I go to the coffee station, fill a mug, and add a little sugar. When I walk toward Grayson, I finally see her.

“Good mornin’,” I drawl when she approaches. My eyes widen as I get a glimpse of her hair. It’s pulled back as usual, but I notice blond strands. “You changed your hair.”

“Morning. I did. I made you a special breakfast.” She clamps her hands together.

I eye her suspiciously, pulling out a chair and sitting. “Is that code for poison or something?”

“Of course not.” She flashes a wink, then leans down until her mouth brushes against the shell of my ear. “I promised to win you back, and since I know how much you love my food, I figured I’d better start there.”

Shit, I’m impressed. There’s no denying I’d eat anything she cooks. They say the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, so I guess she’s testing that theory.

“What kind of favoritism shit is this?” Grayson complains the moment Maize returns carrying two plates.

“There might be enough for you too if you don’t piss me off,” she retorts, setting them in front of me.

My eyes widen in shock when I study the spread. I can hardly contain my excitement to try it all.

“Strawberry-stuffed French toast with maple syrup…” She points at the second plate. “Cheesy grits ’n sausage and blueberry streusel coffee cake.”

“Maize, wow…” I look at the breakfast my grandmother used to make. Every Saturday morning, I’d go for a visit, and without fail, she’d cook this feast. Unfortunately, she passed away five years ago. I wished Mimi would’ve been able to meet Maize. She would’ve loved her.

Maize takes a step back, but I grab her hand and pull her close. “How? How’d you know?”

“I did my research.” She smiles proudly. “Told you I was serious.”

“Serious about what?” Grayson blurts out, trying to tear off a piece of my streusel.

I smack his hand away. “None of your damn business.”

“Oh like I can’t put two and two together.” He scoffs.

Looking up at Maize, I smile wide. “Thank you. It smells amazing and really means a lot to me.”

“You’re welcome. I hope I did it justice.”

Standing, I cup her face and press my lips to her. She melts into me, but I pull away all too quickly. Normally, she would’ve freaked out because she’s at work, but she didn’t this time. Though I’m sure her dad wouldn’t appreciate the PDA.

“I’m sure you did. Thank you.”

With flushed cheeks, Maize goes to the kitchen, and I sit.

“What the…?” Grayson’s jaw hits the floor. “You wanna explain what is goin’ on?”

“She’s tryin’ to win me back,” I reply with a shrug. “I need to know she’s not gonna run away from me again.”