Still, the ride was on an up. I knew this because, as I stood in my fabulous kitchen with a beer in my hand and my man heading toward the door, my best friend and really freaking good Mexican, I was watching his ass.

Definitely an up.

Absolutely.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

A Day at Tessa’s Cakes

“TESS! YOUR HOT guy is here!” Nora, one of my kids, called from the front of the bakery. “And he’s got two mini hot guys with him.”

I looked up from the birthday cake I was decorating and toward the swinging half doors that separated the bakery part of the bakery from the public part of the bakery. Within seconds I saw an amused Brock push through, followed by his two smirking sons, who it was plain to see liked being referred to as mini hot guys, especially when a pretty, perky young thing like Nora called them that.

I was happy to see them but surprised.

It was more than a week after the Damian drama. It was Saturday and business was still booming. I’d been in the shop since seven because I had six birthday cakes to decorate by noon and an anniversary cake to decorate by three. I also had two appointments with blushing soon-to-be brides to discuss their wedding cakes.

It was now just after eleven and again (mostly) all hands on deck. Kalie was out on the floor with Nora and Suni. Kellie was back with me and my two other bakers and decorators extraordinaire and the place was humming.

“Hey, Uncle Slim!” Kellie called, hands busy with rolling snickerdoodle balls of dough in cinnamon and sugar. “Yo, Joey, Rex.”

“Hey, Kellie,” Joel called back.

“Hey,” Rex said distractedly, his eyes big and taking in the sights and smells of magic happening all around and his face registered exactly that—magic.

I giggled at Rex and my eyes went to Brock, who’d greeted his niece verbally but came to me and greeted my physically by getting close to my side and kissing my neck.

Then his mouth moved to my ear and he whispered, “Sweetness.”

I shivered and my head turned, my eyes finding his.

“Hey, honey,” I whispered back. His eyes danced, I got another shiver, and then I looked to the boys. “Hey, guys.”

“Hey, Tess,” Joey replied.

“Hey,” Rex mumbled, staring at the huge cake in front of me.

“Poppy seed with raspberry and cream filling and vanilla bean frosting,” I told him.

He blinked at the cake, his eyes lifted to mine, he blinked at me, and then his eyes dropped back to the cake and he licked his lips.

I giggled again.

Then I shouted to the swinging doors, “Guys! Anything they want, on the house for my two boys!”

“You got it, Tess!” Suni shouted back.

Joel muttered, “Awesome,” and took off on a dash into the front.

Rex was already gone.

I giggled again.