Page 70 of Suddenly Yours

Her eyes lifted to mine when she heard my voice. They were sharp and blazing with anger, and something primal twisted in my gut.

“Hey,” I said softly as I crossed the room in three long strides and knelt in front of her. I didn’t touch her yet, just looked. “Are you hurt?”

She shook her head once. “No. I’m okay. I… I got back just in time. The place could have been gone.” Her jaw clenched.

I swallowed hard and glanced at the oven. The scorched towel was still half hanging out of it. If she hadn’t walked in when she did…

She was right. The entire building would have burned down.

I didn’t know how long it took for the firemen to get here, but something tells me it wouldn’t have been quick enough.

“You saved the place,” I agreed softly.

Her lips pressed together, emotion flickering for half a second before anger took over again. “He wanted to burn it down. To ruin me.” Her eyes moved up to mine, and I smiled at the anger.

I didn’t pretend that I didn’t understand who she was talking about. It was too obvious.

“He lost.” I kissed her.

Someone coughed and we both looked over to see the fireman standing there. “I’ll deal with this. Sit.” I stood to talk to the man.

The police arrived minutes later. I stood beside her while she explained everything to them. We filled out a report of what was broken, everything that was destroyed. She estimated the cost of not only materials but time spent. Her voice stayed steady the whole time, even when one of the fireman told the officers how close it had been.

Too close.

After they finished taking our statements and getting photos of the disaster, they promised to investigate if Levi was in town. I made sure to give them the make and model of the Jaguar he drove and where he liked to stay in town.

When they were all gone, Missy sagged just a little against me. I wrapped my arms around her and just held on.

“I’m not closing,” she said suddenly.

I blinked. “Tonight?”

“Ever,” she clarified, lifting her chin. “Not because of this. Not because of him.”

I smiled despite the knot in my chest. “I didn’t think you would,” I agreed, then asked, “where’s your broom?”

I saw her chin rise slightly and then she rolled up her sleeves. “I’ll get them.”

We started cleaning but not before I sent a few text messages out.

Max was the first to show up, Cora was right behind him. He took one look at the wreckage and swore under his breath, then crossed the room and pulled Missy into a tight hug. Cora grabbed trash bags and gloves like she’d done this a hundred times.

Then Meredith came rushing in, eyes wide. After she hugged Missy, she tied on an apron and got to work remaking everything that had been destroyed. Brit and Ashley followed, Ashley gasping softly when she saw the mess but immediately grabbing a broom.

Crystal and Rory arrived next, their arms full of cleaning supplies. Crystal moved through the chaos like she belonged there. Then came Cal and Bella. Adam and Lilly. Someone brought coffee. Someone else brought pizza.

The bakery filled with voices, movement, life.

It took some time to fix the fallen mixer, rolling it upright and opening the casing that had been smashed. “She didn’t deserve this,” I muttered to myself as I worked to bang out the dents.

The damage looked worse than it was. A bent bracket. A wire that had been knocked loose. I tightened, rewired, and tested. When I flipped the switch and the mixer whirred back to life, the room erupted in cheers.

Missy rushed over and hugged me. “Thank you for fixing it.”

I looked up at her. “It’s what I do. I fix things,” I joked.

I’d always known Missy had a way of pulling people together, but watching it happen in real time, after someone had tried to burn her livelihood to the ground, was something else entirely.