Series: Little Cakes Series by Pepper North
Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45110 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45110 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Scurrying to the window, she watched Evan get in his pretty car and back out of the driveway. He was leaving. Why did it feel like her heart was going with him? Choking back a sob when he spotted her and waved before blowing her a kiss, Tori turned away from the glass separating her from her Daddy and collapsed onto her bed. Reaching automatically for her favorite pillow, her hand closed on covers only and Tori remembered her pillow now rested on Evan’s bed. It was going to be a very long night.
Chapter Sixteen
Riley elbowed her to get Tori’s attention when Evan walked in thirty minutes before her shift ended. Busy running back and forth between the kitchen and the shop area to restock the sweet treats before the afterwork rush, Tori nodded at him as she continued working. On her next trip into the dining room, she saw him sit at a table near the door with a cup of coffee and a Pink Lemonade cupcake. He had a bag next to him. She hoped Coral was inside.
Feeling him watching her, Tori slid the tray she held into the glass case and met his gaze. Unable to resist, she walked toward him. “Hi, Evan. You didn’t have to come early. I was going to wait for you.”
“Thank you, Little girl. I don’t like to be late. A cupcake sounded like something that might bolster my mood,” he confessed.
“Are you in a bad mood?” she asked, searching for an indication that he was angry or upset. Tori had never seen Evan anything but collected. His hair was slightly disheveled as if he’d thrust his fingers through it recently.
“I’m worried. I don’t want to lose you,” he answered honestly.
Tori looked down at the floor, unsure what to say. Finally, she stammered, “I need to finish restocking before I can leave. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
“I’ll be here, baby girl.”
On each trip in and out of the swinging kitchen door, Tori felt his gaze on her. It wasn’t a threatening feeling but a comforting one. She felt tears gather in her eyes as she realized how much she wanted him to be there every evening.
“Are you okay, Tori?” Ellie asked, setting down the icing bag to come wrap her arms around her upset employee.
“No. I don’t know what to do. I let Evan take pictures of me and he promised to keep them private. Then Sue found them on his website.”
“What kind of pictures?” Bear growled as he set down the heavy mixer bowl of vanilla batter, converting from assistant baker to dungeon master in a flash.
Tori felt her face flush with heat. “Not those kind of pictures! Just a picture of me in a dress,” she assured him.
Bear relaxed and resumed scooping batter into tins to bake. Tori knew he wouldn’t have hesitated confronting Evan if the picture hadn’t been so innocent.
“So innocent…” she whispered out loud.
“What’s innocent?” Ellie asked with a confused expression.
“It really wasn’t a bad photo. It was just that he told me he wouldn’t post any pictures of me.”
“What did Evan say?” Ellie probed.
“He’d forgotten to tell his assistant not to add any shots of me on the website.”
“I imagine he’s too busy to do that himself and he trusts her to select the best ones and display them?” Ellie suggested.
“Yeah. I think so,” Tori agreed.
“Is the picture there now?”
“No, he had it taken down immediately,” Tori admitted.
“So, everything is good?” Ellie asked.
“No. He lied to me. He told me that any picture he took of me would be private,” Tori repeated. She didn’t understand why Ellie didn’t seem to think there was an issue.
“Sounds like the man made a mistake and simply forgot to talk to his assistant,” Bear suggested. “Didn’t you frost the Red Velvet cupcakes with vanilla frosting instead of cream cheese yesterday?” He arched one eyebrow in a silent message.
“The frosting bags were mislabeled in the refrigerator,” Tori protested. “It wasn’t my fault.”
“They tasted delicious,” Ellie rushed to assure her. “Maybe it was a really good photo and that’s why his assistant put it on his website?”
“It was a good picture,” Sue said, wrapping her arm around Tori’s waist.
“I saw it. It was great,” Riley chimed in.
“Is there anyone out in the shop?” Bear asked, looking at all the Littles gathered in the kitchen to console Tori.
“Oh, crap! I forgot. I came back to ask if we could put chocolate frosting on a carrot cake cupcake for a toddler,” Riley asked as everyone scattered.
“I’ll get it,” Ellie nodded as she grimaced at the flavor combination. “Whatever the customer wants, right?”
Tori ran back to the waiting customers with an apologetic, “Sorry, we were getting a special order together. What can I get you today?” She was busy for the last few minutes of her shift as she filled orders.