Page 23 of To Tell the Truth
Cora gave her friend's shoulder a squeeze and left Samantha to get her cupcakes frosted, which of course took barely any time at all since she was the U.S. Cupcake Frosting Champion.
She could hear Riley out in the retail space greeting customers while the three women were in the back getting more items baked for the front display cases. It seemed to be quieting down out front and Samantha was in her zone as she started another order for a birthday party this weekend.
"Oh. Hi," she heard Riley say in the front room.
Weird, she thought. That wasn't the usual peppy way Riley would greet customers when he was working out front.
"Good to see you, Rook."
Samantha's icing bag froze in midair. She knew that voice. She knew it very well. Hell, she knew much more about who that was than just their voice.
"I just got into town and thought I would stop by."
"To see Samantha?"
Georgia let out a dramatic sigh. "Wait here."
Samantha could hear footsteps out of the kitchen but didn't dare turn around. She couldn't watch any of this or look at anyone in the bakery with her right now. She knew if she turned around, he would be there. Fletcher Keris. In her bakery.
"Hi, Fletcher!" came Georgia's light voice from the space. "I'm Georgia, Riley's sister. We met back in Los Angeles."
"We did. It's good to see you again."
Awkward silence. And then the chime for the door opened and Riley put on his customer greeting voice again.
It was all so disjointed behind Samantha. Riley taking an order, some whispering, footsteps, Cora put something in the oven and closed it.
And then there was silence in the kitchen again and she assumed she was the only one left in the back room, but she was too afraid to confirm it. She knew that Fletcher was somewhere around here, somewhere near her maybe, but she was too worried to turn around.
There was a squeak of a shoe against the tile floor and Samantha finally got the courage to look up. Fletcher was standing right there next to her in her kitchen.
"Hi," he said quietly.
"Hey."
His smile was warm and inviting, missing that edge to it that always showed up when he had to say goodbye to her. But this time, she hoped that goodbye wouldn't be coming soon like the other nights.
His hand threaded through her hair and she leaned into the palm, letting the warmth of his skin wash over her. He was really here in her bakery in Chicago and he would be staying for awhile.
"So I don't know if you heard, but I'm moving to town."
"I heard," she replied with a smile.
"I swung by to get a cupcake from a friend of mine and ask if I could crash at her place for a few days."
She stared at him, his eyes twinkling with a little mischief as he looked back at her. A cupcake? She could do that. But Fletcher Keris crashing at her place for a few days? She could actually do that too, and it didn't feel weird for her to think that she could do that too. It felt natural for her to think Fletcher should live in her space. After all these months, it finally felt right.
"I think we can make that work."
Fletcher's smile grew and it lit up his whole face in a way that made Samantha hopeful that this could actually work out.
Then he leaned down and kissed her, sweet and gentle and a way that didn't feel like it was a desperate goodbye. And she kissed him back, wordlessly telling him that she was happy he was here. No more trying to figure out what to do next or what this relationship was.
Samantha knew it was real, and that was the truth.
Epilogue
January was always one of the coldest months in Chicago and it was really living up to its reputation tonight. No snow or ice, but the wind was strong and biting. It blew through the door every time someone else walked through to fill the packed space of Icing.
