Page 27 of Bargain With the Boss
Undone, I looked up to see Jude smiling at both of us. “Thank you,” I said quietly.
Owen nodded as if he’d done his good deed for the day.
I had to agree that the pancake was far better than my choice and decided half of mine and a bit of Owen’s was an acceptable balance.
“I talked to X last night. He said you had some ideas about seasonal leases. I confess that I’ve been distracted lately with...” He glanced down at his son. “The kids and my Maddie.”
“Understandable.”
“Yes, well, I should have thought of it myself. I’ve let X and G do the heavy lifting lately. I appreciate that you’re here to help.”
I’m not.I pushed my plate away and folded my hands. “Why do you use letters for your friends?”
He shrugged. “When we started the business it just sort of became a short speak. All of us were juggling so much it seemed easier. And I’ve never had friends like them. I’ve always been Jude Keller, son of the great Michelle and Wayne Keller. Here I’m just J. Just Maddie’s husband and dad to this guy and Nessa.” He hugged Owen into him. My nephew squirmed a little, but didn’t try to break free.
“I see.”
I didn’t want to see it, but it was so incredibly clear.
Happiness practically poured out of him.
And I was the one who had to take it from him.
Chapter 8
Xavier
I whistled as I swung into Sugar Rush, the best bakery in Crescent Cove. Probably best in the county, to be honest. Van McNeill was rushing around, her wild colorful hair matched her frosting-smeared apron.
“Hey there, Xavier. Haven’t seen you in here in a hot minute.”
“I know. My cravings have officially careened into redline. Please tell me you have some of those red velvet cupcakes for me.”
She grinned. “Lucky for you my guy also has a weakness for them. I just made a full batch of cookies and cupcakes.”
“I’ll take some of each. And I need to make an order for a dozen of those plate sized cookies for an open house.”
“You got it. Back in a sec.” She was a little thing, but her personality and energy could actually power up the whole bakery she worked at with her sister. She quickly scrawled something on a pad and stuck it in a lavender box then disappeared through a swinging door.
I didn’t question how things worked at Sugar Rush, just trusted the process. While waiting, I wandered over to the large window looking out on Main Street. The foot traffic was at peakmorning capacity. Parking spots were hard to come by as the first trickle of summer tourism started. I glanced down to the gazebo where a few people were taking photos in front of our crown jewel.
The vines of bougainvillea spread through the lattice and sunflowers were already reaching up into the summer sky. Huge clay pots from a nearby pottery studio lined the stairs showing off flowers from A Flower a Day and Brooks’ Greenery. During the height of summer the park would be filled with vendors and farm stands.
Right now it was an endless green with park benches stationed all over. A few people were sitting with a breakfast sandwich or coffee, and still more were filling the pier to check out the stunning view of the lake. The water was dotted with sailboats and our mix of historic and sprawling summer houses created one of the best scenic spots in Central New York. A flurry of birds pulled my attention back toward the diner and my blood pumped a little harder.
Sydney.
She was crouched beside Owen who was determined to feed the seagulls and ducks on the hunt for a free meal.
Her hair was down and the curling ends lifted on the breeze. She tucked it behind her ear, and I caught a glimpse of the rare, wide smile on her face.
It was a punch I wasn’t expecting.
When she stood, her usual cool grace was back in place. She wore trim navy slacks and fussy, feminine blouse that would probably feel like a wet napkin by noon. The day was already soaring into the eighties and it was barely nine in the morning.
She waved to Jude and Owen, then crossed the street on those killer stilts she wore effortlessly. I wasn’t ashamed to say I missed the long line of her legs from her skirt the day before.
She was heading my way and the quick clip of her walk made my mouth dry. Some would probably see the no-nonsense woman in motion, all I could see was the sway of her hips that made my fingers itch to touch. When she passed the window, I couldn’t stop the urge to follow.
