Page 15 of Biker Under My Tree

At this point, it honestly felt like the mountain of cookie dough was growing instead of shrinking. Every sheet tray I owned was already filled with cookies, which left me at a complete standstill until the next batch finished baking. So, I pulled a stool from under the packaging table, parked myself on it, and let out a sigh. I was determined to enjoy the rare ten minutes of downtime until the timer buzzed.

“Snow!” a voice called from outside. “Open the door.”

So much for downtime…

I jumped off the stool with my heart doing a little flip and dashed over. I threw the door open, and there stood Bones, balancing two drinks on top of each other and holding a brown sack in his other hand. He grinned at me like he’d just walked in with a winning lottery ticket.

“Where should I set this so it doesn’t mess with your baking?” he asked, giving me a small, considerate smile.

I was surprised. Most people would just dump it on the first open space they found, whether it was in the way or not.

“You can put it on that far table where the boxes and stuff are,” I replied, gesturing toward the table by the wall. “I’ve got a few minutes of peace before I need to switch trays around.”

He moved over to the table and set the drinks and the sack down with surprising care. I grabbed the other stool from under the table and sat down as I let out a breath. He pulled up his stool next to me, and his eyes darted around at the trays stacked high with cooling cookies on the rolling racks.

“I should have asked what you liked,” he said as he pulled out a greasy burger wrapped in paper from the sack. “But I figured everyone loves a juicy burger.”

I looked at him and kept a straight face. “I’m vegan.”

The burger froze in mid-air, and his eyes went wide with horror.

“I’m joking!” I burst out laughing and watched relief flood his face.

“Jesus Christ, Snow.” He sighed and shook his head as he let out a breath. “You had me thinking I really screwed up there.”

I shook my head with a smile lingering on my lips. “Everyone loves a burger from Vons. Thank you for thinking of me.” Vons was the local burger joint that made the best greasy burger in town. The French fries and milkshakes were top-notch, too.

“I told you I was going to bring you lunch, Sugar. Nothing to thank me for,” he said and slid a burger in front of me. He glanced over as he unwrapped his own. “You’re not gonna tell me you didn’t want it with everything on it, are you?”

I unwrapped the burger and inhaled the delicious aroma. “I’m good with everything,” I assured him and took a bite. The rich, savory flavor hit me all at once, and I practically melted on the spot. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until that first bite, and I savored every bit of it.

“The only thing that would make this better would be a vanilla milkshake and fries,” I said, half to myself. Not that I wasn’t already grateful for the burger, but hey—a girl could dream.

Bones wiped his mouth with a smirk playing on his lips as he set his burger down. “Oh, you mean like these?” He reached into the bag, pulled out a paper sack of fries, and set it beside my burger. Before I could say anything, he grabbed one of the cupshe’d brought, popped a straw into the lid, and held it out with a grin. “And… a vanilla milkshake.”

I blinked and was pleasantly surprised. “It’s like you knew exactly what I like.” I grabbed the milkshake eagerly, took a long sip, and closed my eyes as I savored the first taste. It was just the right amount of sweet, creamy, and thick—the kind of milkshake that felt like a little slice of heaven. It tasted like real vanilla bean blended perfectly with the cold, creamy texture. Each sip was a treat.

Bones chuckled and watched me enjoy it. “I’d love to take credit for being a mind reader, but I just ordered you what I normally get.”

I arched an eyebrow, setting down the milkshake. “Well,” I drawled, “you have great taste.”

“Thanks, I do what I can,” he said and tipped his head as if he was tipping an invisible hat. “I figured this was a safe bet.”

“Sometimes a girl just needs a burger and fries to get her through the day.”

He nodded and watched me with an amused smile. “I’d say you’re more than halfway through at this point.” He gestured to the trays of cookies stacked around us. “I don’t know how you manage all this.”

“It’s mostly just doing the same thing over and over,” I admitted, gesturing to the cookies cooling on every available surface. “A lot of coffee, a bit of luck, and the occasional divine intervention in the form of a milkshake and fries,” I joked.

Bones snorted. “And here I thought you had some magical baking secret.” He took a fry and chewed it thoughtfully. “So, do you ever get tired of it? Baking for everyone else?”

“Sometimes,” I said honestly. “But I love it too much to walk away. There’s something about knowing I’m making people’s day just a little better. Seeing someone’s face light up over a cookie or cake… it’s kind of why I do it.”

His expression softened, his gaze lingering on me. “That’s why I keep working on bikes even though I’d rather spend my time in the garage and not trying to upsell customers.”

I took a bite of my burger and savored the flavor as I leaned back against the packaging table. “Yeah, I admit I much prefer being in the kitchen while Tom delivers everything. The less customer interaction, the better, which I know sounds horrible of me, but I really just want to bake.”

“What happened with him? And was it Kelsi?” he asked and his voice was low.

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