in my place of business,” she countered. “So I’m being measured in my responses.”
“I would hate to see your temper in full force.”
“Is that a redhead joke?”
“I don’t think so.” He leaned in just a little bit more, and when her breath caught, an answering catch hit him low in the stomach. “You seem a little defensive about that though. It makes me think people have commented on your temper before.”
“Not for a while,” she said, a soft smile playing with the edges of her mouth.
He wanted to taste that smile. And again, like she’d done the first time they’d talked here in the bakery, she licked her lips, as if she could read his mind about all the tasting he wanted to do.
“Alison, the rest of the cupcakes are too hot to frost.”
Both he and Alison looked up quickly, Alison’s head whipping back toward the kitchen, when Violet came out wringing her hands and looking lost.
Violet. Yes. He had brought Violet to work. And he had been... Well. Damn. He had been flirting with her boss. And he had decided he wasn’t going to do that.
“That’s fine,” Alison said. “You can watch Sabine do doughnuts. It’s pretty easy. I think you’ll be able to pick it up pretty fast.”
“Bye, Dad,” Violet said, turning and heading back into the kitchen. Clearly, he was dismissed.
“I’d better get back,” he said. And he really needed to get his damn head on straight.
“Right. Well. Get your daughter an alarm clock.”
He touched the tip of his hat with his fingertips and drew it down. “Yes, ma’am,” he said, thickening his drawl on purpose.
He wasn’t sure what he expected, but he liked the result. The color rose in her cheeks, pretty and bright, and for a moment he just enjoyed the sight. He wasn’t going to do anything about her response to him, but, apparently he hadn’t forgotten how to do this entirely. That was good to know.
“I’ll be back later,” he said. And he didn’t wait for her response before he walked out of the shop and back onto the street.
* * *
ALISON WAS STILL flustered a couple of hours after Cain left. She had been ready to stand firm when it had come to Violet and her lateness. But then... Then... Stuff had happened. And she still wasn’t entirely sure what it had been. Well, okay, it had been flirting. She was reasonably sure. But why? Why did she have to respond to him like this? And what was even the point of him making it blatantly obvious that he was...that there was electricity between them?
She heard a loud groan from across the kitchen, and turned just in time to see her problem child pulling another sunken cake out of the oven.
She could fire Violet. She could blame it on the cake. No one would ever have to know it was because she thought Violet’s dad was hot.
No. She wasn’t going to do that. The entire cornerstone of her business was helping women. If she compromised that mission because of a man... Well. Hypocrisy, that’s what it was.
“You’re still having trouble, Violet?” she asked, once she had her rogue thoughts under control.
“I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.” She looked so distressed that all of Alison’s petty thoughts faded away.
“I’ll tell you what. I’m going to help you. I’m going to spend extra time on this with you.”
Violet shifted uncomfortable, tucking a strand of dark hair that had escaped her ponytail behind her ear. “I don’t know if I can get down here for that. Or stay late or anything. My dad has to get up super early to work and I don’t have my license yet.”
“Okay,” Alison said, feeling determined now. She had been passive, once upon a time. That was not her way now. Now, when she got the bug to do something, she dug her heels right in. “Is there space to cook at your place?”
“I guess so. We’re staying in my uncle Finn’s house, and his kitchen is gigantic.”
“Do you think anyone would mind if I came over after shift and helped you with a few things?”
Violet blinked, obviously surprised by the offer. “No. Probably none of them will be around. Finn will be with Lane, my dad will be... Well, anywhere but in the house. My other two uncles... Mostly I don’t want to know what they’re up to.”
She wasn’t quite sure what to make of the comment about her dad, but it suited Alison to think he wouldn’t be around. “Perfect. Actually, if you want to text your dad and let him know that I can drive you home...”
Violet frowned. “You don’t have to do that. It seems like you’re doing an awful lot for me.” And that clearly made the teenager uncomfortable. But Alison was willing to make her uncomfortable for the sake of proving she was valued.
She’d needed that. And no one in her life had given it.
“Yes,” Alison said. “I am. But you should never feel like you don’t deserve that, Violet.” Alison felt passionate about this part of her job, about this part of the bakery, and her calling. Because she had spent so many years living in a dark hole. Thinking that she didn’t even deserve to see the sun, not after what she had submitted herself to for so many years. It was difficult to ask for help when you’d half convinced yourself that it was your own fault you needed it.
Now that she was in a position to offer help to other people, now that she wasn’t in quite such a desperate situation, she wanted them to feel the freedom in accepting help. In feeling that they deserved it.
Especially somebody as young as Violet. She wanted her to always know that she could ask for extra help if she needed it. That she wasn’t a burden. That she could offer help herself when she saw the need, and she was able.
“I don’t understand why you’re being so nice,” Violet responded.
“This is something that I can do. I’m good at baking. And I’m good at helping other people learn how to do it. Or if not baking specifically, then job skills in general. Why wouldn’t I want to pass that on?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t have to know. But I do want to help. So after work we’re going to tackle more cake. If you think you’re up to it.”
“Definitely,” Violet said, looking a little more certain now.
“Great.”
Alison attacked the rest of the day with a solid sense of determination. She felt...a renewed sense of something. And she was rolling with it. By the time they closed up shop, she was feeling even more amped up.
Last night’s sense of...whatever that had been had faded. She didn’t need attraction. She didn’t need flirting. She had this. She was making a difference.
“Are you ready?” she asked Violet, grabbing a few of the ingredients she would need to do some more
