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19
Kamryn
August 1, 2015
PRESSING MY LIPS to Brody’s cheek two days later, I laughed softly against his skin when he reached for my waist and kissed him again before moving away from his searching fingers.
“Mmm, nu-uh. Come back,” he mumbled into the pillow.
“I have to go to the shop. I’ll see you later.”
He propped himself up on one elbow, and I had to force myself to stay away from him. I wake up, and I look like I got in a fight with a Weedwacker. Brody wakes up and looks like he’s ready for a photo shoot. Asshole.
“Do you want me to come help you?”
I laughed and pulled on my Converses. “You mean, do I want you to come and eat everything I make?”
“Basically, yeah.”
“If you want, you can. But I need to leave right now, so you’d have to bring your own car.”
As Brody crawled out of the bed, I stopped tying my shoelaces. My body warmed, and I might have started chewing on the inside of my cheek, but I couldn’t be sure of anything anymore, other than the sight of him naked and what I wanted to do to him.
“Are you sure you don’t want to be a little late and help me get ready?” he said softly into my ear, his gravelly voice making my already unsteady breathing even more ragged.
“You don’t play fair,” I whimpered when he made a trail down my neck.
“Never claimed to. And I want you in the shower . . . now, Kamryn.”
Just as I started to say, “Okay,” my phone started ringing and I jerked back. “Shit! Kinlee! I’m supposed to pick up Kinlee today.” Brody grumbled his dislike, and I laughed as I grabbed his head and brought it down to kiss him soundly. “I’ll see you when you get to the shop.”
“Drive safe, see you soon,” he said as he walked into the bathroom.
Grabbing my phone, I saw the missed call from a number I didn’t know and decided I’d wait to see if the caller left a voice mail before calling back. Shoving my cell in my back pocket, I finished tying my shoes and grabbed my purse as I ran to the garage.
After picking up Kinlee and getting us to the shops, I rushed around to make sure my employees had gotten everything ready up front before going to the back.
“I’m so sorry, Grace! I forgot I was picking up Kinlee, and then Brody was trying to make me later than I already was, and . . . well, obviously, I’m super late.”
Grace laughed and waved me off before going back to icing more cupcakes. “You’re the boss, I’m pretty sure you’re allowed to be late.”
I frowned and tied on my apron. “You know I want to be here, I don’t like being late . . . especially when y’all are here and having to do everything.” Looking around, I walked back out to the front before glancing at Grace. “Where’s Andy?”
“Restroom,” she said just as Andy came up behind me.
“Right here, gorgeous!”
He blew me an air kiss, and I sent him one back before grabbing my ingredients and some bowls. The chimes sounded, and Andy turned right back around from where he’d been about to do dishes and walked toward the swinging doors. “I’ll get this one. I know how you are if you don’t start your morning off with baking.” He winked and breezed through the doors.
I’d barely gotten started when he walked back into the kitchen, a confused look pinching his face.
“Uh, I think that one’s for you, KC.”
I smiled at him, and my stomach started warming. “Brody?” I asked as I walked past him.
“Not exactly.”
I stopped so suddenly midway through the swinging doors that Andy ran into me from behind. “Can I help you?” I asked the reporter and two men with her. One was holding a camera.
“Are you the owner? Are you KC?”
Glancing at the camera, and then back to Andy and Grace, who was now directly behind him, I slowly nodded my head. “I am. Again, can I help you?”
Her perfectly painted face lit up and she walked toward the counter with a hand outstretched. “Meg Schwartz with KXJN News, what a pleasure to meet you.”
I stepped forward to shake her hand, but kept my eyes on the cameraman and the second man who had just retreated from my shop, his phone going to his ear. “Pleasure. I’m sorry, but may I ask what y’all are doing here? I’m not comfortable having cameras in my shop.”
She winked at me and stepped back. “I’m sure you’re not.”
Uh, what?
“We were wondering if we could do a piece on you and your journey to opening up this beautiful bakery?”
“No, I’m sorry. I’d really prefer if you didn’t. Sorry you came all the way down here, you should have just called.” I knew I was coming across as rude, but I wanted to avoid anything that put me in the news in any way. Someone would see me and recognize me just as Olivia had. I couldn’t chance that. “But, please, pick something out to eat. On me.” I walked over to the case and waited for them to decide on something.
“You’re very sweet, but we couldn’t possibly.”
My eyes were back on the cameraman. The camera was pointed directly at me, and I was straining to see if there was any sign that it was recording.
“Okay, then, I’m sorry, but I need to ask you to leave,” I said as I stepped back to the swinging doors. Why the hell is he following my every move with that thing? Suddenly, he shifted the camera down, and I released a heavy breath as they backed up to the door.
“We’ll see you soon, Miss Cu
I just nodded and smiled, no longer watching them. The second man who had left on his phone was standing directly in front of my shop, staring at me, his phone still pressed to his ear. “Back, back, get back in the kitchen.” I pushed Grace and Andy back before closing the swinging doors and setting the latch so they couldn’t open.
“What’s going on?” Grace asked, and I shakily turned to face them. “Why wouldn’t you want to do a story? It would give the shop so much more business. More than just people in Jeston probably.”
Exactly. I couldn’t have that. “Maybe, but I don’t, uh . . .” I trailed off when I finally realized it. Miss Cu
Andy grabbed my hand, and he and Grace were now wearing matching concerned looks on their faces. “Sweetie, you look like you’re about to pass out. What is wrong? Why did you lock the doors?”
“No, I’m fine. Nothing is wrong. I just—just locked the doors in case they came back in. But that was stupid.” Forcing myself to unlock the swinging doors, I stood there facing them with my head down. I wanted to go home. Needed to. The camera had made me nervous, but I shouldn’t have been this freaked out about it. I had a bad feeling, and Andy was right . . . my legs and arms felt like Jell-O.
“KC?” they both asked right when the chimes sounded again.
I jumped away from the doors and pointed at them. “Andy, please help them. If it’s the people who were just in here, ask them to leave and then lock the front door.”
He brushed his hand against my shoulder as he passed, and while the doors were still swinging shut, I heard his voice. “Holy shit.”
Oh, Jesus.
“Uh . . . Kace?”
On shaky legs, I walked to the doors and pushed them open, afraid of what I might find and somehow already knowing. Once I was through the doors, I heard dozens of the all-too-familiar clicks and saw bright lights flashing. I heard too many people talking and knew that it was over. They knew I was here, and I had no doubt that Olivia was somehow behind their knowing.