Read Online The Baker's Man by Jennifer Moorman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jennifer Moorman
Ads: Link
what happened to Victor Frankenstein? He lost his freaking mind.”
Lily pressed both her palms against the island. “I need a minute.” She pulled in a few deep breaths. Then she paced the backroom while she rambled. “First of all, Victor Frankenstein made a man out of used body parts—gross. That would make anyone go insane to be followed around by a gigantic, stitched-together man. I get tired of Jakob sometimes when he won’t give me space. But as far as I can tell, Eli is all one piece. Second, Eli isn’t exactly a monster that’s causing people to try and torch your bakery. What are you going to do? How did this happen? I feel like I’ve eaten bad Chinese food. Have you told Baron? Have you told anyone else? Not that they’d believe you. Where is Eli living?”
“He’s staying with me.”
“Are you bonkers? You’re letting that donut man live with you?”
The temperature in the room rose, and Anna breathed in the smell of melting sugar.
“Please tell me that I’m Donut Man,” Eli said and grinned.
Lily squeaked and stood behind Anna as if she thought Eli was dangerous.
“We’re out of double dark chocolate chip cookies. Mrs. Rogers just took the last dozen. Want me to get started on a new batch?” he asked.
Anna grabbed Lily’s arm and tugged her forward. “Actually, Lily is going to take you to buy some clothes. I’ll make the cookies. I know you didn’t bring much on your trip here, and she has the afternoon off. She volunteered to help out. Didn’t you?”
The bell on the front door jingled again, and Eli left them alone in the kitchen to assist the customer. Lily’s eyes widened.
“I can’t leave Amanda at the shop all afternoon,” she said, stepping in front of Anna and facing her. She mouthed, “You can’t possibly leave me alone with this freak show.”
Anna frowned. “I told you the rum was a bad idea,” she mouthed. “You owe me.”
Lily dragged one finger horizontally across her neck.
Anna shook her head. “The worst he’ll do is charm the pants off you, but don’t even entertain that thought.” Then she added, “ Please .”
Lily huffed. Eli returned and leaned against the archway, smiling at them. Anna felt Lily relax beside her. Eli’s smile could stop wars. Anna walked past him and opened the register. She counted out a handful of cash.
“Here,” she said, shoving the money into Eli’s hands. “Yesterday’s pay for working.”
Eli pushed the money back. “You don’t have to pay me.”
“You’re not working for free,” she argued. “I think they’ll arrest me for that.” She held the money out to him, and he took it, holding her hands for a few seconds. When her thoughts started leaking out her ears, she jerked her hands away and glared at him. Eli smirked.
Lily adjusted her purse on her shoulder. “If we’re not back in a couple of hours, send out a search party. You know I have LoJack on my car, right? If anything happens, the police can find me.”
Anna exhaled loudly. “You’re going shopping .”
Lily responded with a glare.
Eli wiped a smudge of flour from Anna’s cheek, causing her to sigh in a completely inappropriate way. Her body arched toward his like they were two magnets sliding across the floor. “We’ll be back,” he said to her. Then he looked at Lily and said, “Anna and I have dinner plans. We’ll definitely not be out for long.” He crossed the room toward the door.
Lily stared bug-eyed at Anna as Anna lifted her fingers to her cheek. Lily gave her a look that said, We’re going to discuss this later , and they were out the door, leaving behind an afternoon wind that brought in cherry-red maple leaves.
6
Dark and Stormy Ganache
Blustery afternoon winds blew in swollen storm clouds. The muggy air dampened everything as the town waited for rain. Anna closed the bakery at dusk and hurried to grab the mail before the sky burst open. She flipped through the handful of letters, but suddenly she stopped. She
Lily pressed both her palms against the island. “I need a minute.” She pulled in a few deep breaths. Then she paced the backroom while she rambled. “First of all, Victor Frankenstein made a man out of used body parts—gross. That would make anyone go insane to be followed around by a gigantic, stitched-together man. I get tired of Jakob sometimes when he won’t give me space. But as far as I can tell, Eli is all one piece. Second, Eli isn’t exactly a monster that’s causing people to try and torch your bakery. What are you going to do? How did this happen? I feel like I’ve eaten bad Chinese food. Have you told Baron? Have you told anyone else? Not that they’d believe you. Where is Eli living?”
“He’s staying with me.”
“Are you bonkers? You’re letting that donut man live with you?”
The temperature in the room rose, and Anna breathed in the smell of melting sugar.
“Please tell me that I’m Donut Man,” Eli said and grinned.
Lily squeaked and stood behind Anna as if she thought Eli was dangerous.
“We’re out of double dark chocolate chip cookies. Mrs. Rogers just took the last dozen. Want me to get started on a new batch?” he asked.
Anna grabbed Lily’s arm and tugged her forward. “Actually, Lily is going to take you to buy some clothes. I’ll make the cookies. I know you didn’t bring much on your trip here, and she has the afternoon off. She volunteered to help out. Didn’t you?”
The bell on the front door jingled again, and Eli left them alone in the kitchen to assist the customer. Lily’s eyes widened.
“I can’t leave Amanda at the shop all afternoon,” she said, stepping in front of Anna and facing her. She mouthed, “You can’t possibly leave me alone with this freak show.”
Anna frowned. “I told you the rum was a bad idea,” she mouthed. “You owe me.”
Lily dragged one finger horizontally across her neck.
Anna shook her head. “The worst he’ll do is charm the pants off you, but don’t even entertain that thought.” Then she added, “ Please .”
Lily huffed. Eli returned and leaned against the archway, smiling at them. Anna felt Lily relax beside her. Eli’s smile could stop wars. Anna walked past him and opened the register. She counted out a handful of cash.
“Here,” she said, shoving the money into Eli’s hands. “Yesterday’s pay for working.”
Eli pushed the money back. “You don’t have to pay me.”
“You’re not working for free,” she argued. “I think they’ll arrest me for that.” She held the money out to him, and he took it, holding her hands for a few seconds. When her thoughts started leaking out her ears, she jerked her hands away and glared at him. Eli smirked.
Lily adjusted her purse on her shoulder. “If we’re not back in a couple of hours, send out a search party. You know I have LoJack on my car, right? If anything happens, the police can find me.”
Anna exhaled loudly. “You’re going shopping .”
Lily responded with a glare.
Eli wiped a smudge of flour from Anna’s cheek, causing her to sigh in a completely inappropriate way. Her body arched toward his like they were two magnets sliding across the floor. “We’ll be back,” he said to her. Then he looked at Lily and said, “Anna and I have dinner plans. We’ll definitely not be out for long.” He crossed the room toward the door.
Lily stared bug-eyed at Anna as Anna lifted her fingers to her cheek. Lily gave her a look that said, We’re going to discuss this later , and they were out the door, leaving behind an afternoon wind that brought in cherry-red maple leaves.
6
Dark and Stormy Ganache
Blustery afternoon winds blew in swollen storm clouds. The muggy air dampened everything as the town waited for rain. Anna closed the bakery at dusk and hurried to grab the mail before the sky burst open. She flipped through the handful of letters, but suddenly she stopped. She
Similar Books
