Cookies & Candlelight: An Arcadia Valley Romance (Baxter Family Bakery Book 3)

by Elizabeth Maddrey

  “Why?”

  Did he not understand? “You’re going to be in those pictures. There’s going to be speculation about who you are, how long we’ve been together, all of that. People will probably come out to Arcadia Valley and it could get ugly. I won’t blame you if you want to keep your distance.”

  He shook his head. “I don’t want to do that. I like what we’ve started here. I’d like to see where it goes. Even if it’s completely different than any other relationship I’ve had.”

  Serena smiled and laid her head on his shoulder. How could he accept her, and all the baggage that came with her, just like that? It was unlike anything she’d ever experienced. “Thank you.”

  13

  What had he been thinking? Micah had expected one, maybe two, photographers would come to town trying to get a story on Serena. And okay, sure, he’d been with her—had even kissed her cheek, and that photo had appeared on all the major gossip blogs on Monday—but why did people think he was a story? He was simply a baker in the process of falling in love with an amazing woman.

  His hand paused on the lock to the front door. Falling in love? Was he? He was attracted to her, certainly. But it was more than that. He genuinely liked her. He liked being around her—whether they were talking or sitting in comfortable silence. He could easily picture the rest of his life with her in it.

  “You going to open up or what?” Jonah crossed the bakery’s front room and peered out the window. “Looks safe.”

  Micah snorted and flipped the lock. “For now. I’m sorry this is so crazy. I know you and the rest of the family didn’t sign up for it.”

  “Please. Serena seems like a great girl, and you’re good together. I kind of figure if you can survive this, you’ll be able to survive anything. Plus, it’s not like a little free publicity for the bakery is a bad thing.”

  “She says this is just a tiny taste. And she doesn’t even have the part yet, although I guess she’s been talking to the director, and it’s down to formalities at this point.” Micah rubbed the back of his neck as he headed toward the coffee. “Sounds like she might head out there for her parents’ Fourth of July party after all.”

  “Bummer. We were planning on all watching the fireworks again—maybe doing another grill out. She can’t go after? Or fly back in time?”

  Micah shrugged. “I’ll ask, but I guess she figures it’s a good excuse to reconnect with some of the people she knows and meet her costars.”

  Jonah nodded but said nothing.

  “Anyway. I think she’s bringing the plates and mugs over this afternoon. I can’t wait to see how it all turned out. She’s been tight-lipped about the whole project.”

  “Make sure Malachi cuts her a check before she leaves.” Jonah knocked on the kitchen door as he pushed through it back into the kitchen.

  Micah scrubbed his hands over his face. He didn’t want Serena to go. Here, when no one was around, he could admit that. Telling her she should and that he was proud of her wasn’t a lie, though. It would just be better if there was a way for her to do that and stay here. With him.

  The door swung open and a woman stepped in, followed by a man carrying a duffel bag. Micah drew in a deep breath and forced a smile. “Good morning. Welcome to A Slice of Heaven, how can I help you?”

  “Oh, you’re too perfect.” She smiled and strode past the display cases to the cashier, her skinny heels clicking on the floor. Hand outstretched she added, “I’m Madeline Warner. You’re Micah Baxter, right?”

  He took her hand, trying to place the name that rang with dull familiarity in his ears. “Yes. What can I do for you?”

  “You’ll need to stop asking that question before much longer or people are going to take you up on it.” She turned to look down the rows of bakery treats. “Are those snickerdoodles?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Would you like one? Maybe some coffee?” Presumably the woman would get around to why she was there, and if he could make a sale, then so much the better. That name, though. He knew it from somewhere.

  “I can’t resist a snickerdoodle. Or coffee. It smells amazing in here. You do all your baking onsite?”

  Micah moved to the display case and picked up a pair of tongs. “We do.”

  “Make it six cookies. Maybe I’ll share with Max if he stops chattering so much.” She flashed a grin at the silent man beside her. “Coffee?”

  The man nodded.

  Micah set six cookies into a small box and took them down to the cash register. He rang up the order and told her the total before gesturing to the coffee station. “You can fix your drinks over there.”

  Max shrugged and headed that direction, stopping to set his duffel down by one of the small tables they kept for folks who wanted to sit inside and eat.

  Madeline handed him a twenty dollar bill. “Keep the change.”

  Micah blinked. “Ma’am?”

  “You’re going to earn it.” She scooped up the box and headed to the table.

  Micah shrugged and dropped the change into the tip jar. He and his brothers split whatever was in there between them, but it wasn’t usually very much. “Thanks.”

  “Won’t you join us?” She patted a chair.

  This was getting weird. Finally, the name flashed into his brain. Madeline Warner. From Warner’s Warnings, a gossip blog that became so successful she now had a TV show and several monthly columns in magazines. His heart sank. Serena hadn’t been wrong. If Madeline Warner was here, the rest of the pack wasn’t going to be too far behind. “No, thank you.”

  Madeline watched him as she stirred the coffee Max had set in front of her.

  Micah offered a tight smile and sat on the stool behind the cash register. He picked up his e-reader and flicked it on. “Let me know if you need anything else.”

  She laughed.

  Max murmured something and unzipped his duffel.

  Micah read the same paragraph twice before turning his device off. “Look. I’m not sure what you’re here for, but if you’re looking for some kind of scoop about Serena, you can pop a lid on those coffees and take them to go.”

  “Oh, we’re not here about her. We have plenty of those details already. Who we haven’t heard of is the mysterious man she kisses while gardening.” Madeline nibbled the cookie and closed her eyes, sighing. “These are the best I’ve had since my grandmother baked them for me as a child. What’s your secret?”

  “Lard.” Micah smiled and reached for his phone. He caught the look of stunned horror on her face before she dropped the cookie. People shouldn’t ask what was in something if they didn’t want to know. Snickerdoodles required lard, though, if they were going to taste right. Well, shortening. And they used a vegetable-based one, not actual lard. But it was worth the slight exaggeration to see her face.

  Max reached for another cookie. Apparently he wasn’t turned off at the thought of an actual fat in his food.

  The door opened and Dina Poncetta came in with her daughter, Isabella. “Hi, Micah. I’m here for my order and—oh, are those snickerdoodles?”

  Micah grinned. “Sure are. Grandma’s recipe.”

  “No wonder they’re so good. Better throw in a dozen.” Isabella tugged her mom’s shirt and pointed to the case. Dina tilted her head and looked in. “What are those?”

  “S’mores cookies. They turned out pretty well. Want to try one?” Micah slid the case open and clicked the tongs together.

  “Yeah. You’re going to make me add another dozen cookies to my order, aren’t you?”

  He chuckled and offered her a chocolate cookie filled with chunks of graham cracker and marshmallows. “Hope so. We make the marshmallows by hand.”

  “Homemade?” She split the cookie in half and handed part to her daughter before taking a bite. “Ohhh. This is sinful. Where do you get your ideas?”

  He shrugged. This one had come from a random conversation about the big Fourth of July celebration at the park that was in the works. Ruth and Jonah were putting their heads together abou
t treats to take for the community to share after the ball game. He started boxing up the cookies. “They’re everywhere, if you look hard enough.”

  “Only if you’re a genius in the kitchen. Whenever you and Jonah decide to settle down, you’re going to have lucky wives.”

  Heat crawled up his neck and he fought the urge to peek over at the gossip reporter. No doubt this was making for interesting copy in her mind. He added the boxes to the reusable bag that held her weekly bread order. “Thanks.”

  “Here’s last week’s bag.”

  Micah took it and her credit card for the cookies. Isabella shoved the last of her cookie into her mouth and gave Micah a chocolatey grin. He handed the card and receipt back to Dina. “Have a great day.”

  “You, too. It was good to see you at the garden on Saturday. Will we see you out there again? There’s always something to do.”

  “More than likely.”

  Dina smiled and took her daughter’s hand. “See you.”

  Madeline brought her coffee over and leaned against the counter. “So. You give free samples to everyone?”

  “Only regulars. Did you need something else?”

  “No, I don’t think so. Just understand, if you don’t want to give us the story, I’m sure we can find someone who will. Small towns are like that.” She drained the last of her drink and offered him the empty cup before gesturing to her cameraman. “C’mon, Max.”

  Max shrugged and grabbed the cookie box. He gave Micah a mock salute and followed after his boss.

  Micah waited until the door closed and they’d crossed the parking lot before he let his smile fall away. Serena was worth it, no question, but busybodies butting into his personal life were not high on his list of things he wanted to experience. Ever. Still, he probably ought to warn her that they were in town. He picked up his phone and tapped in a text. Hopefully that wouldn’t keep her from coming into town this afternoon.

  He wanted to see her.

  Micah glanced up as the door opened. His shoulder sagged. It was just Gloria.

  “How’s it going?”

  “Pretty typical. Malachi’s out on deliveries, Jonah’s milling some flour in the back, you know. Want me to get him?”

  She shook her head. “Serena said she was on her way with the plates and mugs. I wanted to see how they turned out. The way she talked about them, I’m thinking they’re amazing.”

  His heart leapt. She was finally on her way. “I’m looking forward to seeing them myself. Do you have any details on when she’s leaving?”

  “No. She was going to make arrangements today, last I heard. So maybe she can fill us in.” Gloria glanced out the window. “That looks like her. I’ll see if she needs help.”

  Micah crossed to the door behind Gloria and followed her to Serena’s car. “Hey, you.”

  Serena grinned and wrapped her arms around him. “Hi. Anymore looky-loos?”

  “Nope. Just the two.” Micah reached into the trunk and grabbed the larger of the two boxes inside.

  “What are you two talking about?” Gloria reached for the second box.

  Serena swatted her hand. “Go grab the door. Just some gossip hounds looking for a story.”

  Gloria’s eyebrows lifted but she said nothing.

  Inside the bakery, Micah set the box down on the table and reached for the lid.

  “Nuh-uh. Let me.” Serena grinned. “Close your eyes.”

  “Should I get my brothers? Well, Jonah? Mal’s out still, I think.” Micah glanced toward the kitchen.

  “I’ll go get him.” Gloria pointed at Serena. “No showing until we get back.”

  Micah watched Gloria push through the door into the kitchen then tugged Serena close. He pressed his lips to hers, and tangled his fingers in her hair.

  She sighed and leaned into him, her arms wrapping around his waist.

  “Ahem.” Jonah drilled a finger into Micah’s shoulder. “I was told there were plates and cups to come see.”

  “Sorry. I didn’t realize I was supposed to take longer.” Gloria shook her head.

  Micah’s face burned.

  Serena just smiled and kissed him again, lightly, before opening the box. She reached in and pulled out a newspaper-wrapped ball. “So, I couldn’t get the mugs to work like I wanted with the built clay. I’ll have to experiment some and see if I can figure out the right way to do it. Still, I wanted the design to match, so I painted it on instead. It’s not on the inside, but that probably doesn’t matter.”

  Micah reached for the paper as Serena unwound it to reveal a cobalt blue mug. Two loaves of golden-brown bread speared up from within the beige basket painted on the side. “I like that.”

  Jonah nodded. “They’re great. Mal’s gonna flip.”

  “In a good way, right?” Serena pulled out a flatter package and began to unwrap it.

  “Definitely.” Jonah took the mug from Micah and studied it. “These are dishwasher safe?”

  “Absolutely. You needed practical. Here’s the plate.”

  The same design filled the center of the plate, but it was obviously a part of the pottery, not something painted on top. Micah flipped it over and saw the pattern was there on both sides. “This is the Japanese thing you do? The built clay?”

  Serena nodded.

  “It’s cool.” Jonah held out his hand for the plate. “Unique.”

  “Thanks.” Now Serena beamed. “I’m glad you like them. I started to worry they were too cheesy.”

  “Nothing cheesy about these at all.” Jonah set the plate carefully into the box and hefted the container. “I’ll take them to the kitchen and get them washed so we can put them out tomorrow.”

  Gloria reached for the smaller box. “I’ll help. You two can return to what we interrupted. I’ll go out the back.”

  “You don’t have to...” Micah shook his head as his brother and Gloria disappeared into the kitchen. Not that he’d object to kissing Serena again, but it wasn’t something they needed to be doing in front of an enormous window that faced the street. “Alrighty then.”

  Serena stepped close, her hands resting on his waist. “You really like them?”

  “I really do.” He lowered his forehead to hers. “I don’t want you to go.”

  She frowned. “I thought you said I should? Do you think this is the wrong thing?”

  He shook his head. “No. I’m just gonna miss you.”

  “I’ll miss you, too. But I’ll be back before you know it.” She pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “Two weeks, tops.”

  “I thought you said four to six months?”

  Serena chuckled and stepped back. “Sure, once we start filming. That won’t be until late July at the very soonest. Talking to Zennia, my agent, they’ve got nearly everything in place, but there are still a few kinks to work through. So I’ll fly out, do a few meetings, hang out at my parents’ party, and then come home. And I was thinking...”

  Her voice held just enough wheedle that Micah imagined what came next was going to be unpleasant. “What?”

  “Why don’t you come with me?” She grinned, bouncing a little on her toes. “I’ll have plenty of free time and I can show you the sights. And that way, you won’t have to start missing me just yet.”

  “Go with you? To L.A.” Micah blinked. It wasn’t impossible, but the logistics would take some handling. Mal and Jonah could manage the bakery by themselves. The baking itself, though, would be a problem. Micah had taken over the cookies completely and most of the muffin baking. Jonah spent his whole morning focused on pumping out enough bread to fill orders and the display cases. Ruth was busy with the bed and breakfast. “I’m not sure. Jonah can’t really do this all by himself. Mal doesn’t bake.”

  Her shoulders slumped. “Oh.”

  “I’ll talk to them and see what I can do. Maybe I could come out just for the Fourth?” Would that even be worth it? He’d miss the big celebration the town was putting on at Arcadia Creek Park. He’d planned to play on the church baseball te
am along with Ruth and Jonah. Not that he was amazing or anything, but he could usually manage a solid base hit.

  She beamed and threw herself into his arms. “Really? That would be so great. The party’s the thing I’m dreading most, but with you there it’ll be so much better.”

  “Then I’ll be there.” He wasn’t sure how he was going to explain bailing on the game. Maybe he could talk Corban into taking his place. Missing out on that was nothing if it meant being with Serena. They’d understand. Wouldn’t they? “I’ll start looking at flights and get you information when I have it.”

  “Let me do it for you.”

  “No, I got it.” He shook his head. He might not be rolling in the kind of money she was, but he could afford a plane ticket when it mattered. Hmm. A last-minute plane ticket. Maybe he should’ve thought that one through a little longer.

  “Please?” She kissed him, and for a moment, he forgot what they were talking about. “You’re only coming out because of me. It’s a little way for me to say thank you.”

  Pride warred with economy. Micah pulled his lip between his teeth. “All right. Thank you.”

  “This is going to be great!” Her hug was practically a squeeze. “I need to run. I have a few things to mail before I head home to pack, and I’d like to try and get to bed at a reasonable time. My flight leaves at six thirty tomorrow morning.”

  “Can I take you to the airport?” Micah’s heart ached and she hadn’t even left yet.

  She frowned. “I’m sorry. Gloria’s taking me. I didn’t even think...with the bakery and everything.”

  He shrugged. “You’re not wrong, I’ll be here. But I would’ve figured out a way to get out of it to see you off.”

  “You’re sweet. I should run. Love you. I’ll text you as soon as I land.” Serena pressed a kiss to his lips before she spun and hurried on her way.

  Micah’s mouth opened but there weren’t any words. The words had been so casual, careless even. Clearly she hadn’t meant them. Things like that just popped out sometimes. Right?