Knead: Contemporary Romance (Creamy's Bakery Book 1) (4 page)

Chapter Seven

Mason

Beth is just as beautiful in a pair of tight jeans and a t-shirt as she was when I met her at the wedding. The only difference is the tension in her eyes. She seems unsettled but trying to hide it. It takes everything I have not to ask her to confide in me.

I'm basically a stranger, but I feel like I want to know what troubles her. I want to know if there's something I can do to help.

“You come here often?”

I laugh, startled by the cheesy pickup line. “Not too often. But haven’t seen you around these parts. You new in town?”

Beth laughs and lightly smacks my arm. “You know what I mean. You said this is a normal party, so I assume you come to their parties often.”

“Nah.” I shrug. “I think Amy feels sorry for me so she invites me over all the time. I show up with sticks every couple weeks. The food is always good, although, usually the company’s not always so interesting.”

I glance at Beth's eyes just in time to see her looking away from me with a shy smile on her lips. “Thanks.”

When Beth doesn't say anything else, I decide to delve a little deeper. “So why haven't I seen you here more often? Santa Cruz isn't that far away.”

She looks out at the trampoline where little Isla is playing with Natey and a few of his friends. There are couples and groups standing all around the large yard, but it feels like just Beth and I are out here. “I don't party too often anymore. This is about as wild as I get these days.” She looks back at me with a disbelieving grin.

“I find that hard to believe,” I say innocently. “I'm just a lonely old baker man. I fill my cream sticks and go about my business.”

“Ha. Ha,” she says with an amused glint in her eyes. They are beautiful emerald eyes that sparkle now and then and hold me in with their vibrancy.

“So what are you doing
 tomorrow?”
I have to take a chance.

“Oh.” Beth looks uncomfortable with my question, so I immediately backtrack.

“No… I was… I'm not suggesting anything. I just wondered because there's a great farmers’ market downtown that has a kid area. They do face painting and stuff like that. Isla would probably enjoy it.”

“Oh.” Her face lights up but then she pulls the corner of her lip between her teeth. “Yeah, actually, I do have plans
 tomorrow, 
and then I'll probably head home, but that sounds like fun. Maybe we'll have to come back next weekend and drag Amy out there. A little walking might do her some good.”

I laugh. “Yeah, poor thing is desperate to be a single being once again. She’d probably try just about anything to deliver early.”

After a few moments of sitting in silence, Beth turns toward me.

“Are you gonna go to the farmers’ market
 tomorrow? D
o you usually go?”

“Sometimes. There's an organization that we donate cream sticks to.” I turn away, a little uncomfortable bragging about my personal philanthropy efforts. “Um, they sell them to raise money. I try to stop by and at least check in with them if I can.”

“Cool. What kind of organization is it for?”

“Women in abusive relationships. There's a shelter in Redwood City that’s kind of a halfway house for women and children escaping bad relationships.”

“Oh.” Beth’s face goes white and she looks away, locking her eyes on Isla again. “That’s a very worthy cause, Mason. I'm impressed.”

“I’m not trying to impress anybody. I just can't donate as much time as I’d like.” I clear my throat and force a smile. “The best I can do is help them earn some money.”

Beth gives one quick shake of her head but doesn't say another word.

After sitting in silence for a while, the moment is broken by a sweet little girl running toward us. Isla falls into her mother’s lap. “Mommy, I'm thirsty.”

“There's a bucket of water and juices right over by the table.” I point to where Amy has kid food and drinks set up. “Do you want me to go―”

Before I can finish, Isla hops off Beth's lap and runs to the bucket. She comes back with a few chicken nuggets and carrots on a plate and a bottle of water. She's such a dainty little thing as she sets up her plate and water on the chair next to Beth with such precision. It’s as if she's getting ready for a tea party with the queen.

“Mommy, I had fun today.”

Beth smiles and nods to her daughter. “I know you did, baby. I'm glad.”

“I'm so excited to see Daddy again tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” Beth says, focusing her gaze on her folded hands in her lap. I was under the impression that Isla’s dad was out of the picture. I guess that's not the case.

“Well, I better go check on Carly before those guys whisk her away.” They never let her out of their sight for more than a few minutes.

“Tell her I say hi.”

I can't tell if the darkness in her expression is from my mention of Carly and her two boyfriends or if it has anything to do with her ex. “It’s good to see you,” I say, resisting the urge to pull her into a hug. She looks like she could use a hug.

“You too, Mason. Thanks for keeping me company.”

I slide my hands in my pockets and go look for my sister.

Chapter Eight

Carly

“Babe, it's just one week. It'll be fine.”

Noah shakes his head. “I hate New York.”

“Why? It's fun.”

He narrows his eyes. “You're gonna be working and learning the whole time. What kind of fun do you think you're gonna have?”

I smirk. “Well, I am human. We usually go out for drinks every night.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Max is suddenly interested in the conversation. “You're gonna get drunk every night in a city you’re unfamiliar with?”

“Do you think there will be a serial murderer disguised as a cosmetologist at the Bumble and bumble University?” I say with my hand on my hip.

“Could be. You wouldn't know. You trust everyone and think the world is nice.”

“That’s not true.” I huff and resist the urge to stomp my foot. “And I can take of myself, you know.”

“Yeah, we know.” Max has an amused twinkle in his eye. “Frankie told us what happened that night you almost got your ass kicked and how Olivia had to save you.”

Frankie.

I turn to look for him but remember he and Andre couldn't make it
 tonight. “T
hat's not how it happened. She was a bitch looking for a fight. I would have talked her down.”

“I don't like it,” Noah says again under his breath. “Maybe we should go with you.”

“Please.” I laugh. “No way.”

“Why not?” Max sounds as ridiculous as Noah now.

“This is supposed to be a fun girls’ trip.”

“We're not fun?” Max looks a little hurt, but I know he’s just teasing. At least I think he's just teasing.

“Of course you guys are fun, but I also need to spend time with other people. Girlfriends… You know, so we can do girl stuff.”

“What exactly is girl stuff?”

“Talking about guys.”

Max’s eyes go wide. “Will there be a pillow fight? Maybe in skimpy panties?”

“Yeah, and we’ll have a lesbian orgy after that. Too bad boys aren’t allowed.”

I realize my voice has gotten a little loud just as my brother walks up. Awesome.

“Who’s having a lesbian orgy and how can I get a ticket to watch?”

Noah and Max both chuckle. “Your sister.”

“Gross!” Mason’s face crumples up into one of disgust. “I should know better by now than to ask what you three do for fun. You’re already too kinky just being together. All the rest of that stuff would probably give me nightmares.”

Noah smiles and steps aside, knowing my brother’s just teasing. It’s taken Mason a while to get used to the idea of me being with two men. Now, he mostly likes to tease them and call my men the “brother husbands.”

“So if I said I knew where one was happening tonight, you wouldn’t go?” I raises an eyebrow at my brother.

“Hell, yeah, I’d go. Is there one
you
won’t be at?” he asks.

“No, but Max seems to think that any time a group of women get together overnight, there're naked pillow fights involved.”

“Aren’t there?” Mason asks with a straight face. “I've watched enough scary movies to know that's pretty accurate.”

“Shut up.” I shove him much harder than I would've had I not downed a few drinks already.

“But, seriously, where will these naked pillow fighting girls be?” Mason says, picking a cracker off the plate in my hand.

“Stop that!” I smack his fingers. “It’s mine.”

He yanks his hand away and gets the cracker in his mouth before I can steal it back. Jerk.

“I'm going to my annual training in New York, and I think the boys are a little jealous.”

“Jealous?” Mason laughs. “You guys share her already. What's there to be jealous of? Isn’t the whole theme of this relationship that there’s no jealousy involved?”

“Oh, there’s jealousy involved,” I say, raising an eyebrow at my lovers. “Just not between the two of them. I can barely smile at the grocery clerk without one of them practically molesting me in the aisle to stake their claim.”

Noah shrugs, not even trying to deny that it's true. “We're just worried that she could get herself into trouble. Maybe one of us will have to go with her.”

Max agrees with a thoughtful nod. “Yeah. We could do shifts. You take the first half of the week and I’ll take the second half.”

Now I'm pissed. “I sincerely hope you guys are just messing with me because I do
not
need a babysitter. I am a grown ass woman, and if I want to take a trip to hang out with other grown ass women as part of my career development, then I will do it. I do not need your permission, nor do I need your supervision. Got it?”

All three of them look shocked. I'm not usually assertive, and I’m never aggressive, but it's starting to get a little stifling being under such a tight watch…and not by just one, but two domineering men. I love them to death and part of me even likes the possessiveness… But enough is enough.

Noah’s eyes narrow as he stares me down. “We’ll talk about this later.”

“We can talk all you want. I'm going and you're not.”

Mason steps beside me and coughs, trying to cover up a laugh.

My glare is now directed at him. “What do you want, anyway?”

“Hey.” He holds up his palms. “I just came to say hi. Haven't seen you in a while.”

I take a deep breath, slowly letting all my anger out with it.  “Oh, well, things are good. I have a lot more clients now that Amy isn't working and Olivia has cut back to half time. I’m booked solid most days.”

“Good. That's great.” I glance back at Beth sitting alone on the lounge chairs. Her head is tilted skyward as if she’s looking at the stars.

Carly follows my gaze. “I saw you talking to Amy’s sister.”

“Oh, Beth? Yeah, she's nice,” he says a little too casually.

“You should ask her out.”

“What? Oh, no…” Mason’s always been the calm, confident one between the two of us so it’s surprising to see him genuinely flustered.

“Why not?”

We both glance back just as she stands up from the chair. Her eyes lock on Mason and she smiles coyly before turning away and walking toward the house. “She seems to like you.”

“You think?” he asks with a stupid grin on his face.

“Yes, idiot. Ask her out.”

“She lives in Santa Cruz… I don't know how often she gets out here. It might not be that convenient with her daughter...”

“Oh… I see. So you’re just looking for a relationship that's convenient. The shorter commute the better? Well, I'm sure you'll find someone wonderful within a two mile radius of your house.”

“Shut up.” He’s still staring at the door to the house Beth disappeared through.

“I think Amy said she hasn't dated since her baby daddy. Her daughter’s like what…four now? I bet she’s say yes.”

At the mention of the baby daddy, the smile falls off my brother’s face. “Yeah, well, he might be back in the picture. Sounds like they were with him today so I might've missed my chance…if I ever had one.”

My jaw drops. “He's back? Amy hates that guy. Apparently, he’s a total loser. I can't believe she’s seeing him again.”

Mason shrugs. “Well, I don't know what's going on. I just know that Isla was talking about seeing her daddy today and it sounds like maybe again
 tomorrow.”

I frown and place a hand on his shoulder. “Well, don't worry. You'll find somebody.”

“Anyway… I think I'm going to head out. I just wanted to say hi before I left.”

“You sure you're okay?”

“I’m great, sis. It was good to see you.” Mason pulls me into a regular hug this time…without feeling the need to hang me over the side of the pool. Suede does not do well in water and these sandals are way too cute to get wet.