Donuts and Handcuffs

“Ha – not quite yet,” I laughed. “Okay, these should be good to go. Try the lemon pepper oregano first.”

Watching his warm brown eyes as he took a bite made me melt inside. He was incredibly sexy, but didn’t strut around like he knew it. I realized I was staring at his lips and tore my gaze away to try a cookie myself.

“Wow,” he said. “I like that it’s not too sweet. The oregano is weird, but it brings out the lemon. If I drank tea, I’d dip this in like a biscuit.”

My shoulders shook as I practically bounced. “That’s exactly what I was going for!” I handed him another. “Tell me what you taste.”

He was so lighthearted, yet serious about this. I could just imagine him being relaxed in every situation. I bet he never got angry. There was just something about him that was indescribably comforting.

His eyes stared at the ceiling as he pondered. “First there is the mint. And coffee. And… salted caramel, I think?”

“I’m impressed. You’re very good at this.”

“Thanks,” he winked. “I’ve been practicing at bakeries all over the city for years, you know.”

“Do you like it?”

“Yeah,” he nodded. “This one is to go with coffee, right? It’s a bit sweeter, but still has that richness.”

“Amazing. Thanks so much. These will be available tomorrow, if you happen to know any coffee and tea drinkers at the station.”

Daniel checked his watch. “Dammit. I have to run.”

I gasped in shock, placing my hands over the ears of the ceramic animal jar that held wooden spoons. “Officer, please watch your language in front of the panda.”

His rolling laugh filled me with a huge wave of joy. I didn’t know how or why I was able to be myself around him. Well, my new self. The light-hearted baker persona.

He stepped closer, reaching out to run his thumb along my cheek, holding it up to show the smudge of flour. “Have a great day. I’ll see you soon.” It was such a casual touch. Simple, sweet, and maybe considered normal among regular people. But it shocked me to pieces. My heart raced until well after the bell stopped ringing over the door and through the shop.

CHAPTER THREE

One of the many elements of being a police officer was learning to be incredibly observant, and watching the patterns of people. There is usually a rhythm and flow to every situation, and if something is suddenly extremely different, it could be a random glitch, or it could be a problem.

I’ve always found it interesting to study pedestrian traffic patterns. The way people move in groups, as singles, and flow around each other on sidewalks and at intersections.

I could easily lie to myself and say that I was checking out the neighborhood more than usual to learn more about it. But I tried not to lie to myself. I was watching the pattern of customers at Teeny Tiny Temptations so that I could try to pop in when Bailey was alone.

It was utterly impossible to stop thinking about her. She was so sweet and precious, but also unabashedly good. Watching her sneak an extra cookie to children, or make a big deal about someone’s birthday was so pure. It seemed to light her up from the inside.

She wasn’t just a good businesswoman, she was a good woman. Smart, funny, and full of light. But I also saw a sliver of darkness. She seemed a little jumpy about some things. Extra cautious. Just thinking about what may have made her that way made me uneasy.

Everyone in the force knew more about domestic violence than they ever wanted to, but I had first-hand knowledge that endless boxing training and years of therapy could never erase. No little boy should see his beautiful mother hiding her bruises with makeup so that she could drop him off at school without questions. I hated that my mind ran to that dark place whenever I saw a woman acting skittish.

Watching the clusters of people sleepily shuffle into Bailey’s shop, then leave smiling, showed how much she was improving everyone’s day. Then I noticed that the crowd from the last streetcar was leaving, and it was eleven-twenty, just before people started pic

king up lunches.

“Hey Kate, I’ll go pick up snacks for the noon meeting, okay?”

“Thanks, you’re the best,” she said quickly without looking up. She was the heart and soul of our police station, always knowing where everyone and everything was. Taking one thing off of her to-do list was always appreciated, never questioned.

Dashing across the street, I managed to enter the store just in time to hold the door for a woman and her stroller, waving at the tiny pink-cheeked toddler who was already covered in cookie crumbs.

Bailey’s pretty pixie face lit up as I came toward her, making my heart sing cheesy old love songs.

“Officer Daniel,” she said. “Officer Matthews already picked up donuts this morning. Or do you guys need extra sugar today?”

I laughed, her sweet smile instantly making me feel lighter. “There’s a meeting at noon, and since lunch will be delayed for some of us, I figured snacks would be in order. Whatever you think an office full of hungry people would like.”