Page 42 of Lead Me Knot

Her eyes glisten under the fluorescents of the kitchen. No tears, but sincerity shadows them as if they weren’t already the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen. She leans on her forearms, bringing her so close that our hands touch. “Okay, since you’re being all charming and everything, you’re going to have to sneak me out, Greene. You up for the task?”

“I’m up for anything that includes time with you.” She stands when the door pushes in just the slightest. Looking to make sure the coast is clear, she turns back to me and says, “If I go to the ranch with you, I still need to frost these before ten a.m. Frosting goes quickly, but five hundred is still a lot.”

“Like I told your mom,” I say, straightening my spine to my full height and swinging my arms out. “Beck and call, baby.”

She briefly eyes the oven behind me and comes around, stopping next to me. Looking up, she whispers, “You’re quite the surprise, Baylor.”

“In a good way?”

“Unfortunately for me, in a terribly charming way.” She moves closer to the oven to spy on the cupcakes through the glass window.

“I wouldn’t call it unfortunate.”

Turning back, she looks at me over her shoulder while slipping oven mitts on her hands. “Me either.”God, I love the way she blushes for me. “After this batch comes out, I can freshen up, and we can head out.”

I nod toward the door. “I can take care of it if you want to go ahead.”

She reaches for the bow at the waist of her apron and tugs the tails. “You sure?”

“Yep. I have it handled.” Checking the timer, I add, “Six minutes and we’re golden.”

“Okay. It’s going to be a late night, though. I really do have to frost some of the cupcakes, and I’ll need to clean this mess.”

“We got it covered.”

“Thanks.” She pushes through the door to the front of the store.

I can hear her and Peaches talking, but it’s muffled, so I don’t know what they're saying. When she returns, though, she’s smiling as she passes through the kitchen to the back door. “My mom is going to close the shop. Give me five minutes, and I’ll be ready.”

“I’ll be here.”

As soon as she leaves, the timer goes off. I won’t be responsible for ruining a batch, so I’m quick to pull them out of the oven and put them on the cooling rack. The place is a mess, so I try to do what I can, turning off the ovens, dusting the flour off the counters into the trash, and then finding a rag to wet and wipe them down. It’s not the best job, and probably not one Lauralee would approve of, but I hope she’ll appreciate the effort.

She walks in,her feet stopping so fast that she tips forward a little. “You cleaned?”

I shrug. “I wouldn’t say it’s clean, but it’s a start.”

She lunges for me, opening her arms, but then catches herself just before they land around my neck. Patting my chest is a consolation prize. “Thank you, Baylor.”

“You’re welcome.” I take the apron off and toss it in the laundry bag. “You ready to face the family?”

Adjusting her purse on her shoulder, she locks the door and starts for the front with me trailing. “It’s not like I’m meeting my boyfriend’s family for the first—” The words choke in her throat, and she turns back. “Right?”

I’ve thought about her a lot since I saw her on my previous visit. I didn’t even go on any dates, not feeling it after spending the night with her last time. Who could possibly compare?

Great, now she has me questioning where things stand between us. I shake it off but keep nodding like an idiot. “It’s Chris and Tagger, the kids, and my dad. Family you’ve known your whole life.”

“Right,” she says, nodding just like me. “They’re practically my family as well. Not by blood but by relationships.” She pushes through the door and goes right to her mom to hug her. “I’ll be back later to clean the kitchen and finish the cupcakes.” When she pulls back, she adds, “It’s going to be a late night because I also need to frost them, so don’t wait up.”

And just like that, the groundwork is laid . . .

If we pick up where we left off earlier, it’s going to be a late night.

“Have a good one, Peaches.”

“You, too. Y’all have fun and say hi to your dad for me.”

“I will.”

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