Read Online The Baker's Man by Jennifer Moorman - Free Book Online Page A

had gone all soft and dewy that she was under Eli’s spell. Anna marched over to Lily and grabbed her arm.
    “Lily, this is Eli. Eli, this is Lily,” Anna said, and then she dragged Lily to the backroom.
    “Gorgeous is not an adequate word for that hunk of manliness out there,” Lily said. “He’s a sex god. Honestly, I know you have a boyfriend and all—and—well, I do too—but maybe they’d understand—”
    “Keep your voice down,” Anna scolded. “Lily, focus. On me .”
    “Okay, okay. If this was an excuse to have me check out the new help, then thank you. Now, can I take him out to lunch?”
    “Lily!”
    “You’re in a foul mood today.”
    “Listen to me,” Anna hissed through clenched teeth. “That man out there is the product of our night of rum. Remember we came downstairs, and while you drunk yourself into oblivion, I created a recipe. I added the sparkly stuff we found in the box, and when I got up the next morning, Eli was here in the bakery.”
    Lily frowned and twisted a blonde curl around her finger. “I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
    Anna whispered even though she could hear Eli talking to someone in the front of the shop. “That guy out there came out of one of these ovens. I made him.”
    “Are you on drugs?” Lily asked.
    Anna clenched her teeth together so tightly a vein bulged in her forehead. “Listen to me. I don’t think he has any memories of his own. But how could he? It’s like he sprung out of nowhere. You don’t believe me? Go out there and ask him where he went to high school. Ask him where he went to college. Maybe ask him what his last name is, and then come back here and tell me.”
    Lily looked doubtful, but she left Anna standing in the backroom, where Anna proceeded to bang her head gently against the island. She could hear Lily talking to Eli, and she heard them laughing. But when Lily returned to the backroom, she wasn’t smiling. The room smelled like day-old coffee.
    “Well, he definitely went to college with you in New York, which I find disturbing that you never mentioned him before now. How did you not date him when you were there? He clearly thinks you’re the cat’s pajamas. But he wasn’t as quick to tell me where he went to high school. When he came up with a name it was our high school, and he’s our age, which means he would have been in our class. Obviously he’s lying—”
    “He’s not lying,” Anna said. “Those are my memories. Eli thinks he went to college with me because I went there. I created him, Lily. He has no memories of his own. Of course he would say he went to our high school— my high school.”
    Lily chewed her bottom lip. “Did you name him Elijah Long?”
    Anna shook her head. “Just Elijah.”
    “Then I guess he’s chosen a last name for himself.” Lily laughed. “Anna, what kind of game are you playing? This is crazy. You know that, right? Okay, game over. Tell me what’s really going on.”
    Anna reached out and grabbed Lily’s hands. “When have I ever lied to you? I swear I’m telling you the truth.” Anna felt Lily’s hands tremble in her own.
    “But that’s impossible,” Lily whispered.
    “Somehow the impossible became possible.”
    “You can’t go around creating people!” Lily said. “Was your grandma magic? Are you magic?”
    Anna wrung her hands together. “I have no idea what this means. And I’m scared out of my mind until he walks into the room, and then I can’t think of anything .”
    “What do you mean?”
    “He has some kind of voodoo mumbo jumbo magic spell over me. My mind feels empty but full of him. Full of us ,” Anna babbled.
    “You think he’s evil?” Lily squeaked. “Like dark magic or something? You think he’s from the devil?”
    Anna shook her head. “No. She sagged against the island. “It’s not like that. He doesn’t feel evil at all. He seems good and kind and wholesome. I think if anyone is bad, it’s me. This is serious, Lily. Remember