10. Chapter 10
ten
Diesel
Mistake number two? Working with nosy imbeciles.
“Find anyone interesting at the Watering Hole last night?” Wrecker asked loud as hell, eyebrows wiggling like he thought he was being funny.
Of course, it had to be the exact moment the office door opened, and Amy stepped out with Sadie beside her.
Her smile faltered, just for a second.
Her cheeks flushed pink, all soft and bright, the same damn shade as her hair, and she didn’t look at me. Not really. Just a flash of eye contact and then she was turning back to Amy, voice a little too chipper.
“Thank you again,” she said. “I seriously can’t thank you enough. You get free pastries for life.”
Another glance my way. Then she scurried back across the street like she couldn’t get away fast enough.
I glared at Wrecker, who just shrugged and grabbed a wrench like he hadn’t just crushed the sunshine right out of the girl across the street.
“What?” he said, all innocence. “You’ll thank me one day.”
But I wasn’t laughing.
The look in her eyes—just for a second—was enough to make me wish I’d stayed home.
Or better yet, never looked twice at her in the first place.
Sadie
It wasn’t any of my business what Daniel got up to in his spare time.
Nope. Not my business. Not my man. Not even my friend, really.
Still, the words from Wrecker—“Find anyone interesting?”—were echoing in my head like a damn sad trombone.
The bell above the door jingled, and I spun around with a smile already pasted on my face. Mel and a very handsome Noah followed it in, both looking way too adorable for a Monday.
“Hey! Welcome in!” I said, bright as a sunrise, even though my stomach was doing flips.
Mel gasped, her hands fluttering up to her chest. “It looks fabulous in here. I love that corner booth!”
The booth. Great. Heat crept up my neck.
“Uh, thanks! That thing is a beast. Took a small army to move it.” I laughed, too quickly.
“Anyway! Today’s special is Don’t Go Bacon My Tart—a bacon cinnamon roll with a Maple Cinnamon Americano.
And because you’re my first official customers and definitely part of the Amy Carter Grand Opening Conspiracy, it’s on the house. ”
Mel beamed. “We accept this delicious bribe.”
Noah leaned over the counter, his grin easy. “If you keep naming pastries like that, I’m gonna need a punch card.”
I smiled, genuinely this time. They were sweet. This was what I came here for. A fresh start. A community.
Even if some grumpy grease monkey across the street didn’t want to be a part of it.
They distracted me while they ate, made me laugh, made me forget, even if just for a little while.
But then Mel and Noah left, the door jingled behind them, and I was alone again.
Alone with my thoughts.
Alone with him on the other side of the street, probably elbow-deep in grease and not thinking about me at all.
I stared at the empty coffee cup on the counter, then gave myself a little shake. Nope. I was not going to sit here and throw a pity party. I had sparkles on my floor and sprinkles on my walls. I had a business. A dream. A community that was already rallying around me.
And I was still young. Still single. And I could flirt with the best of them.
Just… maybe not on a Monday night. Mondays were for oversized pajamas and baking experiments that may or may not include edible glitter.
But Saturday?
Oh, Saturday.
I was going to get dolled up, paint the town pink, and see just what kind of trouble I could get myself into.
Let Daniel Callahan brood in his garage all he wanted.