Page 13 of Until It Was Real

I study the town as I wander. It’s adorable. I could see myself settling down here. Except I could never afford to buy a house since I have a mountain of debt to pay – courtesy of my dead husband.

I wish I could invent a time machine and go back two years to divorce the jerk before he died. Unfortunately, I didn’t know he was a jerk at the time. I was the naïve fool who thought he was away on business all those weekends when he was actually gambling our money away when he wasn’t spending it on booze and hookers.

I should probably consider myself lucky I didn’t end up with some weird STD that causes boils on your face.

Enough of Adam. I want to enjoy my first day off in two weeks.

I notice a bakery shop up ahead – Pirates Pastries. The logo is adorable – a pirate ship with a rolling pin as the steering wheel and a cupcake on the black mast. I can’t not go inside now.

The place smells of sugar and coffee and chocolate. Heaven.

“Dakota Bell,” a woman says when I approach the counter. “It’s about time you showed up.”

“Um… How do you know my name?”

She rolls her eyes. “This is Smuggler’s Hideaway. Everyone knows everything.”

Gosh. I hope not. I don’t want to run away with my tail tucked between my legs when everyone realizes what a douchebag my dead husband was.

“I don’t know who you are.”

She grins. “Sassy. I like it. I’m Parker. Welcome to my bakery.”

“You’re a baker?” She nods. “Cool. I can’t bake. It’s not my fault, though. Mixers tend to go crazy when I’m in the vicinity.”

She giggles. “I’m happy to fulfill your baked good needs.” She motions to the display case. “Pick what you want. On the house.”

“I can pay.” I’m not destitute. Yet.

“It’s my welcome to Smuggler’s Hideaway present. Besides, once you’ve had one of my treats, you’ll come back.” She winks.

My nose wrinkles. “I probably shouldn’t. I don’t need any more curves than I already have. But I can’t resist a good cookie.”

She snatches a cookie from the display case. “This is a Blackbeard’s revenge cookie. You’ll love it.”

“Blackbeard’s revenge?”

“Everything on the island is mermaid or smuggler themed.”

I snort. “I know all about the mermaids.”

“Don’t worry. The mermaids only last for about six weeks of the summer during Mermaid Karaoke season.”

“Mermaid Karaoke season?”

“Yep. You should avoid theBootleggerbar until the summer’s over.”

In my dreams I have time to barhop. “Bootlegger?You weren’t kidding about the smuggler theme.”

“Nope.” She sets a plate with the cookie on the counter. “What kind of coffee do you want?”

“Anything with caffeine is my favorite.”

“Double espresso coming up.” She shoos me toward a table. “Go. Sit down. I’ll bring your coffee over.”

I settle at a spot in front of the window. I nibble on my cookie as I watch people pass by. I realize I’m tasting air and glance down at my shirt where half of my cookie has landed.

Parker hands me a napkin. “It happens to the best of us.”

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