Chapter Five
“You need some help,” Shae said.
Peyton looked up from where she had packaged the last of the baked goods, ready to take them to the elderly home. There were not as many. It seemed in the town of Fort, most had a sweet tooth, but she would always make sure she made a batch of something for them. She would never leave them out.
“What?”
“You’re tired. You’re doing everything from baking to serving. What time would you need to start if you didn’t have to worry about setting everything up?” he asked.
“I’d still have to start the regular time, and I can’t afford to hire anyone,” she said. “Don’t worry about it. I’m perfectly fine and I love what I do.”
“Yeah, but what if you love what you do and it is slowly killing you?” His arms were folded across his chest, and that meant he was not going to back down.
“I’m not killing myself.”
“Peyton, you struggled to stay awake during dinner last night. You think I didn’t notice your head, diving fast toward your parmesan chicken?” he asked.
“Look, some days are good and some days are bad. With Halloween next month, I’m doing extra planning, as it is a good time to turn a profit. That is all,” she said. She was tired.
Her parents had each other to rely on. Where one would come in and bake and give the other time to sleep, she didn’t have that.
The truth was, her business was still in dangerous territory.
Sure, they were out of the red, and she no longer had to worry about finding rent.
Also, miraculously, her wardrobe was expanding at an alarming rate, and she had a feeling Shae was the one to answer to that.
But, if he grew tired of her, or if something broke in her shop, or something happened, she knew she was on that fine line that would send her straight back into the red. She didn’t want that to happen.
Hiring someone always came with a risk. It was why her parents worked as a team. They had hoped she and Lily-May would be a team. There was no chance of that happening. Her sister was not a team player, but more like a team destroyer.
“Don’t worry about it. I’m not hiring anyone else.” She didn’t want to keep on telling him she couldn’t afford it.
Shae was wealthy. He had so many employees, and she knew he had so many different businesses.
His home screamed wealth, not that she had a problem with it, but she wasn’t going to ask him for help, or a loan, or run the risk of jeopardizing what they had.
She could handle this, just as she had for a long time.
“What if I paid them?” he asked.
“No, you’re not going to pay them. You’re not going to hire anyone else.” She pushed some of her hair off her face.
“Do you have a problem accepting my money?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said after a long pause.
Both of his brows went up, and she knew she had surprised him.
“Look, it’s ... you are wealthy, and trust me, I’m not.
This place was knocking on death’s door when I took over from Mom and Dad.
I just don’t know how they managed to keep this place afloat.
” She blew out a breath. “At times I’m terrified someone is going to come marching through that door, demanding I pay them ridiculous money.
” She hated to admit it stressed her out more than she even thought.
No matter how often she went over the books and tried to figure out exactly what they did or how they did it, she kept coming up blank. There was nothing here to help her.
But someone had helped them. She just didn’t know who, and the not knowing was scaring her.
“You don’t have to worry about that happening,” he said.
“What?”
“No one is going to come marching through that door demanding you pay up,” he said.
“Do you know who it is?” She hadn’t been wrong then.
Shae moved closer to her and he reached out, tucking some of her hair behind her ear.
“Yeah, I do.”
“Who?” she asked, afraid of who he was going to say.
“Me,” Shae said.
This surprised her. “You?”
“Yeah.”
“What?” she frowned.
“Your parents were good bakers and they were honest people. They didn’t think to invest back into this place when business was booming, and they took the money, used it to raise you two.
I also believe some of the money was used to help send you to culinary school,” he said.
“Unfortunately, your parents didn’t change with the seasons and offered the same things all the freaking time.
It didn’t take the locals long to get bored, and then they got desperate.
They needed money to run, and when the bank attempted to take it, I took over the lease. ”
This was not what she expected. “You helped my parents?”
“They were bad business people, but they had good hearts. I did what I could, and yes, I can take this place from you at any time, but I’m not going to do that.
Unlike your parents, you have ideas. You know to change with the times, and that is exactly what you do.
” And he stole a kiss, just taking it from her.
“And I know you’re going to run this place really well,” he said.
“I can’t believe you ... you could have taken this place from me.” He nodded. “But you didn’t.” He shook his head. “Why?”
“Let’s just say, I wanted to see how you got along without any help.” He stroked her cheek. “And you’re getting along just fine. Let me help. Let me hire an assistant. Not to do anything but serve customers.”
“I don’t think I can do that.”
“It would be for my peace of mind.”
“Shae, you don’t have to do that. I’ve got this.”
He leaned in close so his lips were right against her ear.
“Do you think you’re going to have all that additional energy when I start fucking you, and I am going to start doing that.
It is just a matter of time, and trust me, baby, when I start, I am not going to fucking stop.
I want to be balls-deep inside you so damn badly. ”
She felt an answering pull between her thighs. They still hadn’t had sex. They had done a whole lot of other things, but sex wasn’t one of them.
“You want to hire someone?” she asked.
“Yes, just to help you out, and they will follow your instructions. You have my word.”
She sighed and glanced around at the shop. Lily-May was supposed to help her, but all she had done was cause more trouble.
“Fine,” she said. “I’ll work with whomever you decide.”
****
It was not easy to find someone willing to work from six-thirty in the morning until six at night. However, there were multiple applicants who came to see what he had to offer. He wasn’t interested in what they were selling.
He still had women who were constantly attempting to try to lure him in. This is what he was used to. In the past, he did find it fun to play along, but that was a long time ago. He wasn’t interested in playing that role anymore, not when he had Peyton. She was worth more than all of them.
As the applicants dwindled, he started to lose hope and started to understand why Peyton was reluctant to hire anyone. This was her reputation on the line, and he wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize that.
Then, finally, after going through what felt like a hundred applicants and actually was only about thirty, a young woman named Leah came around.
She was twenty years old, had lived in Fort all her life, recently moved out of her parents’ place, and was looking for some steady work.
Her total honesty shocked him, that she had sucked at school and didn’t academically learn well.
She was a hard worker, and she would be someone he could rely on.
At no point during her interview did she press up her breasts, pout, or flirt with him.
She was interested in the job, nothing else.
Peyton had seemed reluctant at first, and told him she would give Leah one week to see how she got on.
By the following Friday night, he pulled into the parking space just outside of Peyton’s bakery.
It was already getting dark, and they only had a few days before October hit.
Fort absolutely loved Halloween, and it was a lot of fun to get the locals involved.
Tourists came throughout the whole year, and it was another opportunity for small business to earn money as people visited.
He knew that small towns were dying, and it was only through innovation, constantly moving forward, and changing with the times that kept everyone on their toes.
Fort was a thriving town, and one he intended to keep going for many decades to come.
Staring into the shop, he watched as Peyton and Leah laughed. From what he could tell, Leah was a hard worker, like she had said. She wanted the job, and she didn’t quibble about the pay. He was the one paying Leah’s salary.
With Peyton getting the extra help, he had noticed that she was not half as tired as she used to be, which he was thankful for.
He had no doubt being a full-time baker was not an easy job.
The hours were long and tiring. For too long, Peyton had no life, and he was going to fight for every second he could get with her.
He watched the two women as they cleaned everything up, and at exactly six o’clock, Leah was heading home, and Peyton came to his truck. Shae climbed out to help her inside. Once again, she had several boxes of cookies to deliver, and he was more than happy to do that for her.
“Well?” he asked.
He allowed her to fester in her answer, while he rounded the car and climbed behind the wheel, before turning toward her and waiting.
She rolled her eyes. “Fine, fine, yes, Leah is amazing, okay. At first, she didn’t quite know what to do, but that is acceptable, it’s a new job and all that. But she is finding her feet, and she is good at what she does, and stop looking at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like you knew all along I was going to love her. She is so nice and so lovely, and yes, I can count on her. She is never late and is happy to deal with difficult customers, and all my customers love her as well.” She sighed and leaned back. “Thank you.”
He arrived at the elderly home and parked the truck. Like every other time before, she climbed out and made her way toward the reception. He watched her go, admiring the soft curves of her ass. He couldn’t get enough of his woman.
They hadn’t fucked yet. He wanted to so badly, but he couldn’t bear the thought of hurting her.
Shae had never been with a virgin, and it would be her first time, so there was going to be pain.
Running a hand down his face, he knew he was going to have to fuck her soon.
Not out of any obligation, but just because he wanted to.
He wanted to feel her slick cunt wrapped around his cock.
To actually feel her orgasm around his length as he sunk inside her, inch by inch.
It was a dream, one he was desperate to make true.
Running a hand over his face, he blew out a breath, and Peyton climbed back into the truck. He turned toward her, and for a second she stole his breath. The smile she had given to Wade, and he had seen her show to many of her customers, was staring right back at him.
“It’s so cold out,” she said, rubbing her hands together and blowing on them. “I think fall is my favorite time of year.” She wriggled her shoulders.
Did she even realize she had smiled at him?
He put his truck in reverse, pulled out of the main parking lot of the elderly home, and made his way toward the ranch.
“What’s your favorite time of year?” she asked.
This made him frown. “I don’t think I have one.”
“Come on, I bet you’re a summer guy. Throwing your t-shirt off, letting all those women see you naked.”
He glanced over and saw her smiling back at him. “You’re teasing me now?”
“No, not at all. Come on, I love fall, the leaves, the threat of snow. Halloween. Pumpkin and apples.” She let out a gasp. “Come on, apple pie is like heaven.”
He loved this, her relaxing enough to talk to him. It had only taken a few weeks, and they were doing a lot of stuff to one another that wasn’t sex.
“Or, are you more for the ice-cream?” she asked.
“I like summer, but it’s too damn hot. Spring is okay, but there is always a lot of work to do.
There is always a lot of work to do all the freaking time.
” He ran a hand down his face. He’d never taken time to think of his favorite time of year.
Glancing over at Peyton, he saw she meant what she asked, so he answered. “I think winter is my favorite time.”
“Winter?”
“Yeah, I love the snow. Always have, even when I was a little kid.”
“I can’t imagine you as a boy,” she said.
He laughed. “Trust me, I was a boy for a little time. Now I’m a man.”
She chuckled. “What else do you love about the winter?”
“I love Christmas.”
“You do?”
“Yeah, I do. When my mom was alive, every December she would make these chocolate-and-cinnamon cookies. They were so good.” He smiled. “Always makes me feel like Christmas when I smell cinnamon. She also made good cinnamon buns. Not as good as yours.”
“I never met your mom.”
“She’d have loved you.”
“She would?”
He nodded. “Yeah, you both have similar interests. Mom loved to bake and cook. She loved keeping house. Dad always wanted to hire a chef so he could have more time with her, but Mom insisted on taking care of the ranch and feeding the ranch hands. She was good like that.”
“Wow, I had no idea. She sounds amazing.”
“She was.” He had lost his mother many years ago to cancer. It had broken his father’s heart, but his dad hadn’t given up. He never remarried, nor did he take any lovers. His heart and soul were for his wife.
Arriving at the ranch, he parked his truck and made his way around to help her out of the truck. He couldn’t resist grabbing her ass and pulling her in close.
“You did that on purpose,” she said.
He took possession of her lips. “I know.” And he went in for a second kiss.