Valhalla Cupcakes (22 page)

“You’re my shrew,” he said fondly, ruffling his fingers through her hair and kissing her forehead. He wrinkled up his nose. “Ah, I got this wretched gold stuff they sprayed on me all over you.”

She didn’t mind at all, brushing away his attempt to wipe it off, and after she let herself smile smugly at the female model, felt like a jerk to find out the girl was actually quite nice, and engaged to a football player.

Audrey stopped trying to make her accounting turn out the way she wanted it and continued reminiscing about how amazing his body had looked under the lights, how his smile had dazzled everyone on the set. There was no way he wouldn’t get more offers after the photographer had gushed at how amazing the campaign ended up looking. It would certainly help her, and Erik would be set up for when she paid off the mobsters. Set up to leave her, probably never looking back.

She reminded herself once again that he was with her because he was forced to be. She should never have allowed herself to enjoy his company as much as she had. She should have kept her pride and not fallen in love with a man who was bound to her by a curse and not any true feelings of his own. She was lucky he was as nice about it as he was, and hadn’t resented her.

Harrumphing at all the compensation for his troubles he’d got from her, she halted her train of thought before she was good and miserable. Her lack of money did a fine job of bringing her down without adding love woes to the mix.

The shop phone rang, jarring her out of her lonely revery. It was well past closing, but she answered it before it could go to the message, thinking it might be a catering order. She needed every last sale she could get to be able to cling to the hope of making the next installment.

“Audrey?” a familiar sounding voice asked. “It’s Lily, from the beach, remember?”

“Of course,” Audrey said, happy to hear from her new friend.

A nice long gossip would help take her mind off things for a little bit. Erik wandered in from cleaning the kitchen, a towel draped over his shoulder, his skin glowing appetizingly from leaning over a steamy sink full of dishes. She accepted the helpless tug she felt in her chest at seeing his inquisitive smile, and reached out her hand for him, mouthing who was calling. He leaned close and said hello into the phone, making Lily laugh nervously.

“Oh, good, I’m glad Erik’s there as well,” she said. “I have some news for both of you.”

“Oh my God, are you pregnant?” Audrey asked.

Lily coughed as if she choked on a beverage and negated the guess loud and long. “I’m way too busy with work these days. I think if you like my proposal, you will be too,” she promised. Audrey put the phone on speaker so Erik could hear, and curiously urged her to continue. “Remember I said I was an office drone? Well, the company I work for is called Franchise Finders,” she explained. “I’m so excited because if you go for this, I am definitely getting a promotion.”

Audrey exchanged a look with Erik, wondering what she could be on about. He shrugged and spoke loudly toward the phone, still not used to its functions.

“Don’t keep us in suspense,” he said.

“Okay, sorry.” Lily took a deep breath. “We essentially scout small businesses that seem like they’d make good chains, then help people who are looking to invest in a franchise choose which one would be right for them, and then help them with the start up. All for a hefty fee of course, and that doesn’t even count the money they pay to buy the franchise rights.”

“Wait, what are you saying?” Audrey asked, a ripple going up her spine at the hurried explanation.

“I gave my boss some of the cupcakes I brought home with me and showed her all the pictures of the shop and she went crazy for the idea.”

“What idea?” she begged, her whole body a mass of goosebumps, too afraid to hope that something good might actually happen to her.

“We basically want to buy you out,” Lily said. “You set the terms for which recipes you’re willing to give up, you can definitely still keep some exclusive so the Annabel store can be the flagship. But my boss has a nose for these things. Every single small business our company invested in last year is national now, the biggest one is a novelty sock company that has shops in twenty-one states.”

“I don’t understand,” Audrey said, squeezing Erik’s hand hard enough to make him wince. His eyes sparkled with excitement, though he clearly didn’t get what was going on, either. “You want to buy the store?”

“No, we want to buy the concept, the name, and the recipes and your training of course. You’re still completely in charge, but you’ll get a payment right away for signing and a payment whenever someone buys into the franchise. We might be able to work your contract so you get a percentage of each new shop’s profits, too.”

Audrey stopped breathing as she worked out what Lily told her, finally having to bend over and put her head between her knees.

“Are you still there?” Lily asked.

“Hang on a minute, will you?” Erik said, fumbling the hold button and rubbing Audrey’s back while she gasped for air.

“Is this real?” she said, straightening up and clutching at his shirt. “Did you hear the same things I just did?”

“I think so.” He untangled her fingers and kissed them, a huge smile taking over his face. “It sounded like you’re about to be rich.”

Rich? Ten minutes earlier she had been punching the same numbers into a calculator, trying to make them bigger than they were. Certainly not rich. She’d joyously settle for out of debt.

“What do I do?” she asked, her mind going blank.

“Get back on the phone,” he urged.

She took it off hold and laugh-cried into the phone. “I still don’t understand what’s going on,” she admitted. “How can you think my little cupcake shop will be a national success?”

“Well, the cupcakes are damn delicious, for one thing,” she said. “And the concept is just out there enough to be exotic but not off-putting to the mainstream. Who doesn’t want a little fantasy in their everyday life?”

Lily continued talking about her boss’s ideas for publicity, including a possible cookbook to market the brand. She had a brand, all of a sudden?

“Hire a lawyer so we can get the ball rolling. Let’s get you your fat payday right away,” Lily said gleefully. “I don’t mind admitting I get a percentage for finding you.”

“I don’t mind you getting one,” Audrey said. “My head’s spinning right now. Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet, we still need to do the details. I’m so happy we met that night. Devon and I were about to go in right before you guys walked up. It seems like fate.”

Audrey recalled she hadn’t wanted to bother the couple, and if it weren’t for Erik’s cajoling sociability, they would have strolled right past the greatest opportunity of her life. If it weren’t for Erik, she would never have gone to the beach at all that night. After she hung up, she collapsed against him, worn out from the amazing news.

“Your money problems are over, Audrey,” he said into her hair, his voice sounding oddly wistful.

She leaned back to see the smile had disappeared from his face. He looked lost in thought, bordering on disgruntled, and she wondered if he was already mentally packing his bags. Did he feel somehow obligated to her still, was that what caused the sad timbre to his voice? She clung to him as guilt washed over her. She should tell him to go. There really wasn’t a reason for him to stay anymore, and she was only keeping him for her own selfish gain. Because he was helpful and fun and sweet and sexy. And she loved him.

Maybe if she had more time she could make him feel the same way about her, but now, thanks to her tenacious new friend wanting to get a promotion at her job, she was being offered a miraculous way to pay off her uncle’s dirty debt. Once the mobsters were off her back, she wouldn’t need Erik as protection anymore. Pressing her cheek into his chest, she opened her mouth to tell him he was free.

“Let’s celebrate,” he said before she could get the words out. Peeling away from her so he could look down into her eyes, he blinked in confusion for a moment at what he saw there. “What is it, Audrey? You don’t look happy right now. Are you worried because it’s not finalized yet?”

It wasn’t finalized yet, that was a good point, and now that she thought about it, she looked down to hide her smile. Of course he had to stay until everything was certain. Deals like this fell through all the time. She couldn’t believe she might be hoping for her miracle to fall through solely to keep him around longer. Did love make people that crazy?

She looked back up and realized it just might. The concern shining down at her from those sky blue eyes was all she needed, she was sure of it. She’d work like a dog for the rest of her life paying off a hundred debts to be able to stay with him even a little longer. He leaned down and pecked her tenderly on the nose.

“Shall we go to a restaurant?” he asked, pulling her close. “Or stay in to celebrate, just you and me?”

She got a shiver of anticipation at what he might have in mind for their private party. All her worries and fears melted away as he swayed with her to an unheard tune, his fingers trailing down her back before moving up to tangle in her hair. She readily tilted her head back to accept his kiss.

“Stay in,” she murmured, her eyes closed so she could savor the feel of his body close to hers. “Just you and me.”

Whatever time she had left with him, she would have to make it enough.

The next week passed in a whirl of activity and meetings. She flew to Ohio to meet with the owner of the company and sign papers, going crazy for the twenty-four hours she was away from Erik. It wasn’t just worry for leaving the shop, she felt confident in his abilities at that point and had given him a list of commands the length of her arm, and Seda’s cousin’s babysitter came in to help with the register so he could spend more time in the kitchen. They were heavy on the cookies that day and ran out of cupcakes a few hours after lunch, but nothing caught fire and business didn’t suffer too badly. She’d had to sheepishly admit she and Erik weren’t really married, citing Erik’s teasing nature and not any wish to deceive as the reason for the lie. Lily had been shocked, thinking they were a model newlywed couple, but in the end it made the paperwork easier so she forgave them.

Missing him had felt like holes were being punched in her heart, and she’d barely slept in her lonely hotel bed. For some reason she’d had a surge of stupid pride and hadn’t called him until two in the morning, then hadn’t been able to resist dialing the shop number.

“Did I wake you?” she asked, thinking he had answered awfully quickly. “You didn’t run all the way downstairs to get the phone did you?”

“You did wake me, and I did,” he said, but he didn’t sound annoyed, and she could almost see the smile that she was sure he had. “You told me to answer every call, remember?”

She gasped, having forgotten to tell him about how the answering service started automatically at six every evening, but then was glad he’d picked up.

“Sorry,” she said, nestling down under the covers, feeling sleepy and calm at last after hearing his voice.

“I’m not,” he told her. “I miss you.”

Warmth flooded her at his admission, and she said, “Me too,” as her eyes drifted shut.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Audrey,” he said, but didn’t hang up.

She woke in the morning with the phone pressed under her cheek and felt a glow all over, almost as if he’d been there with her the whole night.

Erik met her at the airport, having learned how to call for a taxi, and when she saw him, head and shoulders above the crowd, she stopped in her tracks, dropping her carry-on bag at the shock of having someone there to greet her. The elation she felt at having just closed the deal of her life was nothing compared to seeing his smile when she exited the passenger area. It was quickly doused by the sinking feeling she had at having to release him from his obligation to her. She’d promised, though. As soon as her money problems were sorted he was free. And her money problems were definitely over. Thanks to Lily and her exuberant picture taking and love of sweets, Audrey didn’t think she’d have money troubles ever again.

“Glad to be home?” he asked, carrying her bags and opening the back door for her with the quiet ease of someone who came from a long ago time.

She often marveled at the differences he still displayed, though he took to modern living as well as if he’d been born in this era. Except for his impossible good looks, he never drew attention to himself due to his actions. And his mindset was remarkably progressive as well. Besides being overly protective, which she rather liked, he never deigned to tell her what to do. She snorted to herself at that thought. It wasn’t as if he could tell her what to do, seeing that she controlled his every move. She wondered what he would be like when she freed him. Depression settled on her shoulders like cold, clawed hands, digging in and making her falter in her steps. She’d never find out because he would be gone.

“Yes,” she said absently, not really remembering what he’d asked her only a second ago.

As usual, he noticed. His attentiveness to her moods was one of the many things she loved about him. Loved. There she was, already thinking about it in the past tense.

She pulled him through the kitchen to the seating area, and motioned for him to sit in one of the plush armchairs. He patted his knees, indicating she sit on his lap and her whole body yearned to do it. Swallowing hard, she sat on the chair next to him and sighed.