All You Can Handle (Moments In Maplesville Book 5) (6 page)

Sonny sucked in a deep, shuddering breath.

It was the night before her grandmother’s funeral, while Sonny stood in her kitchen baking Maw Maw Jean’s famous sweet potato pie for the post-funeral repast, that Sonny decided to quit medicine. Life was too short to spend it doing something she didn’t love. Baking was her passion; she owed it to her grandmother to pursue it.

And if she were standing here right now her grandmother would tell Sonny to stop daydreaming and get to work.

Just as she sprinkled the last of the chocolate shavings over the tiramisu, Kiera entered her prep area.

“How’s it going in here?” Kiera asked. She stopped short. Her eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open as she perused the dessert cups lined up along the stainless steel table.

“I hope you didn’t have these shot glasses set aside for anything in particular,” Sonny said. “They were perfect for this dessert. I made individual strawberry shortcakes, lemon curd with blueberry syrup, and tiramisu. You wouldn’t happen to have any fresh mint leaves lying around, would you?”

Kiera shook her head as she rounded the table. “These are amazing. I can’t believe you were able to come up with this just from what was lying around in the pantry.”

“It was a challenge, but it was fun. I think they came out okay.”

“You
think
?” Kiera’s incredulous smirk wrenched a laugh from her. “I love you for this. Now let’s get it over to the law firm.”

Kiera’s assistant, Macy Bardell, who’s electric blue hair had been the first indication to Sonny that Kiera wouldn’t have a problem with her own unique style, helped them load everything into the van. Sonny joined Kiera on the delivery so that Macy could prep the food for Kiera’s Kickin’ Kajun food truck, which would be hitting the streets later tonight.

Sonny climbed into the back of the van so that she could make sure the desserts didn’t jostle too much as they drove into downtown Maplesville. The office manager at the law firm was ecstatic when they arrived, thanking Kiera profusely for saving her hide. Their usual caterer, who was an hour away in Covington, had bailed on their standing job to cater the firm’s monthly assessment meeting, which was held every third Wednesday of the month. The office manager offered Kiera a contract on the spot to take over all of the law firm’s catering duties.

“Did that just happen?” Sonny asked as they made their way back to the van.

“It sure did,” Kiera said. “It serves them right for going with Entertain Us Catering in the first place. I’m the local caterer.”

“Is Entertain Us your biggest competitor?”

“They’re one of them,” Kiera said. “There’s another in Slidell that people like to use, even though they’re forty-five minutes away. But Entertain Us gives me the biggest run for my money. They have an amazing pastry chef who does competition-caliber cakes. You can thank him for your new job, because he’s the main reason I decided to look for a pastry chef. I needed to step up my game if I was going to compete.”

“I’ll send him a dozen chocolate-covered strawberries as a thank you,” Sonny said.

“Oh, I like your sass.” Kiera laughed. “Come on, I promised Trey I would deliver lunch for him and his workers at the shop.”

As they made their way across town to where Kiera’s new husband, Trey Watson’s renovation shop was located, Kiera gave Sonny a tour of town.

“Not even five years ago, all of this was sugarcane field,” Kiera said, pointing to a line of strip malls and standalone buildings along the main highway. “I don’t know what they’re building there,” she said as they passed a wooded area that was being cleared. “Some speculate that it’s a Target. Others say it’s a warehouse club.”

“Maplesville doesn’t seem big enough for a warehouse club.”

“It wasn’t big enough for an outlet mall,” Kiera said. “But if you build it, they will come.” She shrugged as she made a right turn onto a road that was in dire need of repair. “There are a lot of people who are uncomfortable with the massive growth, but it’s been good for business. The law firm we just came from is one of several new businesses that have come to Maplesville this past year. There’s a huge accounting firm, and further back, around the area where my brother Mason and his wife Jada lives, there’s a medical plaza being built in conjunction with the renovations being done at Maplesville General Hospital.”

“It looks as if I picked the perfect time to show up,” Sonny said.

Kiera peered over at her, an inquisitive lift to her brow. “We didn’t really discuss it during your interview, and believe me, it isn’t a big deal to me, but do you mind if I ask
why
you chose Maplesville? The town is growing, but it isn’t considered a destination for young, single women, especially those with your…” She hesitated. “Your unique style.”

Sonny laughed. “I hope you don’t have a problem with it.”

“Not at all. I love it,” Kiera said. “Still, it doesn’t scream Maplesville. I just wondered why you picked my hometown.”

She knew her new boss must be curious. Why wouldn’t she be? Sonny had been vague about her background during her interview. It was by necessity. It wasn’t as if she had a ton of fancy baking credentials to her name. Sonny was certain that it was the chocolate torte she’d made for Kiera on the spot during Monday’s interview that won her this job. That and Kiera’s willingness to take a chance on her.

Even though she’d dropped out of her residency program over a year ago this was her first official pastry chef job. Most of her business had come from word of mouth, baking cakes, pies and other desserts for friends and family, often having to use their kitchen in order to do so.

That was the one knock against her new apartment; it only had a microwave and cooktop, no oven. But she’d already solved that problem. Because her new boss was the coolest person ever, she’d agreed to let Sonny use the oven at the catering company.

“I moved here for the job,” Sonny finally answered. “When I ran across your job posting, it seemed like the perfect fit; somewhere that I could hone my skills and still have time to do some special occasion cakes on the side. You’re still okay with me taking side jobs, right?”

“Absolutely,” Kiera said. “If someone wants just a cake, it’s all on you. I don’t want anyone mistaking Catering by Kiera for a bakery. I’m just surprised that you chose a small town instead of a bigger city to get your start.”

“The bigger the city, the bigger the competition,” Sonny said. “I’ll make that move when I think I’m ready.”

“All I ask is that you give me at least two weeks notice,” Kiera said. “I know we agreed that this is just a trial run, but if you pull off the kind of miracle you did this morning, I may not let you leave. That lemon curd was amazing.”

She and Kiera arrived at a midsize corrugated building on the opposite side of Maplesville. A Bluebird school bus sat about fifty yards away. There was a picnic table in front of it and landscaping around the base.

“Someone has taken good care of that old bus,” Sonny said.

“Actually, that’s Trey’s house,” Kiera said as she handed Sonny a tray of sandwiches from the back of the van. “We mostly live at my condo downtown, but we spend a few nights a week here.”

“You live in a school bus?”

Kiera chuckled. “It’s not just any bus. Trey gutted it and remodeled it. The interior rivals a world-class hotel room. That’s what he does here at the shop. Actually, he remodeled my food truck. It’s how we reconnected after years of being apart.”

“That sounds like a story worth hearing,” Sonny remarked.

“Oh, it is.” Kiera’s dreamy sigh said a lot. “I’ll have to tell you about it one of these days. I’ll give you a tour of the Bluebird once we’ve brought the guys their lunch.”

They entered the building, which was some sort of mechanics workshop. The moment Kiera’s husband came into view, Sonny discovered why her new boss didn’t have a problem with her tattoos. Trey’s arms were covered with them. The colorful serpent that wound up his forearm and disappeared underneath his snug t-shirt was a fantastic piece of artwork.

Kiera introduced Sonny to Trey as her new pastry chef extraordinaire, and motioned for her to follow them to a small room just to the left of the entrance. The entire room was a cluttered mess. There was just enough room on the table to set out the po’boy sandwiches, cold pasta salad, and chips Kiera had brought for their lunch. Sonny took the left over sheet cake and constructed a three-layer dessert using the lemon curd, berries and whipped cream.

“Damn, Slim, you trying to put us all in a food coma?” Trey said before giving Kiera a quick kiss on the lips. Then he stuck his head out of the door and called, “Lunch’s here.”

The clang of metal tools being put away rang throughout the building. Two of Trey’s workers entered the room and headed straight for the sandwiches. Sonny’s hands halted when the third walked through the door.

“Ian?”

“Sonny?” Ian stared at her, complete surprise on his face. “What are you doing here? Is something wrong at the house?” He stopped short. “Wait. How did you know to find me here?”

“I didn’t,” Sonny said.

“You two know each other?” Kiera asked.

Sonny turned to her. “Ian is my new landlord.”

“Seriously?” Kiera laughed. “Talk about a small world.”

“You work here?” Sonny asked, even though the answer was obvious. She took in his dusty blue jeans and oil-stained t-shirt. The well-worn cotton clung to his trim, but muscular frame.

She’d found him attractive enough in a suit and tie Monday night, but seeing him like this? She could not handle this much sexy.

She’d spent her life with guys who were brought up in wealthy homes and attended private schools. This raw, gritty thing Ian had going on right now made her belly tingle with all kinds of naughty sensations.

“I work here part-time,” Ian answered. “Only when Trey needs an extra set of hands.”

“This man knows his way around an engine,” Trey said, clamping Ian on the shoulder.

“What are
you
doing here?” Ian asked again.

“Sonny’s my new pastry chef,” Kiera said, mimicking her husband by clamping her hand over Sonny’s shoulder. “This woman knows her way around triple-layer tiramisu.” She looked between Sonny and Ian. “I guess Maplesville isn’t so big after all, is it?”

“No, it’s not,” Sonny said.

How was it possible that the one person she’d chosen to have a one-night stand with could be so integrated into her new life? This had to be some big practical joke.

“We should let you guys get to your lunch,” Kiera said. “I’m going to show Sonny the Bluebird before we head back. Oh!” Kiera walked up to Trey with a coy grin. “Guess who just picked up a new long-term catering contract with that new law firm in town?”

“That’s my Slim,” Trey said as he slapped her on the ass. “Make that money, baby.”

Kiera sent him a look that was probably supposed to be chastising, but was anything but.

“You’re going to pay for that tonight,” she said.

He winked. “That’s why I did it.”

Okay, so maybe she was a little jealous of Kiera and Trey right now. Sonny had never had that kind of sexy, frisky relationship. Probably because Douglas’s definition of fun was a lecture on intestinal dissection. She wanted that kind of playfulness in her life.

Would Ian…?

No, she would
not
go there. She was not looking for a relationship, not even a casual one. It was bad enough that they had yet another connection tying them together.

Sonny couldn’t even make eye contact with Ian as she followed Kiera out of the room. She could feel his stare on her, burning into her skin.

Goodness!
Was it really so unreasonable to think that she could have a one-night stand and not encounter him everywhere she turned?

Apparently so.

~ ~ ~

Ian made an effort to ignore the sensations churning in his stomach as his thumbs drummed on the steering wheel to Wu Tang’s “C.R.E.A.M.”, but as he turned from Dogwood Lane onto Red Maple Drive, that intoxicating feeling only intensified. Just knowing she would be there made him hard.

“Dammit,” he cursed through clenched teeth.

How could he ever think he could survive living just steps away from Sonny? It had only been a couple of days and he was already going insane with the need to have her again.

Ian was still two houses away when he noticed her car parked on the curb a few feet from his mailbox. The passenger side door was open. A firm, denim-covered ass poked out of it.

He slammed on his breaks.

“Christ,” he whispered, thankful there was no one behind him.

Causing an accident was the last thing he needed to do right now. He drove past her car and pulled into the driveway. Glancing down at his filthy clothes, Ian cursed himself for not asking to use Trey’s shower before coming home.

He shook his head at the ridiculousness of that thought. What was he going to do, shower everyday before coming home? He liked his own shower. Sometimes, he liked to soak in the tub with soft music and candles and shit. He wasn’t ashamed to admit that he liked bubble baths every now and then.

But how much better would his bubble baths be if he had some company?

“Don’t go there,” Ian warned himself.

Sonny backed out of her car holding a cardboard box. She looked over at him and just stood there, staring. Ian realized how much of an idiot he must look like sitting behind the wheel of his pickup in his own driveway.

He climbed out of the truck and walked over to her car, lifting the box from her arms.

“Let me help you,” he said. His fingers skimmed over the silken skin of her forearm as she transferred the box, and Ian nearly groaned.

No doubt about it, he would go insane within a week.

“Thank you,” she said. “That’ll save me a trip.”

“How much more do you have?” Ian asked.

“Just a bag and one more box. My old college roommate had been holding some stuff for me at her house in Baton Rouge. We met each other halfway in Hammond this afternoon.”

“Why didn’t you park in the driveway?” he asked.