Page 54 of All This Time

My head lifts to find Carolina, the owner of the bakery and one of my favorite people in Blossom Peak, smirking at me with her hands on her hips.

“Good to see you, Carolina.”

“You’re holding up the line, Fletcher,” she teases me as I hand the napkin to Collin and his mom motions for us to pose for a picture.

“If you want to pour me a cup of coffee and put a breakfast croissant sandwich aside for me, I would really appreciate it.”

Her laughter rings out. “Sure thing, Mr. Famous.”

Multiple families wait their turn for a few minutes with me, and even more show up as customers start texting their friends about my location. I smile and chat with kids and their families for a good thirty minutes before the crowd seems to start dwindling.

And for just a second, I remember that this is one of my favorite parts of the job—being a role model, someone that young kids can look up to and realize that hard work can truly pay off.

These are the moments that help me forget all the shitty ones I had to endure to get here.

Once the line dies down and the last person leaves, Carolina locks the door behind the last customer, leaving the two of us alone. She hands me my coffee and sandwich, which I proceed to inhale in just a few bites.

“You didn’t have to do that,” I tell her as I finally make my way to the cash register to pay, even though the silence is welcoming.

She waves me off when I try to hand her my credit card. “Your money is no good here.”

I scowl at her. “Come on, Carolina. Let me pay.”

“Nope. You just doubled my profit from yesterday with the crowd you brought in, so we’ll call it even.” I stick my tongue out at her as I place a hundred dollar bill in the tip jar just to spite her. She laughs. “So, what brings you to town, Fletcher? If memory serves me correctly, it’s been years…”

“Almost three, but who’s counting?” She arches a brow at me, waiting for me to explain. “I’m here for Elliot’s wedding, actually.”

“Ah, that’s right. The boys must be happy to see you.”

Carolina has owned this bakery since Henley, Elliot, Rhonan, and I were in high school. We used to ride our bikes down here every Sunday morning to get donuts before going to the park to toss the football around. She’s followed my career from the beginning, and I always appreciate seeing her when I visit.

“They are.”

“How long are you in town for?”

“About three weeks. Training camp starts shortly after the wedding, so I’ll be heading back to Charlotte.” The sound of someone trying to open the door pulls my attention behind me, only to find Laney angrily yanking on the handle. I try not to laugh as I say, “Uh, Laney’s here.”

“Perfect.” Carolina moves toward the door, unlocking it so Laney can step inside. The sunlight hits her face when she turns to face me, highlighting her green eyes and glossy lips.

Fuck, she’s so damn gorgeous.

“Good morning, Laney,” Carolina says as she moves back to the counter.

“You lock the door now?” Laney pushes her hair from her face before meeting my eyes.

“It was my fault. A little kid asked me for an autograph and picture, and then a crowd started forming.”

Laney shakes her head at me, but there’s a hint of a smile on her lips. “Always causing trouble wherever you go, huh?”

I lean close to her. “You have no idea how much trouble I can cause, angel.”

Her throat bobs as she swallows roughly, her eyes darting down to my lips for only a second, but I catch it before she moves away from me and heads closer to Carolina. “Okay then. Are we ready to taste some cake and get this over with?”

“You act like eating cake this early in the morning is a hardship.”

Carolina laughs. “For some people, it is, but to answer your question, Laney… Yes, I’m ready for you. I planned on leaving the door locked while you’re here though, just to give you some privacy.”

“You don’t have to do that, Carolina. I’m used to the attention,” I interject, shoving my hands into my pockets. “And I don’t want to cost you customers.”