Stud Muffin

by Smartypants Romance

  “Daydreaming?” Mikey asks, nudging my shoulder and pulling me out of my thoughts.

  Quickly going back to my task at hand, I huff out a laugh. “No, just… tired, I guess.”

  I turn to help a customer who just walked in when I see a very disheveled-looking Asher standing at the counter. For a second, I think about turning the other way and forcing someone else to help him, but I’m not going to. I have nothing to hide and I’ve said my peace.

  “What can I get for you?” I ask, treating him like any other customer, even giving him a smile, because I’m the bigger person in this situation and I refuse to let him bring me down to his level.

  “A minute of your time,” he says, his eyes on mine. “Please.”

  “We’re pretty busy, so whatever you have to say, you can say it here.”

  Asher’s eyes dart around the bakery, taking inventory of who’s here, obviously having something to say that he doesn’t want spread around the town.

  Just as I’m losing my patience, he clears his throat and drops his voice low. “You were right,” he mutters, leaning closer to the counter. “About… everything—the analysis, the baby—everything.”

  Something like sweet satisfaction sings through my soul.

  Not that I care, because I don’t, but it’s just the joy in knowing that I at least had something about Asher pegged right. When I don’t say anything in response, he continues. “I… I think I made a mistake.”

  “Which one would that be?” I ask, not taking any care to keep my part of the conversation hidden, but also not looking to make a scene… again. “The one where you slept with someone else while you were married to me. Oh, wait,” I say, sarcasm thick in my tone. “That’s right… you slept with her before we ever got married. You know, I’m wondering why you didn’t just marry her in the first place. You could’ve saved us all a lot of grief and heartache.”

  “It was a mistake,” Asher repeats, weariness evident all over his face. “Ever since the night at the reunion, I haven’t been able to sleep. Mindy finally admitted that she knew all along the baby wasn’t mine, but she wanted it to be.” He rolls his eyes, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “So typical of her.”

  The smile that creeps up on my face is probably scary and cynical, but I couldn’t give a rat’s ass.

  “Sounds to me like y’all might need some marriage counseling,” I tell him, taking a fresh stack of boxes to the end of the counter and begin folding. If I’m going to stand around and jack my jaws, I should at least be productive.

  “That’s the thing,” Asher says, following me down the counter. “I don’t think I can do it… I’m sorry… for everything.”

  Pausing mid box folding, I look at him like he’s lost his damn mind.

  “Well, I appreciate the apology… even though it’s too little, too late, but there is no way in hell I’d ever… ever,” I repeat, holding his gaze so there is no misunderstanding here. “I’ll never take you back and I will never trust you.”

  “We were great together,” he insists, his voice losing any level of control he might’ve had. “You know we were, so don’t stand there and pretend that you don’t love me anymore.”

  Laughing, I can’t hold it in any longer. “Oh, Asher… I don’t. You know, I’ve been thinking about it a lot, and I think I might’ve stopped a long time ago. Trying to have a baby was my way of trying to miraculously fix everything. But now, I see I was badly mistaken. And one of these days, when I finally have a baby, it’ll be with someone I am madly, deeply… crazy in love with. Not you.”

  He braces his hands on the counter. “What do you want me to do to fix this… I’ll do it.”

  “Go home, Asher,” I tell him. “Go home to Mindy and the baby… might I remind you that baby did not ask for this, so be a good dad, it might be your only chance. You should take it.”

  After a few painfully awkward moments of him staring at me, waiting for me to reconsider or change my mind, he finally turns around and walks out.

  “What was that?” Mikey asks.

  “Mikey, always remember: chickens come home to roost.”

  It’s been four days since I talked to Cage, four painfully long, agonizing days, and still I’ve had no word from him. The last time I saw him was almost two weeks ago, and I miss him.

  Lying in bed, trying to keep myself awake just a few more hours to try and reverse this ridiculously early rising, I pick up my phone and dial my mama. She’s called me a few times over the past week, but I just wasn’t in the mood for her reprimand or advice, which I’m sure she’s been storing up.

  I can only imagine the stories going around about me after the reunion.

  After a couple rings, she picks up. “Tempest.”

  “Mama.”

  There’s something frying in the background and I wonder if she wouldn’t mind another mouth to feed, because I’m actually really hungry. Cooking for one is for the birds and after the last two weeks, I just haven’t felt up to it, so I’ve been living off of a diet of cereal and beef jerky.

  Don’t ask.

  I was trying to balance out my food groups.

  “To what do I owe the pleasure?” she asks and I roll my eyes. It’s time for her to play her part as the martyr. She should be up for an Academy Award the way she sells this role. “I was just telling your daddy the other day that we never hear from you anymore unless you need something.”

  “I’m sorry, Mama. I’ve been busy.”

  “Well,” she huffs. “Don’t start with me about busy. Mildred talked me into doing this beginner’s quilting class on Friday mornings. Between that, women’s bible study I started hosting here at the house, and bridge on Tuesdays, I’m swamped. And then, there’s your daddy…”

  “I know, Mama… you’re busy too.” I shake my head and bite my tongue. “I’m sorry I haven’t called or been over.”

  After nothing but silence from the other end, I pull my phone back to check and make sure it didn’t drop my call. “Mama?”

  “I heard about the little incident at the Lodge…”

  Oh, here we go.

  “Donna Pemberton said her daughter, Cynthia… remember her, long black hair… so tall she could hunt geese with a rake? Anyway, Cynthia was there and she saw the whole thing happen… told her mama it was a sight to behold.”

  Sitting up in bed, I brush my hair out of my face.

  Am I hearing this right?

  Does she sound… happy? Proud?

  When she starts chuckling into the phone, I really start to get worried. Maybe this is all too much and she’s snapping. I’ve often thought she was one freak out away from the loony bin. “She said the look on Mindy’s face when you stomped out of the room was priceless… trying to pass that baby off as Asher’s… well, I’ve never…”

  This is where she’s going to start telling me I should give him another chance—poor guy was duped, this isn’t his fault… blah, blah, blah.

  “If you want to know what I think,” she pauses, but I already know she’s not waiting for me to ask. “I think they’re meant for each other.”

  “I couldn’t agree more,” I mutter into the phone, shocked those words came out of my mouth while talking to my mother.

  She sighs, “Oh, honey… I know I said I was praying for a reconciliation between you and Asher, but that was only because you’re my baby and I want what’s best for you… I want you to be happy. That’s all.”

  “Thank you, Mama.”

  We talk a little small talk for a few minutes, until there’s a knock at my door.

  “Mama, I’ve gotta go. There’s someone here,” I tell her, standing from the bed and walking over to the door. “I’ll call you later.”

  Hanging up the phone, I put it in my pocket and place my ear to the door. “Who is it?” I ask, placing my ear up to the metal. I really need a peep hole.

  “It’s Cole.”

  When I swing the door open wide, my cousin is standing there with a mischievous grin on hi
s face. “Well, hey… to what do I owe this honor?”

  Cole tilts his head to the side, giving me a regretful smile. “I’m going to, uh… I’m here to take you in.”

  “Take me in?” I ask, confused as I start racking my brain, trying to think of something I’ve done recently that would require me being arrested.

  Outside of the heated discussion with Mindy and Asher at the reunion a couple weeks ago, I can’t really think of anything.

  “I’d read you your rights,” he says. “But I’m pretty sure you’re familiar with those.”

  “Cole!” I demand, widening my stance as he takes me by the arm. “What is this about?”

  “That, you’ll have to take up with Sheriff James.”

  “Sheriff James?” I screech, twisting and turning as I try to release myself from his grasp. I think about using one of the self-defense moves Cage taught me during our sessions, but I don’t want to hurt him. “What would Sheriff James want with me?”

  “You’ll have to ask him yourself,” Cole says, huffing. “Now, you know this is my job… please don’t make it any worse than it already is.” He gives me the look that says “Come on, Tempest, just cooperate for once in your stubborn ass life.”

  I stare back at him, pissed that he’d agree to arrest me. I don’t care if it’s his job or not, I’m his family, and damn it, that should account for something.

  Plus, I’m hungry, which just makes all of this worse.

  “Listen,” I say, poking my finger into his chest. “I just got signed off on from my anger management counselor and I haven’t done anything wrong. So, I’m going to need to see some kind of warrant… or something,” I tell him, breathing heavily out of my nose as my emotions take over. “Give me something, Cole.”

  “You know that’s not how these things work,” he says, putting his hands on his hips all business-like. “Now, please, just come with me and don’t make this any harder than it is.”

  We have a stare-off for a few seconds standing in the doorway of my apartment. When I see he’s not relenting, my shoulders sag in defeat. “Fine,” I grit out, forcefully grabbing my keys off the table beside the front door. “But I just want you to know, I’m not happy about this and Christmas is just around the corner.”

  In Cole’s defense, he actually looks remorseful as he makes sure my door is secure before escorting me down the stairs and to his police cruiser waiting by the curb.

  “Can you give me a hint?” I ask, as he puts me into the cruiser.

  Cole scrunches his face as he runs a hand over his short, cropped hair. “Something about a misunderstanding, but Sheriff James wants you to come down to the station. It’s something that needs to be worked out face-to-face.”

  I spend the next few minutes as we drive through town stewing and trying to rack my brain over what this might be about, but I come up empty-handed.

  When we pull up, Cole gives me a reassuring smile, and I flip him off.

  “Did you just flip off an officer of the law?” he asks in mock horror.

  “I know my rights,” I tell him with a huff, folding my arms over my chest. “Come open my door so we can get this over with.”

  Cole chuckles, muttering something under his breath I can’t hear, but knowing what’s good for him, he walks around and opens my door and then guides me inside. As we walk down the long, familiar hallway, I nod at Mary, the receptionist, giving her a forced smile.

  “Well, Miss Cassidy,” she greets. “We haven’t seen you in here for a while.”

  I sigh, looking over at Cole and gritting my teeth. “Yeah, and I was hoping you wouldn’t.”

  “Tempest,” Sheriff James says, popping his head out when he hears us talking. “Step inside, please.”

  Giving Cole one last dirty look, I walk past him and into Sheriff James’s office and the wind is knocked from my sails.

  Cage is perched on the edge of the desk with the cockiest smirk I’ve seen in a while… at least two weeks.

  And it’s the best damn sight in the world.

  Chapter 32

  Cage

  “What…” She pauses, her big green eyes growing in confusion. “What are you doing here?”

  I laugh, looking over at Sheriff James and Cole, who are standing by the door to the office. “Oh, you know… I was burning up the pavement, trying to get back to Green Valley in a hurry,” I tell her, a smile pulling at my lips. “Might’ve forgotten to slow it down a little on my way into town.”

  “Oh,” she says, her perfect lips pursing. “So… am I here to get you out of jail?”

  Sheriff James laughs. “We’ll leave you two to it… fifteen minutes, tops. I’m going to need my office back for official business.” He turns to walk out, but then stops. “And no… funny business.”

  “Thank you, Sheriff.”

  “Am I not in trouble?” she asks as she watches them leave and then turns her attention back to me. “I’m confused.”

  Shrugging, I push off the desk and walk toward her. “Cole is the one who pulled me over. He was kind of giving me the pat down over leaving town… you know how those small town cops can be.”

  She smiles, shaking her head. “Total pricks sometimes.”

  “Yeah, well, I thought it was better to tell him that I was coming back for good… for you… so he didn’t find a reason to arrest me. He’s a little protective of you,” I tell her, thinking back to how the big guy went from being an asshole cop to a squishy teddy bear when he realized my intentions, where Tempest is concerned, are honest and good. “I like him.”

  “He’s good people.” She smiles, her eyes sweeping over me, drinking me in. “Except when he arrests me,” she adds. “Mind telling me how I ended up here?”

  “We thought it’d be fun… apparently it’s a slow night for the GVPD, so he made a call to Sheriff James and then the rest just happened,” I admit. “We were going to cuff you and the whole nine yards, but Cole said he’d rather keep his balls intact. Apparently, Anna is already wanting another baby.”

  She laughs, biting down on her lip. “So you came back…”

  “Yeah,” I tell her, closing the distance between us. “See, there’s this girl… and she drives me crazy…” Lowering my head until our foreheads are pressed together, I inhale deeply, getting my first good breath in weeks. Ever since I followed her home and turned around and left, I’ve felt like there’s been an elephant on my chest. But being here, touching her, I already feel lighter.

  “Sounds like too much trouble,” she whispers, leaning into me. “You sure you want that kind of trouble in your life?”

  “Wouldn’t have it any other way,” I tell her. “I’m also pretty crazy about her.”

  “That’s good because she’s crazy about you too.” Wrapping her arms around me, she squeezes. “She’s really glad you came back… and in case you need to hear it again, she’s sorry.”

  “She’s forgiven,” I say, kissing the top of her head and hugging her to me.

  Sighing, she laughs lightly. “Damn, I could kick your ass for this.”

  “Cole said you’d say that.”

  Leaning back, she tilts her face up to look me in the eye. “I can think of a way you can make it up to me.”

  “Oh,” I laugh. “So, I’m now indebted to you? I thought you were the one with some groveling to do.”

  “You want me to grovel?” she asks. “Like on my knees?”

  Grabbing her hand, I pull her to the door. “Where are we going?” she asks, a breathless laugh escaping. “I thought you wanted me to grovel?”

  “We’re going to need longer than fifteen minutes.”

  She stops, yanking my arm back until my chest is flush with hers. “How long?” she asks, her expression turning serious. “I need to know… how long are you here for? Because, as much as I want to be with you, I can’t give you my heart if you’re just going to leave me down the road.”

  “As long as you’ll have me,” I tell her. “I sold my house in Dallas… well,
it’s on the market. Drove my car back. I’m here to stay.”

  The next thing I know, Tempest has launched herself at me, legs wrapped around my waist… arms around my neck… and her sweet lips on mine.

  Epilogue

  Tempest

  Islands in the Stream. It’s not really the season for pineapple and coconut, but the song is speaking to my soul today, so that’s what’s on the menu. The base for it is a spice batter that I’ve added rum to. It’s to die for.

  Just like Cage.

  The past couple months have been great—busy, but great. Tonight is the grand opening of Cage’s studio. He’s worked hard to get everything just like he wants it. The last thing he added to it, what he’s been working on ever since he came back from Dallas, is a legit boxing ring. He has plans to buy the entire building from Hank, not just the portion he’s utilizing right now, but the whole thing, expanding it to rival Erickson MMA in Dallas.

  Everything is changing, but I couldn’t be happier about these changes. Unlike the beginning of the year, when my life was completely turned upside down, the end of the year made it all worth it.

  “What are you still doing here?” Jenn asks as she walks back into the kitchen. “I thought you were leaving early to go help Cage finish setting up for tonight.”

  “I am,” I tell her, moving the cooled muffins onto the tray, saving a few out to take with me. “I just wanted to finish this last batch before I left.” Picking up the full tray, I carry it to the front and slide it into the display. “Are you and Cletus stopping by tonight?”

  “We wouldn’t miss it.”

  Smiling, I wipe my hands on my apron before untying it and hanging it on the rack. “Great… there will be drinks and appetizers starting at seven.”