Page 12 of Second Chance Daddy

Ruthie narrows her eyes, and I reach across the counter to squeeze her hand.

“Ruthie, honey. If gossip were a drug, you’d be due for an intervention.”

She humphs, but the corners of her mouth twitch. “You always take the high road.”

“Someone’s gotta.”

Ruthie eyes me over her coffee rim. “You’re too soft, Cassie. That’s why everyone likes you.” Her wrinkled hand pats mine. “But I suppose that’s not a bad thing to be.”

Aria waves from her oat station, that sweet little child and her manners. Ruthie waves back, a little smile breaking her crusty expression before she shuffles to her usual corner table by the window, and the morning falls into its familiar rhythm.

Regulars come and go.

I pipe frosting onto cupcakes for a birthday order.

The sunlight crawls across the floor of the beautiful place I’ve built—a cozy little bakery-café with regular customers and a toddler who loves them all. In this quiet world of mine, I wake up without a hammering heart.

Not having to look over my shoulder or flinch at slamming doors feels like a gift I never want to give back. Some days, the peace feels too good to be true. Like something’s bound to shatter it.

But I have to live with the secret that eats at me every single day.

The door swings open again, and it’s Tina—head-to-toe linen, big-ass sunglasses, blown-out hair, dripping rich girl summer vibes like we’re in the Hamptons. Meanwhile, I’ve got flour in my bra and frosting on my butt, because that’s my glamorous life now.

She dumps herself across the counter like a cat in a sunbeam. “Tell me you have a cherry danish or I’ll collapse in protest.”

“You say that every week, and you’ve never collapsed once.”

“Today might be the day.”

I hand her one without a word. She takes a bite and groans like she’s in a commercial.

“So,” she says, crumbs on her lip, “you coming to the lake house for the annual start of the summer barbeque or what? Aria can build sandcastles, and I can finally make you wear a bikini without hiding behind a towel.”

“Tempting,” I say, pouring her coffee. “But we’ve got a lot going on. Cupcake season.”

“It’s not a harvest, Cass.”

“Easy for you to say. Some of us can’t just drop everything for a party.”

“Oh please, it’s one day. What’s the worst that could happen?”

My hand pauses on the coffee pot.You’d be surprised what can happen in one day.

“I just like keeping things predictable these days.”

“Since when are you Miss Predictable? You used to be up for anything before you married that asshole.”

The mention of Gino makes my stomach clench. “That’s exactly why I like predictable now.”

“I still can’t believe what he put you through. Thank God you got out when you did.”

I focus on wiping down the counter, anywhere but meeting her eyes. “Yeah, well. Some lessons you only need to learn once.”

“Has he tried to contact you since the divorce was finalized?”

“A few times.” More than a few. “But his family told him to cut ties clean. They’re done with the drama, too.”

“Good. Aria doesn’t need that kind of toxicity in her life.”