Page 52 of Ash

When she woke up in the morning, she'd been flushed with heat and her body had been humming with anticipation.

"Yes," she whispered her answer, "very exhilarating."

Hetty laughed and fanned herself, dusting her red hair with flour. "Oh, my..."

She sighed as she lifted the baking tray from the table and walked it toward the ovens. "I can see that this is going to be exhilarating for me, too."

They both laughed at that.

When Hetty was done putting the trays in the oven, she dusted her hands on her apron and looked up at Suzannah with a shrewd eye. "So, when you came in yesterday, you said you might be able to make some honey bread?"

Suzannah blushed, feeling a little worried. She'd volunteered the information on a lark, but now she was sensing that it might have been a mistake. "Yes. I said that. I remember a recipe they taught us in Home Ec."

Hetty's eyes opened, and she smiled brightly. "Want to give it a try? The recipe we used was Betty's and she never wrote it down. She would always tap her head and say that it was all in her head for safe keeping."

Suzannah hesitated, feeling her heart kick against her ribs. The bread had been a favorite of Ash's. If she made some and it wasn't good...

Almost as if Hetty had sensed her struggle, she waved her hand at the pantry. "Why don't you take a shot at it. If it turns out as good as I'm sure it will, it will mean a lot to Ash."

Suzannah felt her shoulders lift up at the other option. "And if it doesn't?"

Hetty waved off her concerns. "If it doesn't turn out that we, we try again."

When Suzannah hesitated, Hetty continued on.

"Just like how it took me years to become this amazing," Hetty held out her hands with a flourish, "some delicious pastries and breads take their own time."

There really wasn't an argument against Hetty's words.

There was no harm in trying.

"Okay," she nodded. "I'll give it a try."

When she stepped into the pantry, Suzannah took a moment to remember the recipe that she'd memorized so long ago.

This was all so different from the job she'd held for years.

Almost chained to her desk, she'd been floundering and waiting for something new to inspire her.

And now?

She felt the rhythm of her heart speed up. Excitement building up inside of her. If she couldn't make them good now, she'd learn how to do it.

This was her home now. She had the rest of her life to look forward to.

Ash had spent the morning cleaning up around his cabin. It wasn't messy by anyone's imagination but with the possibility that Suzannah might come to see it sooner or later, he wanted to make sure that she was pleased with what she saw of his home.

They hadn't spoken of where they'd live together after they'd sealed the mating bond, but he'd avoided that conversation for a reason.

Suzannah had just moved to Mystic Mountain.

She was meeting people and getting to know her Great Aunt by spending time in her space.

Figuring out where they would spend the rest of their lives seemed like just more pressure.

He'd cleaned his bedroom and the bathroom, the living room, and the kitchen from top to bottom, his bear egging him on.

All of that before he heard the knock on his door.

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