Faking It with My Bossy Ex (Sweet Christmas Kisses)

3. Amy

Chapter 3

Amy

I stumble into the bakery, my brain still reeling from Dylan's offensive attempts at being charming. Seriously, who gave him the right to be that handsome after all these years?

It's like he’s been bathing in the fountain of youth while I've been stress-eating my way through art school. And calling me beautiful? Please. I'm wearing more layers than an onion and if I really was as beautiful as he says, he wouldn't have left me for someone else.

Real smooth, Dylan.

Leaving my suitcase by the wall, I head toward the counter. Time to find Laura and hopefully scrub my mind clean of all things Dylan-related. Maybe she has a special pastry for that. “Dylan-Be-Gone Donuts”, has a nice ring to it.

If Dylan has even a smidgen of decency left in that unfairly attractive body of his, he'll keep his distance while we’re both in town. He broke my heart and probably my ability to believe in love. Does he even remember?

Stop thinking about Dylan. Just stop.

Laura is behind the counter, taking care of the customer in front of me. She hasn't changed a bit since the last time I saw her. The whole place sends a wave of homesickness through me. My time in Europe was what pulled me from Snowfall Springs. Dylan was the reason I didn’t come back.

Great, so much for not thinking about him.

The emails and texts from Laura were my anchor to home, but it’s different seeing her in person, being back in her bakery.

Laura's auburn hair falls in loose curls around her shoulders, and her brown eyes twinkle as she pushes a packed box of donuts across the counter to a total gentleman. Now she’s beautiful.

“There you go. Have a wonderful day.”

I scoot forward, anticipating her look of shock. I’m going for the surprise element, hence not telling her I’d be showing up.

“Do you think there are some of those donuts left?” I giggle as her eyes widen and her head snaps up from what she is doing. The donuts make my stomach grumble and the lingering resolution to cut out sugar and protect my teeth after listening to health podcasts during the drive here goes out the window.

A huge smile spreads across her face.

“Amy! You're here. You should have told me when you were getting here. Ahhh, I'm so excited!” She runs around the counter, her arms already extended for a hug.

We collide, and I laugh as I get a mouthful of her hair as she embraces me. Laura’s my sister, in spirit anyway.

“My goodness, it's good to see you.” Being around Laura is like a calming balm to my swirling feelings about Dylan.

“Did I see a Porsche pull up a couple of seconds ago? Who gave you a ride?” She waggles her eyebrows.

“You'll never guess.” Dylan’s smug face pops back into mind. The crisp scent of his cologne and the warm feeling of being in his car.

“Can you believe that Dylan is back in town for the fundraiser too?” Why do I feel a butterfly or two in my stomach at the thought?

“The Dylan? As in Dylan Carter? And you got in the same car with him?” Laura shakes her head. “What happened to our pact?” Her expression is deadly serious, and she grabs my shoulders, driving home her point.

Yes, we made a pact. I was that desperate to never forget what he did to me.

“I’ve failed. Please forgive me.” I exaggerate my delivery as if I’m a princess from the Dark Ages pleading for my life.

We burst into a fit of giggles.

“How did you get a ride from hot Dylan? Did you conveniently forget your car?”

“Please don’t call him that.” I groan. “He’s not hot and my car broke down, no way around it. I was stranded on the side of the road.”

Laura stares me dead in the eyes. “You might hate him, but don’t lie to yourself. That man is as hot as they come. Don’t tell me you were cold on the way here?”

“That was the heater, not Dylan.” I roll my eyes, not about to admit out loud just how handsome I find Dylan, lingering anger at him or not.

“Come here. I do have a donut for you.” Laura pulls out a chocolate one and slides it to me on a napkin. I lean against the counter and take a big bite.

“Mmm, my favorite.” The flavors explode in my mouth, erasing every other thought for an entire minute. “I don’t even care that it’ll go straight to my waist.”

“I thought brownies and ice cream were your favorite?” Laura says accusingly.

“Yes, but this is my favorite flavor of donuts. There's a difference, and your donuts are delicious. I'd say they almost compete with brownies and ice cream.”

Laura laughs. “It’s good to have you back in town. I’ve missed you. How long are you staying?”

“For the week. Just long enough to finish up with the fundraiser. I’m going to be teaching some painting classes, and I also donated a few of my pieces to the auction at the end.” My hands long for the cool handle of a paintbrush. That’s where I lose myself, in my art.

Laura's eyes light up. “I have been saving up all year, and now there’s going to be something good to buy at the auction? I can't wait.” Of course, Laura is as supportive as ever. Hence, why I consider her my sister. Now, if only Dylan would drop into a sinkhole on the way to wherever he’s going, my stay would be perfect.

I shake my head.

“You don’t have to pay for my paintings. If you want one, I’d be more than happy to make one for you.”

“I could never let you do that. Ripping off a friend is unacceptable. By the way, it’s $2.15 for that donut.” She winks.

I’m sure from the street, it looks odd: the two of us leaning over the counter, laughing with a half-eaten donut in my hand.

“Where will you be staying?” Laura asks once she recovers her composure.

“At the Cozy Haven Inn. I’ve booked a cabin.” Laura’s bakery smells like cinnamon and feels like a warm hug. Paired with the donut, melting into a puddle on the floor and taking a nap is a real possibility. I wonder if Dylan takes naps in the afternoon? An image of him sprawled out, looking relaxed, his arm flopped lazily over his forehead back when he fell asleep in my apartment. I kissed his lips, waking him up and …

Stop obsessing over him. He probably has forgotten I exist in the time it took him to drive down the block.

“I wish you could stay with me, but my roommates are all home for the holidays. Not to mention, I only have a single bed, so sharing would be hard.” Laura pulls out another chocolate donut from the case. “Both of us might not fit, but I’m willing to try if you want to.”

Laura’s words pull me back to the conversation and I accept the second donut.

“That’s all right. I’m looking forward to a week of staying in one of the cabins at the inn. I’ve never stayed there before, even though people say great things about that place.” As much as I love Laura, squeezing into a single bed and getting by on a few hours of sleep isn’t my idea of restful.

“All right then, I hope it’s a great stay. Are you doing anything for lunch? It would be easy to whip something up for us here.”

“Thank you, but I can’t stay here long. I have to go check in with the coordinators for the fundraiser to see what needs to be done today. After all, the whole thing starts the day after tomorrow. But I wanted you to be the first one I said hi to.”

I'm sure the fundraiser is going to be a load of fun but still, I wish I could curl up in the corner of Laura’s bakery with a good book and a couple more of her donuts and forget checking in with the administrators.

“The first one after Dylan, you mean,” Laura smiles mischievously. “Do I smell second chances and love in the air?”

There will be no new love interests for me for a while, if ever. I’ve been hurt too many times to trust my heart to anyone.

“No, you most certainly do not. The pact still stands. Dylan is not going to be a problem.” Oh, he’s definitely going to be a problem, but no one else needs to know about it. My traitorous heart is already conjuring up fantasies to keep me busy in my dreams.

Laura leans across the counter and pulls me in for another half-hug. “We’ll catch up again soon.”

The little bell rings above the door and a mother-daughter duo steps into the bakery. The girl points at the miniature Christmas tree set up in the corner. The bakery is a little winter wonderland, thanks to Laura's creative genius. I struggle into my extra coat and watch the falling snow through the window for a moment. I don’t want to go out there. It’s like walking into a blizzard.

Come on, don’t be a wimp.

Pushing through the door, I force one step in front of the other. A blast of chilly wind hits my face, almost freezing my face off. My car wasn’t perfect, but at least it offered protection from the wind.

As I trudge towards the library, the snow falls harder, like the sky's trying to bury any evidence of my return to Snowfall Springs. It's beautiful in that “I might freeze to death, but at least I'll look picturesque” kind of way.

The library is only three blocks from the bakery, but it feels like twenty with the weather.

My eyes dart around, totally not looking for a certain someone. Nope. Not at all.

Oh, come on. You're about as subtle as a neon sign.

I'm just being vigilant. Watching out for icy patches. And wayward reindeer. And devastatingly handsome exes. You know, the usual winter hazards.

Turning the corner, I fish out my phone, praying for a signal. Hallelujah! Two whole bars. I'm practically living in luxury.

A red notification catches my eye. My heart does a happy dance when I see it's from Leo. Good old Leo, my art sponsor, turned into a friend little by little. Being friends with a supporter is tricky business, but Leo made it so easy. He’s a welcome distraction from everything going on.

I tap the screen, curiosity gnawing at me like a famished squirrel. The subject line reads, “BIG NEWS - Open this ASAP!”

Leo with the dramatics. Last time, his “big news” was finding a pizza place that delivered paint supplies with their pepperoni. But still, my finger hovers over the email. What if it's about that gallery opening we've been talking about?

The world tilts as my foot hits a patch of ice and I'm falling, my phone flying from my hand. As I brace for impact with the snowy sidewalk, a strong pair of arms wrap around me.

I look up, right into those familiar blue-green eyes, sending a shiver down my spine.

“Whoa there, Ames. Falling for me already?”