Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
Tanner’s knuckles whitened around the steering wheel as the truck ate up another mile of highway toward town. The familiar scent of leather seats and faint chokecherry from yesterday’s bakery bag on the passenger seat filled the cab, but it did nothing to settle the restless knot in his chest.
He’d been wasting time the entire seven years he’d been back in Wilder when it came to Junie Morgan. It had only taken a few months for him to realize she wasn’t a kid anymore. And not much more than that to figure out he wanted her for his own.
She wasn’t just Kenzie’s best friend. Not anymore. It wasn’t even him looking out for her. Being simply protective of her had ended a long time ago, too. He just hadn’t wanted to admit it. Releasing a slow breath, he rolled his shoulders, trying to shake off the tension.
As of today, I’m done holding back.
He was turning up the heat. It should come as no surprise to her.
They’d been dancing around this for years, ever since he came back to Wilder.
At first, it had felt wrong as hell—thinking of her as anything more than the girl he’d always looked out for like family.
That part had twisted him up something fierce.
He could still see Junie at six years old, all pigtails and big, curious eyes, trailing after him with Kenzie like two determined little shadows.
Back then, romance had never once crossed his mind. Not even a flicker. Now his chest ached at just the thought of her in a whole new way. Tanner flexed his fingers on the worn leather, warm beneath his palms as another mile of sunbaked highway rolled past.
Those long letters and late-night texts they’d exchanged all through his rodeo years proved it.
Page after page, message after message, he’d watched her bloom into a beautiful young woman right in front of his eyes.
His chest tightened at the memory, a sharp, unwelcome pull he didn’t want to examine too closely.
It had taken real work to keep her locked away in that safe little box in his head as the girl he counseled, the trusted friend. The one who could call him at two in the morning with tears in her voice and know he’d always pick up, no questions asked.
He swallowed hard, jaw flexing as the truck ate up another stretch of road. She’d dated other boys. God knew he’d had plenty of women over the years.
He’d damn near fallen off his horse–something he hadn’t done since his last rodeo–when the truth had slammed into him like a kick to the ribs, knocking the air straight out of his lungs. Junie needed to be his.
Parking his truck, he sauntered up to the door and gripped the handle to Bread & Batter, the bakery she owned. Closing his eyes, he steeled himself.
Today was the day.
When Tanner pushed open the door, the little bell chimed above his head. The moment he stepped inside, his eyes found her. Junie stood behind the counter, wiping down the display glass, her cute as fuck uniform hugging her curves, and a light dusting of flour decorating one cheek.
His cock tightened in an instant, a warm, possessive pull spreading low in his gut at the sight of her. God, she was beautiful. Soft and sweet, and so damn hot it made his hands itch to touch her.
When she looked up and saw him standing there, her whole face lit up with that bright, genuine smile that always hit him like sunlight breaking through clouds. His heart gave a hard, heavy thud, and for a second, he couldn’t breathe right.
Yeah… he was done holding back. This woman was going to be his in every way that mattered.
Tanner leaned against the counter, locking his gaze on Junie when she picked up a heavy tray of fresh chokecherry cinnamon rolls.
Balancing it with one hand while carefully sliding the display case’s door open, the little furrow between her brows appeared again.
The one she always got when she was trying hard not to look flustered.
He wanted to vault right over the damn counter, haul her against him, and kiss that sweet pout off her lips until those pretty ice-blue eyes went soft and glassy, until the only thing she could think about was him.
His control hung by a thread.
The first time he’d run into her once he’d made it back home, he’d damn near swallowed his tongue. His little Junebug had grown up in all the right places.
Those curves, that peachy-blonde hair he wanted to wrap around his fist, the way she moved her hips when she walked. Juniper Kate Morgan was all woman now. And every inch of her called to the Daddy in him.
She walked past again, another tray loaded down so heavy it had to be killing her arms. He almost offered to help, but he knew how that conversation would go.
She’d get that stubborn glint in her eye and tell him she could do it herself.
His cupcake girl—capable as hell and twice as determined to prove it.
She was cute when she pretended not to notice him. Pretended she wasn’t just as aware of him as he was of her. That honey badger stuffie he’d given her all those years ago had been more fitting than he ever could’ve guessed.
Junebug didn’t fit anymore. Cupcake seemed right, considering she was covered in flour half the time. He was tempted to call her a little badger. She had definitely grown claws. And damn if he didn’t want to feel every single one of them. But overall, he liked her being his little cupcake more.
One thing was certain. He was tired of waiting for her. She was usually the first to fire in their daily battle of wits, but today, he guessed he’d have to get things started.
“Well, look at you,” he drawled, letting his voice drop into that lazy, teasing tone he knew crawled right under her skin. “Up before the sun again, Cupcake? You’re gonna work yourself into an early grave if you’re not careful.”
Junie set the tray down harder than necessary. That glare she shot him was about as scary as an angry kitten, and it only made him want to grin wider.
“Some of us have actual responsibilities, Tanner Daniels,” she fired back. “Not all of us get to ride around on horses looking smug all day.”
He reached over and snatched a still-warm cinnamon roll right off the cake plate display before she could cover it with its glass dome. The first bite exploded with sugar and spice across his tongue. He kept his eyes locked on hers the whole time.
“Smug looks good on me,” he said around the mouthful. “You should try it sometime. Might help get that frown off your face. You know, a guy could get a complex being frowned at all the time.”
“I don’t always frown when you’re around,” she lied, her cheeks blooming that pretty shade of pink he was quickly becoming addicted to.
Tanner chuckled low and leaned further across the counter until he could smell vanilla, sugar, and warm woman on her skin. His cock gave a slow, interested throb.
“Whatever you say, Cupcake,” he murmured. “You keep telling yourself that. One of these days you’re gonna admit you’re crazy about me.”
Her eyes flashed. “You just want my cupcakes cause they won’t hurt your dentures. Do you dream about my nice, soft, big cupcakes, old man?”
There she is.
That fire. That sharp, sexy little tongue. It made him want to drag her over the counter and kiss her until she forgot how to sass him.
“Ouch. Claws are out this morning,” he teased, voice dropping even lower, purposefully ignoring her cupcake comment. “Makes me wonder if we need to add hot buns to your menu today. Kenzie’s becoming a bad influence on you.”
For just a second, her tough little mask slipped. He caught the flash of a smile and something softer in her eyes. Something vulnerable and hungry that tightened his chest with raw want.
Easy, Daniels.
“You’re right about that, Tanner. She’s a really bad influence on me. But you didn’t answer my question. Do bakery goods fill your dreams?”
He straightened slowly, giving her that cocky grin he knew made most girls’ thighs press together.
“My dreams are a lot more interesting than that, Cupcake,” he said, voice low and rough.
“But I have to admit, your baked goods have appeared in them. Speaking of which, you know I’m only going to let you pretend a little longer. ”
Her breath hitched, a concerned look in her eye. “Are you feeling okay today?”
Good. It was about time she felt it, too.
Tanner crossed his arms as Junie shifted behind the display case. She was smiling, but there was also uncertainty there. That slight tightness around her lips and the way her hands moved a little too quickly told him everything he needed to know.
Was she beginning to get his message, or was it something else?
“You seem uneasy today, Cupcake,” he said, keeping his voice light and teasing even as concern sharpened inside his chest. “Everything alright?”
Junie waved a hand like she could brush the question away. “I’m fine. Just tired. Busy morning.”
He narrowed his eyes, that familiar skepticism settling deep in his gut.
Then she glanced nervously toward the far end of the counter. A large bouquet of white roses sat there in a crystal vase, looking formal and expensive, completely out of place in her warm, cozy bakery.
He clenched his hands into fists. Who the fuck did Preston Lassiter—because he was the only pampered prick who’d do something so stupid—think he was?
It was taking too damn long for that pompous jackass to get the message.
Junie belonged to Tanner. So if anyone was buying her roses, it was going to be him.
She didn’t even like roses. She liked bouquets of wildflowers she picked herself from the fields on his ranch.
After all the times Junie had tried to tell Preston to back off, the guy was still at it. If he wasn’t careful, Tanner was going to handle the situation himself. And he had zero problem getting blood on his hands to make sure the message stuck.
“Do I even need to ask who the fuck sent you those flowers?” he demanded, voice dropping into that deep, commanding tone he rarely used with her.
Junie froze for half a second, then shrugged like it was nothing. “Just… someone being nice. It’s not important.”
Tanner stepped around the counter, crowding her space until she had to tilt her head back to look up at him. “Try again, little baker. And don’t lie to me.”
She crossed her arms, lifting her chin higher in that stubborn way that always made his palm itch. “They’re from Preston. He’s been sending things lately. But like I keep telling you, he’s harmless.”
“Harmless?” He spat out the word like it was bitter. “Why the hell is he still sending you flowers? You told me that you’d made it clear to him you weren’t interested.”
“I’ve tried,” Junie pushed back, her eyes flashing with defiance.
“He just doesn’t get it. Preston’s not that bad.
He’s just… persistent. He still thinks about the time I was nice to him in high school.
He got the wrong idea, and he’s never let that go.
But you don’t need to worry. I can handle it. ”
The urge to throw her over his shoulder and take her home where he could keep her safe burned through him like wildfire. Instead, he cupped her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.
“You need to trust me on this, Junie,” he said, his voice brooking no argument . “He’s not harmless. If you can’t convince him to stop sending you shit, then I will.”
Junie stared up at him, mouth agape and eyes wide.
“You seem to be really upset.”
Tanner released her chin, moving his hand to cup her jaw. “That would be an accurate statement.”
“No. I mean a different upset.” Junie was now staring at him as if in wonder. “I’ve never seen you upset like this before.”
Tanner slid his fingers into her hair, letting the silky strands slip between them as a slow, wicked grin tugged at his lips. Heat curled low in his gut while he drank her in.
“You’re a smart girl, Cupcake. Figure it out.”
Tanner turned to leave, but stopped at the door, glancing back over his shoulder. His eyes landed on the sad bouquet still sitting on the counter.
“I want to know the next time he sends you something. Meanwhile, get those funeral decorations off the counter,” he said, voice low and firm.
He pushed the door open, the bell chiming behind him as he stepped out into the morning light.