“Then, don’t take it free of charge,” he said. “Let me own a part of your business. It can be an investment.”
“You want to invest in a failing bakery? That doesn’t sound like a good move financially.”
“Not in a failing bakery. In a bakery that will thrive once we’re done with it. Let me do this for you. Let me do this so you feel more comfortable moving in. So we can be a family, Heather. So I can take care of you. Forever.”
I sat there, stunned at the opportunity presented to me. I tried to find all the faults and cracks in that plan, but there were none. The idea of Cameron investing in my bakery thrilled me. The idea of moving in with him made me happier than I’d ever been in my entire life. My eyes danced between his as I slid into his lap, my hands falling to his chest so I could really look at him when I said what I wanted to say.
“Cameron Silver, will you invest in my bakery?” I asked.
“Only if you move in with me and Audrey,” he said.
“Then, I guess we should seal our deal with a kiss.”
And before I could blink my eyes, he reached up and captured my lips. His hands dropped to my hips and pulled me into him, settling my body into his strength. I slipped my arms around his neck and smiled against his skin as each boulder of stress rolled off my shoulders.
I was creating a family with the man I loved, and my bakery was saved. There was no way my life could get any better than this.
EPILOGUE
CAMERON
NINE MONTHS LATER
“So how’d your checkup go?” I asked.
“It went well,” Heather said. “Luke’s growing on track, though I think he’s the cutest little chunker that ever did roll around on the floor.”
“He’s getting pretty good at that. He knocked up against my leg the other day.”
“If we aren’t careful, he’ll be walking before he’s one, and we’ll be chasing after him while he chases after bees,” she said.
“I still don’t get his fascination with them. He’s been stung once already.”
“Like you said. Tough as nails.”
I opened the fridge and pulled out the steaks for dinner. I had them marinating while Heather and Luke had gone into town for their two-month checkup. I’d wanted to go with her. That protective part of me wanted to accompany her into town, but she wanted to get together with Nicole before the appointment and have a small lunch before she went to get poked and prodded.
“How’s Nicole?” I asked.
“Doing well. Just got back into town after traveling for work again. Oh, man. These steaks smell good. What’s on them?”
“Salt, pepper, and a secret blend of spices.”
“So paprika and garlic?” she asked with a grin.
I chuckled as I started peeling potatoes over the sink. “So, I have a surprise for you.”
I peered over at her with my mockingly guilty look, and she groaned.
“Cameron, what did you buy now?” she asked.
I wasn’t used to women turning down or discouraging gifts, but though her protests sometimes made it difficult to spoil her, I loved knowing I was much more to her than a free ride into luxury. “I bought a new place for your bakery.”
She dropped the steaks into the cold pan as her head whipped over to me. “You what?”
“I’ve been scouting out a few places ever since we got your bakery up and running again, and I had my eye on this one place for a few months now. It used to be some tax place in town, but they closed down a few weeks ago, and they put a ‘for rent’ sign in the window yesterday.”
“You rented it yesterday?”