Chapter 12
Morgan
I knew enough from working around my brothers how to design a space generally.
I was aware of the building code requirements and the recommended feet you needed between the appliances and the counters to make working seamless.
I wanted to get something on paper to show Reina before I took it to Cooper.
He'd make the final design and order any materials and appliances we'd need.
I never did something as personal as watching a client in their space to come up with a design. But I wanted to make Reina's kitchen perfect, and the only way to do that was to observe her in her element. What I hadn't been prepared for was how it would affect me.
Reina practically glowed as she moved around the room. She hummed and occasionally talked to herself. I don't think she even realized she did it. She was probably used to being alone in the kitchen, where she could be herself.
I was pleased that she'd let her guard down. She was happy in the kitchen.
I don't know what she would have done without access to a commercial kitchen. I looked up to find her watching me.
She quickly looked away, then moved toward the refrigerator, pulling out bottled water. She handed one to me. "What did you come up with?"
I wanted to ask why she'd been studying me, but at the same time, didn't want to call her on it. I took it as a good sign. "Come closer."
She stood next to me.
"What do you think of something like this? These are the curved counters and modular spaces I referenced."
"I can see how I could move more easily in a space like that without the hard edges."
"We'll still have room for several large refrigerators along this wall and a smaller one by your workspace."
"I like it."
"I'll hand this off to Cooper. He'll do the final design with the measurements and then talk to you about which appliances you'll want."
"I'm excited for a new space. I think it's going to be better than what I had before."
We stood close, and the moment was charged with excitement. I wanted to kiss her, but the double doors popped open, startling us.
Jill breezed in. "Morning! I can start setting things up."
"We're a little behind." Reina moved around the counter again, placing the croissants on a serving tray. "Morgan was looking at the flow of the kitchen to see what could work in mine."
Jill's gaze moved to me. "You're going to switch things up?"
Reina nodded. "Morgan came up with something. Take a look and let me know what you think."
Jill smiled at me. "I'm not a baker, but I'll take a look."
I handed Jill the paper, watching as Reina carefully avoided looking at me. Had she felt the electricity between us? Did she want me to kiss her?
"This looks really nice, Reina. I like the curved edges and the counters on wheels. That could be really cool if you get someone else to work in the kitchen with you."
"I'm excited about the possibilities."
Jill handed me the paper and grabbed the tray. "I'll just take these out to the tables and get them set up."
"Thanks, Jill," Reina said as she walked out. "I'd better focus on what I'm doing. I want to have everything ready when we open."
I stood and stuffed the notepad into my pocket. "I can get to work now too. I think I've seen enough for now."
"You can't leave without eating one of my freshly baked items. Which one would you like? Chocolate croissants or a fruit pastry?"
"Chocolate." I wanted something sweet like her.
"Good choice." Reina placed one on a napkin and handed it to me.
"This is delicious." I licked chocolate off my lips, and her gaze dropped to the movement. I liked that she appeared to be affected by my actions. I was finally getting to her.
As much as I wanted to hang out with her, I needed to get to work on her bakery.
"If you wait a few minutes, I'll pack up pastries for your crew. It's the least I can do since they're working on my bakery."
"We're probably gutting everything today. It's messy work."
She paused. "I hadn't thought about the process. How you'll have to throw things out to make way for the new."
"We'll gut everything, and then the cleaning crew will come through to make sure we get the smoke smell out before we start rebuilding."
She nodded slowly as she put several of each item into a large bakery box. "I keep thinking about how it will look when it's done. It's sad that everything I built is damaged."
I moved closer, standing next to her. "Not everything is destroyed. You're the heart of the business; everything else is just things. The bakery is only anything because of you."
She smiled at me as she closed the lid to the box. "That's sweet of you to say."
"I said it because it's true." I'd watched her work this morning. Customers bought her baked goods because they tasted good, but also because she put her heart and soul into everything. On some level, they sensed that.
She shoved the box in my hands. "Please give these to your crew and tell them thank you."
"The crew is going to love you." I was half in love with her already.
Then she shoved me toward the door. "Now shoo. I need to focus, and I can't do that while you're here."
I liked hearing that she couldn't focus with me watching her. It was a new and interesting development that meant my plan was working.
"Don't work too hard," I said as I pushed the door open. Jill arranged the first batch of pastries on the tables, and there were a few customers browsing.
"See you later, Jill."
She smiled. "Bye, Morgan. Enjoy the pastries."
"I will." I had a feeling I'd be stopping by most mornings for a sweet fix. But it was more about the baker than the sweets.
I walked down the street toward the bakery. The doors were open, and the smell of smoke wafted out. There was a dumpster outback where my crew was already throwing debris. I walked inside. "I brought breakfast."
I was swarmed within seconds, the lid opened, hands grabbing everything in sight. "Leave me one."
"You probably already got one," Joe said.
I nodded. "I can vouch that these are amazing. Our favorite baker sent them, saying she appreciates your hard work.”
"We need to get her back in business ASAP," Frank said.
"That's what we're doing. Now, let's get to work." I worked alongside my crew, removing things from the space.
At lunch time, the guys broke to eat. They sat out back on a picnic table while I checked the damage again. Someone walked through the front door. I said, "We're not open for business."
"It's me," Reina said, her voice soft, her eyes round, and her skin pale. Too pale.
My heart clenched. I hadn't anticipated that she'd stop by. "Baby, what are you doing here?"
Her body swayed as she took in the damage. "I saw it when we walked through the place with Maddox, but this is different.
"Maybe you shouldn't be in here." It still smelled like smoke, which could bring up bad memories of her being in the fire. And it couldn't be easy to see everything she built being thrown into a dumpster.
Sweat beaded on her forehead. "I wanted to see how it was going."
I put an arm around her. "You don't have to see this part. Why don't you wait, and come back when everything is cleaned up?"
She leaned into my body, tucking her head against my shoulder. Her hand rested on my chest, where my heart was beating hard. She'd scared me.
We stood like that for a few seconds, until I heard her breath deepen.
She turned in my arms, both palms on my chest.
It was difficult to breathe with her standing so close.
"You don't have to be in here." Now that I saw her reaction to seeing the destruction, I didn't want her near it. I needed to get her out of here.
"I was not expecting it to hit me so hard. Everything's destroyed. And the smell." She shook her head.
"We can go outside—" I made a move to leave, but she grabbed my arm. "Wait."
My brows furrowed. "What is it?"
"I don't know. I just feel weird. Hot and cold at the same time. Tingly all over, and my stomach feels like it's on a roller coaster."
Was she describing how she felt around me, or was this her reaction to seeing the destruction? The hand on my chest drifted higher, and the blood drained from my brain, going south. My brain was aware of where we were, but my body wanted to take advantage of her proximity and pull her closer.
Her hands went to my neck, and she pressed her chest against mine.
She was hugging me, not trying to kiss me. My heartbeat slowed at that realization, and my arms came around her.
Joe walked in with a raised brow, and I lifted an arm to shoo him out.
With a nod, he turned and walked out.
He'd tell the other guys to stay outside. My crew had never walked in on me hugging a client. But I couldn't bring myself to step away or to put distance between us. She needed me. Not only had I told Tom I'd protect her, but I wanted to comfort her.
It was hard to lose everything to a fire. It was devastating to see the effects, even if logically you knew they were just things that could be replaced. She put her heart and soul into this business, and it couldn't be easy seeing it reduced to rubble.
When she lifted her head, I wanted to touch my lips to hers. My heart rate increased at the idea, but I couldn't give in to my desires. She needed me to be a rock, not make a move on her. I'd told Tom I'd take care of her, not take advantage when she was feeling weak.
Instead, I rubbed her back, hoping it was comforting. But the entire moment felt intimate. This was something I'd do for a girlfriend, not a friend.
She loosened her hold on my neck and dropped down to her feet. "I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."
I ran my hand through my hair, noticing the slight tremble.
It took everything inside me to hold myself back from grabbing her wrist and pulling her against me.
"Let's go to Meg's and grab a coffee." I turned her toward the front door, which was still open, and out onto the sidewalk.
There was fresh air here, but I was positive the smell of smoke still clung to my clothes.
On the sidewalk, she walked a step away from me. "I could use some caffeine."
We walked in silence for a few beats before I asked, "How were sales this morning?"
The color was coming back to her cheeks.
"Good. Really good. We had a lull, and I thought I'd come down here to see how things were going.
I didn't know I'd react like that. I've been so focused on the new bakery and my catering clients; I haven't thought much about the fire.
Other than what the end result would be. I wasn't prepared."
"You should wait a few days. I'll let you know when the smoke smell is gone and everything is cleaned out."
"That's probably a good idea." She waved her hand at me. "And I'm sorry I took advantage of you."
I laughed at that. "How were you taking advantage of me?"
She nodded. "It wasn't appropriate to hug you. You're my contractor. My roommate and my friend."
"You can use me anytime you want. I don't want you to be upset." My voice was rough as if I hadn't used it for a while. Seeing her tremble did something to me. It was like everything inside me had been rearranged and put back in the wrong order.
She flashed me a smile. "It was a moment of weakness."
"We all have moments like that. It's not easy seeing everything you built destroyed. And I'm sure the smell brought back bad memories."
She paused on the sidewalk. "I remember waking up to so much smoke. I panicked, worried that there was fire everywhere. But then I heard your voice, and I was relieved. Someone was coming for me. I wasn't alone. Thank you."
"You don't need to thank me again."
She shook her head. "I'm so grateful to be here. To be alive. To even be thinking about rebuilding when it could have been so much worse. I could have been hurt. I might have even died."
"Hey." My tone was harsh because I wanted her to stop her ruminations. They weren't sending her to a good place. "There's no point in going to worst-case scenarios, because that's not what happened."
"It's hard not to when you see the results of the fire. It could have been worse."
"But it wasn't." I drew her close, holding her hand. "You survived, and you're stronger for it."
She shivered. "What if it happens again?"
I shook my head. "The electrical will be up to code, and we're installing sprinklers. We're installing all new fire alarms too."
She sighed. "I feel safe with you in charge."
That sentiment hit me in the chest. "I'll take care of everything. You don't have to worry."
She opened her mouth to speak, and I pressed a finger against her lips. "No more thanking me."
She laughed against my finger, sending tingles down my spine. "Okay."
I pulled my finger away. "Now let's get you some caffeine."
It might have been because I was the one who pulled her from that fire or my promise to her brother, but I felt protective of her. I wanted to ensure that everything was safe for her to return and operate her business as usual.
When we got our drinks, I asked, "Do you want to go for a walk?"
She nodded. "That sounds nice."
We walked down the sidewalk toward the town's center where a decorated tree always stood.
"So much has changed in the last few weeks, but I think I'm going to be okay," Reina said.
I placed an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against me. "You're going to be more than okay."
She was going to be stronger and more resilient from this experience and build her business in ways she couldn't have anticipated before the fire. She would look back on this time as a catalyst for her future. I just wondered if I would have a place in her life once the construction was completed.
She'd dive into her business, more focused than ever, and wouldn't have time to think about the man who helped her rebuild. I'd be a brief stop in the storm. Was it crazy to hope for something more?