Page 14 of Hunter

Sadie was bright and happy, but while most people wouldn’t notice, I knew she was breakable.

And there wasn’t a chance in hell I’d let anything—or anyone—ever come close to trying.

Sadie wasn’t just soft.

She wasn’t just sweet.

She was mine.

5

SADIE

The bakery smelled like my own personal heaven of warm sugar, fresh bread, and a hint of cinnamon lingering in the air, but none of the delicious pastries tempted me. My stomach was too busy being tied up in a thousand nervous knots, which was ridiculous.

I just saw Wesley yesterday, so the odds of him coming in again this morning were probably slim. If he hadn’t been so quick to install that temporary security camera the other day, I’d know for sure that he’d be back soon. Instead, I spent the next two days watching for him. I hadn’t been disappointed yesterday, but I doubted he would come by every day.

Even knowing that, I rearranged the already perfectly organized pastry trays as though he’d even notice. Assuming he came in…which he wasn’t going to do.

Marcy caught me smoothing my apron for the third time and laughed. “Young love.”

I rolled my eyes and muttered, “You’re not that much older than me.”

It was easier to point that out than to think about the fact that I didn’t even really know Wesley, no matter how attracted I was to him.

“I have almost an entire decade on you.”

I rolled my eyes and teased, “Then you look good for your age.”

“Whatever,” she huffed, tossing the towel she’d been drying her hands on at me. “But take it from me…love keeps you young. So don’t even bother trying to resist when Hunter tells you that he’s taking you on a date. Just go for it.”

There was a lot to take in with what she’d just said, so I started with what felt like the most obvious to me. “I think you meant when heasksme out instead of tells me, not that it’s going to happen either way.”

“That’s what I thought when I met Derek during my sophomore year of high school.” Her smile turned dreamy. “He was the star quarterback, and I was the girl who spent all of her time in the kitchen baking. I had no clue that he even knew I was alive until he came right up to me in the hallway between classes and told me that he was taking me to prom.”

My heart melted at her story. “Aw, that’s so sweet.”

“I love Derek with all my heart, but I have to admit that when Hunter does the telling thing with you, it’s gonna be a heck of a lot hotter.” Marcy wagged her brows. “My guy was just a boy back then, but yours is all man.”

“Wesley isn’t mine,” I protested, my cheeks heating.

She shot me a knowing look at my use of his first name. “I am so going to enjoy him proving you wrong.”

The bell over the door jingled, and I whipped around, nearly knocking over a tray of lemon bars…only to find a little old lady shuffling in with a walker.

I let out a shaky breath and pasted on a smile, grateful my face was already red from the ovens.

“Welcome to Country Crust,” I chirped before helping her pick out a few pastries.

The morning rush picked up from there, giving me just enough to do to keep my mind occupied. Mostly. But every time the door chimed, my traitorous heart reacted the same way.

Finally, I was sliding a tray of cinnamon rolls into the display when the bell jingled again.

I didn't look right away. I was determined to act normal and professional. But then I felt a shift in the air.

Slowly, I turned. And there he was. The sexy biker who I hadn’t been able to get off my mind.

The wind had ruffled his thick black hair, and his beard looked even scruffier than yesterday. His sharp amber eyes zeroed in on me with laser focus, and my heart forgot how to beat.

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