Outside, a blast of cold wind slapped at him. He couldn’t wait for spring. He wasn’t as bad as his brother Sean, who couldn’t wait for warm weather so he could ride his motorcycle. For Tommy, it was just being outside, hanging with people. During the winter, everyone tended to disappear and hibernate. Loneliness always hit him.
Which was why he missed having a girlfriend. A steady girl kept the loneliness at bay. And the regular sex didn’t hurt, either. He drove to the bakery and found a parking spot in front. It was near closing and the business was empty.
He walked through the door, and a sweet scent filled the air. The place hadn’t changed much over the years. The fake cakes they had on display were different, changing with the times, showing popular themes, but the classics remained on a high shelf near the ceiling.
One of his earliest memories was coming here with his dad and Jimmy to pick out his birthday cake. His dad hoisted him up on his shoulders and told him to pick any cake design he wanted. He couldn’t have been more than four or five. It wasn’t long after his mom had been killed, but the memory was such a happy one. He didn’t remember feeling sad.
That realization made him feel crappy.
No one came from the back, so he called out, “Hello? I’m here to pick up a cake.”
From the back room, with her head down, she came toward him.
“Cupcake,” he whispered.
She moved to the counter opposite him and turned her back to dig through a stack of order slips. Without any greeting, she asked, “Name?”
“O’Malley.”
She spun with the pink slips in her hand.
“You’re back,” he said.
“Another cake for O’Malley?”
He lifted a shoulder. “There are five of us.”
“It’s good to know you’re not eating all this cake. I was beginning to think you had a wicked sweet tooth.”
“Uh, your cousin Moira told me you went back to Ireland.”
The papers in her hands crinkled and a blush swept across her cheeks. “I did.”
“Are you staying long?”
“I’m not sure.” She focused on the slips, flipping through them, looking for his order.
When she found it, she pulled it from the stack and looked up. She waved it at him with a smile. “I’ll be right back.”
She disappeared to the back room, and Tommy sucked in a deep breath. This was it. He had another chance. All he had to do was open his mouth.
Why hadn’t Moira said anything? She knew he had a thing for her cousin. Maybe she was the one who’d put Jimmy up to making him get the cake. That definitely sounded like a Moira move. But to get Jimmy involved, that took skill. Moira was obviously better than he’d given her credit for.
Deirdre returned carrying a box. She slid it on the counter between them and lifted the lid. “Here you go.”
He barely glanced at it. No one would care if something was misspelled. His gaze locked on hers as she lowered the lid.
“Would you like to go out sometime?”
She stared at him so long, he began to wonder if he’d actually spoken aloud.
“Uh . . . I have a boyfriend.”
“Oh.” The disappointment hit him hard. Again, he had to question why Moira wouldn’t tell him. This was the kind of pertinent information you gave a guy before he made a fool of himself.
“Your order is all paid for.” She nudged the box forward so he’d take the hint.
He scrambled for what to say to ease the tension. “Maybe you’d like to go out and do some sightseeing. As friends. You’re new to Chicago, and I could show you around.”
“Maybe.”
“Are you staying with the O’Learys again?”
“Yes.”
“I’m right across the street. Stop by any time.”
She nodded and he took the cake from the counter. Not quite the answer he was looking for, but at least she hadn’t totally shot him down. She didn’t seem completely uninterested.
But boyfriend?
Were they doing a long-distance thing? Tommy wondered about her relationship. This was her second trip to Chicago in under a year.
Maybe there wasn’t a boyfriend and she was trying to be nice.
Shit. He hated when that happened.
He set the cake on the passenger seat and looked back through the front window of the bakery. Deirdre stood behind the counter, staring at his car. It was dark enough out that he didn’t think she could still see him, but he smiled anyway.
Boyfriend or not, she was interested.
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In Your Arms Page 27
