Page 24 of Cowboy Devil's Embrace

Fuck. I still had to shower. I sighed and did a quick search of how far the place was.

Nineteen minutes.

I was going to have to skip the shower and get going.

No problem.

I washed my hands and face, changed my shirt, and gave myself a generous spritz of deodorant. Then I was good to go. I was a pretty resourceful Devil when I had to be.

I copied the address from the email and plugged it into my GPS, grinning when the automated voice announced my destination.

“Starting route to Devil’s Food Bakery.”

Well, wasn’t that a coincidence?

I started my truck, blasting Pantera’sCowboys From Hellas I turned onto the street that would lead me straight into town.

CHAPTER SIX-PENELOPE

Five forty-five PM on Wednesday rolled around, and instead of being at home in my pjs with my TV on with warm, salty, buttery popcorn in an almost overflowing bowl on top of my lap, I was at the bakery, waiting for the mysterious MCR to pick up their order.

Yay. Not.

“I am here!” Avery called out before coming into the back.

I knew Rosie had tap class every week at this time at the same place I used to go to right on the corner. Avery usually waited in the little room designated for parents just inside the dance studio, but not where the children could see. Apparently, parents were a distraction that needed to be out of view.

Whatever.

“Where do you want me?” she asked.

“Ooh, over here,” I nodded at the workstation next to mine where I had a tray of fudge waiting to be cut and packaged.

Since I was going to be stuck here, I decided to get a jump on my fall flavors candy collections.

Yep. I made homemade fudge and caramels as well as baked goods, and it was time to get our pumpkin spice, caramel apple pie, and other fall favorites on!

First, I made sure my bestie washed her hands for a full minute before putting on a pair of latex gloves.

Next, I instructed her on how I wanted her to cut my trademark fudge, placing the pieces neatly in the little sample boxes with the clear cellophane window I had ordered.

Last, she would seal them with labels featuring my bakery logo, which was a she-Devil caricature of myself.

“Oh my God! Pretty Penny! These are adorable,” she said, using my mother’s nickname for me, and I grinned.

“I know, right?”

I piped thick chocolate icing onto the now cooled cupcakes sitting on the rack in front of me for my last order of the day. I’d made the cake and frosting fresh and waited to put them together so they would be perfect for this new and hopefully future frequent customer.

“So, you know how they hired a male dance instructor at Rosie’s school?”

“Yeah,” I replied.

“Well, he’s cute. Like really cute, if a little skinny, but anyway, he asked me if I wanted to go out with him for coffee,” Avery said, and my ears perked up.

“Wow, Av, did you say yes?”

“What? No way. I am sworn off men,” she told me like I was the idiot here.

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