Yearnings: A Paranormal Romance Box Set (163 page)

Maddie lifted a brow. “That explains The Flaky Tart name. Listen, for a guy with such a dry spell, you shouldn’t pass it up.”

A dry spell? His sex life definitely didn’t fall into the Sahara Desert category. With all the stamps in his passport over the past three months, he hadn’t exactly had time for dating.

Maddie shook her finger at him. “Remember when you were six and you had to have the superhero cake? With all of the superheroes? Marvel and DC?”

Ethan tipped his head back, squeezing his eyes shut. Uh, oh. Here we go. He wished he could pull up a chair, ‘cause this might take a while.

Without so much as a breath, his sister barreled on. “Mom had to drive all over the state trying to find the Green Lantern. And how about your eighth birthday? You wanted it in the shape of a baseball.” Maddie flung her hands in the air. “But not just any baseball. It had to be a three dimensional one.”

“
Okay. Okay.” Ethan held up his hand, as if that alone could stop his sister’s tirade. “I’ll go get Mom’s cupcakes.”

“
You better come back with those or I’ll dump salt in your sauce. Remember. Red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.”

With a satisfied grin, Maddie blew him a kiss, stepped into her apartment, and shut the door in his face, and then as quickly opened it back up. Maybe she had changed her mind.

“
Oh, and while you’re there get me a gluten and sugar free oatmeal cookie.” She started to close the door, then stopped. “Make that two.”

* * *

Gwen swiped the bead of sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. Stray curls popped out of her bun, clinging to her cheeks and the back of her neck. The kitchen was as hot as the oven baking her chocolate “xoxo” cookies. Running non-stop since five that morning and she had barely caught up with her orders.

Stephanie pushed open the door to the kitchen. “Gwen, I need some help out here; the line is to the door.”

Gwen froze. After this morning’s drama, she had kept to the kitchen, worried her mouth would run wild, again. She had no idea what had come over her. Maybe she needed to see a doctor. Get a brain scan. This was the worst thing she had ever done. Why did she have to say it to Ethan Reynolds?

Her dates were the ones on the receiving end of her loose tongue. Not her customers. Had it been his deep brown eyes or that dimple in his cheek that had thrown her off guard? Gwen exhaled. She could do this.

She wiped her hands on a towel as she pushed through the door. Steph wasn’t kidding. People crowded into the seating area, the cold temperatures forcing them to huddle inside the door.

Waiting on the next customer, Gwen boxed up three dozen cookies for Mr. Blake’s English class.

“
Thank you, Mr. Blake. I hope the kids enjoy them,” she said grateful that her filter remained locked in place.

“
Oh, they will. This is their reward for finishing their writing assignments on time.”

The teacher stepped aside making room for Mrs. Oliver.

“
Hi, Mrs. Oliver. Have the doctors released your husband yet?”

A relieved smile spread across the woman’s face. “I’m on my way to pick him up now. I was hoping to get some of your pear and almond cake as a welcome home gift. You know how much he loves it.”

Gwen reached for a box under the counter and walked the length of the display case. She noticed the basket of chocolate dipped fruits needed filling. Gwen lifted the cake and set it in the box folding the lid. The door chimed as more customers entered.

This turned out to be easier than she thought. What happened with the guy earlier must have been a fluke. Gwen handed the box to Mrs. Oliver.

“
Thank you so much, Gwen. Bob is going to be so surprised.”

Mrs. Oliver turned, revealing Ethan in all his sexy glory behind her. Gwen’s stomach dropped. The sea of faces behind him blurred as the room tilted.

“
Um. Excuse me.”

Like a cat with its tail on fire, Gwen bolted to the kitchen. The door creaked on its hinges as it swung back and forth. She plastered her back to the wall and held her breath. Why did he come back?

She heard Stephanie take his order. With her ear pressed to the door she struggled to hear his response.

“
I’ll take twelve red velvet with cream cheese frosting.”

Great. He already had a valentine. She had gotten all hot and bothered for nothing. She should have known a celebrity like Ethan would have women falling all over him.

The glass door holding the cupcakes slid across its track.

Her eyes shot to the door at the sound of breaking glass. Ethan completely forgotten, Gwen shoved open the door. On the other side of the counter, a crowd formed a semi-circle around Mrs. Haverty, who stood with her hand resting on her temple.

Worry furrowed Gwen’s brow as she elbowed her way through the crowd. While Mrs. Haverty appeared to be ageless, especially when her age changed every year, Gwen knew better.

A broken mug lay in pieces at Mrs. Haverty’s feet.

Gwen looked the older woman up and down. “Mrs. Haverty, are you okay?”

“
I’m fine, dear. I can’t say the same for your cup.”

Gwen balanced on one knee picking up the chunks of ceramic. “It’s okay. It will only take a minute to clean it up.”

Someone crouched down next to her. “Thank you for your help, but I have it.” Gwen glanced over to see Ethan’s lopsided smile.

Gwen’s chest tightened, her pulse hammered in her ears muffling the sound of chairs scraping across the floor, people talking.

She stood slamming her head on the counter. She blinked away the stars dancing before her eyes. Ethan must think she was a hot mess. Rubbing the top of her head, she could already feel a lump forming. Ethan’s strong fingers wrapped around her arm, steadying her. A spark wound its way through her arm. His eyes dropped to his hand, puzzled. Had he felt it, too?

He cleared his throat and released her arm.

“
You’re Ethan Reynolds.” Gwen DVR’d his shows when she didn’t have time to watch them. A genius in the kitchen, she applied many of his lessons in her own kitchen. “Your technique for whipping egg whites put my store on the map.”

“
I would love to see you in action. Um, what I mean is, I would love to see you cook. I have so many questions.”

Stephanie leaned over the counter, the box of cupcakes extended in her hand. “Here you go, Ethan. Do you need anything else?”

“
No,” Ethan replied, looking over Gwen’s shoulder. “Thanks.”

He directed his attention back to Gwen. “I’m glad I could help. Maybe I’ll see you again soon.”

Gwen’s stomach dropped faster than an express elevator. “Sure,” she replied, trying to hide her disappointment. Why did his response sound like all of her other dates?

* * *

Ethan leaned his elbows on the table after Maddie cleared the last of the dinner plates. She carried them to the kitchen, her soft voice crooning a duet with Michael Bublé. His mother seemed unusually quiet at dinner. Maybe they shouldn’t have surprised her. Or maybe he should have cooked something different.

Maddie helped him plan the menu. They both agreed he should prepare Chicken Parmesan, their father’s favorite.

“
Mom?”

At first he didn’t think she’d heard him, but then she lifted her head. Moisture shimmered in her brown eyes.

Ethan reached across the table, his hand sheltering his mother’s. “Mom, what’s wrong?”

She shook her head, knocking a tear loose. The droplet slid down her cheek splashing onto the white tablecloth. “I was just thinking.”

Ethan knew today must be hard for her. Only two years since his father had died. In perfect health, his heart had betrayed him in the end. With a speed none of them were prepared for, he had left in the night.

“
Is it Dad?” He swallowed the lump in his throat. His own unshed tears burned at the back of his eyes.

With a shaking hand, she swiped the moisture off her cheek. How had the smudges under her eyes slipped past him?

He felt helpless. The words to comfort her escaped him. Where was Maddie? In response to his question, he heard the clink of dishes in the kitchen. He almost left his seat to call for her, but his mother’s gentle voice stopped him.

“
I was just remembering the first time I met your father.” She smiled wistfully, her gaze directed over his shoulder.

“
He was stationed at the air base and would come in to your grandparents’ restaurant every day for lunch.” She looked at the kitchen. “He ordered Chicken Parmesan every time.”

Oh, no. That explained why his father loved it. Because it reminded him of their mother. Now he wished they had chosen something else for dinner.

A new batch of tears pooled in her eyes. He smiled encouragingly.

“
He was so handsome in his uniform. And every day I waited for him to ask me out.” She shook her head laughing. “But your father was tongue-tied, always stumbling over his words.”

Ethan had a hard time imagining his confident father with nerves of steel turn into a bumbling fool around his mother. He had flown an F-15 under heavy fire in Desert Storm.

“
One day I got tired of waiting and asked him to go to the movies.” A soft laugh left her lips. “Your father turned all shades of red. So shocked that he could only nod in acceptance.”

Maddie paused at the threshold. She looked from Ethan to their mother. “What did I miss?” She plopped into the vacant chair next to their mother.

“
I was talking about the first time I met Daddy.”

Maddie slipped her arm through her mother’s, then rested her head on her mom’s shoulder. “I love that story.”

A twinge of envy licked at Ethan’s heart. Maddie knew this story? Maybe he needed to spend more time with his mother. Cut back on his travel. Or better yet, take his mom with him. He had a trip scheduled to Europe next month. He opened his mouth to ask, when his mother interrupted him.

“
Mom, wait until you see the cupcakes we got.” Maddie went into the kitchen and returned with the box of cupcakes.

“
Oh! I haven’t had a chance to try these. Your father used to get them from the grandmother’s bakery. When she died, the granddaughter opened her own with the same recipes.”

Their mother bit into a cupcake. Her eyes drifted close. “I think these are better than her grandmother’s.”

“
Whipped egg whites,” Ethan said under his breath, his eyes falling to the tray of perfectly formed cupcakes.

“
What did you say?” His mother asked.

“
Nothing. I was just thinking out loud.”

Maybe his technique had helped Maddie. Ethan grabbed a cupcake and turned it in his hand, before he took a bite. Wow. The moist cake sent an overload of flavors across his tongue. If I’d had this recipe, I could have won Top Chef Masters, Ethan thought.

Their mother stood. She looked happier than she had in a long time. “You two should not be spending Valentine’s Day with your mother. Why don’t you go out and have some fun?”

Ethan tucked the last bite of cupcake in his mouth, then pushed his chair back. He wrapped his arms around his mother and placed a kiss on her cheek. “I love you, Mom.”

* * *

“
Night, Gwen.” Stephanie tipped her hand side to side imitating a perfect pageant wave, before the door clicked shut behind her. The soft hum of the cooler the only sound left in the room.

Gwen swept her hand over the light switches, extinguishing all but one at the back of the store. The faint glow illuminated the empty cases. Even the bran muffins sold out.

She dropped into a chair, her feet stretched out in front of her, and heeled off her shoes. Gwen released a groan, wiggling her toes. The cold tile provided relief to the dull throb that spread through her feet.

The final rush had come a half hour before closing. Men rushing to stay out of the dog house by buying last minute treats for their Valentines.

As she tugged the clip out of her hair, the door chimed. Shoot. Stephanie had forgotten to lock the door. So much for getting home to a hot bath.

“
Sorry. We’re all out.” Gwen threw a glance over her shoulder. Ethan stood holding two paper handled bags.

With a sheepish smile, he shrugged, “I thought you might be hungry.”

She was hungry, all right. Wait. No. Don’t finish that thought and don’t say it aloud.

He set the bags on the chair and whipped out a tablecloth, followed by plates and silverware.

Gwen stood. Realizing her feet were bare, she tucked them back into her shoes.

“
Um. What are you doing?”

Ethan set a bottle of wine on the table. He uncorked it and filled two glasses with the burgundy liquid. “I take it with the rush you had today, you haven’t had dinner.”

“
No.” Gwen looked from the table to Ethan. “But I don’t understand. Why are you here?”

“
I tasted those red velvets. I think I may want those on the show.”

“
What?” Oh, so this was a professional call. She should be able to handle that. The free publicity alone would be great for her business.