Danielle "Dani" Joyce has been working long hours and living paycheck to paycheck to keep her bakery, The Dough Divas, open. Spending all her time at the store, her only romantic outlet is to crush on regulars like Justin Waverly. She keeps her flir...
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"It was just a hug, Dani. You're going to have to let it go if you're going to survive this."
Mindy picked up each bun with care, moving them off the baking sheet and then onto a cooling rack. I was pulling out the last batch of buns from the oven, my eyes darting between the baking sheet and the clock above our worktable, more terrified of Wes's approaching arrival than burning myself on the industrial sized oven.
"I know, I know," I mumbled, the words now a mantra to keep my mind focused on making the buns instead of how Wes's arms felt around my body, pressing me into his chest.
"Family members hug all the time." Mindy's voice was flat and tired as she moved another batch of buns from the cooling rack to a large box for transport. "By the time you and Justin say 'I do,' you'll be pecking people's cheeks."
"I know, I know."
"Do you? Because you never let me decorate anything and yet, I'm the one putting icing on these things because your hands are shaking so badly."
"It's just a cross," I muttered. "It's not like you are doing rosettes."
"Thank goodness for that." Her voice trailed with concentration. She drew long lines of white icing over several buns at once and then ran perpendicular lines down each column. With that out of the way, she turned back to face me with a smug smile. "And it's just a hug."
"It," I paused, chewing my lower lip with indecision as I looked up at Mindy from the tops of my eyes. "It's just that it's been a long time since anyone has, I guess, you know..."
"Shown you affection? Touched you? Got up close and personal?" Mindy's smile widened and my cheeks burned. Taking pity, she sighed before gliding over and wrapping me in her arms. "I know, I know. I'm just trying to mess with you to make you feel better, not worse. It's been a while since a guy has given you any kind of physical attention. I can understand how flustered you must be."
Planting my face into her shoulder, I mumbled my words against her hoodie. "But is it cheating?"
"Of course not, Dani."
"But... I liked it."
"Of course you did. He's a good-looking guy. What's not to like?" She then pulled away and gave me a warm smile. "Just think of it this way. If there's anyone out there that's going to be the closest thing—genetically speaking—to Justin, it's going to be his brother. So I suppose it's reasonable to have some sort of attraction there."
"I never said I was attracted..."
"And another thing," she said, cutting me off as she went to move the freshly baked buns onto the now empty cooling rack, "outside of a drunken promise, you have never actually committed yourself to Justin. So, if you ask me, you could have sex with Wes and that still wouldn't be cheating."
"Mindy?!" I hissed.
"It's true," she said with a shrug. "I mean, you still don't even know if this engagement thing is legitimate or just a huge misunderstanding. For all you know, Wes could be up for the taking. Although..."
