Page 10 of Rugged Fox

"Oooooh, is it a crumb cake kinda morning? I would kill for some of Maisie's crumb cake right about now."

Who wouldn't? It was that damn good. I remember when Maisie moved into town and declared she was taking over the old bakery. With her jet-black hair and all-black clothing, Maisie Connor was nothing like the old bakery owner.

Willow Creek was used to pink and bubbly. Everything about the old bakery reminded me of a fifties bakery with pinks and teals. There wasn't a single part of the place that didn't scream girly.

But Maisie was different. She was a Halloween-loving woman who took uniqueness to a whole new level. But damn did she make the best desserts I have ever had.

"Kat!" Lyla's loud bark pulled me from my musings. "Did I lose you?"

"Sorry, I was daydreaming about Maisie's baked goods."

"You know, if you were a guy, I would comment how inappropriate that sounds . . ."

I rolled my eyes. For someone who was so nice and sweet most of the time, Lyla had a dirty mind.

"I'm done talking to you. I need food and coffee before I can handle any more of your ridiculousness."

I hung up the phone as Lyla continued to laugh. My best friend was a damn menace.

A deep calm washed over me as I walked into Wickedly Delicious and inhaled the aroma of sugar and fresh-pressed coffee beans. One of the main reasons I loved the coffee in this place so much was because, while the baked goods were as modern as they came, the coffee was straight up old-fashioned. Several French presses lined the one wall.

The line at the counter was seven people deep but not a single person looked to be in a hurry. It was one of the things Maisie made abundantly clear from the day she opened the shop. She wouldn't tolerate impatience or rudeness toward her employees. I had watched at least one person learn that lesson the hard way. To this day, Max Jr. was still banned from entering.

Maisie herself was serving customers by the time it was my turn to order.

"Those bags under your eyes tell me it's a ‘double crumb cake and extra-large coffee’ kind of day."

Leave it to Maisie to be brutally honest. The barely five-foot woman wore her usual black pants, black shirt, hair tied back with a bandana, and an array of colorful tattoos up and down her arms. But it was the laugh lines around her eyes that gave away the playfulness most people didn't understand, or bother to look for, when making an assumption about the woman.

"You would be correct. I don't even have the energy to contradict your assessment of my morning."

"Did the hunky security guy keep you up all night?" Maisie leaned on the glass counter and wiggled her eyebrows. "I hear the lot of them are nice to look at."

Damn small-town living. I plopped my elbow down on the glass and dropped my chin into my palm with a sigh. "Is there anyone in town who didn't hear about my day yesterday?"

Maisie snorted. "Oh, please. You and I both know everyone knows about you answering the door in barely any clothes, plus, the awkwardness over at The Crazy Fox. But those bags tell another story. Did he come to visit?"

I shook my head. "These bags are from worrying about how I'm going to face the man after yesterday."

"That's a shame. At least they would've been worth it if you got some action."

Since when had my sex life become such a topic of discussion? First Lucien and now Maisie. Lyla I expected it from because those were the kind of things friends discussed, but it was none of anyone else's business.

"Thanks," I deadpanned.

"Sorry, that came out wrong." Maisie pushed off the glass and reached down to pull out the pieces of crumb cake. "Sometimes I forget that it's not okay to say what pops into my head."

I closed my eyes and rubbed the spot between my eyebrows. "No, it's okay. I get cranky when I don't get enough sleep. Add in the fact that I'm hungry and haven't had my caffeine fix yet and I'm a bit of a bear."

Since moving into town a few years ago, Maisie and I had become friendly. I wouldn't say “friends” in the sense that we hung out, but certainly friendly. She was someone I enjoyed talking to when I came in several times a week, and there were even times, when it wasn't busy, that she would join me at a table.

"Well, hopefully this cheers you up."

I paid for my stuff and shuffled over to one of the few open tables. The dark decor should have made the place feel like a dungeon or even gloomy, but somehow the natural light from the large windows made the place feel cozy.

I kept my head down and avoided eye contact with the rest of the patrons. After the diner situation last night, I didn't want anyone else commenting on my wardrobe choices. With any luck, someone else would do something outrageous and the Willow Creek residents would have something else to discuss.

Luck seemed to be in my favor when I managed to finish my breakfast without anyone approaching me. With a full belly and caffeine pumping through my veins, I felt better about what I needed to do.

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