October 2013
Susanna's POV
Brushing my long auburn hair off my face with the back of my arm I focused on icing the cookies for the local DAR tea that Mary Vines called in last minute after her oven went out. Being up since four this morning to get just the daily orders baked, I was running on fumes with it barely being early afternoon. I heard the bells jingle over the front door along with praying that Cheyenne would take care of whomever it was giving me the time to get this done.
It was at least Friday. My cousin Stephanie opened the bakery for me on Saturdays letting me have a full day off since I usually used Sunday evenings to prep for the week. I had been told more than once to hire someone else to help out. Making sure the icing on the flag shaped cookies formed the way I wanted, I bit my lip against a snort hearing Cheyenne flirting with the customer out front. Josh, my other day time helper walked into the back grabbing another tray of pumpkin shaped cookies rolling his eyes behind dark framed glasses.
"She at it again?" I asked with a snicker making him sigh. Poor kid was in his third year of college and half in love with the buxom blonde that worked for me. He hung his head nodding making the shaggy blonde locks drape into his eyes. I gave him a soft smile. "Josh, honey I have told you that you can do better than her. I've known Cheyenne a long time. She has always been a flirt. Plus already reminded you she is older than you."
"I know," he grumbled. I was about to say more when a loud voice cut through the bakery.
"Ohhhhhh Suzie Q!!!" they drawled just adding to their Georgia twang. I couldn't help but smile as I wiped my hands on the apron I was wearing. Pretty sure there was flour somewhere on my face or in my hair. Always was. Josh followed me out heading to the load display case arranging the cookies. Cheyenne was handling the coffee order of Mr. Johnson who came by for a cup every afternoon. I walked over to the low end of the counter seeing the grinning idiot facing me. I got a wide smile. "Ahh there she is. I need two dozen chocolate cupcakes sweetheart."
"And if I don't have any," I teased biting my bottom lip seeing his face fall. I reached out pushing down the top of his blonde mohawk earning me a glare before batting my hands away. I laughed shaking my head. "I always keep them in stock just in case. But only for you Bennie Boo. You are the one who claims you can't live without them."
"Swear Suzie Q," Ben chuckled crossing his tattooed arms over his chest with a smirk. "If you weren't out of my league I would marry you just for your baking skills."
"Then you would weigh five hundred pounds and I'd never get out of the kitchen," I sassed back putting a hand on my hip shaking a finger at him. "You have the biggest sweet tooth in all of north Georgia I do believe."
"Could be that I am just sweet on you," he teased bracing his big hands on the counter while I reached for a box to fill his order. I hip checked Josh out of the way and bit back a groan at Cheyenne throwing her shoulders back pushing her boobs up hoping Ben would notice. Swear she did this anytime he came in. I let out a snort putting cupcakes in the box. Wasn't unusual for him to come by for a bigger order when getting on the road.
"On the road this weekend?" I asked busying myself with my task smiling at a couple other regulars coming in. Ben shook his head shoving his hands into the pocket of his ripped jeans.
"Nah," he said with grin. "Done for a few weeks. Been in the studio. What you got going on tonight Suz?"
"Wine and my pajamas," I said with a heavenly sigh closing my eyes. "May watch the food network." Cheyenne scoffed rolling her eyes. Oh I knew she would be on the prowl for her weekend dick since she struck out with Ben yet again. "What can I say, hit my late twenties and I like to live dangerously."
"Aw that's cute that you think you get to stay in tonight," Ben teased with a wicked gleam to his eyes. A look that I had been seeing since high school. "Getting lucky it's going to be cool tonight. Bonfire and you aren't missing it."
"No Ben," I whined stomping my foot. He passed the money for the cupcakes over to Josh before tugging it out of my hands with a smirk blowing a kiss at me. "I mean it no!"
"Not the acceptable answer Suzie Q," he said with a shrug backing to the door. "You either show up or I drag you out of the house. You're not old nor are you dead yet! Better show your ass later or I will send Tiffany after you."
"Shit," I sighed hearing the bells jingle as Ben walked out. His cousin was hell on wheels and had been my best friend since high school. There was no getting out of going to this bonfire wherever it was even if I wanted to.
A few hours later a hard pounding on my front door made me groan. I sat the mascara wand down as I heard the door slam followed by footsteps a second later. A grinning blonde walked into my bathroom hip checking me away from the mirror before brandishing a tube of red lipstick. I narrowed my amber colored eyes at her as Tiffany grinned at me.
"Oh stop pouting Suz," she snickered pursing her lips passing me the lipstick. I rolled my eyes shaking my head smothering a yawn. "You need a night out. Been a while since all you do is bury yourself in work."
"Burying myself in work as you say is running my business Tiff," I sighed glaring at her. All I really wanted to do was curl up to go to bed early. I poked my lip out making her laugh as she fluffed the curled ends of my hair. "Please don't make me go."
"It's cute when you beg," Tiffany chuckled tapping my chin with a hot pink nail before giving my outfit a once over. "I'm digging the tight jeans. But that hoodie has got to go. Come on let me dig you out something."
"Tifffff...." I whined stomping my foot to no avail as she drug me to my closet. I growled at her being totally ignored. "Fine! But better make sure my boobs are covered!"
Brantley's POV
I tamped down a sigh watching the crowd around the bonfire. Ben was flirting with some girl that I prayed for his sake was over twenty-one. If she was out here with this group she better be. I wasn't going to come until Ben and Kolby talked me into it. I only had a few weeks of down time before another leg of touring and I needed to finish up a song I was working on for the new album. It had been a busy year that still hadn't wound down yet. Go from the beginning of the year to planning to get married and then now single and free as a bird. I planned on staying that way. I was too busy from anyone steady anyhow.
"Quit moping bro and find a woman," Kolby said from beside me turning up his beer then shooting me a smirk as I flipped him off. "What? You have been a little grouchy lately."
"Fuck off," I grumbled running a hand over my backwards hat kicking my leg against his from the back of my tailgate. I smirked at him. "We both know finding a woman is the easy part."
"Getting cocky in our old age are we," my not so little brother sassed back. I grinned ruffling the top of his head turning his hat sideways. A blonde shot both of us a flirty grin from the next truck over making Kolby sit up straight puffing his chest out. I was about to shove Kolby her direction with a flash of tumbled dark auburn hair caught the corner of my eye. My damn brother saw the redhead same time I did letting out a low whistle. "Holy....hellllllllll look at them jeans."
"Dayummm...." I murmured appreciatively. There was something familiar about her, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Then I saw Ben pick her up swinging her around in a hug and studied the blonde next to her in a leather jacket making recognition click. I felt my jaw drop a little. No way in hell. "Holy fuck."
"Knew that woman was hiding sex appeal behind her aprons," Kolby murmured giving me a wink then reaching over to close my mouth before he started laughing. "Did you just finally figure out who she is? Hell B, Ben gets two dozen of her cupcakes her time y'all get on the road. Wait a minute.....you didn't know. Thought you had a little bit of a crush on her in high school. Even though she was like what a freshman your senior year?"
"Yea," I murmured watching her throw her head back laughing at something Tiffany said. Now Tiff, I saw a good bit because she always tried to make a show when we were close. Her and Ben were really close. All these years I never thought to ask her about her best friend to find out what happened with her. If I was honest, I didn't think much about it then with all that was going on in my life. I remembered the shy little redhead had always been quiet. God bless at the woman she had grown into. I sat my bottle of water down on the tailgate about to hope down when Kolby stood up stretching his arms over his head adjusting his hat. I narrowed my eyes at him as he turned around grinning at me. "Where the hell you going?"
"I'm going to find out what the cupcake specials are for next week," he said with an evil smile. I growled at my little brother debating on tackling him to the ground knocking his ass out but stopped knowing Mama would beat my ass if he showed up to church Sunday morning with a black eye. He would tattle on me in a heartbeat. I shrugged deciding an ear tug was worth it. I jumped down catching my long legged brother mid-stride and factored how much beer he had drank into hooking my foot on the back of his calf sending him face planting into the dirt. He yelped when he landed as I started laughing. Kolby rolled over holding his chin as he glared up at me. "What the hell B!"
"Dang Ko," I chuckled taunting him with a grin as he flipped me off. "Guess you should slow down on the beer. I'll be sure to find out what those specials are for ya little brother. Besides I'm calling dibs."
"You can't call dibs on a woman!" he called after me as I strutted towards Ben. "Not like you do Mama's fried chicken!"
"Snooze you lose little brother!" I said waving at him as I walked over seeing Ben passing a couple red cups to the girls laughing at something Tiffany was teasing him about. A pair of amber colored eyes lifted as I approached widening. I could swear I saw a blush tease across Susanna's cheeks as I winked at her before throwing my arm around Ben's shoulders. I gave both girls a flirty smile. "Bennie Boo what are you doing man?"
"Dammit BG," Ben sighed rolling his eyes as Tiffany cracking up laughing and a quiet giggle slipped past Susanna's lips. Drove him nuts to be called that and I knew it. "You remember my cousin Tiffany, and this is her best friend Susanna. Makes the best cupcakes this side of the Mississippi man."
"So I have heard," I said turning my attention to Susanna smacking my lips together after running my tongue over my bottom lip. Tiffany smothered a laugh behind her cup as Susanna froze in place. " Mmmmm.....and have tasted since Ben here always gets us some for the road. I remember you from high school darlin. Though it has been a while."
"Yea it has," Susanna choked out after Tiffany elbowed her making me bite back a smile. She was shy. I see that hadn't changed over the years. I was about to step a little closer to Susanna when a hand grabbed my arm. I turned my head with the beginning of a growl but stopped seeing Eli standing there giving me a look.
"Need your help for a second BG," he said with an amused grin on his lips. I was about to cold cock him because I was betting it was a bullshit reason and he was going to give me hell for attempting to flirt with Susanna. Even after all these years he still loved to bust my balls. I turned looking back at Susanna as Eli drug me off.
"I'll be back to find you later darlin," I called out making her blush with a wink and a smile. Hmm..wonder if more than her cheeks blushed. I would have to find out.