With a smirk, his dark almond-shaped eyes glanced around the kitchen, veering to the counters and the ceiling, where even Maggie spied a few splatters of batter. The kitchen was a mess. Metal bowls were everywhere. Paper cupcake liners sprinkled the floor near where she’d bumped into the back table earlier today. A steady drip flowed from the faucet of the deep sink filled with more dishes.
When their eyes met, Maggie shrugged off her embarrassment with a shake of her head, causing her chef’s hat to shift to the side. She grabbed the toque and kept it in her hand. “What? You have to crack a few eggs in order to make a masterpiece.”
“It certainly was a beautiful cupcake.” A bit of humor hung in his deep voice.
She crossed her arms over her chest. “Why do I get the feeling you have something funny to say?”
“I’m just remembering a time when you didn’t know the recipe for strawberry milk.”
Maggie waved her hand. “Eons ago. Why are you here?”
“Not much for the small talk these days?”
“Caden,” Maggie said with a long drawled-out sigh, “have I mentioned I don’t have time for this? I’m busy these days.”
“Busy doing what? Baking cupcakes?”
“Welp, goodbye.” It was better to walk away from Caden now before he sweet-talked her out of her panties right here in the back of the bakery. Best if she used whatever reason possible, too.
“Maggie,” Caden pleaded and reached for her elbow. “I didn’t mean to make baking sound bad.”
“What were you implying?” she asked, her shoulders squared as she did a head toss to flip her hair off her shoulders.
“I mean one moment you’re gracing the stage of my mother’s beauty pageant—” he began before she cut him off.
“And her son’s bed.”
Caden gave a short head nod. “Wait, are you supposed to be mad at me for what happened between us?”
A flash of lightning struck in her heart. Was she?
Stroking his thumb against her skin, Caden’s dark eyes beamed down on her. “I followed your wishes. Was I wrong?”
Maggie pulled her arm away and avoided his eye contact. She wanted to be the independent tough girl who never regretted her decisions. Biting her lip, she rolled her eyes before facing him again. Suddenly images popped into her head, with them standing here like this, inches apart. A wedding day at a church altar, on the front steps of a hospital with a newborn tucked in a white blanket between them, even them as an elderly couple with gray strands in their hair. With a deep inhale, Maggie averted her eyes to the knot of his tie. Beneath it, his chest rose in the same quick rhythm as hers. Did he see the same thing?
“Maggie.” Caden breathed her name, reminding her of his whispers against her ears.
“Can we wrap this up?”
Caden nodded. “I need you to be in Savannah soon.”
“Funny,” Maggie laughed without even asking why.
“I’m serious,” said Caden. “It’s not for me, it’s for Kit.”
The laughter bubbling in the back of her throat died down. Kit Archibald, Caden’s mother, was the queen of pageant shows. The Southern Style Glitz pageants put beauty queens on the map for success. Contestants often went on to represent their cities in Georgia. Or they went on to the Miss USA, Miss America, Miss World and even the National Sweetheart pageants. Everyone succeeded as a beauty queen except for Maggie. Maggie, a former Miss Southwood, hadn’t won anything other than Miss Congeniality.
Despite Maggie’s distaste for pageants now, Miss Kit had always been kind to her. “Is everything okay with your mom?” Even though his nod was slow, a sinking feeling washed over her.
“I think so. She’s requesting certain people attend her meeting. Especially you.”
Maggie crossed her arms over her chest. “And you came here right away, thinking you would sweep me off my feet?”
“I am a sports agent, Maggie,” Caden clarified. “I have clients here.”
Her lips stretched into the shape of an O. Heat c
rept up her neck and with the combination of the late midday sun and the hot oven air, a bead of sweat trickled down her spine. “Well, I’ll have to send your mom my apologies. I can’t make it.”