Page 55 of Always the Baker

Three Months later

I staredat Brax’s phone and my stomach dropped as I saw the dates fill the screen. His upcoming tour schedule was laid out in black and white, a stark reminder that our little bubble of bliss was about to burst.

“Wow,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “That’s a lot of dates.”

Brax ran a hand through his beard. His eyes were fixed on me—studying me. “Yeah, it’s pretty intense. The label wants to capitalize on the album’s success.”

I nodded, handing him back the phone. My fingers itched to bake. To lose myself in creativity… in something I could control. Instead, I forced a smile. “That’s great, pooh. Really.”

He frowned, seeing right through me. “Billie, what’s wrong?”

I sighed, sinking onto the couch. “Nothing. It’s just, we’ve barely had any time together since we patched things up. And now you’re leavingagain?”

He bit back a smile from the dramatic distress in my tone. Brax sat beside me. His arm wrapped around my shoulders. “I know, sweetheart. It’s not ideal.”

“Not ideal?” I laughed, but it came out more bitter than I intended. “Brax, it’s six months. That’s half of a year!”

He winced. “When you put it like that…”

I leaned into him, breathing in his familiar scent. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be dramatic. It’s just that it’s going to be hard without you.”

Brax nodded. His fingers absently played with a strand of my flat ironed hair. “I know. But think about all those late-night phone calls, trying to catch each other between shows and time zones. It’ll be… romantic.”

“If you say so,” I said, pulling away to look at him. “I was hoping we could get into a rhythm here. I’ve even started selling a few paintings at that gallery downtown.”

“That’samazing, Hopkins. I told you your work would take off.” His face lit up with pride.

I felt a flush of pleasure at his praise, but the nagging worry wouldn’t leave. “Thanks. But what if we lose this?”

Brax’s brows furrowed. “Lose what?”

I gestured vaguely between us. “This. Us. Our stability.”

“Hey.” Brax cupped my face in his hands. “We’re not going to lose anything. It’s just a tour.”

I tried to smile, but I could feel the doubt creeping in. “I know. I just… I’m not sure I can do the long-distance thing. It’s so hard when you’re gone.”

Brax was quiet for a moment. His thumb traced my cheekbone. “I get it. I don’t want to be apart either. But this is my career, Bill. It’s what I do.”

I nodded, feeling small and selfish. “I know. I’m sorry, I don’t mean to make this harder for you.”

“You’re not,” Brax said, pulling me close again. “Your feelings matter, Billie. We’ll figure this out, aight?”

I wanted to believe him, but as I sat there in his arms, all I could think about was the long, lonely nights ahead. The missed calls, the time differences, the constant ache of missing him. How were we supposed to keep this going when he was always on the road?

I didn’t say any of that. Instead, I tried to push down the fear threatening to overwhelm me.

Brax took a deep breath. His eyes searched mine. “I have an idea. Why don’t you come with me on the tour?”

I didn’t respond right away. Truth was, things had changed significantly over the last three months. After twenty-five years of life, I finally sat down and had a much needed talk with Mom. I told her that even though her dream of being an artist had become mine, that was the only thing we had in common. I didn’t want to continue to work the family business because it made it impossible for me to chase my own dreams. She told me she understood, even though she was sad about it.

Brax ended up giving them a seven figure donation, which allowed them to not only hire a staff but expand their marketing and promo. Business had been booming, and they even had customers doing virtual orders from other cities and states. At this point, they could have retired, but they genuinely loved what they did. I was beyond grateful to him for the donation. It wasn’t just for their benefit; it was for mine as well. With them being taken care of, that was a huge weight off my shoulders.

Even though I told him he didn’t have to, he’d started paying all my bills and giving me a monthly allowance.

I’d decided to do two wedding cakes a quarter and focus on my painting. With him loving on me the way he was, the love and happiness of others no longer made me feel bad. I was finally excited about baking wedding cakes again, but not full time.Because the truth was, that whole sipping lattes in a penthouse apartment in the city before painting was truly a dream. A dream I one day wanted to make a reality. Thanks to Brax’s connections, I was able to get a meeting with Neko atN.E. Artfirm.

If they took me on as an artist, I’d have representation for my art. They’d not only shop my pieces but set up consignment and showcases for me as well. It was in Rose Valley Hills, so I’d been bouncing around the idea of moving there and keeping my apartment here. Brax had already offered to get me a penthouse apartment on the beach though I could tell he really wanted me to stay with him while in the city. I appreciated his willingness to give me what I wanted, even if it went against what he wanted.

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