I release Dean’s hand and turn to face the music. “Nate, how are…?” My voice gets caught in my throat as I take in the sight before me.
The man standing with my mother beneath an obscene amount of twinkle lights isn’t the Nate Hawthorne I was expecting to see. Not even close.
Childhood Nathaniel was scrawny and constantly had food in his teeth. He thought showering was bad for the environment and didn’t go anywhere without his French horn.
This guy in front of me…is hot! He’s all fair-haired and tan with seriously broad shoulders that look like they’re going to rip out of that black suit coat any second.
And he’s tall. He wasn’t this muscular and tall in high school, right? There’s no way. I would have remembered that. My mother mentioned he got adult braces, but she failed to mention the rest of his transformation, which is remarkable. Honestly, he’s what Rachael and I would call a “Main-Event-Nut.”
You see, back before I perfected my croinuts recipe, Rise and Shine specialized in more traditional gourmet donuts. Our cases were chock-full of beautiful, colorful donuts we started making at three a.m. every day. And naturally, some donuts were prettier than others. So, Rachael and I came up with a sorting system. The best-looking ’nuts would go front and center. We called them the “Main-Event-Nuts.” The “So-So-Nuts” would go behind them. And the donuts in our first batch of the day before our coffee kicked in was called the “Butt-Nuts” and shoved in the back where nobody could see them.
Before this moment, I would have slotted childhood Nate in the “Butt-Nut” category. Quality and taste are great but not quite polished enough to be a headliner.
The man standing before me right now, though, is very much a “Main-Event-Nut.”
Color me surprised. And horrifyingly shallow. I seriously need to read more.
Nate flashes a pearly white, and yes, definitely very straight-toothed smile at me. “Norah Donahue, you’re a sight for sore eyes.”
I laugh and feel a flush come over me as I tug on the thin straps of my dress. “Back at you, Nate. California clearly agreed with you.” I clear my throat because my voice sounds all stupid and breathy.
“California was good, but I’ve missed Boulder,” he replies with ease. “It’s got that small-town feel that no LA neighborhood could ever achieve.”
My eyes lower to his protruding pecs under his lapels. “I hear ya there…where are you living?”
“I’m still on the hunt for a nice piece of property to invest in, so I’m staying with Mom and Dad for now. I want something close to the firm.” His blue eyes twinkle with that sweet kindness he always had. “Makes it easier to be a workaholic that way.”
“Oh, yes. I live above my bakery, so I can understand that desire. My mom mentioned you were taking over for your father. How’s that going?”
He smiles knowingly. “About as well as can be expected, considering the old man doesn’t want to retire, but my mother is forcing him.”
Just then, my father and Nate’s parents join us on the side of the dance floor. My mom grabs Nate’s mom’s arm and says, “Carol, I wish you could force Jeffrey to retire too. We’re all supposed to retire together.”
“I’ve still got a few years left in me,” my dad says and shoots me a quick wink. “I’m not as elderly as Jimmy here.” They all erupt into laughter as Jim mean-mugs my dad.
“How’s your little bakery doing?” Nate asks, and our parents all focus back on me.
Just then, Dean’s arms snake around my waist from behind me. “Not so little anymore,” Dean says, his chest vibrating against my back as he speaks.
Nate’s eyes move from me to Dean. “I’m sorry, I don’t believe we’ve been introduced.”
“This is Norah’s friend Dean,” my mom rushes out quickly, glancing nervously at Jim and Carol. “He was kind enough to come along with her tonight.”
“As her date.” Dean moves to stand beside me, his left hand drifting down my waist as his thumbs skate over my hip in a possessive move that does strange things to my body. “And I’m actually an investor in her second bakery opening up in Denver soon. I know a good thing when I see it.” Dean shoots a wink to Nate, and Nate’s eyes widen.
“Wow, two bakeries? Good for you, Norah.”
“And a national franchise to launch very soon,” Dean adds with a smug tone I want to kiss.
Whoa, where did that thought come from?
I shake off the image of my lips on Dean because…what the hell? I guess it’s natural to feel attracted to someone who knows your work and praises you to other people. But I’ve never been that girl. I don’t need a romantic interest in my life to tell me I did a good job. My parents’ approval is another story because I need to retrain their brains to see other successes in life besides marriage and babies.
But a man’s praise turning me on? Never. Not needed. Not happening. No way. This warm feeling in my body after hearing Dean’s praise must be from the champagne.
My mom’s voice cuts in next. “Oh, I can’t keep up with Norah’s bakery. I don’t understand all this franchise business she’s doing. I thought one bakery would keep her busy enough. Who wants all that responsibility of multiple locations? It just seems like a lot of work to me. And so much travel.”
Nate’s dad nods. “I’m just grateful I have a son to take over my firm. It’s nice to keep things small and in the family.”
My brow furrows at that remark.
“Then again,” Dean chimes in, “if you have a creative vision, a great work ethic, and an entrepreneurial spirit like Norah here, you’re a triple threat, and the sky’s the limit.” He offers a cool smile to the group like he’s chatting about the weather. “I wouldn’t have invested half a million dollars if I didn’t believe in Norah. And I do a lot of investing for very wealthy clients. I’ve told every single one of them about Norah’s upcoming franchise opportunities. It has incredible investment potential.”
My jaw drops, and I look at Dean, and whisper, “Is that true?”
He frowns down at me. “Of course it’s true.”
Wow, I didn’t know. Max never said a word. I wonder if it was Max’s idea or Dean’s?
“Max isn’t the only one invested in your success,” Dean adds, clearly reading my thoughts.
“More business talk that goes right over my head.” My mother peals out a laugh before casually extracting herself from the group.
Nate quickly changes the subject and begins discussing the changes he’s making to his dad’s CPA firm.
Suddenly, my mom comes up behind me and grabs my arm to pull me aside. Her voice is barely a whisper when she says, “Norah, you should take Nathaniel inside to catch up.”
My lips part, and I glance over my shoulder to check on Dean, who’s politely listening to Nate drone on. I look at my mother’s wide, beady eyes. “Mom, that’d be really inappropriate. I’m here with Dean.”
She waves her hand with a scoff. “Oh Norah, please. Dean is obviously just some business partner. Leave him with us and go inside to visit with Nate.” She straightens a strap on my dress like she’s prepping me for my wedding night. “You two look so great together. Didn’t I tell you he’s much more handsome now? I can already picture little blond grandbabies!”