Blackmailed by the Billionaire Brothers: The Complete Series by Sylvia Banks Page B

asked the same question. “You made that?”
    I rolled my eyes. “Actually, I
had help from my cat.”
    “Smart aleck.” Mom shoved more
of the muffin in her mouth. Mission accomplished. Peace and
quiet for a record-holding fifteen seconds. When she was done I gave her
a glass of orange juice to wash it down.
    “So who’s the guy?”
    “I have no idea what you’re talking
about.” There I said it with a cool tone. Nothing to see
here.
    “ Fabiola Renzi ,” Mother said. Here it comes. “I’ve know you
all your life, you can’t hide from me. Who is he?”
    I expected a tirade, but mom
shut her mouth. I was in shock. This never happened. Normally I’d pretend to
listen while she threw words around but now she stared me in the face waiting
for an answer. I tried to avoid by glancing around, pretending to work.
    “ Uhh ,
no one, really,” I said.
    I heard a loud bang and I
jumped around. Mom’s flat hand on the counter top next to the register didn’t
budge. She’d thrown the Renzi battle gauntlet down.
Even war paint couldn’t make her look any more terrifying. Come hell or high
water she was going to find out about any and all my secrets trying to find the
supposed man I liked. But really there was no supposed —I really did like Warren.
    “It won’t work out,” I said.
Damn, I caved just like I always did with my mother.
    Her face softened and a
matchmaking gleam rose in her eyes. “Well, why not?”
    This question always preceded
the story about her Romeo and Juliet romance with dad. But, maybe if I told her
the truth she wouldn’t be so eager to let me run out the door to go find my
love like she did in her day.
    “It won’t work out because he’s
in Illinois.”
    “So you ran away.”
    “What?”
    Mother’s angry glare drew out
the guilt in my heart. I’d ditched Warren and didn’t even say goodbye. At the
time I justified it. While I had fun with his blackmail I hadn’t thought much
about feelings—his or mine. Since I’d left I’d thought wanting to know
all the mysteries of Warren would fade. They hadn’t.
    “I didn’t run away. I ran
towards my dream.”
    “At the cost of something
special.” Mom wasn’t pulling any punches. She knows me well, but she was
backing me in a corner.
    “Who cares? I have my bakery,”
I said.
    Mother’s face dropped and her
gaze seemed troubled. “Dreams are meant to be shared .”
    I didn’t have time to think
about what she said, the lunch crowd was starting to
come in. Thank goodness my days were busy until closing, otherwise I might have
been able to dwell on that statement more.
    But it wasn’t during the day
where thoughts of Warren invaded, it was at night
after I closed the shop. On the walk to the convenience store or picking up
something for dinner I’d think about him. Baked goods for breakfast and lunch were a perk when living alone,
but I’d always wanted something different for dinner. Something like Roy’s on
the night Warren took me out. It was always like this coming home from picking
up supper. I wish he’d hurry up and leave my mind. Wasn’t six months enough
time to forget?

Chapter 14

 
    I didn’t know if it was
businesses in general or just businesses in Boston where you needed a specialty
to be known for if you were going to be a success. My specialty
were marshmallow like puffs in the shape of animals. One teddy-bear puff
was enough to sweeten and cream your coffee while the steaming hot cup of joe cooled.
    There were a lot of customers
who came in early and bought pastries just to play with Fabiola’s fantastic animal creamers in their morning coffee. One of them was a sixteen
year old with a crooked smile and messy hair I served since the day I opened.
    But, so far, I was the only one
who knew the recipe and if I wanted to keep up with demand I had to train someone
else to help make them . Which was why Wanda was in the
back practicing and I was on the register during the morning rush.
    One customer in line