Page 2 of Sweet Bred

I know how insane it is to think that. I haven’t even spoken to her yet. But there’s one truth I’ve always known, and it’s that someday the love of my life will walk through the front door of my bakery.

She’s the woman I’m going to marry. The one I’m going to have babies with.

My hand falls to the door handle and I wrench open the door. The bells that ring above us sound like harps being played. When she smiles at me, it feels like all the oxygen around me disappears.

Jesus. She’s celestial.

“I guess I’m too late,” she says. Her honey-colored eyes are apologetic. “I’ll come back tomorrow.”

“You aren’t too late,” I say, still staring at her, stunned. “I’ll make you something. Come in.”

“Well, I was actually coming by to see if—” She cuts herself off with a pretty laugh. “Do you happen to bake wedding cakes?”

Wedding cakes? An awful feeling floods my chest.

Fuck. This can’t be happening. I steady myself, clinging to possible explanations. Maybe she’s helping her sister plan a wedding. Maybe she’s a professional wedding planner. Maybe…

But then my eyes trail down, and I see a huge sparkling engagement ring settled firmly on her left hand.

2

JULIET

Up until about two seconds ago, I thought I was doing the right thing. I had accepted the future that life had offered me. I’d made up my mind to be grateful for the wedding that I was going to have in two months—even if I wasn’t in love.

Now, suddenly, my choice feels like a horrible mistake.

I know this doesn’t make any sense. Feeling attracted to a man I just laid eyes on for the first time doesn’t mean I should call off my engagement. But I’ve never felt like this before. Not toward my fiancé Eric, not toward anyone.

God, this feeling. It’s like fireworks going off all over my skin.

The big, burly baker standing in front of me slowly nods in reply to my question about whether he bakes wedding cakes.

“I do,” he says. “I don’t have any cake samples available right now, but if you come back in a few days, I can give you a little bit of everything to try.”

“Oh, you don’t have to do all that for me,” I insist.

The baker’s smile makes him even more attractive. It’s the kind of smile that also comes through in his gorgeously blue eyes. “I’m baking a fresh batch of cakes anyway. It’s no trouble.”

“Well, okay. Then…sure. That would be lovely.”

“Can you come by on Thursday around four?”

I find myself nodding without thinking. Then, coming to my senses, I quickly shake my head. “I work until five.”

“That works, too. Just come on over when you’re done.”

“Okay. Thank you.” I adjust the strap of my bag on my shoulder, jittery with this brand new feeling I’m not used to. “I’m Juliet, by the way.”

The warmth in his eyes deepens. “It’s wonderful to meet you, Juliet. My name’s Shaw.”

I’m still in a daze as I walk away from the bakery. I don’t know how to make sense of what just happened. I’ve always wanted to believe in love at first sight, but after almost thirty years of life experience, I had concluded that it didn’t exist.

But now…well, I don’t know what to think.

I sink into the driver’s seat of my car and spread my hand out in front of me, staring at the diamond engagement ring on my finger. The ring is too much, too flashy. I told Eric that I would be more comfortable with something more subtle. But he just laughed and said I was the only girl in the world who would complain about a diamond being too big.

Eric isn’t a bad guy. In fact, he’s exactly the kind of person my parents always hoped I would marry. He’s generous, good-looking, driven, and smart.

---