Chapter 5
“Hey, Emma!” Natalie and Addie bounced into the bakery a few nights later, holding each other’s hands.
“Hey, what are you two up to tonight?”
“I just finished with dance! Mom said I could get a treat because I got picked for a solo in our recital.”
“Wow, Addie, that’s amazing. How many nights a week do you have dance class?”
“Two! Tuesdays and Fridays. That’s why they’re my favorite days of the week.”
“You must be tired after so much dancing. Get to picking your treat, prima ballerina. It’ll be on me.”
“You don’t have to do that, Em.” Natalie protested, taking out her wallet.
“Honestly, Nat. It’s no big deal. Pick something for yourself, too. I’m sorry for how I barged in the other night and didn’t listen to you. I hope I didn’t put you in a tough spot with Sebastian. It can’t be all rainbows and sunshine working for Mr. Tight Suits over there, and I’m sorry if I made things awkward or tough for you.” She nodded across the street. “You probably deserve ten chocolate cakes for what you have to put up with from him.”
“Actually, Mr. Montgomery is an amazing boss. He’s been so understanding any time I need to leave a bit early or change my schedule around to accommodate Addie, even though I just started there. Honestly, it’s been a huge blessing to work for him. Even my husband thinks it was a smart move on my part to apply for the job.”
“He wanted you to stay home?”
Natalie smiled. “He’s really protective of me and Addie.”
“That’s sweet, but I’m glad you got to follow your dreams, too.”
“It’s all a balance.” Natalie ruffled Addie’s hair.
“Balance. I could use some of that in my life. I’m trying to save money by doing everything myself, and it’s a blessing to have so many orders, but I’m not getting home until one or two every morning and then I’m back up at six to open the bakery. At least I have Melissa most days after she finishes school.”
“Em! That’s not okay. Do you need some help tonight? I can jump in wherever you could use me.”
“No, I couldn’t ask that of you. I mean, I know you’ve had a long day with work and then Addie’s dance. Don’t you need to get her home?”
“She’s okay. I know she has some homework she needs to get done before bed anyways, and it’ll give her a chance to sit and enjoy her treat.”
Emma couldn’t have heard her correctly. Homework? All Addie should be worrying about after school is playing with her toys and enjoying her time at dance.
“They are giving out homework to first graders? That’s wild.”
“Tell me about it. Remind me and I’ll show you the math she’s working on. I feel like a dunce every time she needs help.”
She laughed. “Alright, well, yeah. Okay! I’ll only keep you until Addie is done with her cookie and homework, but I think we could make a dent in my orders by then.”
“Perfect oh brilliant baker. Put me to work.”
Emma showed Natalie how to pipe a frosting flower onto her sugar cookies before she grabbed her phone and put on her favorite playlist over the bakery’s speaker system.
“Hey, Addie, come show me what you’ve been learning in dance while your mom works on her piping skills.”
Addie dropped out of the booth and ran back into the kitchen.
“We’ve been doing a lot of line work,” she said as she lifted one hand above her head, the other arm low and towards her back. Then she spun around.
“Wow, that’s really beautiful. You think I could do that?” Emma asked.
“Only one way to know,” the precocious little girl gestured for her to try.
Emma repeated the same motions that Addie showed her, and when she finished her spin, both Natalie and Addie were smiling.
“Wow, Em. You’ve got great lines. I definitely think that’s why Mr. Montgomery likes you.” Natalie winked and Emma felt her face flush.
“Mommy’s boss likes you? Mom and I agree that he could be one of the princes in my princess movies! And he put a container of lollipops on his desk just for when I come to work with my mom after school.”
“She may have a little crush on him,” Natalie laughed.
“So, does he like you how a boyfriend likes a girlfriend?” Addie asked.
“No,” Emma quickly replied, wondering how it suddenly felt like the bakery felt like it was on fire. Natalie laughed before telling Addie to go back to the table to finish her homework. “Sorry, but she’ll probably be busy for the next few weeks planning your wedding.”
“She really is amazing, Nat. You must be so proud.”
“I am. A lot of the times I feel like a single mom. So many of the decisions and nearly all of the parenting falls on me. It’s really tough, but then I see the smart, kind, and adventurous human she’s growing in to and it’s all worth it.”
“It must be hard having a husband in such a demanding job. But he must be a really good doctor if he’s traveling all over to help patients.”
“He is, and I’m so proud of him.” She continued to pipe flowers onto Emma’s sugar cookies. “I love him, honestly, I do. I just wish he would pick me and Addie over his job sometimes, and then I feel so guilty for thinking that, because how many people would die if he did choose us, you know?”
“That’s really rough,” Emma sighed. “Well, you are doing an amazing job with her and I think you should be very proud.”
“So, can we talk about how much you flushed a minute ago when I brought up Mr. Montgomery?”
“Okay, I know he’s your boss, but you’ve got to call him Sebastian when it’s just us.”
Natalie laughed. “It feels weird to address him by his first name.”
“Well, I’ve taken to calling him ‘Suits’ recently. Maybe that’s a good code name anyways so little ears don’t over hear.”
“Okay then. Why did you flush when I mentioned Suits earlier. Is there something going on between the two of you?”
“I honestly don’t know. My stupid body betrays my mind every time I’m near him. I mean, the guy is crazy good looking,” Natalie smiled and Emma rolled her eyes. “I’m not blind, Nat. It’s just, there’s all those reports about how much of a player he is. He’s basically the hottest bachelor in America right now, why the hell he’s even wasting time flirting with me, I’ll never understand. I mean, I’m a catch, don’t get me wrong,” she wiggled her hips back and forth and laughed right along with Natalie. “But I just don’t get what he’s even doing here in Bell Ridge.”
“I think you should give him a chance. He’s a small town guy who seems to just want to better the community he’s a part of. Maybe the tabloids aren’t getting the story right.”
“Maybe. I can’t see not giving him grief for his coffee order every morning though.”
Emma watched Natalie set her piping bag down, staring at Emma as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t quite figure out what.
“So, let me get this straight. You guys have witty banter. He openly flirts with you. You both have silly nicknames for each other…” Natalie’s eyes opened wide and her eyebrows raised to her hairline.
“Yes, but?—”
“Girl, you are so blind, my goodness! He is interested in you. Shit, Em, this is so exciting. Will you invite me and Addie to the wedding? I bet it’s going to be amazing.”
Emma threw a handful of flour at Nat and burst out laughing at the way it landed across her face and hair.
“Fair enough,” Natalie laughed, dusting off the flour as best she could. “Are you going to be at that charity auction on Friday?”
“Oh shit, yeah, I almost completely forgot that was this week. Why? Are you?”
“No, my husband is supposed to be back in town, finally. We are planning a little romantic night once we get Addie down. But I do know Mr. Montgomery will be there. I handled his invite response this afternoon. Maybe it would be a good chance for you two to talk and learn more about each other.”
“Ugh,” Emma sighed. “I don’t know. I’m supposed to be auctioned off that night.”
“What?” Natalie looked at her, horrified.
“Not like that! I got talked into offering up a date for the auction. So basically, whoever wins the bid gets a date night with me, and I have to bring along a batch of my lemon bars. I’m hoping my friends bail me out with sympathy bids. I just don’t have time for a date.”
“Wow.”
“Don’t look at me like that. My friends got me drunk at girls’ night since I was the only one that could drink and then they let their husbands talk me into it. I still haven’t forgiven them. The one good thing is Melissa has offered to open the shop for me on Saturday, so I get to sleep in. I can’t remember the last time I did that.”
* * *
The week flew by, and all too soon, Emma’s stomach was churning with anticipation of what the auction would bring that night.
“Are you ready for tonight?” Grace laughed as Emma walked to their table with their coffee orders in hand.
“Not at all. And I still don’t forgive you and Daisy for getting me drunk and talking me into doing this. If someone creepy bids on me, I‘m trusting you to come to my rescue,” she pointed at Grace.
“Hey, it’s for a fantastic cause,” Jackson said. “And I have a feeling you might bring in the biggest donation.”
“Yeah, well, since it’s for the children’s hospital, I guess I can suck it up. But I’ve already told Sam I expect him to put up a fight for me.”
“You and Sam on a date? I’d pay good money to see that,” he laughed.
“Yeah, I’m positive I’d scar that pretty cowboy.”
“Did you hear his little sister is back in town?” Jackson asked.
“No, he hasn’t mention anything to me. I don’t even think I’ve met her before.”
“Jackson introduced her to me last week at the farmer’s market and she seemed so happy to be moving back to Bell Ridge. Apparently she got a job at the preschool. I’m actually thinking about enrolling Jack there in a few months.”
Jackson raised his eyebrows at his wife and Grace laughed. “Okay, maybe in a year or two.”
“That would be great for you, Grace. And I bet Sylvie is thrilled to have her little girl back.”
Sam Cooper was neighbors with Hank and Daisy. Instead of a hobby farm like Daisy had, Sam raised cattle on the Red River Ranch. The ranch had been in his family for over a hundred years and he was quite possibly the hardest worker Emma knew. She knew things had been hard for Sam since he lost his father unexpectedly a year before her move to Bell Ridge.
“Yeah, I guess we will just see how I eventually feel about leaving him with someone who isn’t family. Oh! I did really like Abby though. She seems so sweet. I was thinking the next time I run into her, I should invite her to our next girl’s night or family dinner. I know she’s a little bit younger than us, but I loved being pulled into the group when I got back to town. I think she would, too.”
“Yeah, I’m all for that, Grace. We should push to get Sam to family dinner, too. I know he’ll be at the auction tonight, but I swear I haven’t seen him in weeks.”
“He’s super busy with the ranch. After the fire, he never replaced his ranch manager. I think he’s just up to his eyeballs between taking care of the cattle and managing all the business side of things,” Jackson said.
“Sounds like he needs to get a help wanted ad out soon. I worry about him with how his dad died,” Emma sighed.
“Yeah, I think we all do.”
The store bell chimed, and Emma watched Natalie walk in with a large box.
“Hey Nat! You want the usual?”
She shook her head. “I can’t stay. It’s been non-stop at work today. But this is for you.” Natalie handed the box to Emma, winked, and waved goodbye as she turned and walked out of the shop.
“Oh, what is it?” Grace asked as baby Jack chewed on a teething toy in her arms.
“I have no idea. Whatever it is, it’ll have to wait. I’ve got cinnamon rolls that need to come out of the oven and cookie orders to fill before I close early today. You guys just holler if you need anything, okay?”
Emma walked to her office and placed the box on her desk. As she gently removed the ribbons holding it shut, butterflies fluttered around in her stomach. Once the lid came off, her breath stalled. The most beautiful siren red dress was inside.
Who the hell would have sent her such a stunning dress? As Emma pulled it from the box, a card fell to the floor. She was too busy admiring the style of the dress to notice at first.
Setting the dress back into the box, she bent and pulled the card out of the envelope.
Wear this tonight, Sprinkles.
Sebastian. Of course. She rolled her eyes, half of her determined to not touch the dress again just to spite him, and the other half of her dying to slip it on to see his reaction. Damn him.
Well, it didn’t matter at that moment, because her timer was alarming in the kitchen, forcing her out of her daydream and back to reality.
That afternoon, Emma closed the bakery and made her way up to her apartment, big box in tow. She threw the box on the sofa and fell into bed, closing her eyes. Sebastian had to know what sending that dress would do to her. How could she resist wearing it? And why couldn’t she stop thinking about whether he would be dressed to match her or not? Was this just a ploy to see if she was interested in him, since she hadn’t been giving him the easiest time?
What if she wore the dress and he brought another woman? He was known for having a new date to every event he went to. Models, musicians, basically any woman who was looking to be seen on the arm of a wealthy, well-connected man. She hated to admit it, but she’d spent some time after he saved her from that wild car looking at pictures of him at various fundraisers in D.C. He’d always looked so handsome, but was never photographed with the same woman twice.
Was he doing all this just to use her? Get the small town baker to let her guard down, have what would probably be the best sex of her life, and then just move on to someone else…ugh. Emma didn’t want that, not that there was anything wrong with a one night stand. It just wasn’t in the cards for her.
The alarm rang on her phone and she forced herself out of bed and into the shower. She had about ten minutes of hot water before the heater gave out. It was the next thing on her ever growing list of things that needed to be replaced, but she’d get there.
Emma grabbed her soap, working it into a lather before she started scrubbing her skin. As her hands spread the suds onto her legs, Sebastian suddenly popped into her mind. Would his hands feel cool and soft like hers, or would they be warm and rough as he spread the soap over her body.
Her heartbeat kicked up as she thought about the sight of Seb, wet from the shower, getting down on his knees and kissing across her skin, nipping at her thighs before she’d open her legs to him. He’d find her clit with one swipe of his finger before his tongue took over and she moaned as her fingers found that pleasure on their own.
Oh fuck. It felt amazing. His tongue would be warm and wet, lapping her up until she was nothing more than a boneless woman. Her fingers moved in the exact way she knew would get her off, but it was his name she screamed when the wave of ecstasy slammed into her like the eye wall of a hurricane. Emma leaned her head on the wall of the shower, her whole body feeling flushed from what she had just done.
She stepped out, wrapping her robe around her still sensitive skin. Would he be able to tell when he saw her that she’d just used his presence in her imagination to achieve one of the best orgasms of her life? There was a little excited flutter that grew in her stomach at the thought of seeing the blush on his cheeks if she was brave enough to whisper it in his ear.
Emma found herself standing in front of her full length mirror wearing the beautiful dress Sebastian had sent over for her. Damn, it fit her like a glove, accentuating her curves in the most alluring way. She finished pinning her hair in a half-up, half-down style and smiled. It had been such a long time since she’d felt butterflies in her stomach.
But there was no doubt in her mind that they were there. She eyed the black dress laid out on her bed. It was beautiful, and wearing it instead of the dress he gifted her would certainly send a message to Sebastian.
Her hands ran up and down the fabric on her body. God, she felt so sexy. How had he known her measurements? It certainly wasn’t an off-the-rack dress, and she didn’t want to even think what a couture piece like it cost.
Maybe that’s why she always caught him sliding his stormy eyes over her body when he ordered his coffee each morning. Shit. Just thinking about how he looked at her, how he flirted with her, subtle at times, possessively at others, was negating every ounce of tension that shower had melted away.