Page 15 of Bad Boy Bakers, Vol. 2

Chapter Eight

Almost as soon as they returned from Johnson City, Hadley crashed.

The whole ordeal had taken a lot out of her.

Cash was grateful for the reprieve. Maintaining utter neutrality was sapping his own reserves.

He’d meant everything he’d said to her. This was her choice.

He’d accept it. He was sticking by her, no matter what.

But seeing their baby on that screen? Damn, he hadn’t known that would hit him so hard.

It was one thing to talk in the abstract about the idea of kids someday.

It was a whole other ballgame, knowing they’d started one.

Realizing that, if she went through with this, in less than a year, he’d be holding that child.

He wanted that.

More, he wanted her to want that.

But he’d never guilt her into it. In an ideal world, a child should be wanted by both its parents.

No kid ought to feel like a burden or a problem or a mistake.

She’d never intentionally do that to a child, but if she wasn’t really all in to do this, it could very well be expressed in subtle ways.

Kids were a hell of a lot more perceptive than adults ever gave them credit for. No, better not to risk it.

If they didn’t keep this baby, he’d grieve.

But it didn’t mean they couldn’t have another in the future, when she was more comfortable with the idea.

But for that to be a possibility, he had to secure that future, and that meant talking to Holt.

There was no more waiting for the perfect time, the perfect spin.

He simply had to get it done. Before tonight, in case he took it badly, so Cash had time to do damage control.

Holt had said this morning that he’d be staying late prepping cakes for events, so Cash left Hadley sleeping and headed for the bakery.

As it was after two, the front door for customers was locked.

He followed the wrap-around porch to the side door leading into the kitchen.

Faint strains of—was that The Greatest Showman?

—sounded from the other side. Cash pulled it open and stepped in, pausing only long enough to verify that Holt had seen him before barking, “Outside. Now,” and turning back around.

If this went sideways, no reason for blood to be shed in his workspace. That’d probably be a health code violation. Cash rolled his shoulders, loosening his muscles for a fight, even though he didn’t intend to put one up.

A few moments later, Holt strode out, his brows drawn together. “What the hell’s going on? What’s wrong?”

Knowing this could be the end of his relationship with his friend, his brother, Cash hesitated only a moment. Nothing was more important than Hadley. No matter what decision she made, she was it for him. That was the only thing crystal clear to him.

“Hit me.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“Hit me, and get it out. Get it over with,” Cash urged.

Concern shifted to bafflement. “Why would I be hitting you?”

“Because I want to marry your sister.”

If ever there’d been a record scratch moment…

Holt’s jaw dropped. “Excuse me?”

“I’m in love with Hadley, and I want to marry her.”

When his friend continued to stare in absolute shock, Cash filled in the silence. “I’ve been trying to find the right way, the right time, to tell you for days. Clearly that’s not going to happen. I don’t have time to wait anymore. So hit me. Let’s get it over with so I can get on with my life.”

Clearly a little slow on the uptake, Holt shook his head. “I thought you looked at her as a sister.”

“I did for a long time. Until I didn’t. We’ve been friends all our lives. We’ve always had a connection. But we reconnected this year, and it was different.”

The bafflement morphed into realization. “You’ve been dating my sister.” Not a question.

Figuring he deserved it, Cash braced himself for a punch. “Yes.”

Holt didn’t move. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“She didn’t want to.” Maybe that was chicken shit, blaming her. But it was the truth.

“Why?”

“I’m reasonably sure it involved her being convinced your reaction was going to fall somewhere between planting a fist in my face and burying me in a shallow grave.”

Holt angled his head, though whether it was in concession of the point or merely an “Ah,” Cash couldn’t have said. “So both of you being down here at the same time isn’t an accident.”

“Yes, and no. I came down to tell you. She followed me, hoping to mitigate the damage. We’ve both been circling around you for days.”

“I see.” Holt’s expression locked down, and Cash didn’t know what to do with that. He’d have been more comfortable with a beat down or shouting than this stoicism.

He found himself babbling to fill the silence, like some kind of untrained civilian.

“Look, man, I love you. You’re the closest thing I’ve got to a brother.

But I love her more, and if it comes down to her or you, I’m choosing her.

If you need to hit me, I understand. But it won’t change anything. I’ll still be in love with her.”

His brother of the heart sucked in a breath. They both knew the weight of what Cash was saying.

“Is she in love with you?”

She hadn’t said the words, but her actions had told him in countless other ways. “God, I hope so, or that ring I bought is going to collect a lot of dust.”

The stoic mask cracked, more shock bleeding through. “You already bought a ring?”

“Yeah.” Because he didn’t think Holt was going to sucker punch him, Cash pulled the box from his pocket and flipped it open. The ruby solitaire was set in platinum and flanked by a row of small diamonds on both sides. It was strong and beautiful. Bold. Like her.

Holt scrubbed a hand on the back of his neck. “Shit. You’re serious.”

“As a heart attack.”

Cash put the ring away and shifted on the balls of his feet, opening himself wide to whatever blow was coming.

When Holt just laid a hand on his shoulder, he flinched. “I’m not going to hit you.”

“Shallow grave, then?”

He huffed a laugh. “Not that either. You’re one of the best men I know. She’d be lucky to have you. And God knows, you two know each other well enough. You’ll be good for each other.”

Cash couldn’t have heard him right. But Holt just continued to stare at him with level blue eyes.

“You’re… okay with this?”

“I mean… it’s a little weird. But you’re both grown adults. That five-year age difference hardly matters now. You have the right to make your own choices. I’m not gonna complain that two of my favorite people chose each other.”

Cash swayed a little as the starch went out of his knees.

He wasn’t going to lose his brother. They hadn’t destroyed their little family by getting romantically involved.

None of it was going to be the big upset either of them was worried about.

Cash just hoped that remained true if and when Holt found out about the pregnancy.

Holt pulled him in for a back-thumping hug and grinned. “So, when are you gonna give her the ring?”

The moment Hadley woke to find the room empty, she knew. Cash had gone to talk to her brother. Alone.

Shit!

This wasn’t what they’d discussed, but evidently, after today, he’d deemed a solo confrontation worth the risk.

Scrambling out of bed, she fought through the dregs of a coma-level nap to find her jeans.

She’d go after him. Maybe she could still get there in time to minimize the damage.

She nearly took a header into the desk as she hopped her way into her jeans.

Shoes. Where the hell were her shoes? She scanned the floor, certain she’d kicked them off by the bed.

At last, she found them tucked neatly under the luggage rack, no doubt placed there by Mr. Neat himself before he went to face execution.

Hadley dove for them, dragging one bootie on.

The other was in her hand when the door opened.

“Cash!”

Abandoning the other shoe, she flew to him, checking him over for injuries, searching for bruises or blood.

One corner of his mouth kicked up as he wrapped his arms around her. “Hi. I’m happy to see you, too.”

His short, dark beard rasped against her palms when she framed his face. “You’re not hurt.” Her brain was busy trying to catch up to what her eyes were telling her.

“I’m not.”

With a long, slow exhale, she slumped against him. “I thought you went to talk to Holt.”

“Oh, no—I did. I told him about us.”

“And you’re still walking?”

He stroked a hand down her spine, soothing. “Believe me, I’m as surprised as you are. I think he was kind of insulted that we thought he’d be angry.”

“He came very close to breaking the arm of my prom date for having a condom in his wallet.”

“As I was the one who picked said wallet from your prom date, I was kinda complicit in that one. You were definitely not going to be relieved of your virginity that night, and not by that guy.”

Hadley searched his carefully blank expression, seeing what he didn’t say. “You were following us, weren’t you?”

He shrugged. “It was as much to keep you safe as to keep your brother out of jail.”

Rolling her eyes, she stepped back. “Men. God forbid you trust my judgment about anything.”

“It was never about not trusting your judgment. It was about not trusting the guys. Because, as you have just pointed out… men.”

She could hardly argue when her life had taken such a sharp left turn not long after she’d been out from under their protection.

“So, what did he say?”

“The primary takeaway from the whole conversation was that he’s happy for us.”

Hadley let that soak in and wasn’t quite sure she believed it. “Marriage has mellowed him.”

“Seems like.”

“I still feel like I owe it to him to talk to him myself, since I’m the reason you sat on this for so long.”

Cash looked her over in that way she knew was analyzing everything. “Are you feeling up to that?”