Page 77 of Only for the Season
“Hey! You stole my prize.”
I pass the gingerbread house to Parker before confronting the drunk again. I stalk forward and he’s forced to back up until he’s at the door to the bakery.
“You will leave this bakery and not come back until you’re sober, do you understand me?”
He stares up at me with his mouth hanging open.
“Unless you want to visit the ER for real.”
Someone from his group grabs his arm and pulls him away. “We got it.”
I follow them outside and watch until they’re out of sight. Only then does my heart rate slow down to normal. I can’t handle the thought of Parker being threatened or her not being safe.
I’ve never been protective of a woman before but Parker isn’t any woman. She isn’t spending her days dropping thousands of dollars on shoes she’ll only wear once. Or wasting hours scrolling on social media.
She works hard and she doesn’t want my money. She wants to do it all on her own. I couldn’t admire her more.
“I knew you loved snow,” Parker says as she wraps her arms around me from behind.
“What?”
She giggles as she motions to the sky. “It’s snowing. It’s why you’re standing outside, isn’t it?”
“Yep. I love snow.”
I’m obviously lying, but she doesn’t call me on it.
“Too bad it’ll be gone in a few hours. The snow never lasts long on Smuggler’s Hideaway. Except for last year. We had this big snowstorm. They had to cancel the treasure hunt. Although some people decided they could bike in the snow anyway.” She laughs. “They couldn’t.”
I spin around and envelop her in my arms. “Have you always loved snow?”
“Yeah.” Her sigh is wistful. “When I was young, my parents and I would go skiing for a week in the winter. Until they realized I preferred to lounge by the big fireplace in the cabin with a book and a hot cocoa while they skied. When I stopped skiing, they went without me.”
I scowl. “They went without you?”
“It was okay. The previous owner ofPirate’s Pastrieswould watch over me for the week. Alice taught me how to make sugar cookies and frosting, and hot cocoa.”
“Where’s Alice now?”
Pain fills her bright blue eyes. “She died two years after I bought the bakery from her. Breast cancer.”
I squeeze her. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” She glances up at me, tears glistening in her eyes. “Alice was ready to go. Her husband was gone and most of her friends had gone as well. It was her time.”
“I can still be sorry you miss her.”
She sighs. “I do. She taught me everything I know about baking.”
I’m glad Parker had Alice in her life. Alice was probably more of a mother figure than her real mom, who went skiing without her. Her parents are assholes.
She taps my mouth. “No scowling when we’re standing outside in the snow.” She buries her face in my shoulder. “Today was a good day.”
“Yea?”
“I introduced thousands of people to my cookies. I watched my temporary boyfriend go all territorial on me. And now it’s snowing. What more could a woman want?”
I tip her chin up. “How about we go warm up with some of your famous hot chocolate?”
