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He disappeared through the door and brought back a platter of brownies and the strawberry rhubarb jam filled cookies and started piling them on the tray next to the sandwiches since they were pre-wrapped.

“Oh, and two coffees?—”

“Already on it, boss,” Charlotte said as she set the two boxes filled with our house blend next to the platter.

Matthew, the man who was a ray of sunshine whenever he entered the room and made an out-of-this-world lemon drizzle cake to die for, beamed when he brought out the box of extra chips I’d put aside for staff whenever I fried up batches. “Anything else?”

“Oh, the donuts with the pastry cream and the fruit, please?”

As the group loaded the delivery into the back of Matthew’s hatchback, I jotted down a quick thank you to the doctor and his staff and invited him to the bakery for free food and coffee anytime they were in the area.

I handed the note over and asked, “Can you ask for Dr. Bradeem when you arrive at the emergency department and give him this note?”

Surprising me, Matthew wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug, which I returned with a smile.

“Sure thing!” He said as he pulled back and skipped to the driver’s side door.

After my staff scattered, going back to work, Luka asked, “What did you write?”

With a smile on my face, I turned and launched myself at Luka, loving the fact he caught me with a little grunt, but held me against his chest despite wanting an answer to his question.

“It was an apology for my father and a short bit about the food. He and the nurses and other staff have been waiting on Hale and Suzy hand and foot as though the hospital was a fucking luxury hotel, so I thought they might want a treat for dealing with people like my father.”

“Why would he fake a heart attack? I mean, that is… sinister, isn’t it? Fuck, I’ve never liked that man,” Burton snarled.

Rather than disagreeing with him, I laughed and brought him in for a hug.

“I know, handsome, but have you noticed one thing about the situation?”

He shook his head, blowing out a frustrated breath.

“Well, he no longer has any effect on me or my mental health. Rather than panicking when Suzy called, I thought the situation through and listened to my instincts when I realized nothing was as it seemed. The doctor verified what I already knew, and now, I can sue him over the damage to the bakery and trying to ruin my reputation, not to mention his actions came after he told the entire neighborhood he had planned to destroy it. Even if there are no criminal charges against him, I was going to take him to civil court and have him pay where it hurts the most.”

Burton’s lips crashed down on mine and, for a long moment, I indulged in his taste, snagging one from Luka before I reveled in the noises both of my men made when they became intimate.

The door crashed opened and Arthur came through with an eye roll, but giving us the same wide smile whenever he saw us wrapped up in each other.

“Why don’t you take off for the night? Jude is coming soon to take me to dinner and Fergus was our last customer for the night.”

“Oh, what did he get for him and Gio?”

“He wanted the chocolate lava cakes, but I couldn’t help but sneak in those suggestive cookies we couldn’t keep stocked. I made up a couple for him and snuck them in before I taped up the box. They’ll thank me for them later,” Arthur winked.

I leaned forward and kissed my friend on the cheek, earning another growl from Luka, which turned me on to no end. I stripped out of my apron and headed for the front.

“Coming?” Giving both of them a cheeky smile before I sashayed out of the kitchen and past the counter.

When Luka swept me into his arms, I laughed with a lightness that I never found before I’d met these two. After living a life with a tension I carried like a weight around my neck, bogging down my happiness until I couldn’t breathe, I appreciated both men because they accepted me, flaws, quirks, and all.

Despite the cold front moving in the week before, the sun shone as we walked out of the bakery and I lifted my face, absorbing the warmth both inside and out.

“I think you carry me more than I walk on my own, and I’m okay with that.”

Luka jiggled me as he laughed and Burton gave me a tap on my butt, making me anticipate what was to come.

“Was that I groan I heard, Petal? Is spanking going to be on the list of many, many sexual things we have yet to experience?”

I laughed and shook my head. “Nah, spanking isn’t my thing, but you and Luka touching me anywhere and everywhere is an appealing thought. Do you think we’re going to last through dinner without rushing upstairs?”