Page 3 of Hers to Marry
Drew took another bite of the cupcake, leaving a trace of icing on his top lip. The image of Kat licking it off flashed in front of her, and she lost her breath. Where did that come from?
“Well, I could never work in a bakery,” Drew said, his tongue sweeping the icing off his lip. “Nothing would make it to the front counter.”
“It’s a good thing Kat has strong willpower. Everything she creates should win an award,” Susie said with a bright smile. She side-hugged Kat and then was called away to serve another customer.
Kat sighed.
Drew laughed. “She’s just showing you off. You’re an amazing baker.”
“Still doesn’t lessen the embarrassment.”
Drew’s smile lingered. He shook his head. “Wow, Kat. How many years has it been?”
“Um…nearly twenty?”
Drew blinked. “That long?”
Suddenly nervous again, she rubbed her arms. “I’m surprised you still recognize me.”
He popped the rest of the cupcake in his mouth and groaned in delight. Kat giggled. “Thank you. That’s actually the best compliment.”
“You’re welcome. Thank you for making me spend an extra hour in the gym tonight,” he said playfully.
“You don’t need it, but you’re welcome.”
His eyes flashed a knowing look, and his lips curved up to one side. Admitting her approval of his body, Kat suddenly felt self-conscious, and moved a hand to brush her hair back, but her fingers got caught in the hairnet instead. She yanked her hand down and clasped her hands firmly behind her back.
She never thought she’d say that to him. After all, they’d been eight years old when his family had moved away. She cried a lot that summer. Her heart hadn’t been the same since.
Her childhood best friend. Gone. Forever.
Until today.
He leaned in over the counter and whispered, “Not to knock Susie or anything, but you should open your own place.”
She wished she could have the same enthusiasm she saw in his confident grin. Unfortunately, she had tried that route.
And failed.
Big time.
Opening her own place would never happen again. That dream was long dead. She had learned to be content as a boutique baker.
“Katrina!”
Katrina’s eyes spotted her second-ever best friend in the world, and her eyes nearly bugged out of their sockets. “Parker? What in the world are you doing here?”
Parker laughed loudly and ran forward, her left hand outstretched. “Getting married, silly!”
“Getting married? You’re engaged?” When had that happened? “Since when? You’ve said nothing for months! I didn’t—”
Parker looped an arm through Drew’s. Katrina’s breath caught in her throat. If she closed her eyes, she wouldn’t see it. But it couldn’t be unseen.
Her heartbeat thumped loudly in her ears, its rapid pace slowing as the seconds ticked by. She had to breathe, or she’d actually die.
Her gaze slowly rose to Drew’s. His skin had paled, making his reddish-brown hair look more red, and revealing a splatter of light brown freckles across the bridge of his nose.
Parker hopped up and down like a giddy kid in a bakeshop. Her hand roamed slowly down Drew’s thick bicep. “Have you met my fiancé, Drew?” She looked up at him with love. “Oh, you have a little bit of icing just…here…” She kissed the corner of Drew’s mouth.
Ugh. That didn’t look as good as Katrina’s daydream at all.
