and you were just gone !”
“I’m sorry….”
Brooke was at a loss. Even while her grandfather was still alive, he’d been so
ill the last couple of years that he hadn’t seemed to notice Brooke’s comings
and goings; to have someone – a virtual stranger – keeping tabs and worrying
about her was strange. “I just went to pick up my check and…well, I found a
job!”
“Where are you, Brooke?”
“I’m at a
bakery,” she answered. “It’s called Babycakes. I just got a job here this
morning!” Silence met her words. “I thought you’d be glad to be rid of me,
Travis.”
“Why would you –
never mind.” Travis blew out a sigh. “Look, I’m just glad you’re okay. I
didn’t mean to yell at you. I’ll see you later, okay?”
Brooke hung up
and stared at her phone for a minute before sliding it back into her pocket.
She finished filling out all the paperwork Jazz had given her, then went to
find Jazz or Riley.
“I’ll take
those,” Riley said as Brooke left the office. He looked them over quickly. “Everything
looks good. You can go on in the kitchen now and see where she wants to get
you started.”
Brooke followed
Riley’s gesture to the kitchen door. She pushed it open and found Jazz in the
back rolling out cookie dough. Jazz waved Brooke over to the big stainless
steel table where she was working.
“Today I’m
working on spice cookies,” Jazz said. “I’m also going to make about a ton of
pumpkin bread.” She smiled. “We’re supposed to get a cold front this
afternoon, and that always brings people in looking for those warm Autumn
goodies, you know?”
“What can I do
to help?” Brooke asked. “I can roll dough and let you work on the pumpkin
bread, if you’d like.”
“Yeah, you can
probably reach the table better than I can,” the other woman laughed, rubbing
her belly. Brooke laughed with her and reached for the rolling pin. “Thanks.
The oven’s already pre-heated, and those bake for about ten minutes. I’ll get
started on the bread. Oh, I need Riley for this, or I’ll get in trouble.”
Jazz went to the
door and called for her husband. Riley immediately bounded into the kitchen,
his blue eyes wide.
“Everything
okay?” he asked a little breathlessly.
“Riley, honey,”
Jazz said dryly. “Every time I call your name, it does not mean I’m in labor.
I just need you to get those cans of pumpkin down from that shelf, babe.”
“Oh.” He
grinned, pressed a quick kiss to her forehead and pulled a step-ladder over to
the shelf. Brooke stepped over to take the heavy cans of pumpkin puree as
Riley handed them down. Jazz stood back glaring at the two of them.
“Oh, I see how
this works,” she muttered. “Brooke’s gonna be just as bad as you are about
letting me do things. She’s already taken over rolling out cookie dough, now
she won’t let me take cans of pumpkin!”
“Yep,” Riley
teased, winking at Brooke. “Give the girl a raise!”
“Ha! I just
want you to let me do my job!”
“Aren’t you the
boss?” Brooke asked innocently. “Doesn’t that mean you get to just supervise?”
“Oh, you’re
good,” Riley laughed. He stepped off the ladder and set the last can on the
big worktable. He smiled at Brooke. “Keep her out of trouble, will you?
Trust me, that will be the toughest part of your job here, Brooke!”
Chapter 9
Two hours later,
Brooke and Jazz were well into making cookies and breads when Riley pushed open
the door to the kitchen. He stuck his head in, an odd expression on his face.
“Hey, Brooke,”
he said. “There’s someone out here asking for you.”
“For me?”
Riley nodded.
Wiping her hands on a towel, Brooke followed him to the front of the bakery.
Arms folded across his broad chest, an implacable look on his face, Travis
Cooper
“I’m sorry….”
Brooke was at a loss. Even while her grandfather was still alive, he’d been so
ill the last couple of years that he hadn’t seemed to notice Brooke’s comings
and goings; to have someone – a virtual stranger – keeping tabs and worrying
about her was strange. “I just went to pick up my check and…well, I found a
job!”
“Where are you, Brooke?”
“I’m at a
bakery,” she answered. “It’s called Babycakes. I just got a job here this
morning!” Silence met her words. “I thought you’d be glad to be rid of me,
Travis.”
“Why would you –
never mind.” Travis blew out a sigh. “Look, I’m just glad you’re okay. I
didn’t mean to yell at you. I’ll see you later, okay?”
Brooke hung up
and stared at her phone for a minute before sliding it back into her pocket.
She finished filling out all the paperwork Jazz had given her, then went to
find Jazz or Riley.
“I’ll take
those,” Riley said as Brooke left the office. He looked them over quickly. “Everything
looks good. You can go on in the kitchen now and see where she wants to get
you started.”
Brooke followed
Riley’s gesture to the kitchen door. She pushed it open and found Jazz in the
back rolling out cookie dough. Jazz waved Brooke over to the big stainless
steel table where she was working.
“Today I’m
working on spice cookies,” Jazz said. “I’m also going to make about a ton of
pumpkin bread.” She smiled. “We’re supposed to get a cold front this
afternoon, and that always brings people in looking for those warm Autumn
goodies, you know?”
“What can I do
to help?” Brooke asked. “I can roll dough and let you work on the pumpkin
bread, if you’d like.”
“Yeah, you can
probably reach the table better than I can,” the other woman laughed, rubbing
her belly. Brooke laughed with her and reached for the rolling pin. “Thanks.
The oven’s already pre-heated, and those bake for about ten minutes. I’ll get
started on the bread. Oh, I need Riley for this, or I’ll get in trouble.”
Jazz went to the
door and called for her husband. Riley immediately bounded into the kitchen,
his blue eyes wide.
“Everything
okay?” he asked a little breathlessly.
“Riley, honey,”
Jazz said dryly. “Every time I call your name, it does not mean I’m in labor.
I just need you to get those cans of pumpkin down from that shelf, babe.”
“Oh.” He
grinned, pressed a quick kiss to her forehead and pulled a step-ladder over to
the shelf. Brooke stepped over to take the heavy cans of pumpkin puree as
Riley handed them down. Jazz stood back glaring at the two of them.
“Oh, I see how
this works,” she muttered. “Brooke’s gonna be just as bad as you are about
letting me do things. She’s already taken over rolling out cookie dough, now
she won’t let me take cans of pumpkin!”
“Yep,” Riley
teased, winking at Brooke. “Give the girl a raise!”
“Ha! I just
want you to let me do my job!”
“Aren’t you the
boss?” Brooke asked innocently. “Doesn’t that mean you get to just supervise?”
“Oh, you’re
good,” Riley laughed. He stepped off the ladder and set the last can on the
big worktable. He smiled at Brooke. “Keep her out of trouble, will you?
Trust me, that will be the toughest part of your job here, Brooke!”
Chapter 9
Two hours later,
Brooke and Jazz were well into making cookies and breads when Riley pushed open
the door to the kitchen. He stuck his head in, an odd expression on his face.
“Hey, Brooke,”
he said. “There’s someone out here asking for you.”
“For me?”
Riley nodded.
Wiping her hands on a towel, Brooke followed him to the front of the bakery.
Arms folded across his broad chest, an implacable look on his face, Travis
Cooper
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