Matt still had the taste of Shay on his lips—sweet with a touch of salt from the popcorn. He had no idea what had come over him when he’d kissed her, but now that he had it was all he wanted to do. He didn’t get up and plan to leave because he was embarrassed of his actions; it was because the desire to kiss her again, feel her tongue slide against his, her hands tighten around his neck, was so damn strong. Walking away was the only thing he could think of to do before he lost control. But when her hand had wrapped around his, and she’d looked up at him with those big beautiful eyes, and asked him to stay, he couldn’t refuse.
He deserved a damn trophy for sitting there, surrounded by her vanilla scent, watching the rise and fall of her chest with each breath without reaching out to her, pulling her close, and revisiting those beautiful lips. God, they were as addicting as they once were, and if Petey hadn’t interrupted them during intermission, Matt didn’t think he would’ve been able to stop.
They walked out of the theater together. “See you soon, Petey,” he said with a wave as he held the door for Shay.
Shay smiled as she passed, the green of her shirt bringing out the green in her eyes. She stopped, staring at him with a dopey look on her face.
“What?”
“Nothing,” she said with a smirk.
“You’re going to look at me like that and tell me it’s nothing?”
“It’s just… these days you can come across a little rough around the edges, but then you bend down to little Tommy Kramer to wish him a happy birthday or wave goodbye to the kid who works at the movie theater—whose name you actually know—and I get a glimpse of the boy you used to be. He’s still inside you, and I don’t know… It’s nice to know he still exists, even if he is hiding behind a cranky old man.”
“Look who’s calling who old.”
“I like how you’re not offended by the cranky part. And besides, you’ll always be older than me.”
“By eleven months.”
“Still older.”
“I can see the girl who was at times shy, but never had a problem speaking her mind. Still doesn’t.”
“What can I say? You have that effect on me.” She patted his chest and missing the feel of her skin, he grabbed her hand, holding it against his chest.
“Lucky me.”
The heat of her touch was almost too much to ignore. He wanted to feel her hand sliding across his bare chest, moving down his body, and wrapping eagerly around his hard length.
But sex with Shay was a bad idea because it wouldn’t just be sex. It never was. What they shared was beyond just bodies coming together; it was mind, body, and soul converging, syncing their hearts to beat as one.
They were young, each other’s first loves, during a summer that was as hot as it was memorable. Maybe it wasn’t just sex because he didn’t know any better. Maybe sex with Shay now would be just sex. No cosmic connection like their bodies were meant to come together, just an old fashioned good time between two people who were attracted to one another.
He’d reacquainted himself with the taste of her lips, the feel of her hair falling through his fingers, now he wanted to know how soft her skin was, if her breasts still filled his hand like they were meant to be held by him. Did her eyes still flutter shut as she was on the brink of an orgasm and would she cuddle up to him after?
“I’m this way,” Shay said, pointing toward the street.
Matt looked around, but didn’t see Shay’s car. “Where are you parked?”
“I walked from the bakery.”
“I’ll walk you back.”
She didn’t argue, and he was happy. He wanted to be near her, and if it was only for a few more minutes, then he was going to hold on to those few minutes.
The night was warm, but there was still a chill from the lingering winter air. Shay ran a hand down her arms, and while he had a sweatshirt back in his car, he was happy he didn’t have it with him.
“Cold?” he asked.
“Always,” she said with a smile. Matt wrapped his hand around her back, resting it on her shoulder and pulling her against his side.
“Better?”
“Yes.” It was only one word, but the raspy tone in Shay’s voice had Matt hardening in his jeans.
“I never asked you…” he said, hoping to take his attention away from his growing desire.
“Kind of hard to ask me anything when we never really talked,” Shay interrupted, and he smirked.
“Suppose you’re right. So since we’re talking, tell me why. Why did you come back?”
She stiffened for a moment, her steps falling out of sync briefly before lining up again. “I guess what it comes down to is freedom. The bakery is the first thing I did on my own with no help from my parents.”
“You had a job in New York.”
“My degree and experience wouldn’t have even gotten me in the door for my interview. My dad made a few phone calls and next thing I knew I got the job.”
“That was all you.”
“I wish I could say it was, but the truth is, my boss’s father-in-law was good friends with my father. Would’ve made for awkward social gatherings if I wasn’t hired.”
“How long did you work there?’
“Seven years.”
“See? That was all you. They wouldn’t have kept you on if they didn’t think you were any good.”
“Make no mistake, I was great at my job.”
“But?”
She turned her eyes to him, eyebrows knitting together, creating little wrinkles on the bridge of her nose that he had to admit were damn adorable.
“I feel like there’s a ‘but’ in there,” he clarified.
She was silent for a minute, her teeth sliding over her plump bottom lip as if she was debating whether or not to admit her true feelings. “But,” she finally said, “I didn’t love it. In the beginning, I did, but after a while the competitive nature of the business, always having to be on my game, schmoozing people I despised… it got old and tiring. I wanted something more. Something that fulfilled me and not just a quota.”
“Did you find it?”
“I did. The bakery is my world. A dream come true really.”
“Hence the name.”
“Exactly. It’s more of me than anything I have ever done. It’s part of my history. Every time I make a blueberry scone, I think of my grandmother on Sunday mornings in her apron, humming happily to herself as she dropped the blueberries into the bowl. When I hand a little kid a cupcake and their face lights up, it reminds me of all the cupcakes my grandmother made me through the years and how I looked forward to them every summer. When an old man comes in and sits down with a cup of coffee, a pastry, and the paper, it reminds me of my grandfather sitting at the kitchen table while my grandmother taught me how to make homemade icing. The bakery reminds me of all the good parts from my childhood. The things I want to remember. Sappy, I know.”
Matt came to a stop, walking in front of Shay and resting his hand on her neck. “Not sappy. Not sappy at all.” He ran his thumb across the apple of her cheek, relishing in the softness of her skin before letting his hand fall back to his side. “My parents’ farm holds all my childhood memories, and I couldn’t imagine not being able to go there and revisit them. You found a way to capture the things that mean the most to you, and there is nothing sappy about that. And now you’re helping to create new memories for all the people who come to your shop. I bet you anything Tommy Kramer will remember those dinosaur cupcakes for years to come.”
“He better after the nightmare they caused,” Shay said with a laugh, and god if he didn’t want to haul her up against a building and devour her with a kiss until her legs were so weak she needed him to keep her standing. “But you’re absolutely right. I’m in the business of making memories, and I don’t think there is a job in the world that would be more satisfying. At least for me.”
“You found your calling.”
“What about you?”
“What about me?”
“You didn’t always want to be the town Sheriff. You wanted to take over the farm and be just like your dad. What changed?”
You. The words were on his tongue, but he didn’t speak them. There were some things he didn’t like to talk about, and his time in the Marines from eighteen—after losing Shay—until twenty-two, when he came home instead of reenlisting, was one of them.
He’d been devastated when he’d lost her. She had become the center of his world, and the thought of continuing his life as planned left him restless and anxious. He’d needed to take a different path, and the service seemed the best course of action. He’d wanted to become the kind of person that his family and town would be proud of. Someone people would look up to. Unfortunately, becoming a soldier was more difficult than he could’ve ever imagined. He learned discipline and honor but had also seen and did things he certainly was not proud of.
Being Sheriff of a small town was nothing like the Marines, but he still woke up every morning and put a uniform on to serve the people, and that was what was important to him.
Shay didn’t need to know any of that, and the fact that she was even asking what changed his plans made it obvious that Kate never mentioned anything to Shay about his time overseas. Which was a relief in itself, since it was one less person he would have to silence on the subject. He did not like thinking back on his time in the service, never mind discussing it with anyone. It took his family a couple of months to learn that no matter how many questions they asked, he wasn’t going to answer. Eventually they stopped asking.
He had a feeling Shay wouldn’t be so easily deflected.
“I decided I wanted something different,” he finally said. “I wanted to give back to the town that had given so much to me.”
“That makes sense. It suits you.”
“You think so?”
“I do. It’s like you’re the big brother of the entire town, and you can tell them what to do and watch over them like you’ve always done with your siblings. Now you just get paid to be a pain in the ass.”
“She’s got jokes,” he said, poking her in the side and causing her to squeak out a laugh.
“Jokes, facts… call them as you like.”
Before he could poke her again, she jumped out of his arms and started walking backward, her eyes glued on his.
“What about the farm? I know your parents still own it, but one day they’ll have to retire.”
“I still help out when I can, but Hadley is there every day. If anyone is going to take over Basil Hill, it’ll be her. She’s earned it. Deserves it. And she’d be perfect for it. Though, I wouldn’t be surprised if she built a place to foster dogs.”
“I love how every time I see her, she has a new dog with her. One cuter than the last. I’m always tempted to adopt them, but with my schedule that’d be impossible.”
“You can always bring them to work with you.”
“I have a feeling having a dog hanging out at a bakery wouldn’t go over well with the Board of Health.”
“Good point.”
They came to a stop in front of Sweet Dreams Bakery, and Shay hitched a finger over her shoulder. “This is me.”
He didn’t want to walk away; he wasn’t ready for the night to end when it felt like it was just beginning.
She pulled out her keys and unlocked the shop doors. She pushed the door open and stood just outside.
“No alarm?”
“I knew I was coming back so I didn’t set it.”
“Don’t tell me you’re going to go work now.”
Shay shook her head with a laugh. “No. I have to grab my laptop. Thank you for walking me back.”
“You’re welcome.”
Shay stepped away from the door and lifted up on tiptoes, pressing a kiss to Matt’s cheek. “Tonight was nice.” Her breath was warm on his face, and when she pulled away their eyes met. Want and desire rushed through him like a tidal wave, but as he reached out to her, a loud noise came from inside.
Shay jumped back, her eyes wide with fear. Matt quickly pushed her behind him, shielding her with his body. “Stay here,” he growled as he moved swiftly into the shop.
He reached for the gun that rested beneath his shirt and made his way toward the counter. He didn’t expect anyone to be armed and dangerous, but since he didn’t know who he was dealing with, he didn’t want to take any chances. It was better to be safe than sorry.
The clanging sound of metal hitting metal rang out from the kitchen. Whoever was here must’ve slid in through the back. Why the hell didn’t she set the damn alarm?
He got to the kitchen, holding his gun out in front of him as he inspected the area.
Pans were scattered across the counter and baking chocolate spilled from a bag onto the floor. The mess wasn’t nearly as big as the last one, but he assumed it was only because the trespasser heard them and took off.
After scanning the area and deeming it clear, he moved toward the back door. The door was locked, which he wasn’t expecting. He opened the lock and slipped out into the dark. He kept his gun in front of him, his eyes scanning from one edge to the other as he made his way around the building.
He heard the snap of a branch, and he turned toward the noise. “Freeze,” he yelled.
Shay’s hands flew up in the air, her face stricken with terror as she stared down the barrel of the gun in his hands.
“Shit!” he exclaimed as he holstered his gun and ran over to her. “What the hell are you doing?”
She dropped her hands and glanced around the area. “Looking to see what was going on.”
“Didn’t I tell you to stay put?”
“What do you think I am? A dog?”
He let out a huff. “No, a dog has more common sense.”
Her eyes widened and mouth opened in a surprised O. “You did not just say that.”
“You bet your ass I did. How the hell am I supposed to do my job if I’m worrying about you?”
“Because little ol’ me isn’t capable of taking care of herself, is that it?”
He pressed a finger into the bridge of his nose suddenly feeling a headache coming on. “I didn’t say that, but we don’t know what the hell we’re dealing with here either. Unless you know something you’re not telling me.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
He eyed her curiously. “Is it? Because you seem a little too eager to see what was going on.”
“Because this is my bakery. My life. Whoever this is, I want to catch them just as badly as you do, if not more.”
“Grab your laptop and go home.”
She planted her feet firmly into the ground, her hands defiantly resting on her hips. “I will go home when I damn well please and definitely not before I go inside and make sure everything is okay.”
“There’s a few pans knocked over on the counter. Some baking chocolate on the floor. Nothing like before.”
“Then if you’ll excuse me, I have to go clean up the mess.”
She turned and Matt grabbed her wrist, spinning her back to him, long hair whipping around her as she came to a stop in front of him. “I’m giving you one last chance. If you know something, tell me now.”
Her stare hardened to solid stone as she glared at him, her chin tilting up in defiance. “There’s nothing to tell,” she all but growled.
He stepped closer, his annoyance and anger fighting to come forth. He looked down at her, his jaw ticking with each jagged breath she took. “Get the damn cameras,” he barked before letting go of her wrist and watching her march off inside.