Page 21 of The Prettiest Outlaw

“Okay.” Julianna’s smile remained plastered across her face.

It was cool to see her genuinely happy.

“Brother Nico.”

I turned my attention away from Julianna and gave it to the pastor.

“Pastor.”

“I just wanted to touch base with you quickly to let you know that your contract is also forthcoming. Yours was a little more…involved.”

“A little,” I said with a smirk.

“Once you receive it and review it, please let me know what you decide.”

I nodded in the affirmative before standing. Both Pastor Sharpe and Julianna followed suit.

“Take care, Pastor.” I offered him my hand for a shake.

“You too, Brother Nico.” He removed his hand from mine and extended it to Julianna. “It was nice to meet you, Sister…Outlaw, you said?”

Julianna’s head bobbed up and down. “Yes. It was nice to meet you, too, Pastor Sharpe. Thank you for this opportunity.”

“Thank you for coming to visit Faith in Harvest.”

* * *

On Tuesday morning, right around 11:00 a.m., Julianna showed up at my shop. Kayla called me from the intercom at the front counter. I wouldn’t say that I hurried to the front of the shop to see Julianna, but I damn sure didn’t take my time. It had only been two days since I’d seen her, and I already missed her face.

When I got to the front counter, she was pointing to a plate of colorful confections, while Kayla’s eyes bloomed.

“Hey.” I joined the two women. They had already been joined by three of my male employees—Khalil, DeAngelo, and Sherwin.

“What’s this?” My question came even as I watched all three men snatch colorful little squares from the plate on the counter.

“Hey.” Julianna stepped out of the crowd to offer me a greeting that was combined with a quick hug. “Sorry to interrupt your work day. I needed unbiased taste testers and figured that your shop could offer that.”

“Damn, these shits is good as hell.” DeAngelo’s mouth was full as he gave the complement. “It’s like a little ass miniature lemon cake.”

“That’s basically what it is.” Julianna rewarded him with a smile.

I watched with a shake of my head as DeAngelo’s young, hood ass actually blushed.

“Look at you blushing.” Kayla pointed her finger at him as she giggled.

“As fine as she is, a smile from her is worth blushing about,” Khalil commented, watching Julianna thoughtfully.

Khalil was my best worker. He was fast, thorough, skilled, and reliable. He was also one of the reasons that our customer base was heavily female. He was polite, soft spoken, and treated our customers with respect. Many of the ladies who frequented the shop fell victim to his obvious street savvy and unbothered charms. He was an asset to me, but I would bust his ass if he tried it with Julianna.

Where did that thought come from?I thought to myself, shaking my head to clear the thought.

“What are they?” He questioned.

“Petit fours.”

“Petty fours?” DeAngelo repeated.

“Petit Fours,” she corrected kindly. “They’re French.”

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