6. Did I do something?
1958 Words
Meghan’s P.O.V.
The bakery’s kitchen was warm and smelled of vanilla and freshly ground chocolate, exactly the way I loved it. I was deep into decorating a two-layer cake, my focus intent as I smoothed a cloud of pale blue buttercream across its surface. My aunt Beth’s bakery had always been known for its homestyle charm—warm bread, classic pastries, and of course, her famous cinnamon buns—but cakes had always been my own specialty, and I was hoping to add a little extra magic to the menu. This one, my latest creation, was the perfect example: delicate buttercream roses wound along the edges, tiny sugar pearls dotting the top like drops of dew.
Today was the first day I would be putting my cakes on display. If all went well, we would start pulling in orders, especially if I could add a splash of color and charm to the front window. I had been toying with a few other ideas too, like baking fun, brightly decorated cookies for kids and giving them out as samples in hopes of drawing in new customers. Aunt Beth had loved that idea and had even laughed that I had a knack for “thinking big.”
“Meghan!” Aunt Beth’s voice called from the storefront, pulling me out of her concentration.
“Could you come here for a sec?”
“Be right there!” I gave my cake a last fond look, carefully laying down my piping bag. I brushed my hands off on my apron and walked out to the front, where Aunt Beth was holding a small crumpled bill.
“A customer just left without his change,” Aunt Beth explained, her eyes narrowing at the door.
“I was about to set it aside, but he didn’t look like the type to just leave it behind on purpose.”
“Oh, it’s probably just a tip, Aunt Beth,” I said, shrugging with a smile.
“I wouldn’t worry too much.”
But Aunt Beth shook her head.
“Humor me, Meg. He didn’t get too far; you might still catch him if you hurry.”
I rolled my eyes with a smile, taking the bill.
“Fine, fine. Anything for you, Aunt Beth.”
I pushed open the door, the bell tinkling above me as I stepped out into the early morning sunlight. I squinted, my eyes scanning the sidewalk and spotting a tall figure a little further down the street, just starting to cross toward the small square. I quickened my pace, half-trotting as I called out,
“Hey! Excuse me! You forgot your change!”
The man stopped, and as he turned around, my heart froze.
Blade Miller.
SHIT!
I slowed to a halt, the words dying on my lips as soon as my brain had caught up with my eyes. Blade stood there, one hand casually tucked in his pocket while the other one was holding on to his coffee, his dark eyes catching mine with a faint flicker of surprise and something else I couldn't quite place. He was… well, he was Blade, but older, more solid and far more sexier than he had been as a teenager. That rugged edge to his jaw was still there, and his familiar half-smile was unchanged—effortless, infuriatingly charming. All the memories, the teenage crush that had once consumed me, came rushing back with a force that left me a bit dazed.
DOUBLE f**k!
“Meghan?” His voice had a hint of amusement like he was catching on to my surprise.
“Didn’t expect to see you sprinting down the street after me.”
I forced a laugh, feeling a flush creep up my cheeks.
“Yeah, well… I thought you were someone else as well,” I managed, holding out the bill at arm's length, hoping to put as much distance between us as I possibly could.
“Turns out, though, that you forgot this. Aunt Beth wanted me to bring it to you.”
He raised an eyebrow, glancing down at the crumpled note.
“I didn’t even realize I’d left it. Thanks.”
“No problem,” I replied, mentally kicking myself for how awkward I sounded.
He didn’t take the bill, though. Instead, he tilted his head, a faint smirk playing at his lips, his eyes never leaving me. Those dark and mysterious and sexy eyes
“Is this part of Beth’s new customer service policy? Chasing people down in the street?”
I snorted, rolling my eyes and taking a mental note never to do this again.
“Hardly. She’s just thorough.” I paused, an awkward silence creeping in.
“I’m helping her out now, actually. Working here full-time.”
“Really?” His eyes brightened with interest, a small smile growing on his lips that made him look even more handsome.
“Back for good, then?”
“Yeah.” I forced a small smile, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.
“Figured it was time to make a life somewhere I actually want to be, you know?”
He nodded slowly, eyes unreadable but still fixed on me.
“Fairview could use someone like you, that's for damn sure.” He hesitated, his gaze flicking over my shoulder toward the bakery.
“Maybe Beth, too. You’re giving it a bit of a makeover?”
“Something like that,” I replied, glad to have a more neutral topic to land on.
“We’re hoping to draw in a few more regulars with cakes and cookies, maybe get some orders going. I’ve always loved decorating, and Aunt Beth gave me free rein, so… we’ll see what happens.”
“Well, it sounds like you’re exactly what the bakery needs,” he said, his tone softer, but his gaze intense in a way that made my heart skip a beat. As if he was talking about something other than the bakery.
“I’ll have to stop by for one of those cakes sometime.”
My pulse thrummed at his words, and I could tell by the look in his eyes that he knew exactly what he was doing right now. He was still every bit as charming as he had been when we were younger, only now he had the confidence of someone who knew he had that effect on women.
“You’ll have to get in line,” I shot back, summoning a teasing grin.
“They’re going to sell like hotcakes.”
Blade’s smirk softened into a smile, and for a moment, I saw a glimpse of the boy I had once known all those years ago before I had moved out of Fairview. The one who had teased me as easily as he had encouraged me, who had kept his distance from everyone else but had a strange way of letting me in, just a little.
“Well, I’ll make sure to get in early then,” he replied, giving me a quick playful wink. I forced myself to hold Blade’s gaze and to NOT respond to the wink or the effect it had on me, even as a sly smile spread across his face and I honestly wanted to melt through the concrete streets of Fairview. It was that same smile that used to send me spiraling back when we were younger, a combination of confidence and mischief that said he knew exactly how he affected people. Blade had always been an expert at closing the distance between people, and it seemed he hadn’t lost his touch for one bit.
"So, how about dinner sometime?" Blade asked me suddenly, his voice casual but with that edge of challenge that had always been there.
“You know, so we can catch up properly. Relive the glory days of Fairview.”
My heart did an involuntary leap at his request, but I worked to keep my expression calm and even. I knew that agreeing to dinner with him would be like opening a door I wasn’t sure I could close again. Blade might look more mature these days, but I could tell he hadn’t really changed over the years either. This was still the Blade who, once he decided he wanted something, didn’t give up easily. And Blade was a man who wanted a lot of different things at the same time...
“I don’t think so,” I replied lightly, pretending to glance over my shoulder as if I had something to attend to.
“I’m pretty busy with the bakery, and there’s still a lot I need to get done.”
Blade’s brow furrowed slightly, and he let out a small laugh as if he couldn’t quite believe what he had just heard.
“Busy, huh? C’mon, it’s just dinner, Meghan. You’ve got to eat at some point.”
I kept my tone casual, though I could feel the pull of his gaze.
“I’ve got cake orders piling up, Blade, and Aunt Beth’s got a full schedule planned for me. Besides,” I added, tilting my head,
“some things are better left in the past, don’t you think?”
Blade’s smile faltered, and for a brief moment, I saw something more genuine in his expression—confusion, maybe even a little hurt. He seemed to hesitate for a second, as though he wasn’t used to people turning him down, especially a woman. The moment was fleeting, but I still caught it.
“You know,” he said, his tone softening as he leaned in slightly,
“I get the feeling there’s more going on here. I didn’t expect you to be so… distant.” He studied me, his gaze intense, like he was trying to read my mind.
“Did I do something?”
I swallowed, pushing away the swirl of emotions that his words stirred up. There had been a time when I would have given anything to be this close to Blade, to be the one he was looking at with such focus, and for him to ask me this exact question. But I wasn’t the girl he had known back then anymore either; I had come back to Fairview for a fresh start, not to fall into old patterns.
“No, Blade, it’s not that,” I said, forcing a smile that I hoped looked convincing.
“I just… I have a lot on my plate right now. Starting up at the bakery, getting everything settled—it’s a lot.” I gave a half-hearted shrug, stepping back toward the bakery.
“I’d better get going. Aunt Beth’s probably wondering where I am.”
Blade looked at me for a moment, clearly trying to figure me out. I could tell he wasn’t used to people brushing him off, and there was a strange satisfaction in that. Maybe I really wasn’t the same girl I had been all those years ago.
“All right, Meghan,” he said finally, his voice still gentle, almost thoughtful.
“If you’re sure. Just know… I’m not going anywhere.” He smiled, that familiar, knowing smile that had once made me feel like he could see right through me. As if he could sense that I was lying to him just now. But I just gave him a polite nod, turning to walk back toward the bakery. I could feel his eyes on me with every step that I took, but I didn’t turn around to look back at him. Instead, I let myself savor the victory of leaving him stunned, not entirely sure what to make of me. It was a small thing, but it felt good—a sign, maybe, that I was finally moving forward.
- Writer
