Page 14 of Forbidden Flame

“I wasn’t talking about me. I was talking about the pie,” she said lightly as she leaned forward to cut a bite and lifted the fork to my mouth.

I closed my lips over it, and my eyes fell closed as the sweetness erupted on my tongue. “This is delicious.”

I wasn’t even a huge fan of pie, but there was something about the way she made the crust. It wasn’t dry like I was accustomed to. It was the perfect amount of light and flakey, combined with the sweetness of the fruit. “I think I’m in love.”

Daphne laughed. “You’re too nice.”

I touched her chin so I could move her lips to mine. “I don’t lie. I love your pies, Daphne Calloway.”

I kissed her softly, and when I pulled back, she said, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now it’s your turn.” I cut a second piece of the peach and fed it to her, watching as she ate and swallowed it.

“This will pair perfectly with the champagne.”

I took the hint and poured more champagne into the remaining flute.

We sipped the champagne and sampled the pies until we were stuffed.

“That’s the best pie I’ve ever tasted. You have a gift.”

“You think so?”

“I could eat that pie every day and not get sick of it, and I’m not even a fan of pie.”

“Oh, really? What are you a fan of?”

“I have a weakness for cookies and cake. Any sweets. But I always found pie crust to be dry.”

“I worked a long time to get this recipe just right. I practiced on my brothers long before my mother passed away. She encouraged me to get it right. I think she saw something in me.”

“She knew you’d be a baker. That you loved being in the kitchen and creating food with love.” She emanated this vibe of excitement and joy when she talked about making pies.

“I like that.”

“Your mom saw you.”

Daphne sighed.

“You haven’t felt seen since, have you?”

“Oh, my brothers know I exist and love to get into my business. When I got pregnant, I thought I’d get a lot of I told you sos and to be careful, but they didn’t. They supported me.”

“Do they know Izzy’s father?”

“I was careful not to give them his name. You’ve met my brother Teddy. What do you think he would do if he knew Izzy’s dad’s identity?”

“He’d do exactly what I’d do. Remind him of his responsibilities.”

“I don’t want Trent in her life if he can’t see her the way I do. She’s not a responsibility; she’s love.”

“He should be supporting you financially.”

“Oh, he does. I made sure of that. My dad helped me get an attorney and agreed not to give his information to my brothers. If Trent’s parents paid the child support while he went to med school, I don’t know, and I don’t care. But she deserves that.”

“I’m proud of you for doing that.” I was worried she’d let Trent shirk his duty. I got not wanting him around if he didn’t want Izzy, but he still needed to be a man. My respect for him didn’t increase knowing that his parents might be paying for his child.

“I’m proud of myself for raising her on my own. I’m lucky to have my family. But she’s all mine. I make the decisions, and I’m raising her to be a beautiful human.”

---