Page 71 of Messing With My Brother's Best Friends

“Shit…” His tone had me looking around in alarm but his grin quickly allayed my fears. “That looks amazing! Jesus, Kendall, if I had any idea…” He stared at me openly. “Why haven’t you done a bakery apprenticeship? Obviously it takes more than just prettifying a cake, but you look like you have some skills. I could take you on as an apprentice—”

“Maybe.”

I grinned far too wide, just wanting to bathe in his praise for a second. I knew it was mainly because I’d gotten him out of a jam, but still. It felt good to do this again, to have someone praise something I actually cared about, a feeling I carried with me as I carried the cake out the front.

“I’m so sorry about the last minute change,” the client said as I approached, carrying the cake so very carefully. “It was all The Flash this and The Flash that until a few days ago and then… Oh!” I watched Mrs. Hutchins’ every expression, catching the moment her mouth fell open and a pretty flush coloured her cheeks. “Oh, that is so well done!” My cheeks flamed bright red as I moved to set the cake down. “Chris, you outdid yourself!”

“Probably because Kendall did the decorating,” he replied. “I made the cakes and everything, but as I was too busy getting the rest of your order ready, Kendall took over the decorating. She did a damn good job if I say so myself.”

“Kendall?” Her eyes locked with mine, and then I saw something flicker to life there. “Oh, you’re wasted standing behind the counter if you have these kinds of skills! Do you have a card at all?”

“Not trying to poach my best worker, are you, Iris?” Chris asked her.

“No,” I said with a smile. “I don’t.”

“Well, you need to get on that. You are really very good.” She looked past me to my boss. “As are you, Chris, darling. Now, what do I owe you?”

Once we’d bundled all of her items into the back of her car safely, Chris turned to me once we got back into the bakery.

“You may as well finish up, love—”

“Yay!” Barbie tossed her apron on the front counter and then skipped over.

“You helped me out of a tight spot, so have an early mark,” Chris told me.

“And dinner. You’re coming to my place and giving me all the details.” Barbie’s hand wrapped around my biceps, just in case I was thinking of trying to make a run for it.

“Have a good one then, ladies.” Chris nodded to us before flipping the open sign. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Kendall, and think about my offer. I can always find someone to serve customers, but a bakery apprentice? That’s something else again.”

“Did he just offer you a fucking apprenticeship?” Barbie squeaked the minute we got out the door. “Are you gonna become a baker? But you stopped cooking because the guys—”

“It’s a long story, Barbie,” I said with a sigh.

“I’ve got time, so c’mon! My place. Mexican takeaway and margaritas.”

“The last time I had Mexican I was down with food poisoning for days,” I replied before jingling the van keys. “And I need to drive.”

“Thai food then.”

A celebratory laksa? Yeah, I was down with that. I grinned and unlocked the van.

Chapter 38

Gage

“We need to send Kendall flowers today,” Connor said, glancing at his phone as I drove us all to work. “Roses?”

“Not unless they smell nice,” Van replied. “She always loved daisies.”

“Daisies are kind of low rent. We need to make a statement.” Connor frowned at his phone. “Carnations? Lilies!”

“Sunflowers,” I said, flicking on the indicator.

“Why sunflowers?” Connor asked, but Van grinned.

“Fuck, remember Sunny?”

‘Sunny’ was a massive sunflower she’d grown from bird seed. She’d been so damn proud of it as it grew and grew. Kendall’s mum had a quiet word with us, making clear we would not like the consequences if we damaged Kendall’s plant, but we had no intention of doing so. Even we could see how invested she was in the growth of that flower.

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