Chapter 17
”Morning, Peach,” Brant called as a grin spread across his handsome face.
It had been a few weeks since that first kiss in the lot behind the bakery, and Brant hadn’t missed a day of coming in here to hang out or grab a quick treat and coffee on his way to the station.
This morning, he wore his dark navy uniform with a hat covering his brown hair. I couldn”t help but admire him standing in my space. He was tall with broad shoulders, causing him to look too big for my cute little chairs in the corner. Brant didn”t seem to care as he settled in and made himself comfortable.
I helped the last few customers in line before making my way around the counter and propped myself on the arm of the chair across from Brant.
”Why Peach?” I finally asked the question that had been eating at me for weeks.
Brant took his time looking up from the book in his hands. His eyes seemed to trail across my body as he worked them up to my face. His gaze left a scattering of goosebumps in its wake.
When his eyes finally met mine, a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, almost like he was fighting it.
”That right there is why I call you Peach,” Brant lifted a finger, pointing at my cheeks.
Immediately, my hands flew to cover my now flaming cheeks. A small chuckle escaped Brant”s mouth as he leaned forward and pulled my hands from my face.
”Don”t hide from me, Karis. I love watching that sweet peach color travel up your neck and take over your cheeks,” he sent me a wink before settling back into the pink velvet seat.
My mind was reeling. Brant had moved from friendly passing comments to outright flirting, and my heart wasn”t sure what to do with the shift. There was still a part of me that was terrified to let him in completely. He’d shown me nothing except genuine interest, yet something still held me back.
On one hand, he was pursuing me like my dad always told me a guy should. He stopped in every day just to say hi or ask how I was, and texted me constantly about everything and nothing. He was doing everything right, so why couldn”t I let go and give in to him?
I wasn”t good at this. As the pastor”s daughter, I hadn’t had many guys interested in dating me growing up. Once they realized who my dad was, the interest immediately disappeared. I”m sure it had to do with people being afraid of what my dad would think of them or if I would even be allowed to do anything fun. There were so many stereotypes surrounding a pastor”s family that sometimes made it hard to live a normal life.
I”d realized that was one of the biggest reasons I stayed in KC for as long as I did. I could live my life without the pretense that my dad was a pastor. It”s not like I went crazy and partied. I still held to all my personal convictions regarding dating, but it was somehow easier.
Being back home has reminded me that nothing was as important as being with your family and being rooted in a community that loves you and serves the Lord together.
I also didn”t have great dating experiences in KC. After a few awful first-date experiences, I decided to focus on school, working at the bakery, and dreaming of what my bakery would one day look like.
Now, here I was, home with my family, and sitting in a bakery that I’d built. I have no idea how to handle the incredibly attractive, funny, hard-working man currently occupying all my thoughts.
But I knew what I needed. I needed a day with Mia! She would talk some sense into me or at least help me figure out the issues that were holding me back. My phone buzzed in my back pocket as soon as I completed that thought. Pulling it out, I glanced down to see a text from my bestie herself. She wanted me to close down for my lunch break and come to Hansons. I shot off a quick reply, letting her know I”d be there, when a deep voice brought me away from my inner monologue.
”You”re thinking pretty hard over there. I can almost hear the gears turning,” Brant chuckled.
”Oh, sorry!” I rushed out as I felt the color begin to creep up my neck. My hands itched to cover my cheeks, but Brant”s request from earlier stopped me.
His eyes dipped to my cheeks before popping back up to my eyes, and a slow smile crept across his face.
”I was just… uh. Thinking,” I stammered, trying to come up with a reason I was sitting here lost in my own little world that didn”t make me sound like a complete weirdo.
Real smooth, Karis. You were thinking? He clearly knows that!
”Anything I can help you with?” Brant asked sweetly with a knowing look in his eyes.
”Oh no! No. I”m fine. Really. Just your normal everyday thinking happening up here,” I tapped the side of my head.
Stop it! Stop it right now! Just get up and walk away before it”s too late!I internally yelled at myself.
I stood too quickly which caused me to lose my balance. Brant shoved to his feet, and his arms shot out, grabbing my shoulders to steady me.
”Whoa there, Peach. Where”s the fire?” The amusement danced in his eyes and dripped from his tone.
He was clearly enjoying the fact he had me so flustered I couldn”t even do basic things like talk and stand.
I steeled my spine, lifting my head and pasting on the biggest smile I could muster.
”No fire. Just realized I need to get back to work,” finally, a sentence that didn”t sound rushed or clumsy.
”Right. Back to work. I”ll just be over here if you need anything,” Brant leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on the top of my head.
His sweetness had me wanting to melt into a giant puddle right there on the bakery floor. Instead, I pulled myself together enough to turn around and make my way to the kitchen. I needed a minute to catch my breath and get the emotions flitting through me under control.
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, tracing patterns on the gingham tablecloth with my finger. Mia noticed my unease and leaned forward, concern evident in her eyes.
”Okay, spill,” Mia said gently, setting her sandwich down. ”I know something happened. I have given you time to process and work your way through it, but now I”m demanding answers.”
I sighed, my gaze fixed on a spot across the room. ”It”s Brant,” I admitted, finally meeting Mia”s eyes. ”We kinda sorta kissed,” I said quickly, knowing Mia would lose it because I hadn’t told her sooner.
Usually, it would have been the first thing I did, but after that night, everything was still so raw. The emotions whirling inside me were both confusing and overwhelming. We went from being interrupted by some woman from his past to him standing outside the bakery with my face in his hands, telling me she meant nothing to him. He then proceeded to give me the best kiss I”ve ever had in my entire life.
”You what?” Mia said slowly. I could tell this news was processing. It wouldn”t be long before she pounced.
”What do you mean kinda, sorta? It was either a kiss or it wasn”t. Did he kiss you on the cheek like he would his mom or Gram, or did he kiss you on the lips like he was interested in something more with you?” She pressed.
”Let me put it this way. It was the greatest kiss of my entire life,” I said with a sheepish smile.
Mia spent the next thirty minutes grilling me on all the things that had happened over the last few weeks. Once she was all caught up and I laid everything out for her, she asked the question I”d been asking myself for the last few weeks.
Mia reached out to squeeze my hand. ”What”s holding you back?” she asked softly.
”It”s like... I”ve built these walls around myself for so long, Mia,” I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper. ”And every time Brant gets close, I feel like I”m about to lose control. Like if I let him in, I”ll lose a part of myself.”
Mia listened intently. ”But K, letting someone in doesn”t mean losing yourself,” she reassured. ”It means allowing yourself to be vulnerable, to trust someone enough to share your fears and your dreams.”
I nodded slowly, absorbing Mia”s words. ”I know, I know,” I murmured. ”But it”s so hard to break down those walls. I”ve been doing it all by myself for so long. The thought of giving someone that kind of power to break my heart is terrifying.”
Mia reached across the table, her expression gentle but firm. ”You don”t have to do it all at once,” she said softly. ”Take it one step at a time. And remember, Brant cares about you. He wants to be there for you, walls and all.”
I smiled weakly. ”Thank you, Mi,” I whispered, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. ”I needed to hear that.”
I balled up my trash and tossed it in the garbage before hugging Mia and heading back to the bakery. I should have about an hour to wipe down tables and restock things before the afternoon rush hit.
I hurried down Main Street, taking in the view. We were well into January, and the air was cold enough to sting when the wind picked up. My hair flew around my face as I pulled my fluffy coat tighter. One of the reasons I loved the location of Whisk Me Away was because it was only a few blocks from Hansons. Mia and I had made it a habit of grabbing lunch together a few times a week, and now that we were back in constant contact, I never wanted to go back to the way it’d been the last few years.
I turned the key in the lock on the bakery”s front door and hurried inside. I got to work cleaning tables and wiping down the counters and the display case before I pulled out the broom to sweep.
Once satisfied with the cleaning, I went to the back to pull out more lemon cookies, raspberry scones, and the last of peppermint brownie cookies. When the display case was stocked, I sat on the stool by the register and began planning the menu for February.
I was so excited to try different Valentine”s Day treats. I also needed to create a cute display to draw on the front windows. The snowflakes that were scattered across them were my favorite, but it would soon be time for all things love. The jingle above the front door pulled my attention from the sketch of the window display I was working on.
I looked up to see Brant”s Gram striding in the bakery with a kind smile playing on her lips.
”Welcome to Whisk Me Away. What can I get for you today, Mrs. Landon?” I asked cheerfully, sliding my notepad and pen to the side.
”Oh, now, what have I told you about calling me that? It”s Gram, please!” The mock glare she gave me had me wanting to laugh.
I pulled my cheek between my teeth, forcing the giggle back down before it could escape.
”Right. Of course. What can I get for you, Gram?” I smiled.
She took a moment to browse the display case before returning to the counter to order.
”I”ll take a cup of coffee with cream, sugar, and a raspberry scone on the side,” she beamed.
I was surprised by the look she gave me, and it immediately raised my hackles.
”Would you like that here or to-go?” I asked, eyeing her suspiciously.
”For here, please, dear,” she replied, giving me an easy smile.
Maybe I was being paranoid, and she just wanted to sit and enjoy her treats. I busied myself getting her order ready while she sat at one of the tables next to the window.
I brought her cup of coffee and plate to the table, and as I set them down, she spoke.
”Do sit down and take a load off. You don”t have any other customers at the moment,” she grinned at me cheekily.
”Okay,” I said slowly before pulling the chair across from her and sitting down.
”How are you doing today, my dear?” She asked sweetly.
I took a moment to take her in. I hadn”t seen her since the Landon family had my family over for dinner a few months ago. Her grey-streaked hair was pulled back into a bun at the nape of her neck. She wore a floral blouse with a pair of khaki pants. She had a timeless beauty about her that I wished I’d have when I was her age.
”I am well today, Gram. How are you?” I replied.
She gave me a knowing look. ”I”m doing great. So…how are things going with you and Brant?” she asked, a smile spread across her face.
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, unsure how much I wanted to divulge, knowing this was Brant”s Gram. ”Oh, you know, Gram, things are... good,” I replied vaguely, hoping to deflect her curiosity.
Gram raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed with my evasiveness. ”Just good, hmm?” she teased. ”Well, I suppose that”s better than bad. But you can tell me, dear, I won”t breathe a word of anything you say to Brant.”
Feeling a bit cornered, I decided to share a little. ”Well, we”re still getting to know each other,” I admitted, deciding to give her the bare minimum. That was an accurate enough statement. I don”t need to tell her that we shared a life-changing kiss. Well at least life-changing for me.
Gram nodded thoughtfully, her expression softening. ”Ah, yes, Brant”s been through a lot,” she said, her voice tinged with sadness. ”He”s a good boy, but he”s been hurt before.”
Her confession confirmed what I’d been thinking. As much as I tried, I still hadn”t been able to get the redhead from his past out of my mind.
”I can understand that,” I said, not really sure how to respond.
The look on Gram”s face told me she had more to say. ”That girl had his whole heart, and she threw it away. She tossed it aside like it wasn”t more than an old bag of trash. Ever since then, he hasn”t wanted anything to do with relationships. Such a shame. That boy is a good one. That ex-fiancée of his,” she blew out a harsh breath. “I could just wring her neck.”
The words came out of her mouth so fast I”m not sure she realized what she said until it was too late. Her words caught me off guard, and I couldn”t help a sudden surge of emotions I couldn”t quite name.
Her eyes went wide as she sipped the last drink of her coffee before picking up the remnants of her scone and patting my hand.
”Well, dear, thank you for the lovely coffee and scone,” she said, rising from her seat. ”I really should be going now.”
As she walked out the door, I was left with a whirlwind of confusion and mixed emotions, wondering what other secrets lay hidden behind Brant”s charming smile.