Page 27 of Playoffs & Promises

"Do you know what the best part is?" I ask, watching him finish the last crumb, his expression forlorn.

He looks at me with hope flickering in his eyes, "What?"

"I get to take whatever is left home."

That earns me a delightful grin, and he sets his plates and fork on a tray to be taken away to the kitchen.

"Really?" he asks. "And does your good-looking neighbor get any too?"

I tap a finger to my chin, and tilt my head to the side just a little as I pretend to think hard about it. I take a big breath and then say, "I don't think cake is good for Cinnamon."

His jaw drops in mock horror, and he reaches for me. His hands circle just above my waist much like they had when he twirled me earlier. Only this time his hands are a little bit higher and his fingers shift just as a teasing glint appears in his gaze. I can't stop the laugh from bursting out of me as he tickles my sides.

"Stop it," I hiss, but I'm laughing too hard to sound convincing.

Nearby guests turn to look, and I try to hide my face against his shoulder, mortified. He's so tall that it's easy to tuck myself into him and for a moment, it feels... safe.

He loosens his hold, leaning down to whisper in my ear. "I swear that was an accident, at least at first. I'm sorry."

I peek up at him, trying to regain my composure. "Is everyone still staring?"

He glances around, then nods. "Hannah, and what looks like your other book club friends are."

I groan, letting my head fall back. "Want to get out of here?"

"And abandon your cake to the vultures?" He looks genuinely horrified.

My lips turn up into a big grin and I can't help but laugh. "Did I forget to mention that I have an extra tier at my store? It's ugly, but it still tastes good."

His eyes light up, and he grabs my hand, pulling me toward the door. "What are we waiting for."

"Wait." I protest, laughing as I dig my heels in. "We have to say goodbye to Lia and Nate."

He pauses mid-stride, scanning the room, before spotting Nate and Lia on the far side of the room with Dan and his wife. Without hesitation, Lou cups his hands around his mouth and shouts, "Hey, Nate! Lia! Great party. Thanks for the invite!"

Heads turn, and I want to sink into the floor, but Lou just grins down at me, unfazed. As we weave through the crowd, hands still linked, I realize that maybe, just maybe, meeting Lou wasn't the worst thing to happen to me after all.

Lou and I sit in the back of my bakery, forks in hand, with an eight-inch tier of cake between us. It's cozy, like a quiet bubble surrounding us, which is a stark contrast to the party earlier.

"I cannot believe you did that." I say, shaking my head as yet another text comes in on my phone. This one is from his sister. It's the tenth text in the last five minutes, all variations of laughing emojis and teasing comments from my friends.

Book club is going to be filled with questions and I'm going to be in the hot seat before any talk of books will occur.

Lou grins, entirely unapologetic as he points at the cake between us. "Worth it."

I roll my eyes, but I can't help the smile from appearing on my own lips as I take another forkful of cake. The warmth in his voice, the way his eyes light up--it's disarming. If I'd met this version of Lou first, things would be very, very different between us. I'm not used to this version of Lou, the one who seems genuinely interested in more than annoying me about lemon bars.

"So this is where the magic behind the curtain happens," He says, glancing around at the empty counters and baking equipment. "I thought there'd be more."

"More what?" I ask, puzzled.

"Tiny elves. Pixie Dust. Something glowy. Proof of the absolute magic in this cake."

His compliment warms my soul and I quickly look away as I try to hide my reaction. I look down at my fork instead of meeting his gaze, "Just me."

"Well, just you, you are amazing," he says.

My heart melts faster than the good chocolate. I don't know how to handle this flirty, earnest Lou. Not without my armor of anger to protect me. Without it, I'm left with this shift in things between us, and the unsettling feeling that keeps bubbling up. It first appeared when we walked Cinnamon together, and it's harder to dismiss now, harder to shove back into the box now that it's grown.

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