Page 4 of They Love Me Knot (Starsfalls Omegaverse #2)

“Oh, sure! They look amazing, you don’t have to stick around.

On your way out, you should go through the bar.

We ordered cookies from Flourist too, and they’re up front so people can snack on them if they come early.

You should grab a few. I really do need to start getting ready, my dress is gorgeous, but it takes forever to lace up all the parts.

Thanks again, Daphne and Poppy, and tell Anicka I say thank you too. ”

I take one last big, surreptitious sniff as Maisie closes the fridge.

We part ways, and Maisie hustles off with her friends, who are strategizing how they’re going to get her dress on.

“Do you want to check out the cookies on the way?” I ask Poppy.

“Definitely!”

At least Poppy likes sugar. We’ll get along just fine if she enjoys eating, even if she doesn’t drink caffeine.

We wander around, looking for the way to the front. I get another whiff of the peony scent, but it’s mixed with a sugary cookie smell. Now that I’ve got the scent, I’m on the hunt, stalking quickly down the hall to find the source.

After a few quick turns, we walk into a wood-paneled bar.

The only thing I really see are cookies lined up on silver trays.

I lean close, trying to determine which ones are the peony cookies.

I can’t tell, the scent seeming to hover over all of them.

Looking at the display labels in front of them, there are several flavors: rose and chocolate chip, mint and citrus, sage and apricot, lemon verbena and black tea, with petals mixed into the cookies or sprinkled on top like confetti.

Decorative fresh flowers and herbs are scattered around the trays.

None of the flavors match what I smell. Instead, they all seem to have that fresh, bright peony scent subtly mixed in with the main floral ingredients.

They must have the same base as the cake, peony petal infused sugar or something.

That’s a cute way to have the rest of the desserts pair with the bonding cake.

Maybe I should get into cake making instead of cake eating. Or both. I can make the cake and eat it. Then I’ll have two hobbies.

Eventually, I tear myself away from the most amazing cookies I’ve ever smelled (after a few final deep sniffs) so Poppy can get a good look too. Despite making room for her, she continues to stand to the side to admire them.

“Which ones are you going to try?” she asks.

“What? Oh! Right.”

Maisie said we could take a few cookies on our way out. I was so preoccupied with finding out what kind they were, I forgot we could actually eat some.

I’ve never forgotten about food in my life. I’m not sure what’s going on with me today.

I inspect the cookies closely again, deciding which ones to sample. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Poppy pick up two and take a bite. I chuckle in my head, how cute to decide so simply which of the amazing food options to try .

I settle on one rose and chocolate chip cookie and a minty citrus cookie. I take a bite of the chocolate and chew slowly.

Heaven.

Poppy giggles, and I open my eyes, having unconsciously closed them as I focused on the taste of the cookie.

I look around to see what she’s laughing at but don’t find anything, and now she’s just looking at me and smiling.

I smile back before taking another bite.

She must just be a giggly person in general.

And she does it all without caffeine. Amazing.

I enjoy my second bite, but still don’t taste anything besides the rose chocolate, no peony flavor at all. Strange.

I grab a napkin and wrap the rest of my cookies up to save them for later when I have coffee to go with them. I ask if Poppy is ready to head back, and she says she is, of course having already eaten her cookies.

After climbing into the van, I tuck my securely wrapped cookies in the cup holder.

On the drive back to Queen of Hearts, I still smell the ghostly scent of sugared peonies.

I sigh, and Poppy looks at me curiously.

“Weren’t those some of the best-smelling desserts you’ve ever smelled?” I can’t help but say.

No one else seemed to be as interested in their scent profile as I was, but surely even Poppy can agree they were one of the best foods she’s ever smelled. Top ten at least (I might even accept top fifteen as an answer).

Poppy giggles. Yep, she’s a perpetually happy person.

“Of course the cookies were delicious. Sterling makes the best cakes and cookies in town. I didn’t notice their scent very much, but I’m not an omega, so my sense of smell isn’t as strong,” she says .

“I suppose that could be part of it. Is that the baker at Flourist? I haven’t had their food before, but I have to agree these are the best cookies around. Do they only cater, or can you pick up a few dozen cookies for lunch?”

She giggles again. “They’re a normal bakery, too. You can buy single cookies or a slice of cake, or whole cakes and as many cookies as you want. They’re not far from Queen of Hearts, so you can walk or drive over on your break.”

“I’ll have to visit and ask how they get their food to smell so good.”

After another titter from Poppy, the rest of the ride is quiet while I contemplate the delicious desserts, and Poppy thinks about whatever it is that makes her so happy-go-lucky.