Page 44 of Bake You Mine (Port Fortune #1)

thirty-two

Aubrey sat alone in the house, sighing with every tick of the grandfather clock.

It was early Wednesday afternoon, and for once, her to-do list was blank.

Daphne was still at school, and her father was with friends.

Petit Chou was officially closed for renovations.

Liam had offered to let her use Elevation’s ovens for those last few catering orders, but then she’d be back to her home oven just like she had before she’d opened Petit Chou.

She’d crafted the menu for the farmer’s market return later in the week. It’s where they’d sell in the meantime. She’d shopped for the items and even had some of the doughs started.

Yet somehow, she still had hours to kill until Liam picked her up for DC. So, she got a dust cloth out and went to work on the sweeping banister that wrapped around the grand stairway leading from the ground floor to the second.

Until the renovations were done, she had to find something to fill the time taken up by Petit Chou and full-time parenting. Whenever her mind went idle, anxious thoughts billowed in like storm clouds.

She ran the cloth over the smooth, swirling parts of the balustrade. She wasn’t thrilled about going to DC, but she’d promised to support Liam. Ever since he’d let it slip he was missing the big city life, she felt she should do what she could to help him achieve that dream.

She’d won the contest. Liam deserved his dreams, too. That was the thing about him—even if she hinted at her worries, he’d scrap his plans and stay. She didn’t want guilt on her conscience.

She scooted up the stairs on her butt and worked on the banister until she was sitting on the last step. She’d do whatever was best for Liam, even if it killed her.

“Well? Give me your professional opinion.” Liam rubbed his hands together nervously.

They stood alone in the Wharf space while Damon, Jason, and members of the Devour team were outside on a cement slab that would soon become the outdoor eating-slash-bar area.

It was a balmy October afternoon. Everyone wanted to enjoy the lovely weather and was in no hurry to wrap things up.

Aubrey turned to face him. “It’s spectacular, Liam. A space that you could do great things with.”

He’d hoped to use the drive up to the city to talk through whatever weirdness existed between them so they could set it aside once and for all.

But she’d been on a video chat with Chris and Daphne. She was fully invested in joining a girls’ rugby league. Liam got dragged into that conversation, giving his advice on local leagues and equipment she’d need to get started.

Aubrey hesitated to let her kid into a full-contact sport, but lightened up once she realized it was flag rugby.

Liam had also discovered that his teammate and friend, Brayden, was one of the coaches, which somewhat assuaged her nerves.

He was happy for Daphne, but hated that things were still slightly off between him and Aubrey.

“Way to vague it up, Aubs.”

Her gaze bounced around the space. “It’s great, Liam. I can see you here. This area will get even more foot traffic when the next construction phase is completed. This could be the place to help you grow your brand to the next level.”

He approached the window and peered at the street several stories below, crowded with people, as The Overnight Stripes were set to perform at The Anthem later that evening. It was a happy coincidence that they were Sasha’s favorite band, so she’d be tagging along.

“I like that the space is a mostly blank canvas. It’s hard to get a real idea of what it’ll be until the mock-ups are done.”

“Hey, Liam, we need to talk,” Jason said as he and Damon stepped inside, carrying the sound of the street with them. “Give us five minutes to discuss things, and then you two can go on your hot date.”

Aubrey stood off to the side while they talked. Jason wasn’t pushy because people usually came to him for opportunities, not the other way around. He reminded Liam again that they would need to move fast in the space.

Of course, Liam would talk things over with Damon and Brandon, as they were partners in the business. And Gary would offer solid business advice. But first, he wanted Aubrey’s opinion.

His head was full of facts and what-ifs as they sat down to dinner.

“God, this is a lot to think about,” Liam said.

“It is. I don’t envy you.” ‘

“You still have a lot on your plate, though.”

They’d both be swamped well into the new year, which is why they needed to clear the air between them before shit got even more awkward.

“Hey, so are we okay? This is the first chance we’ve had to talk since Friday.” He leaned over to touch her hand.

Before he could, she reached for her glass and swirled the sangria around. “It’s been a wild few days, that’s for sure.”

Their waiter dropped off the focaccia and olive oil.

“Why do I think there’s a big old but coming? You’re avoiding my gaze, Aubs. We’re not returning to where we were before all this, are we?”

She reached for one of the small plates. “No, but I also can’t help but wonder if I’m standing in the way here. If you go to DC, how is this going to work?” She tore off a chunk of bread and sent it through the oil.

“It’s not like we’ll be on different coasts or anything. It’s not that big of a deal. We can get the best of both worlds, you know?”

Her gaze was focused on him. “My life is centered in Port Fortune, now more than ever. You won’t be a two-song drive away anymore.”

“Okay, it’ll take an album or longer. But I’ll still be close enough.”

She lowered her gaze. “That’s true, I guess.”

Thankfully, their conversation turned to lighter topics throughout dinner. Aubrey could make anything enjoyable.

They were halfway through dessert when his phone lit up with one text message after another. He swiped through them on his watch.

“Doors open in twenty minutes. Sasha wants us to hurry up so she can change out of her scrubs. ”

Sasha was coming from a last-minute nursing school clinical.

“I thought she knew the band,” Aubrey said. “I figured she’d be able to change in their dressing room.”

He chuckled. “She doesn’t know them like that. Anyway, can we continue this conversation later?” He leaned forward and took both of her hands into his. “I promise I hear you, Aubrey. I won’t make any decision without you.”

Doubt flashed across her beautiful face before she nodded. “Okay. You’re right.”

He’d hold her to her word because he wasn’t about to let a little distance come between them.