Page 69 of Suddenly Yours

My knees gave out and I sat down hard on the floor in a pile of cake and icing. I was surrounded by destruction. By hours of work, of hope, of belief, that had been ruined in minutes.

My hands shook as I pulled my phone from my pocket.

First I called Cade.

He answered on the second ring.

“Hey, did you...” He started to ask cheerfully, then stopped. “What’s that noise?”

“Cade?” I whispered through tears.

His voice sharpened instantly. “What’s wrong? Is that the fire alarm?”

“It’s the bakery,” I choked. “Someone broke in. They destroyed everything. Cade… they tried to burn it down. I got the fire out.”

“I’m on my way,” he said, no hesitation. “Call the police. I’ll be there in five.”

I could already hear the fire truck’s sirens far away and getting closer as I hung up. I vaguely heard the fire alarm that was still blaring loudly, causing my ears to ring.

I dialed 9-1-1. This time my voice was steadier as I spoke with the dispatcher and relayed my details. When I hung up, the fire truck was parked out back.

Men in full fire gear rushed in the back door. After seeing that the fire was out, they told me that they would check the rest of the building for me.

I slid onto a stool and wrapped my arms around my knees, staring at the mess like it might rearrange itself if I looked hard enough.

This wasn’t random.

This was anger.

This was personal.

And somewhere beneath the fear and shock, something else began to rise.

Resolve.

Levi thought he could scare me. He thought he could take my dream from me. He was wrong.

Very wrong.

Chapter Nineteen

Cade

I pulled up to the bakery just as the last of the daylight faded. The firetruck was blocking the back parking lot but the police hadn’t arrived yet.

Sweet Expectations looked wrong before I even opened my truck door. The back door was ajar, as if someone had kicked it in. Several firemen stood outside talking. I didn’t stop to chat with them and burst through the back door.

“Missy?” I called out, scanning the room.

The smell hit me first. Burned sugar, smoke, something metallic. Then the sight of it all slammed into me at once. There were cakes smashed across the floor. Cupcakes crushed under footprints. Frosting smeared up the stainless-steel counters like a crime scene. Her mixer, her pride and joy, lay on its side, dented and silent.

And then I saw her.

She was sitting on a stool, her back against the cabinet. The fire extinguisher was lying at her feet and her phone was still in her hand. White powder dusted her jeans and black soot covered the sleeves of her sweater. She had frosting and cake all over her clothes, like she’d slid in the mess on her hands and knees. Her hair had come loose from its tie, and strands fell around her face.

She looked lost but, to my surprise, wasn’t crying.

She looked… furious.