“Don’t mess this up,” Abuela said. “It’s muy importante.”
“Gee, no pressure,” Harper responded as she put the finishing touches on her great-grandma’s red velvet cake.
Abuela snorted. “You young people know nothing of pressure.” The older woman was carefully adding a chocolate Kiss to each of the cookies on her tray of chocolate Kiss cookies. “In my day, we worked our fingers to the bone twenty-four/seven.”
“And I’ve been such a slacker?”
Abuela cackled. “Okay, no. You’re a hard worker. It’s why I’m willing to help you.”
Harper had to laugh. “I pay you to help me.”
“Yes, and there’s that. You pay two dollars an hour more than I expected.”
Harper gaped at her. “You said you wouldn’t take a penny less!”
“And you believed me.” Abuela came over to inspect her great-grandma’s red velvet cake. “Looks good.”
“It does, doesn’t it?” she said with pride.
Shay walked in the back door, and Harper quickly shoved the cake into the fridge.
Shay divided a suspicious look between her and Abuela. “What?”
“No hablo inglés,” Abuela said, and headed out to the front of the bakery.
Shay looked at Harper. “And you. Why do you look so sickeningly happy?”
“Because I’m baking to my heart’s content in my own kitchen.” Which she was never going to get tired of saying. “Only a few months ago, I was working my fingers to the bone for a horrible boss, hating my life. Coming here’s been the best thing I’ve ever done for myself.”
“Ugh, I so wanted to hate you,” Shay said, heading to the fridge.
“No!” Harper yelled, and flattened herself to the front of it.
Shay blinked. “What’s going on with you?”
Harper tried to look innocent. “What’s up with you?”
Shay rolled her eyes. “Are you a toddler?”
“Stay out of my fridge.”
“Since when?”
Since Harper had made the red velvet cake at Mace’s request. He had plans, and for those plans, he needed Shay’s favorite cake. “Since you’ve been eating me out of house and home.”
Shay collapsed on one of the chairs at the small table. “I know! I can’t stop! I think it’s because I’m not getting any.”
Harper’s cell rang. “Don’t tell her it’s me,” Mace said quickly in her ear. “I’m ready, so tell her you’re hungry and you want company for a meal. Soon as you’re headed over here, Zeke’s gonna sneak into your place and get the cake. Abuela’s going to cover your bakery.”
“Okay.” Harper hung up and turned to Shay. “You know what? I’m hungry too. Let’s go get food.”
Two minutes later, they were heading down the cobblestone walkway, Shay muttering something about how stupid she was for letting people into her stupid heart because it’d ruined her stupid life.
Harper understood the sentiment because not all that long ago, she’d felt that very same way. But with some distance and a new life, one she’d built for herself, she felt happier than she’d ever been. She was running her own bakery. Forging new relationships. More people had her back than ever before, and she couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. Shay was one of them. Sure, they were unlikely friends, but it was very real. So was what she felt for Ivy.
And then there was Bodie. Putting a name to how she felt about him wasn’t nearly as scary as she’d thought it’d be. There was something about how she felt when she was with him. She’d opened her heart to him, and he’d made himself at home there with an ease she’d honestly not believed possible. She knew she’d do anything for these people. Her people.
A minute later, she and Shay entered Olde Tahoe Tap. Bodie greeted them, first brushing a kiss to Shay’s cheek, then pulling Harper in for a hug that warmed her from the inside out. “Mmm,” he murmured in her ear. “Needed that.”
“Me too. You hug almost as good as your daughter.”
He gave a rueful laugh. “When I saw her hug you in the store this morning, it hurt my heart.”
She pulled back to look into his face.
“In a good way,” he assured her. “In the very best way.”
She put her hand on his face, and he moved his lips over to kiss her palm.
“All right,” Shay said. “Stop showing off.”
Bodie took them to a table. Their server came over with menus.
It was Mace.
Shay froze in surprise. “What are you doing?”
“Hello, my name is Mace, and I’ll be your server tonight.”
“You’ve been avoiding serving me for over a month,” Shay said.
“Our special cocktail tonight is the Gold Rush,” he went on smoothly. “Is there anything I can help you with or answer for you?”
“Yes,” Shay said, craning her neck, looking one way and then the other. “Where are the cameras? Are we on some reality show where exes get in a fight in a public place? Because that’s what’s about to happen.”
Mace smiled. “As for food, we’ve got the gamut. Personally, I’d recommend the Mountain Burgers.”
Shay opened her mouth, but Harper put her hand on Shay’s arm. “We’ll take two burgers,” she said. “Sounds lovely.”
Mace threw her a grateful glance.
“And at least two Gold Rushes,” Shay said.
Mace bowed slightly, added a very charming, very sweet smile, and walked away.
Shay stared after him. “He’s up to something.”
Harper knew this to be true.
“The question is, is he going to use his powers for good or evil?”
“His powers?” Harper asked.
“He’s charismatic, fascinating, and could enchant a nun.”
Harper smiled. “Good thing you’re no nun.”
The burgers were indeed delicious, and so were the Gold Rushes. She and Shay were completely stuffed and slightly tipsy by the time they finished eating.
Bodie made his way over to them. “Everything going okay here?” He smiled at Shay, then turned to Harper and . . . really smiled, the warm, sweet, sexy, just-for-her smile that made her smile dopily back at him. He pulled her right out of her chair and gave her a hello kiss that stole her breath. “Busy tomorrow night?”
“No,” she said. “Why?”
“Thought maybe we could go out and do something fun.”
She was definitely not opposed to fun. “Okay. What should I wear?”
He smiled, his naughty smile. They’d been whispering to each other, and his voice was low and sexy. “Are you asking what I’d like you to be wearing when I pick you up?”
“Yeah,” she answered a little breathlessly.
“Lipstick.”
Oh boy . . .
“Seriously?” Shay said, waving a fork at them.
“What?” Bodie asked.
“You know what’s worse than sitting in your ex’s family’s tavern and watching him smile and charm everyone in the place except you because you were stupid and let him walk away? I’ll tell you what. Watching you two be stupid in love and making googly eyes at each other.”
Harper started in surprise at the “stupid in love” part. Not Bodie. He looked unrepentant.
“And,” Shay went on, still jabbing her fork in their general direction, “it’s also annoying as hell to know that you’re both getting laid and I am not.”
Harper put her hands to her hot cheeks. “Please stop saying that.”
“Hey, you’re the one wearing that I’ve-recently-had-a-bunch-of-really-great-orgasms look on your face. You going to eat your fries?”
Harper pushed hers over, thinking if Shay’s mouth was full, maybe she’d stop talking. “Maybe they weren’t all that great. You ever think of that?”
“The fries?”
“The orgasms!” Harper realized she’d yelled that when several people looked over at her.
“They were exceptional,” Bodie told Shay.
Harper rolled her eyes but also felt herself flush—not in embarrassment, but at the memory of just how exceptional.
“Whatever,” Shay said, and lifted her hand. “Where’s my waiter? You know, the one I used to sleep with, who used to give me some really great orgasms? I need more alcohol.”
“How were the burgers?” Bodie asked. “Mace made them himself.”
Shay shrugged. “They were all right.”
They all looked down at Shay’s plate, which she’d practically licked clean.
“So what?” Shay said. “The man can cook. He makes them for whoever orders them, not for me specifically.”
“You don’t know,” Bodie said. “Maybe he’s kissing up.”
“Or he’s trying to butter me up for some bad news.”
Bodie tugged on a strand of her hair. “He’s not. Try to enjoy yourself.”
“I am.”
Bodie studied her body language. “You’re strung so tight you’re going to snap.”
“Yeah, well, your brother has that effect.”
Bodie laughed, leaned over, and kissed Harper again, then moved off.
“I want that,” Shay said.
“Well, you can’t have it. It’s mine.”
“Not that that. Not him.” She paused. “Okay, so I’d take him in a hot minute, but I really just want what you two have. And I want it with Mace.”
“You remember that you let him walk away, right?”
“Dammit.”
Mace came to clear their plates.
“Check, please,” Shay said.
“It’s on the house. Will you stay a few minutes?”
“Why?” she asked with her usual suspiciousness.
“I’d really like to talk to you,” he said softly. “I just need to do something real quick in the back.”
Shay looked up into his eyes, her own solemn. Serious. “Mace—”
“Please?”
She gave him a nod, and looking uncertain, she turned to Harper when he was gone. “Now that we’re back to being friends and all, I think he wants to tell me he’s going to start seeing other people. Which was implied when we broke up, but then neither of us did, so . . .” She bit her lower lip. “I’m strong as hell, but I don’t think I’m strong enough for this.”
“Maybe it’s not what you think,” Harper said, trying not to give anything away.
Shay looked doubtful as Mace came out with the cake.
“Wait—what’s that?” she asked. “Is that what I think it is? Is that . . .” She turned to Harper. “Your red velvet cake made from your great-grandma’s recipe that you won’t share?”
“Yes.”
Shay turned to Mace. “What’s going on? It’s not my birthday.”
“No, but I’m hoping we’re celebrating.”
“Celebrating what?”
“Agreeing to see each other again.”
She stared at him. “We ‘see’ each other all the time.”
“You know what I mean.” He looked at her, his eyes softening. “I’m sorry I pushed you away when you got scared. I should never have asked for something before you were ready.”
“What if I’m never ready?” she whispered, looking heartbreakingly terrified.
Mace dropped to his knees at her side. “You love me. I love you. I don’t need anyone else, ever. If you’re never ready to sign a piece of paper pledging our love to each other, I’m okay with that. I know what we have.”
Shay sucked in a breath. “Really?”
“Really, babe. I love you. I’m so sorry.”
Her eyes filled. “No, I’m sorry for letting you go without trying to explain. I’ve regretted it every day since. But love has always sucked for me. Always.”
“I know,” he said gently. “I’ve always known. I shouldn’t have walked.” He shook his head, looking disgusted with himself. “I’ve regretted my reaction every day since too.”
Shay’s voice was unbearably hopeful. “Yeah?”
“Yeah. So let’s try this thing again.” His voice was husky with emotion as he cupped her face and swiped away a few tears with his thumb. “Let’s do this without any licenses or signatures, just let it have its way and take us wherever we want. What do you say?” He lit the sole candle on the cake.
Shay was quiet for a long time. For a really long time, until Harper started to worry about the cake melting. Or the bar catching fire. Everyone was holding their collective breath in the awkward silence until Shay finally spoke. “Are you doing this with an audience so I won’t say no?”
Mace grimaced. “Yes?”
Shay held up a finger and closed her eyes for a long beat. Then she blew out the candle. “Yes,” she said, looking at Mace.
“Yes,” Mace repeated carefully. “Yes to . . . a piece of probably melted cake? Yes to forgiving me? Yes to being with me again?”
“Yes. To all of it. Because love doesn’t suck with you.”
Mace hauled Shay right out of her chair and into his arms and kissed her as if his life depended on it.
Harper realized she had her hand to her chest, unbearably moved and happy for the two people in the world who were possibly more stubborn than she.
Bodie pulled Harper into his side, and she felt like she was a part of something wonderful, something she’d never known until she’d come here.
Shay finally broke free from Mace and swiped her finger through the frosting and then sucked it off her finger. “Oh my God. I’ve died and gone to heaven.”
Bodie leaned into Harper and whispered in her ear, “Amazing.”
“It’s just a cake.”
“It’s so much more than that. And I meant you. You’re amazing.”
When she was with him, she felt amazing. “Bodie?”
“Yeah?”
“Remember that pace I set?” She looked up into his face. “Maybe we should kick it up to second gear.”
Bodie laughed softly. “Babe, we’ve blown right past second gear.” Then he lowered his head and kissed her.
“They keep doing that,” Shay said.
Harper broke free and smiled up at Bodie.
His return smile lit up her heart. In fact, she was smiling so much her cheeks hurt when she felt her phone buzz in her pocket just as Bodie turned to say something to one of his servers.
Harper pulled out her phone. Ivy. “Hey, babe.”
“Are you with my dad?”
The worry and stress in the teenager’s voice had the smile gone from Harper. “Yes, are you okay?”
“I have to tell you something, but you have to promise you won’t tell him.”
Oh boy. “Ivy, you know I can’t do that—”
“Promise me, or I’m hanging up right now.”
Harper looked up in time to see Bodie moving into the kitchen. She sucked in a breath, caught between a rock and a hard place. If she didn’t promise and Ivy hung up, they’d have no idea what was happening. If she did promise, it would mean not telling Bodie something about his kid. “Ivy—”
“I knew it. Bye, Harper—”
“No!” She lowered her voice. “I won’t say a word. Where are you?”
“Promise me!”
“I promise,” she said, moved by the genuine fear and panic in Ivy’s voice. “Are you hurt?”
“I blew it. I totally blew it.”
“Ivy, just tell me where you are.”
“Not until you’re alone.”
Harper stood up. “Okay, I’m walking outside now. Send me a pin of your location. Stay on the line with me.” The music had been cranked up and everyone had moved onto the dance floor, living it up. She eyed the swinging doors to the kitchen where she’d seen Bodie go.
“Hurry,” Ivy whispered.
She started moving, and Zeke looked over at her, a question in his gaze. “You okay?”
“Yep,” she said, knowing Ivy was listening. She headed outside, starting to type a text to Bodie: Gotta go, call me.
“Harper?” Ivy asked, voice thin. Scared. “You still there?”
“Right here.” She got into her car while accessing the pin of Ivy’s location. “My ETA’s seventeen minutes.”
“Hurry.”
GPS led her up to Hidden Falls and a dirt road off the highway that was narrow and rutted. She hadn’t gone very far when Ivy said in her ear through the phone, “Stop!”
There was no room to pull over, so she just hit the brakes. Dust rose around the car, and before it’d cleared, Ivy had jumped into her passenger seat.
Harper looked her over as much as she could in the dark confines of the car. The teen looked the same as she had earlier, in simple jeans, a tee, and beat-up sneakers. No sign of injury. “You okay?”
“Can we just get out of here, please?”
Harper managed to turn the car around, executing a zillion-point turn on the narrow road. They didn’t speak until they were back on the highway.
“Where are you taking me?” Ivy asked.
“To your dad. He’s at Olde Tahoe Tap.”
“No!” Ivy looked over at her. “Please, can you just take me home? I’ll wait for him and tell him everything when it’s just him and me, I promise. He’s not expecting me before midnight anyway.”
Harper tried to find the fault in that but couldn’t. “Okay, but start talking.”
Ivy drew a deep breath. “James and Jessie got themselves in trouble with a guy they owed money to. So I lent them the money Bodie had set aside for me to spend.”
Harper looked over at her. “The money he left in the cash drawer for you?”
Ivy winced. “I’m going to pay it back, I promise.”
“You stole from your dad’s bar?”
“Borrowed. And I had no choice.”
Harper shook her head. “Ivy, there’s always a choice.”
“No, you don’t understand!” Ivy cried. “They’re like me, only not as lucky. They don’t have a you or a Bodie. They have no one. I had to help them. They had to bring five hundred dollars to a party, and . . . somealcoholwhichIalsotookfromthebar.”
Harper’s head swiveled to Ivy. “What?”
“And then the cops came and everyone ran, and I got separated from James and Jessie. They’re safe, they’ve been texting me, feeling so bad about losing me. They would’ve come back for me, but I called you.” Because I needed the comfort . . .
“What were you thinking?” Harper demanded. “You could’ve been arrested.”
Ivy slumped into the passenger seat. “If I’d wanted a lecture, I’d have called Bodie.”
“Was that attitude?” Harper glanced over at her. “Because that sounded like attitude, to the person who just risked a lot to come out here for you, no questions asked.”
“You asked plenty.”
“And you told me nothing, and yet I still came. And now I’m an accomplice in your lies.”
Ivy sniffled. “I’m sorry!” She covered her face. “I knew that everything was too perfect. Bodie and his entire family. You . . .”
Harper gave her a look of shocked disbelief. “So you chose to mess it all up?”
“Yes!” Ivy cried. “I’m stupid, okay? And it doesn’t matter. I took money from the bar’s cash drawer. And alcohol. Soon as he finds out, I’m good as gone anyway. I should’ve stuck with my original plan: show up, get the child support owed to me from my sperm donor, then go and start a new life on a beach in Santa Barbara or San Diego. But then I liked it here, so I stayed. I thought I’d stay forever. So stupid.”
“Wait—that’s why you came?” Harper sucked in a breath. Bodie would be heartbroken when he found out. “First off, he’s not just your sperm donor. He’s your dad. And if you can’t tell that after everything he’s done to show you he loves you unconditionally and on first sight, then you’ve not been paying attention. And take it from someone who spent her teenage years alone, I’d have given anything to have a dad who loves me the way yours loves you.” She pulled up to Bodie’s house.
It was dark.
Ivy sank down in the seat. “Are you going to tell on me?”
“No, you’re going to tell on you, first thing tomorrow morning since he’ll be home late.”
“Fine.” Ivy got out of Harper’s car.
“I know it doesn’t feel like it right now,” Harper said. “But I care about you, Ivy. A lot.”
The teen’s eyes filled as she nodded, shut the door, and walked into the house.
Harper waited until her bedroom light came on upstairs before she pulled out of the driveway.
When she got home, she waited for Bodie to call her.
She fell asleep waiting on that call.