The Baker's Touch (9 page)
Authors: W. Lynn Chantale
“Me too.”
He looked her over and for the first time really noticed her hands. “Oh, my God.” He pushed her sleeves up, gently inspecting the reddened flesh. “We’ve got to get you to a hospital.”
She chuckled. “It burns a little. How bad is the bakery?”
Avery glanced at the building. The fire extinguished before it could do more damage. “We won’t be opening today or tomorrow.” He cradled her face between his palms. “I’m sorry, P.”
“My parents are going to flip when they hear about this.”
“Are you ready to sign the bakery over to me?”
A tremor ran through Penelope and Avery stiffened at the smug note in the voice behind him. He released Penelope and whirled on his heel.
“What business do you have here, Sam?”
Sam shrugged. “I heard all the commotion and wanted to see if Penny had been injured.” He glanced at Avery, then to the woman seated on the pickup truck. “You seem to have hurt yourself. You know it’s a liability to have a blind person in front of an open flame.” He grinned.
Avery balled his fingers into a fist and did his best to smash the leer off the other man’s face. Blood gushed over his hand and bone and cartilage crunched in his wake. He stepped back, shaking out his hand as Sam landed on his butt.
“Did you just hit him?” Penelope was at his back, shock in her voice.
“Yes.”
“That’s him. That’s the guy. I saw him sneaking around the bakery earlier.” An older man, who held the arm of a uniformed officer, pointed at Sam.
“Yep. That’s him, all right. Saw him the other day too.” This came from someone else.
“You’ve got that wrong.” Sam stood and wiped his nose with the back of his hand. “I want this guy arrested for assault. He broke my nose.”
“From where I stood it looked like you took a face plant,” the older man said. Several others in the gathering crowd nodded in agreement.
“Avery, what’s going on?” Penelope nudged him.
He turned, dragged the blanket more fully around her shoulders. “Sam is being arrested.”
“Oh.”
“Yes. And we need to get you some medical attention.” He propelled her toward an EMT. “I need to know you’re okay.”
Chapter Seven
“So you guys we’re right.” Penelope carefully rested her bandaged hands in her lap and leaned closer to the phone in front of her. She had both her best friends on speaker.
“Of course we’re right,” Moira agreed.
“We know scum when we hear it.” This was from Violet.
“The authorities here received some pretty convincing evidence of fraud, embezzlement and a few other crimes. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”
Silence, but she could hear their smiles.
“Figured as much.” She paused, blinking rapidly to contain the tears of gratitude. “Thanks.”
“No problem,” Violet said.
“So, how bad is the bakery?” Moira asked.
“Seriously? You ask about the bakery, after she tells you she was set on fire?”
“Well, obviously she’s okay. She’s talking to us.”
“Obviously.”
Penelope chuckled. “We should open for business in a couple of weeks. There was some smoke damage. Until then, we’re leasing a place up the street from us. I’m out of commission for a couple of months though. My parents are coming back to help.” The last was said with a grimace. No matter what argument she tried, her parents insisted on flying to Michigan to help out until she returned to work. On some level she felt like she failed them, but as Avery had pointed out, the same thing could’ve happened to him or any of the other employees for that matter.
That information only slightly mollified her. Here she was with second and third degree burns on her hands, could barely dress herself and it would be at least two months before she could hold a pastry bag again. If Avery hadn’t been there, her injuries would’ve been a lot worse.
“And how’s Avery?” her two friends chorused.
“He’s just fine. Hovering.” Footsteps scuffed the floor behind her. Hands settled on her shoulders. “Say hello, ladies.”
“Hi, Avery.”
“Hello, ladies.”
“Thanks for saving our girl,” Moira said.
“And putting out her fire.”
Heat cruised Penelope’s cheeks. “Hanging up now.” She reached for her phone. A hand closed over her wrist.
“I’ve got it,” Avery murmured.
“Happy Valentine’s Day,” the women chorused and the line disconnected.
“You’ve got some pretty cool friends there.” Avery turned her chair so she faced him.
She nodded. “They are the best at what they do.”
“And it
is
Valentine’s Day...a little late after all the excitement.”
She tilted her head, a smile teasing her lips. “Not my favorite holiday.”
He chuckled. “Too bad because I got you a few things to celebrate.”
A rich, fragrant chocolate scent passed beneath her nose, which was then replaced by a lighter sweeter perfume. Her smile widened. Flowers. “Candy and roses?”
“Very perceptive, and there’s one more thing.” Clothing and paper fluttered. A faint grunt and he rested his hands on her knees. Hinges creaked.
Penelope lifted her hands and laid them on his arms, slowly sliding them up until she reached his face. Damn. With most of her fingers bandaged she couldn’t tell what was happening. The only fingers waltzing in the wind were pinky and ring finger on her left hand. She used those to stroke his cheek.
“I don’t like this, Avery. Not being able to touch things makes me feel helpless. I don’t like that.”
He kissed her fingertips. “It’s just for a little while.”
She pouted. “I still don’t like it.”
“How about this? Be my Valentine?”
She leaned forward until her lips met his. “Of course.”
He carefully pressed her palm to his face. “No. I want you as my Valentine for the rest of our days. Marry me?”
“I...” She snapped her mouth close. “Are you...but...”
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so flustered.” His fingers touched hers and a moment later something cool and metallic slid on the third finger of her left hand. “It’s just a little something I’ve thought about since our first kiss.”
Tears burned her eyes. For the second time in her life she wished for her sight so she could see the beautiful ring he’d slipped on her finger. “Since our first kiss.”
He caressed her lips with his thumb. “Yes. Although, nowhere in my visioning did I imagine you being injured. Naked, yes.” She giggled. “Injured, no. So what’s your answer?”
“I’ll forever be your Valentine.” Her heart melted as he wrapped his arms around her waist and fastened his mouth to hers. At last she’d found her mystery man.
The End
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