Chapter 18
Nia’s alarm went off before sunrise, but Brianna was already up and out of the house.
Nia hadn’t even heard her leave. There were no notes on the counter and no sweet treats in the microwave, but she didn’t see anything warning her to stay away from The Cozy Crumb’s grand opening.
Nia made an egg and cheese bagel sandwich and got dressed.
She didn’t think she could do what Wendy had advised, but she knew she could make sure Brianna got through the day flawlessly.
Maybe they wouldn’t stand by the front door and take a pic for their Instagram feed, and maybe they wouldn’t come back to the house afterward to split a bottle of wine in celebration.
Maybe Nia would never see the inside of the bakery again, but she would be there to serve drinks, talk up pastries, and smile at all the customers.
The inside lights were already on, but the sign on the door was still flipped to the ‘Closed’ side.
The door was unlocked, though, and Nia let herself in.
There was still a hint of cleanser in the air from Nia’s efforts the previous day at mopping and scrubbing, but the delectable smell of baked goods was already driving it away.
She spotted something on the counter, and Nia stopped to look at it on her way to the kitchen.
It was a small cake, about six inches across.
A myriad of delicate purple flowers decorated the white frosting, each one connected to the next by a swirl of icing so that a floral filigree covered the sides of the cake.
On the top, written in dark purple, was a message.
I’m sorry, Nia.
“What do you think?” Brianna emerged from the kitchen and lingered in the doorway. Her apron was already covered in flour, and a swipe of dark purple icing highlighted her jawline.
Nia studied the whorls and curlicues of the elegant cursive. “I didn’t know there was anyone else in Red Lodge named Nia,” she joked with a tentative smile.
Brianna snorted. “I deserve that, but it really is for you. I’m glad you came today.”
“I said I would help you with this, and I meant it.” Nia bit her lower lip.
“I know.” Brianna sighed and brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face. “That’s how I knew I could pretty much guarantee that you’d come in and see this. You’ve always been a woman of your word, Nia. I think I forgot about that for a little while.”
“That’s okay.” Nia felt her throat closing up and tears burning the backs of her eyes. All she’d wanted was for her best friend to talk to her again, and it was happening. She might still not want to have anything to do with her, but this was so much better than yesterday.
“No, it’s not.” Brianna stepped forward so that the counter and the cake were the only things between them. “I really am sorry, Nia, and it’s going to take a lot more than a cake for me to say just how bad I feel about my behavior. It was wrong of me to be so upset.”
Nia’s heart went out to her. She could see the true sadness on her friend’s face as she thought about it. “It’s understandable.”
“I guess so. I mean, he’s my dad. I don’t think of him as just a regular person, you know?
It isn’t about him being Alpha, the police chief, or any of that.
He’s just not like everyone else to me. He taught me how to ride a bike and took me camping.
Now he lectures me about finding the lowest rates on my car insurance or paying my taxes, even though I don’t need those reminders.
” Brianna was talking fast, and she stopped to catch her breath.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know if any of this is really making any sense. ”
“It is. Brianna, I knew this wasn’t going to be easy.
That’s why I didn’t say anything at first. I didn’t know how to tell you.
I didn’t know how to tell anyone, and neither did he.
This is new territory for all of us.” Nia felt a bridge slowly being constructed between them.
It was narrow and tremulous, but it was a beginning.
“Yes, but that’s really no excuse for my behavior.
I was a real jerk, Nia. I treated you like you’d committed some horrible crime.
You did something I didn’t like, but that doesn’t mean you did anything wrong.
” Brianna had the same green eyes as Wendy.
The whites had turned almost completely red now, making the two colors contrast harshly.
“I can’t believe I was such an asshole to you.
I was so angry at losing my best friend, but I refused to understand that I was the one making that choice. ”
“That really means a lot to me,” Nia sniffled.
She grabbed a napkin from the dispenser and dabbed at her face.
“I’ve been upset about it, too. You’ve always meant so much to me, Brianna.
You’ve always been the first person I call when things are either really great or really shitty.
The past week or so has felt like both, but I couldn’t call you to talk about it.
It’s been awful. Do you really forgive me? ”
“Only if you’ll forgive me.” Brianna came around the counter with her arms spread wide.
Nia pulled her into an embrace. She’d been trying to hold back her tears as much as possible, but having her best friend in her arms again made that impossible.
She laid her cheek on Brianna’s shoulders and cried harder than she had during all those nights when she’d worried about what she’d done and how to fix it.
Her shoulders shook, her lungs gasped, and her eyes hurt.
Brianna held her tightly the whole time.
When she straightened again, she reached for another napkin. “I got your shirt all wet.”
“That’s all right. I got yours wet, too.” They brushed at each other with napkins and laughed through their tears.
Brianna gestured to the apology cake. “Should we have a piece?”
“Cake for breakfast?” Nia asked. “Why not?”
“Especially if you run a bakery, right?” Brianna picked up the cake and brought it over to one of the smaller tables near the back, where she’d already laid out cutlery, plates, and a serving knife.
“Does this mean you want me to stay?” Nia asked, her voice still trembling.
Brianna cut a generous slice, revealing the spice cake inside—Nia’s favorite.
“I don’t know how I ever imagined doing it without you.
Actually, I guess I didn’t. I can’t run this place all by myself, so I was going to have to hire someone.
I couldn’t bring myself to put out an ad, though.
I only really wanted to do it if it was with you. ”
Nia sat across from her and picked up her fork. “Can I ask you something?”
“You are my best friend.”
That brought a fresh flood of tears. “What changed your mind?” Wendy must have had a talk with Brianna just as she had with Nia. She could just imagine the eccentric older woman sitting her daughter down for a serious discussion.
Brianna dug her fork into her cake. “The battle.”
“Really?” That wasn’t at all what she’d expected. “How?”
“For one thing, you were damn impressive. You fought harder than anyone else there.”
Nia shook her head, easily remembering the way the wolves had charged opponents much bigger than them. “I wouldn’t say that.”
“I would. You were the one who made all the difference. It made me realize that all this time I’ve been thinking of you as my friend, just as I’ve always thought of Dad as my dad.
Like the two of you belong to me. But you’re more than that.
I get mad if I think Dad is still treating me like a kid, but I guess in my own way, I was doing the same.
I’ve known you for a long time, and to me, you’re still the same person I met that first day at the dorm.
But you’re not. I don’t know if that makes any sense. It’s hard to describe.”
“I think I get it.” Even though Nia hadn’t known Cole for very long, it’d still taken her a minute to be able to let go of her preconceptions about him.
“It was also the way you two worked together.” Brianna used the side of her fork to scrape frosting off her plate.
“I couldn’t hear the conversation, but I didn’t need to to tell that you two were communicating.
You were both working on the problem, each from different angles and perspectives, yet perfectly in unison.
It was like you’d known each other your whole lives. In a way, I guess you have.”
“It was scary,” Nia admitted. “I wasn’t sure any of us were going to make it out of that battle alive.”
Brianna flung her braid over her shoulder with a sheepish grin. “Yeah, well, that’s the sort of thing that’ll give you a new perspective, too.”
The cake was so delicious, but the best part about it was the intent behind it. Everyone always says that love is the secret ingredient to their food, but Nia thought it might also be sincerity. “You’re really okay with all of this?”
“Look, I’m not saying it’s going to be easy.” Brianna sounded a lot like her mother at the moment. “It’s going to take some time for me to get used to it. Do me a favor and just don’t stick your tongue down his throat while I’m around, okay?”
“I’m pretty sure I can resist!” Nia laughed. A much more sobering thought occurred to her, chasing her laughter away. “Do you think he wants me to stay?”
“Good lord, yes!” Brianna laughed. “Dad’s always kind of reserved, but sheesh!
He’s hardly said a word since all this happened unless it’s absolutely necessary.
I could tell he was also kind of upset about the thing with the dragons being resolved because that meant one less thing holding you here. ”
“I’ll have to talk to him, then.” Nia’s heart—and especially her lynx—lifted once again in hope. Was this really going to work? What if Brianna couldn’t handle it? But if there was even the slightest chance, she had to give it a try.
“Yeah. He’ll like that. Do you mind staying and helping me get The Cozy Crumb off the ground, first?” Brianna asked with a smile.
Her mate was waiting for her. Whether he knew it or not, Nia was ready to start a life with him. But he would be there at the end of the day. Even fated mates sometimes had to take a backseat to friends. “That’s why I’m here, isn’t it?”
“Great!” Brianna clapped her hands and got up. “We should make a post reminding everyone to come in before work.”
“I’d suggest a photo of the two of us, but your face is all puffy,” Nia pointed out. Brianna’s eyes and lips had swollen, and her skin was a purplish red. That happened every time she cried. Nia had seen it countless times.
Brianna nodded toward Nia’s outfit, laughing. “And I got flour all over you! We’re a hot mess!”
“I know. Here, put those plates back down.” Nia arranged the two plates with their forks, just as they’d been a moment ago.
She put the cake itself in between, but she angled it so that the writing on the top couldn’t be seen.
Snapping a photo, she dictated her caption out loud.
“Cake for breakfast might not be your cup of tea, but it was the perfect way for us to start our grand opening!”
“Perfect! Let’s get started. We open in half an hour!” Brianna led the way to the kitchen, but she turned around when they were halfway there. “There’s just one more thing I need you to know if you’re going to be with my dad.”
“All right.”
Brianna braced both plates in one hand so she could point her finger at Nia. “You’d better not expect me to call you Mom. I’m not doing it!”
“You’d better not!” Nia tented her fingers on her collarbone.
“Lecturing me already?” Brianna teased.
Nia put her hand on Brianna’s shoulder. “Your father and I just want what’s best for you.”
They burst out laughing all over again, holding onto each other to keep from falling to the floor.
When she finally got some control over herself, the tears that Nia wiped away were happy ones. “I love you, Bri.”
“I love you, too. Now, go make some coffee!”