Page 27 of Cowboy Devil's Embrace

Boy, did I know it!

Burt had somehow managed to wiggle his slimy way past my defenses. At the time, with my parents’ frail health and their moving away, Burt had actually convinced me it would only hurt them if I left him.

Never mind the damage it did to my own heart, soul, and self-esteem.

“Okay, so the sleaze ball I just divorced is not only suing me,me, for alimony and a piece of my bakery. But he, uh, he just got married. To his nurse. He wanted me to give him my ring.My ring!Can you believe that?” I asked, and angry tears pricked my eyes.

“Are you shitting me?” Avery gasped.

I shook my head and sniffed. No, I didn’t wear my ring anymore. But so what?

It was mine.

It was a gift.

Plus, I made the last half of the fucking payments on it!

“I shit you not,” I said.

“The gall on that tiny-pricked loser!” Avery huffed.

She knew the truth. How I paid off most of our debts alone while Burt was off working and apparently fucking anything with a willing hole.

“Tell me about it! I only finished paying off the loan to buy this place six months ago. His name isn’t anywhere on the deed, or anything. And Avery, I put that jerkoff through medical school! I worked two, sometimes three, jobs so he could play doctor with his nurse’s pink bits. AND I PAID FOR MY OWN FUCKING RING!” I shouted the last bit just as the bell above the bakery door chimed.

Shit.

“Okay, Pen. Easy,” my bestie said, her worried gaze on mine.

“I’m okay,” I said, and took a calming breath.

“You sure?”

“Yeah. Um, can you finish boxing the cupcakes while I check on that?”

I wiped my cheeks with the back of my apron and sniffed.

“Am I running?” I asked, pointing to my face.

“Nope. Mascara is good, and the nose is clear. I will take care of the order for our mystery sweet tooth,” Avery replied.

“I am so curious,” I whispered, and made my way to the door separating the kitchen from the front of the store. “I mean who the heck orders six dozenDeath by Fudgecupcakes for six o’clock on a Wednesday night?”

Obviously, my new customer had a sweet tooth, too. Looking down at my ultra curvy body, I shrugged.

I was a fan of food, too, and I was never going to apologize for it. Whoever my mystery customer was, they had good taste.

Those cupcakes were my number one bestseller. They were also my favorite.

Not that I ever met a cupcake I didn’t like.

That semi-smile turned into a frown as my ex-husband’s voice popped into my brain, stalling my hand as it reached for the doorknob

“You know, you would be so pretty if you just lost the weight.”

“Don’t you want to be the best version of yourself?”

That jerk.

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