Page 47 of Theirs for the Holidays

“Hm, I guess I can do that. I went because I’d never been before. It was one of those things my friends and I used to talk about doing when I was in high school, but it never happened for any number of reasons. I finally had the money and the time to do it, so I figured why the hell not, right?”

“Something to cross of the list, at least.”

“Exactly. One and done, and now I know I don’t like them.”

He asks me a question about the name of the bakery, and I tell him about how my grandmother used to hum the song Blackbird all the time when she baked, and how that’s always stuck with me.

“When I was looking for a name for this place, it just seemed to fit.”

There’s a smile on his face, a little wistful around the edges, and I wonder if he’s thinking about his own family. It’s on the tip of my tongue to ask, but I chicken out, going to a safer question.

“What made you want to start traveling?”

“I get itchy feet,” he says easily. “You know what I mean? Like if I stay in one place for too long, I get restless and just need to go somewhere.”

“I remember you were like that when we were younger,” I tell him. “You were always running around doing something. Being reckless. Like that time when you climbed the water tower in the dark.”

He smiles nostalgically. “I made it to the top too.”

“And broke your ankle on the way down.”

Sawyer flaps a hand, unconcerned. “It was worth it for the thrill of it. We had to make our own fun in a town this small. When I didn’t have anything tying me here anymore, it made sense to just start moving around. To see all the shit I was never going to see if I stayed here.”

I want to ask him why all his ties were severed, but it’s not my turn yet.

His next question to me is about my favorite treat that I make, and I grin as a timer goes off in the kitchen. “One second.”

I come back with a tray of peach turnovers, glistening and sweet. The crust is flaky and perfectly golden brown, sprinkled with turbinado sugar for a nice, sweet crunch.

“I love these things,” I tell him. “Most people make them with apples, but I think peaches just add the perfect amount of sweet and tart and juicy.”

Sawyer inhales deeply, a thoughtful look on his face. “This explains why you always smell so good. You smell like this.” He shoots me a smile. “I’m going to start calling you Peaches.”

My stomach flutters at the casual way he says that. “I thought you said you think nicknames are stupid.”

He shrugs, unbothered. “I do. Or I did, but since my brothers are going to come up with pet names for you, I should have one too. For the ruse and all.”

I nod, my heart beating a little bit faster as our eyes catch and hold. “Of course. For the ruse.”

It’s like time stops around us, freezing the moment. Sawyer’s gaze bores into mine, and my heart thumps so loudly that I’m almost sure he can hear it.

He takes a step closer to me, and my mouth goes suddenly dry with it. There’s so much tension all of a sudden, and it makes it hard to breathe. I don’t know what Sawyer’s next move will be, but I wait for it either way.

“You’ve got some…” He trails off, lifting a hand to brush at a smear of flour on my cheek. His fingers are warm where they touch my skin, and he lingers for a lot longer than necessary to just wipe it away. It makes my cheek tingle, and there’s the urge to press more into his hand, to deepen this moment.

I lick my lips, looking up at him, and he looks right back at me. His lips part, like he’s going to say something, and he leans in just the slightest bit.

Is he going to kiss me?

My heart slams against my ribcage. All at once I don’t know if I want him to or not, but I can’t get the idea out of my head. Should I lean in?

Before I can make a decision either way, the bell jingles above the door and a customer comes walking in.

Sawyer steps away, putting distance between us, and that throws a bucket of cold water on the moment. A feeling like disappointment fills me, quickly followed by embarrassment for getting too wrapped up in it.

Because of course, Sawyer doesn’t really want to be seen with me like that. Not so close in such a public place. We might have sold our families a lie, but none of them are here right now to perform for.

I take a breath and force a smile, turning to deal with the man standing by the counter. Once he has his order and is heading out the door, I tell Sawyer I’m taking a break and slip into the kitchen, needing a moment to myself.