Chapter 23
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Junie wiped her hands on a clean towel and surveyed the stacks of supplies she had just unpacked. The familiar scents of flour, sugar, and fresh vanilla beans filled the warm kitchen, mingling with the faint aroma of the chokecherries.
She’d managed to get several boxes of frozen chokecherries from a supplier up north, harvested at the peak of the season and flash-frozen to lock in their tart, vibrant flavor.
Still, they weren’t Wilder chokecherries.
And they hadn’t been picked with Tanner by her side.
Call her crazy, but the ones they picked themselves always tasted better.
The morning light streamed through the high windows, casting soft golden patches across the stainless steel counters and making the white bags of flour glow like fresh snow. She loved being in her bakery early in the morning. Especially on a day like today.
“Well, look at you all,” she murmured, a whimsical smile on her lips as she patted the bag of flour like an old friend. “You’re going to be busy little soldiers today, aren’t you? I still can’t believe how many extra orders I had to place this week. Business has never been better.”
She shook her head, half amused and half bewildered, her fingers tracing the printed label on the bag.
“Who would have thought a confrontation at the farmers’ market and a silly food fight would turn out to be the best marketing I’ve ever had?
People love drama, apparently. And they love my chokecherry turnovers even more now that there’s a story attached to them. ”
Whenever the chokecherry thicket came to mind, she couldn’t help but indulge herself in all the memories of the happy times she’d spent there with Tanner.
Back then, she was his little sister’s best friend.
He’d held the basket while she reached for the ripest berries, both of them laughing when the thorns snagged their sleeves.
Those afternoons had always been her favorite times—sticky fingers, purple-stained mouths, and the sweet-tart taste of fresh chokecherries on her tongue.
How times had changed. She couldn’t believe they were a couple now.
Maybe it would be a good idea to pick some chokecherries of her own.
As soon as things settled down, she was going to drag Tanner out there with her.
No doubt he would grumble and complain. That was to be expected.
Her ace in the hole was that she knew the man would do just about anything if it meant spending the day with her, and she loved him for it.
Junie walked over to the small to-do list magnet on the refrigerator door, picked up the pen, and wrote in her neat handwriting:
Call Tanner about scheduling a trip to the chokecherry thicket.
“There,” she said out loud, tapping the pen against the paper with satisfaction. “Now it’s official. We’re going berry picking soon, whether you like it or not, Daddy.”
The simple act of writing it down made the plan feel real.
Turning from the fridge, she looked around and listened.
The low hum of the refrigerators, the faint drip from the sink she kept meaning to fix, and the golden morning light made everything look warm and safe.
One glance at the wall clock had her jumping. How was it already time to open?
As if in answer, the bell above the front door jingled. Junie picked up a fresh towel to wipe her hands one more time and pushed through the swinging door into the main serving area, a polite “Good morning, I’m so glad you’re here” already forming on her lips.
The words died in her throat.
Preston stood just inside the door, looking as smug and confident as ever in a crisp button-down shirt and expensive slacks. His smile was warm, almost affectionate, like he had simply stopped by for his usual order and they were old friends catching up.
What about the restraining order? The hearing last week had gone so well.
The judge had barely needed to hear more than a few minutes of evidence before extending it to another twenty-four months.
Relief had filled her as she walked out of the courthouse with that piece of paper in her hand.
And now here he was, standing in her bakery as if none of it had ever happened.
“You’re not supposed to be here,” she said, her newfound confidence deserting her.
Preston’s smile didn’t even falter. He tilted his head slightly as if she had commented on the weather.
“Juniper, darling, I’m so sorry I haven’t been here recently.
I’ve missed you. Between the sheriff’s patrols and that security company Tanner sicced on me, I haven’t been able to see you at all.
I know, it’s been miserable for us both. ”
He took a step closer, and Junie instinctively took one back, her hip bumping into the edge of the display case. Her heart hammered against her ribs. She reached into her apron pocket for her phone, but it wasn’t there. That’s right. She’d set it down in the office. Damn it.
Why, today of all days, did Poppy have to call in late because of a doctor’s appointment? Now Junie was completely alone with this maniac.
Preston’s eyes softened as he looked at her, his tone turning almost conspiratorial.
“You know this is all Tanner’s doing, right?
The restraining order, the extra security…
he’s trying to keep us apart. But it won’t work.
I know how you really feel. You’ve always been too kind to say it out loud, but I see it. I’ve always seen it.”
Junie’s mouth went dry. She forced herself to stay calm, to keep her voice steady. “Preston, you need to leave. The restraining order is still in place. You can’t be here.”
He waved a hand dismissively, as if the legal document was nothing more than an annoying fly.
“We can’t let a little piece of paper keep us apart, can we?
You and I have history, Juniper. Ever since our freshman year of high school.
You were the only one who was kind to me.
The only one who saw me. Understood me. That doesn’t just go away because some jealous cowboy decides he wants you. ”
He took another step toward her.
His voice was so reasonable, so warm that, for a split second, he almost sounded convincing.
But his eyes lingered on her breasts a little too long.
His fingers flexed at his sides like he was holding himself back from reaching for her.
His polite smile never quite reached his eyes.
And his description of their relationship…
it was like he was seeing a version of her that existed only in his head.
She glanced toward the security camera in the corner, relief flooding her when she saw the small red light blinking steadily. Tanner was watching. He would be here soon. She just had to keep Preston talking.
“I’m with Tanner,” she said carefully. “I love him. You need to accept that and leave me alone.”
Preston’s smile faltered for the first time.
He took another step closer, his expression shifting into something almost wounded.
“You don’t know what you’re saying. He’s poisoned you against me, brainwashed you.
But it’s okay. I forgive you. I can help you.
I know you’re scared. Once he’s out of the picture, you’ll see how much better we are together. ”
He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. Junie gaped when he opened it to reveal a delicate diamond ring. It sparkled mockingly under the bakery lights.
He got down on one knee while Junie looked on in horror. “Will you marry me?” he asked softly, his voice full of certainty. “Here, let me put it on your finger.”
The sight of the ring snapped something inside her. All the fear and frustration she had been holding back came rushing forward.
“I will never marry you,” she said, her voice shaking but growing stronger. “We have never been together. I was nice to you in high school, just as I was to everyone. That’s all it was. I don’t love you. I love Tanner. You need to leave me alone. Now get out of here.”
Preston’s face changed in an instant. The pleasant, almost boyish mask he had been wearing cracked and fell away, revealing something colder and far more frightening flickering behind his eyes.
Getting to his feet, he put the ring box on the counter and began pacing slowly in front of it, his movements jerky and erratic, like a man barely holding himself together.
She had made a colossal mistake.
“How can you mean that, Juniper?” he growled, his voice rising with each word.
“You can’t mean that. That hearing was rigged.
Tanner has the judge in his pocket. I know it.
I know how these things work in a small town.
But it doesn’t matter. You’re meant to be with me.
I’ve been patient, waited years for you. I’m tired of waiting.”
The air in the bakery grew thicker, heavier.
The cheerful morning light streaming through the front windows now seemed too bright, almost mocking against the tension coiling in the room.
Junie could smell the faint sweetness of the vanilla and chokecherries from the kitchen mixing with the sharper, artificial scent of Preston’s cologne. It turned her stomach.
When would Tanner be there? She wanted her Daddy.
Preston stalked around the counter before she could stop him, trapping her between the counter and the wall. She backed up until her spine hit the corner between the two display cases, making them rattle behind her.
There was nowhere left to go. Her heart slammed against her ribs so hard she could feel it in her throat.
Preston grabbed her arms, his grip too tight, fingers digging into her soft flesh. He tried to pull her into a kiss, his face looming close, breath hot against her cheek.
Junie turned her face away desperately, struggling against him, pushing at his chest with all her strength. But he was so much bigger, so much stronger, that it felt useless. His body pressed against hers, solid and unyielding, and the scent of his cologne grew overwhelming, cloying.
“No! Stop!” she yelled, her voice cracking. “Preston, let go. You’re hurting me!”
The front door rattled violently. Tanner’s voice boomed from outside, full of raw fury as he beat his fist against the glass. “Get your hands off her, Lassiter! You’re a dead man. Let go of her!”
Why was he standing outside screaming? Then it dawned on her that the front door was locked. Preston must have locked it behind him when he came in.
Preston’s head snapped toward the sound, but he didn’t release her.
Instead, a chilling, satisfied smile curved his lips.
He pressed his mouth against hers anyway, hard and possessive.
Junie shoved frantically at his chest, turning her head desperately to the side, tears of fear and revulsion stinging her eyes.
The banging at the front door grew louder, more frantic, then suddenly stopped. Footsteps pounded around the side of the building toward the back door, heavy and fast.
Preston cursed under his breath, the word ugly and sharp. “He never could leave well enough alone.” He looked at Junie again, his eyes wild now.
He was truly unhinged.
“Don’t fight me on this, Juniper. It’s going to happen. You’ll see. There’s nothing he can do to keep us apart.”
He released her abruptly. Junie’s legs gave out, and she slid down the wall, the cool wood pressing against the backs of her thighs as her skirt bunched around her hips. The back door slamming open echoed through the bakery like a gunshot.
The bell over the front door rang out again, and she knew Preston had run.
Tanner ran to her, kneeling at her side. “Are you okay?”
“Y-yes, he didn’t really hurt me.” Still dazed, she barely understood what he was saying.
“You stay here, and lock the doors,” said Tanner, then he saw the fingerprint marks on her arms. Tanner roared something she couldn’t quite make out, as he raced out the front door after Preston.
Shivering, she tried to press her skirt down as she stood and moved to the door, locking it. She was alone.
Her arms ached where Preston had grabbed her. She rubbed each arm in turn. She grabbed some napkins off a nearby table and began furiously wiping Preston’s kiss off her lips, going so far as to wipe down her tongue as well, just in case.
She felt dirty, violated, contaminated. Sitting down at the table, she took a deep breath.
Calm down. You’re okay. Everything is okay. What the hell had just happened to her?
The bakery was suddenly too quiet. The only sounds were her own ragged breathing and the frantic beat of her heart thundering in her ears. The cheerful morning light that had felt so warm earlier now felt harsh and unforgiving, illuminating every speck of flour dust in the air.
The forgotten ring box lay open on the floor where Preston had evidently swept it off the countertop when he’d dashed out the door.
The diamond sparkled mockingly in the sunlight.
Preston’s touch still lingered on her arms like a tick digging into her skin.
His cologne clung to her clothes and made her want to gag.
But she was okay. Tanner had stopped him and chased him away. A fresh wave of fear crashed over her.
What if Tanner does something that gets him in trouble? What if Preston hurts him? What if he loses control and—
She forced herself to take in slow, deliberate breaths, the way Tanner had taught her during one of her panic attacks months ago. The camera light in the corner was still blinking steadily, a small red beacon of hope. Someone would have seen. And the camera would have recorded what had happened.
That would be evidence that Tanner was justified in whatever he did. Surely someone from Wilder Security would show up. Help was on the way. But right now, all she could do was sit at the table, arms wrapped tightly around herself, and try to stop trembling.
The familiar scents of cinnamon, browned butter, and chokecherries that usually brought her comfort now felt distant, overpowered by the lingering ghost of Preston’s cologne.
The kitchen door swung slightly in the draft, creaking softly, a sound she had always found comforting but now made her flinch. Bread & Batter was her happy place. Her safe place. Now Preston had defiled it and broken its charm.
A shaky sob tore from her throat. She pressed her forehead to her knees and whispered into the empty space, “Please come back, Daddy. Please be okay.”