Page 83 of Mitch

“Mitchell, so nice to see you. I hope you have those photos from theshow ready. I really want to start getting some posts circulating this week. It’s a big week you know.”

“Uh huh. Actually, I, uh, have the files right here. Stayed up almost all night finishing them.”

Penn broke away from his mother as he came to my side.

“You didn’t have to?—”

“I wanted to,” I said, flashing him with a smile. I caught his father’s judgmental gaze as he looked from his son to me, half expecting him to yell, or cuss me out, or something.

But he only vacated his chair, looming in the doorway as he said, “There better be some actual pictures of baked goods and not just candids of my son.”

Frozen, I attempted to speak as his mother hit her husband in the stomach.

“Leave the boy alone, you’re embarrassing him,” she chastised, flashing me a smile.

Penn turned an adorable shade of pink as his father narrowed his eyes, moving to let me into the office.

Penn entered first, as I stood in the alcove, staring up at his father. As Ibrushed past him, he whispered to me.

“Break his heart, I’ll break your bones, got it?”

I looked up at him, the obvious love and the genuine acceptance making me feel as if I could perish right there on the bakery room floor.

“Yes, sir,” I said, entering the office, setting my gaze on the most perfect man in all of Jasper Springs.

If Penn and I could survive our own selves, surely we could survive anything else the world threw at us.

Including overprotective fathers.

I sat in the office chair, hooking up my external drive, and bringing up the photos as his father left the office, replace by an excited Archie.

“All right, Mitchell, let’s get this show on the road,” Archie said, slapping his hands together.

One by one I cycled through the photos. Cakes, cookies, prep work, well lit signs, customers.

I was always proud of my work, but these were certainly stand outs in my portfolio. From the smoothness of the buttercream, to the employees, I was more than proud of the shots I’dcaptured.

Because the bakery wasn’t just a business to Penn or his parents, or even Archie.

They were a family, a community, a place to relax, and indulge.

“These are phenomenal, Mitch,” Penn said in awe.

His mother smiled. “I agree. Do you do prints? I might want to order some of those portraits of my pride an joy you took,” she said sweetly.

Penn blushed, and I couldn’t help but smile.

“I think that can definitely be arranged,” I said.

Archie smirked. “Maybe I’ll grab some for my profile,” he said, preening like the pain in the ass he was.

But nothing could sour my mood, not even Archie.

And when Penn smiled, rolling his eyes too, I knew this was only the beginning.

EPILOGUE

Three months later…

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