“Don’t borrow trouble,” she reminded herself, repeating Gigi’s words. And shaking off the doom and gloom of the future, she snuck out the front door before any aunts could accost her.
At the café, Gail had already opened the shop. Sadie got to work in the kitchen, throwing herself into the routine, stemming all thoughts of Gigi and Jake and the spell and the curse and her family. Spoonful by spoonful she added butter to the babka dough, one of the only recipes she’d use a hand mixer for. Enriched dough wasn’t for the faint of heart. The dough hook caught the soft dough, stretching it around and around, and she couldn’t help thinking it looked like how she felt. Like a big, soft, tangled goop of a mess.
When Gigi came in, there was color in her cheeks, and she bustled busily about until Sadie couldn’t help feeling the hope that was planting itself in heart. She didn’t have to worry about Seth. About the life debt or who would become the conduit. Not yet, anyway. Gigi would be fine.
Sadie helped customers and lost herself in the movements, keeping her friendly smile in place at all times until it almost felt real. The air was perfumed with the rich, buttery smell of caramel, and the bell over the door continued to chime as the afternoon crowd flowed in.
When the last of the rush was gone, she allowed herself to think of Jake. She felt a little guilty for running off when he’d needed to talk the night before, even if she didn’t want to hear what he had to say. So she wrapped a large slice of the babka for him, her stomach braiding itself into knots just like the bread as she thought about driving to Rock Creek House for the first time in over ten years. It was a testament to her desire to do the right thing that she would go so far out of her comfort zone. But right was right, and Gigi had taught her long ago that when you knew what you had to do, it was best to just get on with it. Maybe the walnuts with their symbol of clarity and gathering energy for new beginnings would be just the thing he needed.
Or maybe it’s something you need, a little voice in her head whispered. She ignored it.
Jake was sitting on a ratty, old rocking chair on the well-worn and sadly unkempt front porch, with a beer in his hand. He jumped up when he saw Sadie’s car pull up.
“Everything okay?” he asked before she was fully out of the car. “Gigi Marie?”
“She’s good.” Her smile widened. “Really good, actually.”
She looked up at the house. Its peeling paint. The roof that needed repairing. If the outside looked this bad, she could only imagine what the inside looked like. She thought about projects. About walking the aisles of the hardware store with Jake, picking out paint samples and drawer pulls.
“It’s a piece,” he said, watching her watch the house.
“Why’d you buy it?”
“What are you doing here, Sade?”
“That’s supposed to be my question,” she shot back, noting the way he dodged her question, but not interested in pursuing it yet. “I brought babka,” she added, holding up the slice that was basically half the loaf, before walking up and setting it on the railing.
“My hero,” he said, looking down at her.
Focus, she reprimanded herself.
Instead, she took a step closer.
Gigi was getting better. She and Seth were healing. She was beating death itself; curses could be broken. Maybe, just maybe … there was room for Jake in her heart.
He didn’t move, but there was a war playing on his face.
“Sadie,” he said, his voice tight.
“I have questions,” she whispered. “But I don’t want to ask them yet. Just stand here with me.”
And then, because it seemed he couldn’t help himself, his hands found themselves on her waist, pulling her closer until she could feel his heart beating against her chest. He held her tight, and she remembered a hot summer day. The ground had burned her bare feet, but she didn’t care as he hugged her and didn’t let go. Though she hadn’t known it at the time, it was the day before he’d left for good. And this moment, with his arms around her again, felt like another kind of goodbye.
His breath tickled her ear when he spoke and sent a shiver down her arms. She leaned into him, every curve pressing against him and lighting her on fire.
“You terrify me,” he whispered. “You’re always the one who’s challenged me.” One hand tightened on her waist while the other slid to her back. His stubble bristled deliciously against her jawline. She wanted to turn her head. Make his lips meet hers.
“You have no idea how bad I want this,” he murmured, his fingers curling into her skin, drawing her closer.