Page 182 of Darling Obsession

“When is the baby due?” Graysen asks.

“July,” I say, smoothing my slight belly.

“I also wanted to discuss something else,” Harlan says, and his siblings all look at him. “You all tasted a cake Quinn made, when you met her last time. Remember?”

“The vanilla cake with the fruit,” Savannah says. “I remember.”

“Quinn’s a fantastic baker and cake designer,” Harlan tells them. “I was just showing her this space. I already talked to Savannah,” he tells his brothers, “and she agrees that a bakery would be perfect here.”

Oh, shit. This is so uncomfortable.

I don’t see any of them jumping for joy at the idea.

“A bakery?” Graysen says. “I thought this was going to be a café.”

“But a bakery would be so much more… cozy,” Harlan says.

Jameson looks confused. “I’m sorry, did you just saycozy?” I can tell by the looks on his brothers’ faces that this isn’t a word they’ve probably ever heard out of Harlan’s mouth before.

Harlan ignores him, telling Graysen, “It will be cakesandcoffee.” He shows them all to the lovely table displaying samples of my best work. “Come, have a taste. Quinn’s desserts speak for themselves.”

“Oh, these are your cakes, Quinn?” Savannah immediately zeroes in on the cupcakes and scoops up a decadent dulce de leche. “I loved that cake you made for us.”

“Thank you so much.”

“Tell them about your vision for your bakery, Quinn.” Harlan shoves a sample of funfetti cake into Jameson’s hand.

“Well… my plan is to open an artisan bakery, to be the home of Quinn’s Cakes, my custom cake business. It would be like a café, but elevated. Beautiful front windows featuring gorgeous, colorful cakes each week, like works of art. And an array of cakes in the interior displays, including on-trend, seasonal, and classic flavors and designs. We’ll have a curated array of daily cupcakes and cakes by the slice as well, flavors that I know, from my experience working in several bakeries over the years, are crowd pleasers. And we’ll serve locally roasted coffee.”

“You said, ‘we,’” Savannah says. “Do you have partners?”

“My mom is my business partner. She’s the queen of cupcakes.”

“Well, I can attest to that,” she says, after biting into her cupcake.

“She’ll be thrilled to hear it.”

“Your mom made all these, Quinn?” Graysen asks, tasting a red velvet cupcake.

“The cupcakes are all from the recipes of Lorraine Monroe,” I say proudly, “my mom. All cake samples are mine.”

“You make quite a team,” Damian says, sounding impressed. To Graysen, he says, “We should be selling these in our restaurants.”

“Feel free to keep tasting,” Harlan says. “I just wanted you all to have a chance to see and taste more of Quinn’s hard work. And to be here when I showed the place to her, and told her…” He turns to me. “If you love the space, Quinn, and can see yourself being happy here running the bakery of your dreams, it’s yours.”

None of his siblings say anything. But there does seem to be an air of uncertainty in the room, like they’re all waiting to see how this plays out.

I admit, I am, too.

“But… you own it, though,” I point out.

Harlan comes closer to me and takes my hands. “Well, you’ll own it, too. Once you co-own the whole resort as a member of the Vance family.” You could definitely hear a crumb drop when he adds, “As my wife.”

“Oh. Fuck.” That’s Jameson, I think, and I’m vaguely aware of one of the other brothers elbowing him in the ribs.

I think I hear Savannah gasp.

But I’m too stunned and simultaneously breathless to say a word.

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