My Curvy Valentine: A Perfect Fit Novella (10 page)

“What the hell are you doing answering the door like that?” Clay barked at her, reminding her of their father.

“Like what?” She looked down at the tank top and shorts she was wearing.

“Half naked.” He pushed past her. “What’s your problem? Anybody could have been at that door.”

“What do you mean anybody? Alex is the only one who can get up here.”

“Yeah, and you answer the door like that for him?”

“What the hell is wrong with you?”

“I think he’s hungry, Mags,” Alex said. “Heat him up some Hot Pockets and I’m sure he’ll return to his senses.” Alex leaned in to kiss her cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He walked away, leaving Maggie with her less-than-pleased brother. “Did you come all the way across town just to give me crap or is there a reason you are here?”

“Are you and Alex dating?”

“What?” The question, especially coming from him, who had always seemed more interested in pond scum than her love life, took her by surprise.

“You heard me? Are you dating him, Maggie May?”

“First of all, don’t puff out your chest and go all military man on me. You’re not Dad and if you want to order me around it would be better if you didn’t look a reject from a ZZ Top music video. Secondly, it’s none of your business who I date. I’m an adult and if I want to date the starting lineup of the Jets, I will. But for your information I am not dating Alex. He’s my friend.”

Clayton didn’t look convinced. “What did he mean when he said that he’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Probably that he’ll see me tomorrow. We do live next door to each other and I do stop by the bakery every morning for coffee.”

“You shouldn’t date him. If things go wrong between you two I don’t want to have to break his neck. And I definitely don’t want to have to move you out of here in this cold ass weather.” He walked away from her and plopped himself down on her couch. He studied her for a long time, and it almost felt like her father was inspecting her. Clay had the same exact eyes as their father. Piercing blue and critical.

“I barely see you. Why are you going all big brother on me all of a sudden?” She wondered if he had somehow found out about the kiss she and Alex had shared that afternoon. But that was impossible. It was nearly eight o’clock and she was still pinching herself and wondering if it had been real.

“When did you get such a big mouth?” he asked sullenly. He patted the couch next to him. “Sit down, Mags.”

She did as he asked, suddenly realizing that Clayton never stopped by unannounced. He had been distant since he came back from war this past year. He’d grown out his hair and a beard covered his face and it was almost like he was hiding from someone. It was so unlike the man she had known before, who loved cliff diving and chose to go swimming with the sharks for his eighteenth birthday.

“What’s the matter, Clay?” She wrapped his big arm around her shoulder like she used to do when they were kids and their father was on a tirade about one thing or another.

“Alex said that you had gotten sexy.”

“He did?” She was alarmed that Alex had said that to Clay, but kind of flattered too. “I think I’ll write about that in my diary tonight.”

“He also told me Mom was dating.”

“She is. I met one of the guys. He’s super nice. I’m hoping it gets serious.”

“She’s not supposed to be dating and you’re still supposed to be the funny looking awkward girl with the braces and the dorky glasses. When the hell did things change so much?”

“When you were away. You changed too, you know. I feel like I don’t recognize you at all half the time.”

“I’m going through some shit or something.” He scrubbed his hand over his face. “I need to figure some stuff out.”

“Me too. Our lives were kind of mapped out for us, weren’t they?”

“Yeah, and at first I thought I was cool with it, but now… I don’t know.”

“Why did you stop by, Clay? Not to talk about this. You working? You need money? I can help you out. I’ve got some money saved.”

“I’m working, Mags,” he said with exaggerated patience. “I don’t need to borrow money from my little sister.”

“You can’t afford a razor then?” She reached up and tugged on his unruly beard.

He smacked her hand away. “It keeps my face warm. I’m working for Alex’s dad. We’re doing construction on the outskirts of town. Mr. Sanna is turning the old factory into loft apartments. He’s made me the foreman.”

“Really? Alex never told me that.”

“Alex probably doesn’t know. Mr. Sanna doesn’t want to tell him anything if he’s not going to be interested in it. Alex has no clue how much his father has been raking it in lately.”

“You know it’s not about the money for Alex. He loves what he does.”

“He’s good at it. I want you to ask him to make a cake for Dad’s birthday.”

Maggie stiffened a little at the mention of their father. “Why don’t you ask him?”

“Because I want you to be the one to bring it to the house for Dad’s party.”

“Party? You mean the man with no joy is celebrating something? No thanks. You can bring the damn cake.”

“He wants to see you, Maggie. It’s just a dinner and some cake.”

“Why do you care?”

“Because he’s our father and he supported us and put you through school and paid for your Master’s. The least you can do is spend two lousy hours with him.”

“I’m not going to his birthday party.” She moved away from him. “I’m sorry you came across town for nothing, but I can’t sit with him and his new girlfriend and pretend like we have a normal relationship.”

“Damn it, Maggie. He asked me to ask you. Do you know how big that it for him? I think he realizes how bad he was and wants to make things right.”

“Really? Well, why did he send you instead of trying to make things right himself?”

“You wouldn’t take his calls.”

“He’s called me twice in the last three months. He’s trying really hard, all right.” She got up, needing space from her brother, from the disappointed look that he had in his eyes. Clay had been away from home for so long. It had always been bad, but the last few years of her parents’ marriage had been torturous. She’d watched the remaining joy seep out of her mother and every time Maggie stepped into their home the tension was so thick and heavy Maggie felt like she was suffocating. And if Maggie felt like she was suffocating her mother must have been choking.

“Maggie, he’s better. I promise you. If Mom can forgive him, why can’t you?”

She just couldn’t. There was no other reason. “Stay a while.” She walked into her kitchen. “I’ll make popcorn and we’ll watch a movie.”

He didn’t say anything, just looked at her, causing her to wonder what he was thinking.

“Clay?”

“I get to pick the movie, and I don’t want to see anything with Jennifer Aniston, Julia Roberts or any kind of love story.”

“Do you not know me? I was thinking
Spaceballs
.”

“
Spaceballs
.” He nodded. “I can get on board with that.”

*

Alex stood at the front counter, still unable to concentrate on anything other than the phone conversation he had just had. He had decisions to make. One of them seemed like a no-brainer, the other was a little more complicated. But the opportunity was too great just to pass up without thinking about it.

He needed
Sweet Eats
to be successful. He had to show his father that his decision to become a pastry chef instead of a contractor was a good one. They hadn’t talked since their argument the other day. He loved his father, but never in his life had he wanted to prove somebody so wrong.

“I’m telling you, Mags.
Blazing Saddles
is nowhere near as genius as
Young Frankenstein
.” Alex looked up to see Clayton and Maggie waking in through the back door of the bakery.

“Are you on drugs?” Maggie stopped in front of her older brother. “Not only was it funny and intelligent, the movie was way ahead of its time with its commentary on class, race and social status.”

Clay shook his head. “Puttin’ on the Ritz, Mags. Puttin’ on the Ritz. That’s all I have to say about that.”

“We’ll have to agree to disagree, but I think we can both admit,
Robin Hood: Men in Tights
is hands down the funniest thing ever.”

“Without doubt.”

Alex couldn’t help but the grin at the siblings’ debate over Mel Brooks movies. He often envied Maggie and Clayton’s relationship as a kid. He had more cousins than he could count, but he was his parents’ only child. So many times he wished things were different. “Good morning,” he said to them.

He noticed that Maggie wore his sweater over her white tank top. It gave him a little charge to see her in his clothes. She had tons of things to wear, but she had picked the thing that smelled like him, that he had worn on his body.

“Hey.” Clayton nodded his way. His eyes were narrowed at Alex, like he knew that he had been checking out his little sister.

“You slept over?”

“She made me. We didn’t get finished with our mini movie marathon until one this morning and Mags didn’t want me going home so late alone.”

“You serious?” Alex looked over to Maggie. “Your brother has been to war. I think he can handle himself on the mean streets of Durant. And just look at him. Anybody dumb enough to mess with his scary looking ass deserves to get it.”

Maggie shrugged. “I just didn’t want him to go.”

Clayton sighed heavily and then turned to kiss Maggie’s forehead. “Come to Dad’s birthday dinner.”

“No. You hungry?” She walked away from him. “Alex, you have any of those blueberry cobbler muffins left?”

“Your father’s birthday dinner?”

“Yeah, can you make a cake for that? Chocolate. Decorate however the hell you want. We need it by Tuesday.”

“You coming back to get it?”

“Send it with Maggie.”

“I’m not going.” She came back with a muffin for her brother.

Clay looked at it suspiciously, then took a huge bite. Alex had always been impressed with his friend’s eating skills. One bite and half of the very large muffin was gone.

“This is good,” Clay grunted. “Gotta go. See you Tuesday, Maggie. Seven. Don’t be late. See ya around, Alex.”

“He sucks,” Maggie said when her brother was out of earshot.

“Because he wants you to go to dinner with your father?”

“Yeah.”

“So go. It will make him happy.”

Maggie frowned up at him. “Why don’t you quit being a pastry chef, close down this bakery, and go work for your father? It would make him happy.”

“That’s different.”

“How?”

“This is my life’s work. All you have to do is have a free dinner and eat some of my delicious chocolate cake.”

“Shut up.” She walked away from him and behind the counter again.

“No, you shut up.”

“Can I hang out here today?” She put on an apron that hung on the wall near the cash register.

“Of course. You don’t have to work?”

“Ellis called and told me not to come in. They are forcing me to take a personal day. Did you know my brother works for your father?”

“What?” he asked as a customer walked in. Maggie smiled brightly at the woman and for a moment Alex forgot what they were talking about. It was as if she had worked there forever. She went through the display case, happily chatting with the woman while she made gentle recommendations. He knew why she was such a good saleswoman at
Size Me Up
. She pulled people in with her warmth and smile. She made people feel comfortable, welcomed. They didn’t feel like they were being sold to. That customer who originally came in for a Danish, walked out with a half dozen cookies, three different types of scones and two fruit tarts. He would hire Maggie in an instant if he could, but he’d much rather have her in a different way.

The kind of work he wanted her to do had nothing to do with pastries or the bakery.

“Let me know how your kids like those cookies,” Maggie said as she gave the customer her change. “And bring your husband back for our special Valentine’s Day menu next week. If there’s anything you want done around the house, like your bathroom redone or a pool put in, make sure you ask him while he’s eating the chocolate cheesecake with chocolate covered strawberries. He’ll do whatever you want.”

“I want another baby,” the woman said with a grin. “Think I can convince him?”

“Totally. You’ll take the cheesecake to go, and instead of eating it off a plate, have him eat it off
you
.”

“We’ll be back,” she said with a laugh. “I’m glad I stopped in today.”

“I’m glad you did too. Come see us again.”

Alex waited until the woman left before he went over to Maggie. This was his bakery. His dream. His name on the lease. His life savings tied up in this place. But if he didn’t know any better he would think that this was their dream, their place. She seemed just as invested as he was. She was supportive. His support system. He had no else in his life like that. He reached for her just as the bell over the door sounded again, this time bringing in a stream of customers.

It was nearly two hours before the bakery settled down again. Maggie manned the register while Alex took custom orders. He had never been gladder that Maggie had decided to stick around. His bakers were still out with the flu. Fernando had sent his wife, Alina, in his place again this morning, but he had sent her home just before nine, feeling guilty about asking a pregnant woman to work when she should be in bed.

When Alex finally got the chance to look up again, Maggie was nowhere to be found, but he heard her voice. She was in the back of the bakery, sitting on the floor, a small child in her lap. Maggie was gently stroking her hand over the little boy’s hair and in that moment Alex got a clear vision of Maggie as a mother. Holding her own dark-haired little baby, giving them the love she seemed to easily share with others.

And for some reason seeing her like that made him think about his own children. He had never really thought about settling down before. Now definitely wasn’t the right time with his unstable business. But he was thirty-one. Maybe it was time he started thinking about it. He liked
the idea of big families. He thought he might like to have a bunch of kids running around the bakery one day.