Page 96 of A Taste of Trouble

“You'll be back in business in no time. And since I'm unemployed, I can help you.” This time, the thought of Jake helping didn't make Liv tense up. She wanted him in the picture. She wanted him involved in every aspect of her life.

She giggled. “I guess I could use someone to make sure that I'm really clean when I leave the house every morning.”

“Where do I apply?”

He gave her a long, hard hug. It was exactly what she needed. Then his body tensed and he held her away from him as he said, “You know, we could make a lot of money if we coined the break-up cupcake.”

“You're talking about us breaking up already?”

“Not us.” He led her over to the couch. “Whenever guys screw up with women, they buy the break-up cupcake and all is forgiven.”

“I think that you might be on to something.” Maybe having someone to share in her business wasn't such a bad idea after all. Jake had just brainstormed a possible bestseller.

“I think we'll be rich. Guys are always screwing up.” He tapped her on the nose with his finger. “You have black soot all over your face.”

She reached to wipe it away.

“It's hot.”

The simple action of Jake uttering the word “hot” had her insides melting, but she was intent on making this right.

“Thank you,” Liv said.

He shrugged it off.

“No.” She grabbed his face between her hands. “Thank you. I was too stubborn to make the first move.”

“I know. Let's just say that you owe me for giving you your happily ever after.”

After all these years of reading about it in books, she could recognize it. The declaration of love, the grand gesture, the euphoric feeling. Liv was right smack dab in the middle of her own romantic ending.

He continued, “When I was a kid, my grandma once told me that I was going to have to find a woman who could spin sugar into gold in order to keep me happy.”

That was…her.

“I know you're the perfect person for me. The only one for me, and I'll do anything to make sure that the rest of your life is a happily ever after.”

He bent his head and nuzzled her ear. “So we're officially a couple?”

It was a question. Even after admitting he'd give her a-happily-ever-after, he still needed reassurance.

“Because if you're still not convinced, I have a mathematical formula courtesy of Brian that proves we're meant for each other. I'd rather not explain it, because—”

Liv touched her finger to his lips, then replaced it with her lips. Everything felt right. Perfect. And even though she was standing outside of her burned bakery, she knew everything was going to be better from this moment on because she had someone to share her life with.

“I love you, Olivia Crawford. I love everything about you.”

“I love you, too, Jake.” She sighed. “With icing on top.”

Their lips met again. They kissed in the back alley of the bakery as the sun fell behind the horizon, the smell of almond and butter cream sweetening the moment.

Epilogue

Liv turned off the lights of her bakery. Holding tight a box of leftover cupcakes, she walked to the front door where Jake waited for her. Dressed in a black shirt and gray dress pants, he looked scrumptious. His strong upper body filled out his leather jacket, giving her the urge to run her hands up and down his pecs.

“This was the best grand opening I've ever been to,” he said.

“It's probably the only grand opening you've been to.”

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