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“I guess not.”
He kisses me again, his smile wide and proud. “I have a surprise for you.”
“For me?”
“Kyle!”
Kyle pokes his head out of the back. “Yeah, boss?”
“Please get Mr. Linney prepped for his haircut,” Scott says. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
“Sure thing!”
I arch a brow as Scott takes my hand. “What’s going on?” I ask.
Scott kisses my fingers. “Come with me.”
I go with him. I’ll let Scott Smolders lead me anywhere.
The past two months have been... life-changing. Mark is long gone, up to his elbows in enough legal trouble that’s sure to keep him out of the picture for years — and then he’ll have the restraining order to keep him away for good.
Scott and I are official and nestled into a routine that feels like it’s always been this way. We’re still neighbors, but we spend enough time in each other’s houses that we might as well build a tunnel to link them together. Our kids get along like siblings. I adore Sonya. And Scott adores Liam.
It’s the family I’ve always wanted.
I follow Scott as he leads me through a dark wooden door to the right of the entrance into a large and empty room. For a moment, I pause, my brain struggling to make sense of it. The space would easily double the size of his barbershop. In fact, I’m pretty sure this door and the connected wall weren’t here before.
“What is this?” I ask.
“This...” Scott faces me. “This is your bakery.”
I blink. “What?”
“The day we met, you said something that’s stuck with me,” he says. “You said this place was too big for a barbershop.”
“I did, yeah. But…”
“And you were right,” he says, holding my hands. “I didn’t need that much space. So, I hired some guys and they?—”
“Oh, my god,” I whisper.
“They put up this wall.” He bobs his head toward the back. “And built the kitchen in the back.”
“Scott.” I force myself to breathe. “Why?”
“Because I felt bad,” he says. “You saved up for so long only for me to swing in and steal it from you. That wasn’t fair.”
“You didn’t steal it.”
“I did, but now it’s yours.” He smiles. “This town deserves your bakery, Lottie. You deserve to have your dream come true.”
I look around, my eyes full of tears, and I see it already. Small tables and chairs. A cute chalkboard listing today’s specials. Muffins and cupcakes and fresh-brewed coffee.
“Are you sure?” I ask, my voice breaking.
Scott smiles. “Yes. And the best part? Is that I get to wake up next to you each morning and walk home with you each night. You’ll always be right next door.”
I laugh as a tear falls down my cheek. “Scott, you are ridiculous.”
