Return of the Jerk (Sweet Life in Seattle, Book 2) by Andrea Simonne

might break into her or even steal her.
    There’s a crafty expression on Road’s face. “Just leave Isadora’s keys with me and I’ll drive her instead.”
    “You know I’m not doing that.”
    Road shakes his head and lets out an annoyed breath. “This situation is unbelievable.”
    “I could drop you off somewhere,” she offers.
    “Forget it. I’ll figure something out.”
    Blair nods and goes back into the kitchen to start on coffee. When her cell phone rings, she snatches it off the counter. Phone calls this early are never good news. She sees that it’s Ginger.
    “What’s wrong?”
    “I fell down the stairs this morning and sprained my ankle.”
    “Are you okay?”
    Ginger sighs. “I’m okay, but I can’t do deliveries today. I’m so sorry.”
    Blair lets out a breath. “Of course not, I understand. I’ll try Carlos, hopefully he can help.”
    “Carlos is in Portland,” Ginger reminds her.
    That’s right. Darn it. He went down there on vacation for a few days with his boyfriend. “Let me call Natalie,” Blair tells her. “I’m sure we’ll figure something out. Don’t worry about it. Just go ice your foot.”
    They hang up and Blair calls Natalie. She’s at the bakery working a half day, since they’ve started keeping La Dolce Vita open on weekends. Blair explains the situation, but unfortunately Natalie can’t leave since she’s the only baker there.
    “What about Lindsay? Should I try her?” Lindsay is Natalie’s younger sister. She’s an artist, but occasionally helps out when they need someone. Blair has become pretty good friends with her.
    “She’s already coming in today to fill in for that new barista who quit. Try Zoe,” Natalie suggests. “See if she can do it.” Zoe is the other baker they hired full-time.
    Blair calls Zoe’s phone, but there’s no answer. Unfortunately, Zoe is kind of a space cadet and probably doesn’t even have her phone with her or turned on.
    It figures.
    Blair tries to think. She’s getting a little panicky, since she can’t exactly deliver wedding cakes all by herself. She’s on the verge of calling Tori or even her parents to see if they can help when Road wanders into the kitchen.
    He takes in her panicked expression. “What’s wrong?”
    She looks at him. He put his shirt back on, she notices. And then it hits her. The perfect solution . Although it means I’ll be stuck with Road all day. Maybe it’s not such a good idea, but then it’s not like she has much choice.
    Blair explains to him what’s happening.
    “All you need is someone to help you deliver wedding cakes?”
    She nods. “Some of them are big and heavy. That’s why I can’t do it alone.”
    “So, I’ll be the muscle?”
    “Basically.”
    He grins. “No problem.”
    “Really?”
    “Course, just tell me what you want me to do.”
    “Okay, great.” She takes a deep breath and lets it out. She has to admit she’s relieved. “Do you have anything nice to wear, by chance?”
    He shakes his head. “Sorry, all I have with me are jeans. Is that going to matter?”
    “It’s just that these are weddings, so everyone is dressed up. But don’t worry about it.” She usually likes to dress up a little for deliveries, but knows it’s not necessary.
    Blair takes a quick shower and makes coffee for both of them while Road gets ready. She brings her coffee with her into the bedroom to sip. After staring at her color-coordinated closet, she pulls out a teal green dress. It’s classy, but with a sweetheart neckline that shows a hint of cleavage. She’s not dressing for Road, but has to admit she chose it because she knows it’s flattering. She’ll have to wear her white chef’s coat over it for her deliveries anyway. Standing in front of the mirror, she pulls her hair back into a chignon, to keep it out of the way, but leaves a few tendrils out in front. She’s careful with her makeup, finishes it with peach lip gloss then slips into her crystal Jimmy Choo