Page 10 of Pour Decisions (Stryker Family #3)

He’s already looking like he’s craving me. His intensity still makes me shiver. All that focus, right on me, is an addiction I can’t slip back into.

“That feels like a slippery slope to things that should not happen between us,” I say.

“You think he would?”

“He wants to.” That much about him hasn’t changed.

He’s hard to read with everything else, but his intense attraction to me was never something I had to guess at.

He channeled all that intensity he reserved in the rest of his life into that, and being with him was like a drug.

“But obviously I won’t. I’m not trying to be messy.

I’m just trying to get my shit back together. ”

“Good. Just tell me if you’re feeling weak, and I’ll spray you in the face with a water bottle.” She pauses. “Maybe you should adopt a cat or something when you get your own place. There’s a new animal shelter in town.”

“I have Bubba for now.” Bubba is one hundred percent friendliness, which doesn’t leave a lot of brain space for much else. I love him for it. “We’re besties. But I think he’d be besties with anyone who snuck him snacks.”

Just the idea of snacks has my stomach growling, and I spot a booth with an array of baked goods that look delicious even from a distance.

An older woman is surveying the treats too.

She’s tall and sturdy, so I’m surprised when she glances at me and seems much older than she appears.

Not in a frail way—just in a ‘I’ve lived a lot of life and had fun’ way. Smile lines, sunspots, and a big smile.

“These are the best pastries,” the woman says to us.

“Nana.” The young woman behind the table—who I assume is Sarah Jane, based on the name Sarah Jane’s on the booth—flushes, then she looks to me. “She’s just saying that because she’s my grandmother.”

“Damn, Sarah Jane, I was trying to be your hype woman.” The older woman sighs and rests a hand on her ample hip. “Well, her pastries are very good. She wouldn’t be here selling them if they weren’t.”

“It’s my first week here.” Sarah Jane shrugs, her cheeks flushing even more pink. Her hair is a pretty strawberry blonde that makes her blush more prominent. “I’m Sarah Jane, hence the creatively named business, and that’s Nana.”

“Just call me Nana. Everyone else does, even if they aren’t my grand baby.

” Nana gives my shoulder a firm squeeze and smiles at me like she genuinely knows me.

My own grandmother passed away when I was in college, and we were fairly close.

Nana’s grandmotherly energy is soothing a spot I didn’t know was raw.

We introduce ourselves too.

“Do you want to try a sample?” Sarah Jane asks.

“Sure, what do you have?”

Sarah Jane pulls out a tray with a bunch of mini versions of the treats in the case. We both scan the selection. Perrie goes for the one I assumed she’d try (this funfetti looking cupcake) and I pick up a chunk of a loaf.

“That one’s called breakup bread,” Sarah Jane says, sheepish. “It’s dark chocolate banana bread with nuts and peanut butter.”

I try it and nod. There’s just enough of everything—the peanut butter, the chunks of caramelized bananas—and the swirls of dark chocolate are addictive. Not too sweet, though.

"This is so good. I would have slammed this if I’d discovered it a few months back,” I say.

“You had a breakup?” Sarah Jane asks.

“A divorce, yeah.” I hold in the sigh that inevitably sneaks out when my divorce is mentioned. It’s more out of fatigue than sadness. I just want it to be a distant memory already.

“That’s what inspired the recipe,” she says. “I wanted something that was decadent but didn’t obliterate my blood sugar when I was eating my post-breakup feelings.”

“I definitely needed this, then.” I’d had more than a few evenings where I had ice cream for dinner and woke up feeling like someone had snuck into my room and whacked me with a rake. Turns out a child’s dream is an adult’s nightmare.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Sarah Jane says.

“It’s fine. Really. It’s a lot better now.” Well, mostly. Aside from living with my hot ex and technically not having a place of my own. But it’s better than being in a marriage where I was an afterthought to the person who vowed to be there for me forever. “I got a new job and everything.”

“I’m still trying to get there,” Sarah Jane admits.

“You’re making progress! You finally started this business and that…” Nana pauses, glancing at Edie, who’s still passed out in her baby carrier, “not so nice ex of yours is probably drowning in his laundry or getting behind on his bills because he can’t figure out how to do it without you.”

“Nana!” Sarah Jane’s cheeks flush even more.

“You know I would have said something worse if innocent ears weren’t around.” Nana glances at Edie, who’s still passed out.

“Yeah, that’s a lot nicer than anything I would have said about my ex,” I say with a snort. “But it’s great that you started a business. I’m trying to get out more and do something new. Not start a business, but anything outside of my comfort zone. I still haven’t figured out what, though.”

Anything to keep me from sitting around the house. Dance classes are my first choice, but they’re not going to challenge me that much. A book club? Fencing? I don’t even know.

“That’s the kind of attitude I like to see.” Nana smiles, snagging a sample. “You want something surprising. Daring.”

“Not, like, skydiving or anything.” I laugh. “But something I wouldn’t normally choose to do.”

Nana’s smile widens, a tinge of mischief that makes her look decades younger coming across her face.

“This is going to sound crazy, but do you want to be a part of a little experiment?” Nana asks, pulling her enormous phone from her cleavage.

“A friend blind date. Not a date-date, but basically I’d set you up with someone to go do something a little fun and crazy.

It’ll be easier to go if you aren’t alone. "

I’ve known Nana all of four minutes, but I trust her.

“As long as it’s not a romantic date, why not?” I say.

“Nana…who are you setting her up with?” Sarah Jane asks, her eyes darting between us.

“It’s not ‘setting up’. It’s a blind friend date, Sarah Jane. Get with the program.” Nana puts her glasses on top of her head and squints at her phone screen. “And it’s one of your cousins.”

Sarah Jane sighs. “One of the good ones?”

“Of course! All of your cousins are good ones.” Nana puts her hand to her chest, looking up for a moment. “Well, mostly. There are a whole lot of y’all. What’s your number, hun?”

I tell Nana my number. Sarah Jane rolls her eyes, but there’s no malice in them. “Good luck, Kat.”

“So, this grandson of mine is very handsome, if I do say so myself,” Nana says.

My phone pings with a text from her, a string of emoji.

“But I know he’s not the type to date, so you don’t have to worry about that.

He just needs to get out of the damn house more often.

He’s had a stick up his ass since birth and can’t relax.

I’ll set something up for y’all that’s way outside of anyone’s comfort zone. ”

“What’s his name?” I ask. I can handle good-looking men as long as they aren’t JD.

“I’m keeping it a surprise so y’all don’t go Googling each other.” Nana tucks her phone back into place. “But trust me, you’ll have a great time.”