“No, you’ve changed because of me.”
A sigh. “No, Jackson. I changed for me. I changed because I realized I wasn’t fully formed, that I couldn’t truly be a partner in anything—in business, in love, in friendship—unless I finally became my own person.” She turned the mixer back on. “So, kudos to you for making that happen,” she said over the noise.
“I’m sorry for my part in it. Sorry for all the mistakes I made.” He moved toward her, but this time didn’t touch the mixer. “I’ve changed, too. I wasn’t fully formed, either. I was a taker and as much as I would have loved to make you my wife, I would have drained you dry.”
Her breath caught.
His fingers brushed lightly over her cheek. “I didn’t— I’m glad I didn’t have the chance.”
He stepped back. “I’ll be here for as long as the threat is. And then I’ll excise myself from your life as painlessly as possible.”
That didn’t sound painless.
It sounded horrible.
But by the time she realized that, he’d turned, flicked on the music, then picked up a messenger bag she hadn’t seen him carry in and slipped out to the front of house.
The lights flicked on.
Her heart pulsed to the beat of the music.
But today, it didn’t make her feel light and sweet.
And neither were her rolls.
In fact, she had to throw the whole batch out and start again.
Ten
Jackson
Well, no one could say he hadn’t deserved the verbal lashing that Molly had dished out.
He did and then some.
His only hope was that she’d gotten out the hurt, that she’d heard his apology, that they could navigate their way forward.
Because while he was impressed with the woman who’d built this place, who’d now opened two additional locations to much success, that angry female who’d unloaded on him in the kitchen wasn’t anything like the Molly he’d fallen in love with.
She was more.
And yet, he knew that if she couldn’t let go of what had happened between them, they had no hope of moving forward.
They couldn’t keep rehashing and tearing each other apart.
They needed to navigate new terrain.
Which meant that he needed to help her see they could have something great between them again. That it might not be the same as what they’d had, but that it could be more and wonderful and—
His cell rang.
He glanced at the screen, saw that the number was Dan’s, and picked up. “Yeah?”
A beat of hesitation, then, “You okay?”
Pinning his phone between his shoulder and ear, he began pulling out the things he’d need to work from Molly’s shop—laptop, mobile hotspot (since he couldn’t trust his business to an unsecured WIFI network), pad and paper (because sometimes his mind worked better via old school methods)—and replied, “Fine. What did you need?”
Another pause. This time longer.
“What, Plantain? I’ve got shit to do—”
“That was a pretty intense fight,” he said. “I just wanted to make sure—”
Jackson almost dropped his phone. “You were inside?”
“No. I . . .” He sighed. “We have eyes and ears inside the bakery. Just to make sure—”
Dan kept talking, but Jackson stopped listening, or stopped actively listening, because he was replaying the fight with Molly, hearing the soundtrack of what she’d said, what he’d said, and wondering how many fucking people had just heard them airing their shit.
And fuck, did they have eyes and ears in Molly’s office? Had they seen them?
“How long?” he asked, not giving a shit that he’d interrupted.
“What?”
“How long have you been surveilling her here?”
“Since last night. The team put them in while I came to your office,” Dan said. “There was an active threat, and—”
Jackson stifled his sigh of relief.
They might have heard and seen him getting yelled at, but at least they hadn’t seen Molly when they’d been together in her office.
“I understand,” he said. “It’s smart, but I need to tell Molly. I promised her I wouldn’t keep any secrets, and I’m going to keep my word.”
“I was afraid you’d say that,” Dan told him. “I get it, man, I really do. But know if she freaks out and has us take the audio and visual out then we won’t be able to protect her properly, or you for that matter.”
Jackson didn’t have a death wish, but his well-being was much lower on his priority list than making sure whatever risk had bled over from his life into Molly’s was taken care of.
He wanted her safe.
He wanted her happy.
He wanted to figure out a way to move forward.
“I’ll do my best to help her understand that it’s important for her safety,” he said. “And temporary.”
“Temporary is a good point to focus on,” Dan said. “That and chocolate—” He broke off. “Okay, she probably has plenty of chocolate. How about alcohol? Or really expensive shoes?”
“Alcohol and kitchen accessories are my safest best, I think,” he muttered, hitting the button to boot up his laptop. “The woman can never turn away from a new spoon.”
A beat, then, “Kinky.”
Jackson snorted. “So, were you just calling me for a heart-to-heart, or did you actually have something important to discuss?”
“Heart-to-heart.”
He rolled his eyes. “Cool. Well, some of us have real work to do.”
“I resent that comment,” Dan said, then his voice went serious. “One of us will always be watching, and listening, and close. We’ll send in the troops if something goes down.”
Fuck, that didn’t sound good.
“Do you think something is going to go down here?”
Because fuck what he’d said about not interfering with Molly’s business. If she were at more risk here, if the bakery were targeted, then he was bundling her ass up and shipping her off to Alaska.
“No,” Dan said. “They’d be stupid to risk something at the bakery. There are too many neighbors, too much cross-traffic. They’d be much more likely to make a grab at her duplex, since it’s a corner unit and semi-isolated.” He paused for a second. “Probably also something you should talk to her about. Think she would stay at your place? It’s more secure.”
No. She wouldn’t like staying with him at all, but he didn’t say that, just entered his password into the laptop’s lock screen, and said, “I’ll find a way to make it happen.”
“Booze and kitchen accessories.”
“Right,” he muttered.
“This will all be over soon,” Dan said. “Just remember that.”
He’d placed his online order for the local kitchen store, along with one for the local wine shop, and he’d arranged for his assistant to pick both up and bring them to him by lunchtime.
He might have actually gotten off cheaper if he’d been looking to buy Molly expensive shoes or purses because, turned out, kitchen shit was expensive.