Page 9 of Hunter

“Consider free baked goods a perk of being my best employee.”

“I’m your only employee,” I pointed out with a giggle.

“For now.” She pointed at a tray of chocolate cupcakes. “Frost those the way you did that cake yesterday, and I bet they’ll sell out before noon.”

It didn’t take me long to finish, and Marcy made a beeline over to my side to look the cupcakes over.

“Great job.” Marcy patted me on the back. “Keep up the good work, and you won’t be my only employee for long.”

She was proven right about how quickly the cupcakes were gone. Five hours after we opened the doors, the case didn’t have much left.

Even with how busy we were, every time the bell over the door jingled, my heart jumped. But I never spotted Hunter. I told myself that was a good thing because I needed to focus on my job. Not get distracted by a man who probably hadn’t thought twice about the shy bakery girl who gave him a cookie.

I felt a little guilty about not being as attentive to the customers as I usually was. Especially when Austin stopped by. He’d come in every day for a coffee and always took a few minutes to talk with me. He was nice enough, but there was no spark. Not like the fire that consumed me when a certain sexy biker was around. Austin had tried to ask me out a few times, but I’d managed to sidestep it. We were becoming friends, though, so I felt bad when he left looking so disappointed today.

I must not have hidden my anxiousness to see Hunter very well because when we finally slowed down, Marcy leaned her elbows on the counter and grinned. “Expecting someone?”

My cheeks heated, and I ducked my head. “No! I’m just making sure we greet everyone.”

“Uh-huh.” She didn’t seem to buy my excuse.

I busied myself wiping a spotless section of the counter, hoping she wouldn’t push the issue, but it didn’t do any good.

Marcy’s voice softened. “Was it one of the Rogues?”

I mumbled something unintelligible and prayed the floor would open up and swallow me whole.

“Aw, don’t be embarrassed.” She bumped my shoulder lightly. “You wouldn’t be the first girl to get a little tongue-tied around those guys.”

“It’s not—” I started, but that was as far as I got before she started laughing.

“Relax, Sadie. I won’t tease you. Not too much, anyway,” she promised, straightening up and giving me a wink. “Besides, if it was who I think it was…you have good taste.”

I made a noncommittal noise and focused hard on reorganizing the napkin dispenser.

Marcy let it go, thankfully, and we settled into the steady rhythm of the early afternoon rush. But every time the door jingled, my heart leaped all over again.

Only it was never him.

By the time the lunch crowd thinned, I told myself it was better this way. Hunter had probably forgotten all about me, and I needed to do the same.

Even if my heart wasn’t quite ready to listen.

By closing time, all of the pastries were gone, and the smell of fresh bread had faded into a faint, comforting warmth that clung to the walls. Marcy was cleaning the mixers in the back while I wiped down the empty tables and flipped the chairs upside down on top of them.

Once that was done, I walked into the kitchen. “Need help with anything else before I go?”

“Can you mop the floor in the walk-in?” she asked. “I did it earlier after dropping a couple of eggs, but I figure it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to cleanliness.”

“Definitely,” I agreed with a nod.

I was fine until I stepped into the walk-in. Although it was big as far as fridges went, it felt small when the door shut behind me. I didn’t like tight spaces, but I took a steadying breath and shook off my anxiety as best I could.

Still, my pulse kicked a little faster, the way it always did when rooms started to feel too closed in. I finished mopping as quickly as I could, telling myself it was silly to get worked up over nothing, heaving a deep sigh of relief when I finally escaped the fridge and joined Marcy in the kitchen again.

Not wanting her to notice I was feeling a little off, I grabbed a bag from behind the counter and tied it off, then called, “I’m taking out the trash.”

“Thanks!” Marcy’s voice floated from the kitchen.

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