Page 56 of One Touch

Unlike me, Connie was the type of person who shouldn’t be single. She was accomplished, kind, and super-attractive. Her almost grown-up son was a sweetheart, and she seemed to be happy and content.

Maybe that was the difference. She didn’t need to be in a relationship. I wished I was like that. Then I might have been desirable enough to finally convince someone half-decent to date me.

Lily, you are a lost cause.

Connie paid for the books, then left the store, her head already between the pages of a book.

Elara, meanwhile, sat where I’d left her, pursing her lips. “Lily, I have to be honest with you.”

“What do you mean?”

“I can’t not tell you what I think.”

“Well, go on then.”

“I think you and Ethan would be perfect for each other. Not just for sexy fun. For keeps.”

I shook my head. “Don’t.”

“I mean it. He’s exactly the kind of loyal, good man that you need in your life. He’s a family man who cares deeply for his daughter and for his folks. Loves Cole, too, although I doubt he’d ever admit that. You should see the way he is with Lexi and Rhea, too.”

He’s a goddamn firefighter, for fuck’s sake!

“Yeah, I get it, he’s a dreamboat. A dreamboat who doesn’t want to date me.”

“But you’d be amazing for him, too. For all of his good points, he can be a little serious. I think if he had someone like you in his life, he’d relax a little. Let the sunshine back in.”

I gazed off into the distance for a moment, imagining what it might be like to indulge in a relationship with Ethan. But every time I tried, I felt this tide of fear rising up underneath me like the shadow of a shark, waiting to swallow me up.

“I just can’t do it. If there was a way to guarantee that I could keep it at the friends-with-benefits level forever, then maybe, just maybe I might consider it.”

“You know what?” Elara said. “Hold on a hot second. I have a plan.” She jumped up off the couch. “Just consider me your fairy godmother.”

***

Like all of Elara’s big ideas, this one involved baked goods.

She was gone for a few minutes and returned with eclairs. Dangerously good eclairs. The kind of eclair that made you forget all the tricky stuff in your life and just float off on a creamy, chocolaty cloud.

“Don’t worry, I’ve put a ‘back in fifteen’ sign up at the bakery.”

I glanced out of the window, only to see a line snaking around the block. “You’re going to keep all those people waiting even longer?”

“Mmhmm,” she said, unfazed. “The longer they wait, the better the pastries will taste.” She waggled her eyebrows at me. “Now, eat.”

I took a bite of the frankly outrageous eclair.

“It’s freaking perfect, right?”

I nodded. I loved seeing Elara get so confident. When she’d moved back to Bluehaven Beach, she’d balked at the idea ofrunning her own business. Now, she was the ultimate girlboss. An inspiration.

“How did you get to be such a good baker?” I asked, my mouth still half full of goodness.

“Years of practice as an executive chef and then almost constant work to master my craft,” she deadpanned. “Right now, though, we need to useyourskills.”

“What skills?”

“Your romance novel knowledge. You’re like a trope factory.”

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