by Bryce Evans
“I think we need to keep baking.” Bane commented, looking out towards the street.
“Let’s open the doors and see what happens. If we have to, then we can make more. I don’t want to waste the time and ingredients if they don’t order them.” Simone decided. She walked over to the front entrance, turned on the Open sign, and unlocked the door. As soon as she did, the door opened and didn’t close. Simone turned back around, her eyes widening as customers flocked inside.
Bane had cookies on a plate and was taking them around to the customers. “Would you like to try our double chocolate trouble cookies?” He even remembered what she called them.
Hands were rising all over the store. Her breath caught, waiting for the first bite to hit their mouths. It wasn’t long before they went to the register, asking for a dozen of the cookies. Without even tasting the honey buns, they were ordering a dozen of them too.
Josh came around the counter, offering the candy in the boxes to children. Even the parents joined in, taking a piece from the box. She was so focused on the comments that she didn’t notice even Monica taking orders and ringing people up. Thank God she had prepared a price list before she went to bed. Quinn gave her some suggestions based on the cost of living in New Hope. Simone had also checked out the diner’s prices, just to be sure. Her work must have paid off, everyone seemed happy to pay it.
Bane walked over with an empty plate. “I think we need to get in the back, let them handle the front, and start baking. It’s not stopping. You don’t have to give out too much free stuff—you’re selling everything.”
All Simone could do was smile. She thought her face might break in two, but she didn’t care. She was going to need to bake more, lots more.
“Seems like it.” Simone walked to the front and told Monica and Josh to bring the orders to the back so she could get them ready.
Once they were behind the door, Simone let out a shaky breath. She was selling, and the man standing beside her had a lot to do with it. When she looked up, Bane was staring at her. “Thank you, Bane. Thank you for all of your help and support.” Then, surprising even herself, she jumped into his arms and hugged him.
What shocked her was how much she liked being in Bane’s arms. She felt safe for the first time in her life, and she didn’t even know this man. Not really.
“I think I like this.” Bane teased her with a smile.
He didn’t pull away, and Simone longed to savor the moment. Never had she felt so comfortable and safe, and this was with a complete stranger. The cologne he was wearing made her head spin. It was delicious and intimate, making her body react. It was so tempting to draw this out, but she had orders to fill, and she couldn’t afford to be anything other than friends with Bane Cross.
Chapter Eleven
Simone pulled away first as they gazed at each other. The air in the room felt heavy as she breathed in deeply; it felt like they were alone in the world. Clearing his throat, he asked, “What are we making?”
“Hot Chocolate Kisses.” Simone said, still staring at his lips. Lord, she wanted to taste those lips. How ironic she thought. Gathering her thoughts, Simone looked at anything other than him.
Then Quinn came in the back door.
“Gooey Goodness is doing great.” Quinn squealed. Jerking back like nothing was happening, Simone smiled at her new friend
“I know! Did you see the crowd in the store? We have to make more.” Simone turned the pages in her notebook to the recipe for Hot Chocolate Kisses. Then she paused, page still in hand, and looked over at Quinn. “What did you call the store?”
“Gooey Goodness.” Quinn laughed. “We didn’t know what you were going to name it. Once we caught a whiff of all the delicious smells, I thought, ‘wow, what a bunch of gooey goodness’. I know you probably already have your name picked out, but we needed something to call it at Southern Treasures.” Quinn explained.
“Gooey goodness, gooey goodness, Gooey Goodness Bakery. You know, I think I like that name. I had to say it three times to see if it sounded right, and it does. Especially when I make all those gooey treats.” Simone loved the name, actually. “Do you mind if I use it? I was just going to call it Alexander Bakery, but Gooey Goodness Bakery sounds so much better.”
Jumping up and down, Quinn laughed. “Mind? Of course I don’t mind! I think it sounds wonderful. Don’t you Bane?” Both women looked over at him, waiting to hear his opinion.
“I think it fits.” Bane answered, his voice smooth. She had observed his body before and knew he was built, but now something had changed in her. She was looking at Bane in an entirely different way. She knew she would never have him, but it didn’t stop her from looking, and he was gorgeous. He was so different from the guys she had dated before. Today, he had on a blue button down shirt that matched his eyes. His hair was cut short, except in the front. If only she could reach out and run her fingers through it.
Blinking, she realized she had been staring. The conversation stopped, and Quinn and Bane were waiting for her to answer.
“Excuse me.” Simone stammered as she rushed to the bathroom, embarrassment flaming up her neck. Dammit, she was caught staring at him with those dreamy looks. She felt like a fool; Bane didn’t need any extra attention. Splashing water on her face, Simone took a couple of deep breaths, and decided she needed to stop ogling the man and start baking.
She opened the door again to an empty room. Breathing a sigh of relief, Simone quickly got to work on the cookies.
A few minutes later, Monica rushed in with a handful of papers. When she looked at how many orders she had, she wanted to throw her arms around the girl. But these were orders that had to be filled too, on top of the sweets that needed to be put in the display. She had a lot of work to do.
“I’m going to need some help.” Simone said. Monica tapped the woman on the hand and pointed at herself. “Do you want to help me bake?” Simone asked.
Not one word was spoken, but the half smile and nod was enough.
“Do you have experience baking, Monica?” Simone asked.
Monica nodded again with a smile. “Okay, see that apron over there? Put it on. These are my recipes, and if you follow them to the letter then you can’t go wrong. I’m pretty particular about that part.”
She watched as Monica put the apron on, and rushed back over. She pointed at the recipe for double chocolate trouble cookies.
“You make those, and I’ll start on the hot chocolate kisses.” Monica, nodded and started the process. She watched as the young woman put the ingredients in the bowl and expertly started the mixing process. She was fast and only had to look at the recipe once; Monica was a natural.
“If you ever want a job when you get out of college, I could really use the help in the kitchen. I think you’d be perfect here.”
Monica stopped and pleaded at Simone with her eyes. It was obvious she loved it. She seemed to want to bake, and Simone needed the help. “Monica, do you want to help me bake instead of running the front?”
After she put the cookies in the oven, Monica quickly wrote something on a spare bit of notebook paper. She handed it to Simone. The note was simple, but expressive.
‘I don’t want to go back to school. I want to bake here with you if you will have me, but first I’ve got to tell Arden. I don’t want him to be mad, it was his money that put me through school. I’ve always wanted to be a pastry chef.’
Simone didn’t know what to say. She could see how much she loved baking and she wanted to help this young woman. Someone helped her when she was down on her luck, and that’s what Simone wanted to do for Monica.
“Talk to Arden, but you have a job here baking if you want it. I’ve always been a firm believer that honesty is the best policy. From what Quinn has told me about her mate, I think he’ll understand.” Simone smiled and held her hand out to Monica.
The smile she gave was the first one she had ever seen. Monica was beautiful, but the pain behind her happiness was evident. “Let’s
finish up these cookies and start on the orders.”
Monica nodded and started mixing the ingredients again for another batch. They worked together without another word needing to be spoken. It was like Monica knew exactly what to do without having to be told.
Simone didn’t know how much time had passed as the orders continued to come in and the two worked to box them up. Josh would come in the back and get them, then take them back out front. She hadn’t had time to even see what was going on in her own store; she was stuck in the back.
As the last batches of cupcakes were put into the oven, she took a break and walked out the doorway to the front counter. What Simone found was amazing and shocking at the same time.
Bane and Quinn were behind the counter ringing up customers, and someone had put out tables and chairs inside and outside the store. She could see people standing around with shopping bags from Southern Treasures. They were either waiting in line for something, or sitting at the tables eating their purchases.
Simone said nothing; she just smiled and took it all in, watching as Bane and Quinn spoke to customers. She could tell that some had to be from New Hope because they called them by name, but most were peering into the displays, oohing and awing over the sweet treats.
Josh was cleaning a table off so someone else could sit down, before he strolled over to her. “Bane went back to the pack house and got the table and chairs out of storage. He said people needed a place to sit and eat while they shopped. What do you think?”
“I think it looks great. I don’t know how to repay him.” Simone answered.
“He said you would say something like that.” Josh smiled. “That’s when he said that maybe you could make him a cake to take back to the pack house when it’s his turn to cook next. But otherwise, he won’t let you repay him. This is what pack does for each other. You’ll just have to get used to it.”
“It’s a lot to get used to… and I’m not pack.” Simone didn’t know how to take all of this. Especially the free help, and the tables and chairs he went and got. She had nothing to give him. Of course she would give him desserts to take back to the pack house, but this was way too much. She needed to do something more. Something special.
Quinn came over when the crowd died down. “What do you think of the table and chairs?”
“I love it, but how can I ever pay you guys back?”
“You don’t. This is what we do for one another.” Quinn answered.
“But I’m not pack, Quinn.”
“I know you don’t understand it. At first it was hard for me too, but we help each other out here. That means everyone in New Hope.” Quinn leaned in and whispered, “plus, I think someone likes you too.” Before Simone could tell Quinn she was wrong, she pointed outside. “Oh, look at that; the bears just pulled up. You have honey buns and honey in your taffy, I figured it was just a matter of time. I’ve met some of the women who come in the store, but it looks like they brought everyone today.”
The three of them watched as the women got off the back of the motorcycles. When the men got off and stood up, Simone was astounded at their size. It’s not that they were fat, hardly one ounce of fat could be seen, but they were all muscles and tall, bigger than anyone she had ever met.
The women by-passed her store and went directly into Southern Treasures, but the men walked in. They all parted as the biggest man among them walked in and up to the register, straight to Bane. At first, neither man smiled, until Bane came out from behind the counter and shook the bear’s hand.
“That’s the Alpha of the Renshaw Clan. They live in Riverdale; it’s the next town over. His name is Ben Renshaw and he doesn’t have a mate. What do you think?” Quinn asked.
He had to be close to seven feet tall, with dark brown hair left longer than most, curling around his ears.
“He’s sexy as hell.” Simone said. The man standing next to him was who really rang her bell, but she couldn’t have him either. Bane didn’t fit into her plan. All she had time to do was get her bakery established, and get some money in her bank account. It meant security to her, and that’s all she ever wanted. Something she did on her own, that no one else could take away from her. “Unfortunately, I don’t have time for men. I have a plan Quinn, and I plan to stick to it.”
“Boy, does that sound familiar.” Quinn laughed.
Bane motioned for her to come over. Simone grabbed Quinn by the arm and dragged her along for the ride. “Simone, this is Ben Renshaw. Alpha, this is the owner of Gooey Goodness Bakery, Simone Alexander. It just opened today.”
The Alpha was a very intense man as he watched every move, including her own. She stuck her hand out and he shook it in what was meant to be a firm grip. This man was enormous. His hand easily engulfed hers, making her feel like a child.
“You have honey buns?” Ben simply asked.
She laughed. “Yes, I love baking with honey. I also have strawberry and honey taffy. I’m still on the lookout for a good local honey farm that keeps a strict organic standard, I won’t use anything less.”
“We own a honey farm. It’s the best honey in the country.” Ben told her adamantly. This was a great opportunity, and one she needed to take advantage of. Simone had just run out and wouldn’t be able to get anymore for a week at least, depending on the shipping. She needed to sweeten the deal and let them know exactly what she would do with their product, if they could get it to her before a week.
“Do you have a card? I’ll look you guys up. I wanted to bake some honey butter cakes, upside down apple honey cakes, honey butter rolls, cinnamon honey butter, and honey butter. Unfortunately, I can’t get anymore honey in until next week.” Simone smiled as the clan of men leaned in, captivated by her talk of honey sweets.
“Well Simone, let’s sample your honey buns and taffy, and I’ll make sure you get your stock of honey by the end of the day.” Ben answered simply.
Simone walked behind the counter, pulled out the honey buns, and offered them to Ben. “Go ahead, see what you think.”
Simone had no doubt that they would love it; it was dripping with her homemade honey sauce. None of the other men made a move to take one, not until their Alpha had his share. He took a big bite, closed his eyes, and chewed. Nobody said anything as Ben continued, taking another bite. He swallowed, and the pastry was gone.
The Alpha licked his fingers and sighed, before he finally spoke. “Lady, I’ve never tasted anything like that. The honey is perfect, but you paired it with something else and I can’t figure out what it is.” She held the platter out to the other men, and they each took one. Same effect. Simone wanted to jump up and down and cheer, but she needed to stay professional with this bear.
“Now, that’s a secret Ben.” She laughed, knowing he was trying to get her to tell him. He looked around the store at the people eating, and added, “We also sell black berries.”
She glanced over at Bane, who smiled and nodded his head. “You’re in luck then Ben, because I make blackberry cobbler pie, blackberry tarts, and blackberry cupcakes sweetened with honey. Do you mind if I call you Ben?”
All of his men turned, waiting for him to answer, like it was something special to call him by his name. She still didn’t understand this shifter stuff, and calling Ben ‘Alpha’ was strange to her, but she would call him whatever he wanted for the sake of business.
“Yes ma’am. You can call me anything you want, if you make all of that.” Ben smiled for the first time.
She laughed, offering him and his men another honey bun. “If you can box them up, we’ll take them all and pay you for them. My prices are fair Simone; here’s my card. If you have a computer, I can show you what I have in stock. I believe in getting product to my customers quick. Since you’re right next-door, I can deliver today if we hurry before everyone goes home.”
Simone nodded, picking up her phone and typed in the website. She was astonished at what they had, including strawberries. The fruit was frozen, not fresh, as they were too far into
fall to be in season, but she could still use them in her recipes. She ordered honey, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries from Ben. Scrolling down at the reviews, she was very pleased at what she saw. The Renshaw farm had a five star rating and hundreds of reviews from other companies. Her ingredients had to be the very best, or she wasn’t going to use it. Mr. Olsen called her the perfectionist, and she accepted that name with honor.
“Excellent, Ben, you’re reviews are very promising. I think this is going to be an excellent relationship.” Simone said simply. “I don’t have my credit cards set up at the bank yet, but I can pay for everything in cash when they deliver them today.”
“You have a deal. I can set you up to pay cash on delivery, or you can call us when you get them set up and give us the card number, and we’ll automatically bill you that way.” Ben answered and they shook on it. “Get your website up as soon as you can, and we’ll make sure you get some good reviews to put on it. It’ll help your business, and I’m sure with treats like that,” Ben pointed at the honey buns. “You’ll have a prosperous bakery and you have our business for sure.”
Josh rang up the last of Ben’s men; they had wiped out all the honey buns, taffy, and most of the double chocolate trouble cookies. Their total was over two hundred dollars. She couldn’t believe how well the store was doing on its first day.
“Thank you, Ben. I appreciate your business and generosity.” Simone said with a smile.
Chapter Twelve
Before the bears could leave, Monica came out of the back, toting a new batch of cupcakes. Josh took them from her, but as soon as she looked up, she stopped dead in her tracks. Simone knew fear all too well, and Monica had it in her eyes when she looked at Ben. The sound of a growl had her whipping around so fast her ribs ached. She watched in fascination as Ben’s nostrils flared. His green eyes never left Monica as the girl shook her head and ran to the back room. Before she knew what was happening, Monica fled to the kitchen, with Ben right on her tail.
