Page 47 of Buck Wild Orc Cowboy
“You’re sure?” Her gaze sought mine.
She didn’t look away. That was the thing. People who doubted you usually glanced somewhere else and waited for your answer. She stayed with me. It made my mouth go dry.
“I am. Enjoy yourself. Get something from the front and some tea or coffee and sit outside. Enjoy the breeze and the chance to relax.”
“I’m going to put her to work,” Gracie said with a laugh. “Though I guess this could seem like relaxation.”
“It’ll be fun,” Holly said with a bright voice that didn’t sound fake. “I’m excited to help. Which charity do you plan to donate to?”
She named the animal shelter one town over, and Holly’s grin grew wider.
The two women walked out into the front part of the bakery to get something to eat and drink. I went back to work, making bagels.
Gracie was also going to try to talk Holly into bidding on my basket.
Would she evenwantmy basket? Want me? I hated how petty that sounded, even in my own head. But I kept thinking about what it’d feel like to sit across from her on a blanket in the grass. Just us, no bakery noise, no reason to hold back. Maybe we’d sit in silence, like always. It would be the good kind of quiet, one full of feelings.
Although Holly didn’t have a lot of money. I doubted she’d feel comfortable spending any on a picnic basket even if it did include me.
I’d have to coordinate that as well.
Chapter 16
Holly
The scent of warm bustabill root pastries filled my senses as Gracie and I stepped into the front of the bakery. Gracie went straight to the display case, tapping a finger against the glass as she peered through and squealed like an excited kid. “Ohh. Those honey-brushed mincemal braids look like trouble.”
“They’re new.” I slid open the case and reached in with tongs. “We're still tweaking the glaze, but I think we're close.”
I added wellflower twists and a pinch of crushed sandberry seed to each braid before setting them on little plates, their soft gold crusts glinting under the case lights. Gracie licked her lips like she was fighting the urge to grab one and start eating this minute. Because she was making me smile, I added a few tellibean cookies to her plate as well.
“Let’s eat outside.” She took two thick paper cups from the stack near the carafe, upending them. Steam curled up as she filled them with dark tea brewed with lemon root slivers and a touch of honey foam. A bit spicier than most teas but it tasted amazing.
We pushed through the front door together, balancing plates and cups like we’d done it a hundred times. The late day sun slanted through town, making everything sparkle. We dropped into wicker chairs on the boardwalk, the little table between us wide enough for everything without sticking out too far to mess with foot traffic.
Smells drifted from the kitchen behind us—yeast, caramelized sugar, a hint of the bagels Sel must be baking by now. Tourists wandered down Main Street, snapping pictures of the saloon. A few peered through the general store's front window before they went inside. Two guys wearing cowboy hats leaned against the porch rail outside the blacksmith shop, talking. Laughter bubbled from somewhere near the big red barn that served as a function hall.
This town didn’t buzz like Boston, it breathed.
I sipped my tea and let it settle on my tongue. Warm and sweet. “It’s so nice here, even when it’s busy.”
Gracie blew across the surface of her tea. “Funny, isn’t it? This town could be full of marching bands, and it’d still feel slow in the best way. Makes cities feel big.”
“I'm from Boston, and it was.” I frowned toward the horizon. “Loud. Fast. Some people thrive on that. I thought I did. As it turns out, I only survived.”
“You met Max’s dad there?”
She knew about him, then, but I was sure Sel had shared a bit about me and my son with his brothers.
“Right after I graduated from high school.” I picked up my braid but didn’t bite yet. “He was charming. Said all the right things. Had all the worst intentions.”
“Your family didn't try to help?”
“I grew up in foster care and my foster mom had to stop taking in kids when I was a senior in high school. She got MS and it was too much. They placed me in another home but that onehad tons of kids, and it was hectic. I mostly kept to myself.” And was ripe for Melvin.
We watched tourists pass.
Gracie didn’t rush to fill the silence.
