Page 95 of A Taste of Trouble

Wiping the tears from her face, she stood tall. There was no sense dwelling over something she couldn't change. She couldn't turn back time. She couldn't go back to the day she met Jake at the bar and choose a different course. She couldn't go back and keep a closer eye on the bakery so as not to have it go up in flames.

The crunch of gravel behind her caught her attention and she turned. Lifting her hand to cover her eyes from the glare, she glimpsed a dark figure that slowly made its way toward her.

Her breath caught when she took in the square shoulders and lean body. She could pick out that body in a crowd. She could pick out that body with just her hands while blindfolded.

&

nbsp; Jake.

He walked close enough that his hulking frame blocked the sun and she lowered her hand. He looked different. The confidence in his step a little less, the sly grin that usually spread across his face replaced with a sullen look.

In his hand he held a reusable grocery bag. She tried to remember if she had left anything at his place. Wasn't that what usually happened after a break up? One party would show up with a bag or a box of items that used to mean something to the relationship. But it didn't matter why he stood in front of her, because seeing him made all the reasons why she hated him disappear. And all the reasons why she had been avoiding him no longer made sense.

He sidled a little closer, with no indication as to the thoughts or feelings running through his brain.

“I love you.” The words took a few seconds to register. “I thought I would start with that because it's the most important thing I want you to know. The second is, I'm sorry." He pulled out a small box from the bag. Too big for a ring. Too small for anything substantial. “I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to fix this between us. I want to fix this between us.”

He gestured for her to take the container. She lifted it off his palm and unhooked the opaque plastic.

Her breath caught at the sight of a single cupcake. Chocolate with white icing. On the top, red gel icing was squeezed out into the shape of a heart. By the shakiness of the piping and the uneven dollop of frosting, it was clear that he'd made it himself. But in the middle of the heart was a cartoon of a man and a woman. The woman wore an apron. It was supposed to be them. An avatar. He'd gotten Miles involved.

Even though she had forgiven him the moment he stepped into her view, this was the perfect peace offering. This container held something very substantial. A second chance.

“There's nothing a cupcake can't fix, right?” His voice traveled from where he was standing.

Her eyes began to water again.

“If it's too much to forgive me, if it's too big that even a cupcake can't fix this mess I've gotten us into, then I've brought reinforcements.”

He rushed past her and stood by the burnt couch. He reached inside the bag and pulled out a white tablecloth. He covered one side of the couch. Next, a small vase filled with flowers was placed over the cloth. Then he took out his iPod. He made a playlist for the occasion? Liv shook her head and smiled. Tony.

Finally, he reached to the bottom of the bag and pulled out a long purple box. She recognized it right away to be from one of the specialty bakeries downtown in Yorkville. He had brought her French macaroons.

She couldn't help the smile that curved her lips. Actually, it was more of a grin that spread from ear to ear.

He laid the box on the couch. “That's all I wanted.”

She looked at him in confusion. She was too caught up with the lengths he was willing to go to. “What?”

“To see you smile. If all this isn't enough, then all I want is to make you smile. I don't—”

“I forgive you.” She still hadn't looked up from her gift, but she got him to stop talking. “I forgive you.” This time, she looked up.

It was as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. The Jake Miller she first met stared back at her. The Jake Miller she'd fallen in love with closed the space between them and grabbed her with both hands, pulling her into a heated kiss.

She loved the lips that softly mingled with her own. Lips that were made to fit perfectly with hers.

He pulled away quickly and spoke between gasps. “I didn't know he was your dad. It's not an excuse, but I wanted you to know that.”

“I know. He told me.”

“You spoke to him?” She traced her index finger along the line of his lip, wanting desperately to get back to what they had been doing not ten seconds ago.

“He sent me a letter.” She cocked her head to the side. “He also told me that you quit your job. Why?”

“I don't need the Vice President position to follow my dreams.” He pulled her even closer to him. “Watching you, seeing how much you enjoyed getting up every morning and doing what you love, inspired me.”

“Yeah. Look what it got me. A charbroiled business.”

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