the phone between her shoulder and chin as she takes a tray of cupcakes from the oven. “Hi, Leo. What’s new?”
A strange look passes over her face as she sets the tray down, her eyes fixed on a distant point. “You did what ?”
I pause, piping bag in hand, and catch her gaze, mouthing, What’s wrong?
Please don’t tell me Bitsy is up to her old tricks again.
“Yeah, I’ll let him know and call you back. ”
I rest my hands on the counter, fixing her with an inquisitive stare. “Everything okay?”
Mina grabs my wrist, her lips a thin line. “Don’t be mad.”
“Last time you said that you kissed me. Is that going to happen again, because I’m all for it.”
“It’s about Leo.”
“I definitely don’t want to kiss Leo.”
The uncertainty slides from Mina’s face as she laughs. “He’d better not try. You’re mine.”
“So, what does Leo need?”
“He took the comic you created and showed it to a few of his friends in LA. They love your style and think you’d be a great fit for a new comic they’re designing.”
Talk about opportunity knocking. I shake my head as if to clear it, certain I couldn’t have heard correctly. “How did they know about it?”
“Leo loved it and wanted to show it to some people, so I told him he could so long as I got it back.” She dips her finger in the frosting, stealing a taste. “I hated giving it up, even for a minute, but he saw the truth about you. Just like I did.”
“Which is what?”
“That you’re brilliant, and this is a chance to showcase your brilliance on a world stage.”
“Way to throw dance lingo in there.”
Mina shrugs, wrapping her arms around my waist. “I’m a dancer. It’s what I do. And you are an extraordinary artist, and I think you should take the meeting.”
I nod, hardly believing the news. I finally understand why London didn’t work out for me. It was so Los Angeles could. A bigger opportunity with the woman I adore by my side.
If I’d gone to London, who knows how my life would have turned out?
“I’ll talk to them, but I’m not moving to LA.”
Mina snorts. “No shit. I hate letting you out of my sight. No way I’m sending you across the country. We tried that once. Do. Not. Recommend.”
“No reason I couldn’t work remotely.”
“See? That’s the spirit. Give Leo a call back and hash out the details.”
But before I can, my phone rings.
“It’s Grand Central Station in here,” I mutter as I answer my phone. “Hey Ash, what’s up?”
“Get to the hospital. It’s time.” My brother sounds calm, but I hear the undercurrent of emotion in his voice. “Looks like the baby is coming a few weeks early.”
“No shit. Alright, we’ll be right there. Give us thirty minutes.”
“Ori wants Mina to bring her some blanket. I don’t know. She’s requesting it, and I’m pretty much doing anything she asks at this point.”
I snort. “Isn’t that you most of the time?”
“Shut up, but yeah. Anyway, I’ve got to get her some ice chips. See you soon.”
I click off the call and turn to Mina, her hands balled in a prayer position. “We need to go to the hospital.”
Her eyes widen as she rips off her apron. “Is Ori in labor?”
I nod. “The baby decided to come a few weeks early.”
“Oh my God. The baby is coming,” she squeals, clapping her hands together. “Let me call one of my instructors and have them cover my class. I’ll meet you in the truck.”
“Ash mentioned a blanket?”
“On it.” Mina beams at me, her smile lighting up her entire being.
You’d swear it was her baby, not her best friend’s.
And then it hits me, how much I want that with Mina. How much I want everything with her.
She meets me in the truck ten minutes later, a bag of goodies in her hand. “Let’s go. I can’t wait to meet their baby, Braden.”
“Me too.”
Hey, I am excited. It’s a new chapter in our lives. We’ve graduated from late-night bar crawls to late-night bottle feedings.
But that’s how it goes, right?
I’m here for all of it.
Mina grasps my hand, her long fingers tracing over my skin. “Maybe that could be us soon.”
I swear, this woman is a mind reader.
Glancing down at our conjoined hands, I see the ring sparkling on her finger.
The one I bought for her when all of this was just a ruse.
The one I gave her back the day she returned to Sparkwood.
I told her then that we’d figure it out—no timeline required.
But as soon as she mentions us starting a family, I know it’s a perfect next step.
I free my hand, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I was thinking the same thing.”
A soft smile dances across her lips. “Really? Like soon, not in a couple of years.”
I chuckle, claiming her hand again and pressing a kiss to her fingers. “Like right after we get home from the hospital. Unless that’s too soon for you.”
“Braden Hammond, I’ve been waiting on you .”
And then I realize I’d been waiting my whole life for her, too .
The End
So, what’s next in Sparkwood?
How about some friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to- what even is this? energy?
Sheltering Sparks brings the heat, the heartbreak, and a whole lot of hope as we dive into Kiki’s story—our fierce, wounded heroine who isn’t looking for love… especially not from him .