3. Samuel
CHAPTER THREE
Samuel
The morning air was unseasonably crisp as I stepped out of the inn, the smell of rain still clinging to the streets of Medford.
The town was just waking up, stretching its limbs like a lazy cat. Mrs. Landry was already sweeping her front stoop, her wire-haired terrier yapping at leaves as if they were intruders.
The neon “open” sign flickered on in The Brewed Bean, and the first hint of cinnamon rolls drifted from Sweet Maple Bakery, carried on the soft breeze like a promise of good things to come.
I rolled my shoulders, still feeling the delicious ache from last night—hell, from the entire night—with Sadie.
My lips curled slightly at the memory of her beneath me, the way she gasped my name, the way she let go completely in my hands.
Fuck, she was something else. Fierce, and so much fun. But when she gave in, she did it with everything she had.
It made me hungry for more.
Right now, though, I had a kitchen to run.
The Foundry sat at the corner of Main and Oak, a building that had once been a run-down metal shop before we turned it into something else entirely. A kitchen-bakery-butchery hybrid, bringing all of our talents together in a way that created a brand-new venture for Medford.
We had The Brewed Bean Café, a quaint coffee shop, and the Sweet Maple Bakery, which created day-to-day sweet treats. But we covered everything else.
Catering, specialty meats, custom pastries—you name it, we did it.
And in a town like Medford, stepping on toes wasn’t an option. We complemented, never competed.
The exterior was all dark brick and steel accents, the windows stretching wide, letting the morning light spill inside. I took a second to appreciate it, what we’d built—what Kai, Adam, and I had poured our souls into.
I pushed the door open, and the scent of fresh bread and caramelized sugar wrapped around me like a damn embrace.
The low hum of music played from the speakers—Kai’s usual early-morning mix of old blues and acoustic rock.
He was already at the back counter, his sleeves pushed up, forearms dusted with flour, kneading a mound of dough with practiced ease.
He didn’t glance up when he spoke.
“You’re late.”
I smirked, stepping inside and grabbing an apron from the hook. “I own the place. Can’t be late.”
Kai snorted, finally glancing up, his storm-gray eyes sharp.
“You can when you’re supposed to be in before me.” He paused, then gave me a once-over, his brow arching. “You look like shit.”
I chuckled, tying the apron around my waist. “Feel fucking fantastic, actually.”
His eyes narrowed, then flicked back down to the dough. “Uh-huh. That wouldn’t have anything to do with the woman you left Lucky’s with, would it?”
“Hot damn, you weren’t even there?—”
Kai rolled his eyes. “This is Medford. Gossip spreads fast. A new woman in town, Samuel all gooey-eyed for her?—”
I grabbed a fresh baguette from the cooling rack, tearing off a piece. “Maybe.”
Kai just shook his head, muttering something under his breath. Probably a little comment about me being reckless, but I let it slide.
He might be the biggest grump in the damn county, but he cared. More than he liked to admit.
I leaned against the counter, watching him work. “Busy morning?”
“Always.” He pulled the dough into a tight ball, setting it aside before grabbing another. “Cake orders are already coming in. We got a few big ones for the weekend, and the new supplier fucked up our flour shipment again.”
I groaned. “You’re kidding.”
“Wish I was. Adam’s dealing with it. Said he’d call in a favor.”
Adam. Our business partner, the smooth-talker, the one who could charm his way out of—or into—just about anything.
If anyone could fix it, it was him.
Kai exhaled through his nose, rolling out another section of dough.
“You ever think about how big this place has gotten?” He gestured around the shop at the polished counters, the racks of fresh bread, the line of orders pinned up. “Feels like we blinked and suddenly The Foundry is half the damn town’s morning ritual.”
I glanced out toward the front, where the first few customers of the morning were gathering. People who had been coming here since we opened, who knew us, trusted us.
The Foundry wasn’t just a bakery, a butchery, or a kitchen. It had become a cornerstone of Medford, something people relied on.
“It’s what we wanted, isn’t it?” I said, looking back at Kai. “We built this. We made it matter.”
Kai let out a low hum, thoughtful. “Yeah. We did.”
I smirked, tossing the baguette end at him. “And look at you, getting all sentimental before the sun’s even fully up. I’m proud of you.”
He scowled, batting the bread away. “Fuck off, Samuel.”
I laughed, stepping behind the counter to start my prep.
This was home. The rush, the heat, the scent of cinnamon and coffee filling the air.
This was ours.
I loved it.
The upstairs door creaked, and heavy footsteps followed.
A second later, Adam appeared, stretching like a damn jungle cat, his golden blond hair sticking up in all directions. His usual cocky grin was already in place, and he smelled like whiskey, like he’d barely washed off the night before.
“Morning, gentlemen,” he drawled, rolling his shoulders before hopping up onto the counter. “Miss me?”
Kai shot him a look. “Get your ass off my clean counters.”
Adam held up his hands in surrender but didn’t move. “Relax, big guy. I come bearing good news.”
I raised a brow. “That so?”
Adam smirked. “Flour’s handled. Our supplier’s an idiot, but I called in that favor. We’ll have everything we need by noon.”
Kai grumbled, but relief flickered in his eyes. “Good.”
“That’s not all,” Adam continued, pulling his phone from his pocket. “I posted that hiring ad last night, and we already got a couple of responses.”
I blinked. “That was fast.”
“Yeah, well, desperation moves things along.” He scrolled through his phone. “We’ve got three people lined up for interviews today. Two are local, the other’s from out of town but has solid experience.”
Kai crossed his arms. “We really hiring someone this fast?”
Adam shrugged. “Unless you want to work double shifts until we collapse.”
Kai muttered under his breath, maybe a curse. I smirked.
“We’ll meet them,” I said. “If they’re a good fit, we hire. We need the help.”
Adam grinned. “That’s what I like to hear.” He hopped off the counter, stretching again before stealing a piece of bread from the rack. “Alright, gentlemen. Let’s make some magic happen.”
Kai just sighed, shaking his head as he returned to his dough. I chuckled, already mentally preparing for the day ahead.
The Foundry was our empire, our legacy.
And today, it looked like we were bringing someone new into the fold.
The first interview went smoothly enough.
A local kid, fresh out of culinary school, eager and bright-eyed but lacking real-world experience. Adam, ever the charmer, had made him feel at ease while Kai grilled him about technique and efficiency.
The kid had potential, but we needed someone who could hit the ground running.
The second interview was better.
A woman in her thirties who had worked at a high-end bakery in the city. She had confidence, skill, and wasn’t easily rattled by Kai’s scrutiny. I was impressed. By the time she left, we were seriously considering making an offer.
Then the door swung open, and the last interviewee walked in.
And the world tilted.
No… crashed, cracked, and flipped entirely upside down.
Sadie .
I felt my stomach drop, my breath strangled somewhere between my lungs and my throat. My fingers twitched against the desk, and I swore time hiccupped, stretching the space between one heartbeat and the next.
She had changed into a fitted black top and dark jeans, her hair swept up in a messy knot, exposing the graceful curve of her neck.
But those green eyes… still carrying that fire, that challenge.
She froze for half a second, her lips parting in the faintest gasp before her expression smoothed over.
“Sadie Collins?” Adam spoke first with a playful smile. “Nice to meet you. I’m Adam Reid. This is Samuel Thompson and Kai Byrne.”
She hesitated, her gaze flickering from Adam to me.
I forced my face into a neutral expression, something that didn’t scream holy shit, this is the woman I had my hands all over last night.
“Nice to meet you, too,” she said, her voice even.
Smooth.
Like she hadn’t been moaning my name hours ago.
Adam motioned toward the chair across from us, oblivious to the tension wrapping itself around my throat. “Go ahead and have a seat.”
She moved toward it, her steps sure, but I caught the slight clench of her jaw.
Kai leaned back in his chair, arms crossing over his chest as his sharp eyes studied her. “Didn’t know you were back.”
Fuck.
How the hell did he know her?
My shoulders stiffened. Sadie didn’t react, at least not visibly, but I could feel the way her muscles tensed, the way the air between us crackled.
She tilted her head slightly. “I just got back this weekend.”
I couldn’t breathe.
I needed to get a grip.
I cleared my throat, scrambling for the right words to say, when her eyes suddenly snapped to mine.
Lightning flickered there.
I swallowed hard.
Shit.