Chapter Twenty-One
DREW
Coco, Glamma’s dainty well-behaved companion transformed into a primal, wild beast, yapping and spinning in circles. One cameraman yelped as she darted between his legs, nearly toppling the tripod.
Celia shrieked, leapt off Kyle’s lap, and scrambled onto the nearest empty chair like Coco was a rabid wolf instead of a twelve-pound French bulldog.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” Glamma sighed, unbothered. She fished in her massive purse with the focus of a magician about to reveal her next trick and pulled out a baggie. “These are her favorite snacks.”
Coco froze mid-spin, ears twitching at the word snack.
“Of course they are,” I muttered, just as the dog launched herself against Glamma’s leg, barking louder every second Glamma didn’t produce the treat.
Penny’s laughter bubbled over. Ellie’s shoulders shook beside me and her hand clamped to her mouth to muffle her chuckle.
Celia stood calmly on the chair with her fake smile in place, her eyes darting to the cameras as if silently pleading with them to cut the footage.
Constance shuddered and ducked behind Kyle, who’d vacated his chair and was holding it in front of him like a lion tamer.
That’s when Coco’s excitement hit critical mass.
She lunged for the edge of the table, her teeth sinking into the tablecloth. Then she pulled. The tray of cake slices shot upward in a perfect arc.
“Coco, no!” I reached for the cloth, but it was already sliding.
Penny let out a horrified squeak. “Not the cake, not the—oh my God!”
Ellie gasped and dove forward, hands outstretched.
Everything happened in slow motion and lightning speed at once. Plates rattled. The cakes on the table slid.
I grabbed for the cake tray at the same time as Ellie. Our hands collided, our fingers tangling together as we both lurched forward.
Coco gave another tug.
“I’ve got it!” Ellie said.
“No, I’ve got—” Our hands hit the tray at just the right moment and it launched into the air like a catapult.
We both stumbled and our combined momentum knocked us off balance. My foot caught on the table leg. Ellie’s heel snagged a nearby chair.
And then we were falling.
I twisted mid-fall, managing to get beneath Ellie so she wouldn’t hit the floor. We landed in a tangle of limbs—me on my back, her sprawled across my chest, both of us covered in a spectacular explosion of cake.
Chunks of cake rained down like sugary confetti. A small piece landed squarely on Ellie’s head, another slid down my shirt collar. I felt the frosting smeared on my face and groaned.
“Oh my God,” Ellie gasped, propping herself up on my chest. Buttercream streaked across her cheek, and a glob of it was slipping down her temple.
“Are you okay? I asked, even though I was trying desperately not to laugh.
“I think so. Are you—” She stopped, taking in the state of us and the shop.
Cake everywhere.
Celia’s shrieking hit operatic levels as Coco dove under a nearby table with another whirl of chaos. “My dress! There’s frosting on my designer dress”
But I couldn’t focus on any of that because Ellie started laughing. Not polite laughter or nervous giggles, but full-body, gasping, tears-streaming-down-her-face laughter that shook her entire frame.
And God help me, I started laughing too.
“This is—” she tried to get out between gasps, “this is—”
“A disaster?” I supplied.
“I was going to say perfect.” She wiped at her eyes, smearing frosting across her face. “My hero. You tried to save me from rogue cakes.”
“Anytime, buttercup.”
I loved her answering smile.
She swiped frosting from my neck and popped her finger in her mouth. “Mmm. Salted caramel. Delicious.”
Her eyes sparkled with humor. A fleck of frosting clung to her lower lip.
“You missed some.” I said, pointing to the spot. “Let me help with it.”
“I like the sound of that … ” Her voice cut off when I brushed my lips across hers. I licked at the frosting, the sweet taste bursting across my tongue.
Ellie’s soft gasp had me cupping her jaw, deepening the kiss while forgetting everyone else around us. All I could think about was stripping her bare and feasting on every delectable inch of her body.
“Eleanor!” Her mom gasped.
Reluctantly, I pulled back, even though it was the last thing I wanted to do.
A sexy flush adorned Ellie’s cheeks, her eyes hazy with lust. I groaned when she bit her puffy lower lip between her teeth. I wanted to toss her over my shoulder and storm out of there, but we had an audience. One who seemed very interested in what we were doing.
Ellie blinked, her gaze focusing on her mother’s disapproving glare.
“Stupid dog!” Celia wailed from her chair perch. “Look what you did! Do you know how expensive this dress was? Kyle, help me!”
Kyle grabbed napkins from the dispenser on the next table over and dabbed at her dress—only to smear it deeper into the fabric.
“Careful, darling,” Glamma quipped. “You’re just blending the colors now.”
Celia shrieked again, a loud high-pitched sound that made me want to cover my ears.
Coco whimpered from under our table—the poor girl was shaking now.
Ellie immediately shifted, her amusement transforming into concern. “Drew, we have to get her out from under there. Some of the cake has chocolate.” She rolled off of me and lifted the edge of the tablecloth. “It’s okay, sweet puppy.”
I sat up to get a better view. Coco had pressed herself into the far corner of the table, her tail tucked, eyes wide and frightened.
“Glamma, you need to help get Coco,” I called out and got to my feet, helping Ellie up in the process.
“On it.” Glamma reached into her purse and got down on her knees next to the table. “Come on, Coco. Mommy has a special yummy snack for you.”
Coco’s ears pricked forward, but she stayed hidden. Celia was still yelling about the frosting embedded in her designer dress.
“Coco,” Glamma took out a piece of bacon. “Look what I have for you.”
I shouldn’t have been surprised, Glamma’s bag often rivaled Mary Poppins on her best day.
The dog’s nose twitched, and she gave a soft whine.
“Good girl, come on out now.” Glamma produced a second piece.
“Did she just pull bacon out of her purse?” Constance asked, horrified.
Glamma glanced up and grinned. “Who doesn’t have emergency bacon?”
It was just like Glamma to make something like bacon in her purse seem normal.
Coco inched her way out and sniffed the salty treat.
“Can you help Glamma get Coco out of here while I help Penny?” I asked Ellie.
She glanced around at the mess and hesitated. “I should stay … ”
“Please,” I murmured. I wanted her out of the line of fire because I had no doubt her family would find a way to pin this on her.
“Okay, but then I’ll come back in to help.” Stubborn as ever.
“If we need you to.” I kissed her quickly, then turned to Glamma. “Ellie will help you.” I threw a quick glance at her mom.
Glamma got my hint immediately. “Thank you, Ellie. My car is parked right outside.”
Ellie stood, and Glamma gently picked up Coco before she guided both of them out the door.
I turned back to help Penny as Celia sputtered and pushed Kyle away. “You’re making it worse.”
“You asked me to help.” His petulant tone scraped against my nerves.
I ignored the two of them and the laser-eyed gaze of Constance who had gotten up to help Celia. “Where’s the bathroom?” she snapped.
Penny pointed to the back wall toward a sign clearly marked.
While the two of them marched off, Kyle gave me a dismissive glance before leaning against the counter and pulling out his phone. As he scrolled I moved around the counter. “I’ll go grab the mop and bucket,” I called out to Penny who was trying to pick up what she could.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice shaking from suppressed laughter. The whole thing really was pretty fucking funny.
And it couldn’t have happened to a more deserving couple.
By the time I’d filled the bucket and made my way back to the front of the bakery Penny was the only person in sight. “Where did Kyle go?”
She popped her head out from under the table with pieces of cake in her hands. “I don’t know. Outside maybe? I doubt he went to help his fiancé.” Pen didn’t mask her derision in the slightest.
If Kyle wasn’t here and Ellie hadn’t made it back inside … My eyes flicked to the door.
“Why don’t you go check on her,” Penny encouraged. “I’ve got it handled.”
With a quick nod of thanks, I strode out the door. The night air hit my lungs like ice water. It had gotten cool since the sun went down. The sky was dark, only lit up by the glow of the old-fashioned streetlamps stretching shadows across the sidewalk every twenty feet.
“Enough, Kyle,” Ellie’s voice carried, tight and low, but steady.
I snapped my head left, then right. Nothing. My heart pounded faster, a drumbeat that drove me forward. The thought of that asshole anywhere near her had my fists curling before I even saw him.
“I know you’re with him to make me jealous.” Kyle’s voice, smug and sharp, sliced through the night. My stomach dropped.
The sound came from the alley to my left. Without hesitation, my feet ate up the distance.
Red sheeted my vision the second I turned the corner.
Ellie’s back was pressed against the rough brick wall, her chin lifted high, even as Kyle had her caged within his arms.
My chest seized at the sight. She looked trapped.
And I promised myself she’d never feel that way again.
Kyle leaned in, his lips hovering above hers. “And it’s working. When I saw his fucking hands on you, touching you … ”
Over my dead fucking body.
“Get your disgusting mouth away from me,” Ellie spat, jerking her head away. Her voice was sharp, but her hands gave her away, trembling by her side.
Brave. Fierce. Mine.