Page 41 of Win a Date with a Baker

She opens Instagram. One of our photos fills the screen. Elizabeth and me laughing over the workbench.

Only... Elizabeth isn’t tagged anymore.

I frown. “Did Instagram glitch?”

Rachel shakes her head. “She removed the tag.”

The words hit harder than I expect. “Oh.”

“She also sent me a message.”

Rachel taps the screen again before handing me the phone.

Hey, Rachel. I hope you don’t mind, but could you please give me a little break from the social media posts for now? I love them, and you’ve been so sweet, but I think I just need a little space. Thank you for understanding.

I read it twice.

“She even apologized.” Rachel takes the phone back. “She wasn’t angry.”

“That somehow makes it worse.” I lean both hands on the prep table. “I really hurt her.”

“Yep.”

“I didn’t mean what I said.”

“I know.” She tilts her head to study me. “But Elizabeth doesn’t.”

I close my eyes. “No.”

“You know what the worst part is?” Rachel walks closer. “The worst part is...”

She taps my arm. “...she’s been proving you wrong since the day she walked into this bakery.”

I think about the four-thirty alarms.

The flour in her hair.

The way she remembered my sandwich order.

The way she made my maple filling better.

The way she stayed late just because she wanted to spend time with me.

The way she looked around this bakery like she’d found home.

“I know.”

Rachel smiles sadly. “I think you finally do.”

Silence settles between us.

Finally, I say the words I’ve been avoiding.

“I was scared.”

“I figured.”

“I’ve spent so long protecting this place...” I glance around the bakery. “...that when everyone started showing up asking for Donut Mother...”