When I came back out to the front of the shop, the woman with the baby was gone, and Hannah was bagging up a large call-in order from Rockley Lodge.
“I put together some things for you to try,” I said, handing the boxes to Miller. “You’ll have to come back and let me know which ones you like.”
“Wow, you… you didn’t have to do this. I…” He glanced up at me, unsure. “How much do I owe you? This is amazing.”
“No, nothing. On the house,” I said, suddenly feeling embarrassed. It was a little over-the-top as random gestures to strangers went.
I was surprised when Hannah took the boxes from him and placed them in the same bag with the big Rockley Lodge order.
“I can’t let you do that,” Miller said, reaching for his wallet.
“I insist. Really. Are you staying up at the lodge?” I asked, desperate to change the subject. Hannah was going to grill me later. The reality of my unexpected behavior began to sink in.
“Yeah, uh… it’s like… a big family reunion kind of thing.” He pinned his lip with his teeth again. “I guess Mikey wanted to make sure we had plenty of sweet treats to go with breakfast.”
He wasn’t the only one suddenly feeling insecure. I’d heard through the small-town grapevine that Mikey and Tiller were hosting at least two dozen beautiful gay men at their lodge this week. I’d thought it was a joke at first, but now…
I cleared my throat. “Well… good. That’s good. You’ll have plenty of people to share your extra pastries with.”
We stood there awkwardly while Hannah moved over to help a customer who’d come in behind Miller. I wasn’t ready to let him go, but I didn’t know what to say to keep him there.
“Can I help you take that to your car?” I offered, nodding at the two giant bags of bakery boxes.
He offered me a small smile that lit up his eyes and made my heart speed up. “That would be great. Are you sure you don’t mind? I’m only down the side street right here. Not far at all.”
We walked out of the warm bakery into the frosty morning.
“You’re going to freeze,” Miller said. “You don’t have a coat.”
“Nah. I’m from Chicago. This is nothing.”
He led me around the corner and down the side street to an SUV I recognized as Mikey and Tiller’s. After we put the bags in the back, I opened the driver’s door for him. “How long are you in town for?”
When he moved past me to get into the car, I caught a whiff of soap and coffee, a unique combination that probably also carried a subtle addition of my bakery now, too. I found that idea soothed some primitive part of me I hadn’t known existed until Miller walked into my bakery.
“A week. We’re spending Christmas together. It’s…” He blew out a breath. “Kind of a big deal. But also… stressful.”
“Too much family?” I offered, knowing full well how that could be. My mother was from a giant Greek family, and my father was from a very large Black family. I had aunties and theias, uncles and theios. Grannies and yayas. More cousins than I could ever visit in my lifetime. They were spread out all over the world now.
Miller nodded. “It’s overwhelming. I’m an only child, and so was my mom. But then we found her biological family and… it’s like…” He let out a soft laugh. “Enormous. And truly… unbelievable. They’re wonderful, and very welcoming. But I’m not used to being around so many people all the time, especially people who are trying so hard to include me in everything. And… well… my mom died earlier this year, so it’s… weird.”
I wanted to pull him into a big bear hug, but that sounded like the opposite of what he wanted. And since he didn’t know me from Adam, it would have been completely inappropriate anyway. The vulnerability in his eyes gave me the impression that he didn’t share much about himself, especially his burdens, easily. So, how could I help ease his burden another way?
“I’m so sorry about your mom. What an amazing gift she gave you before leaving, huh? A big nosy family. A blessing and a curse, if you ask me.” I tried to keep things light to ease his burden rather than asking him to expose his heart to a stranger. “First of all, the trick with a big family of busybodies is to dish their shit right back. They hassle you? Hassle them right back. Stand up for yourself and claim your space. They’ll respect you for it.”
“I’m not exactly the hassling type,” Miller said with a sweet smile.
I grinned right back. I couldn’t help it. “No, I don’t imagine you are. What you need, then, are some activities that keep everyone busy. Idle chitchat while you’re doing something else is much easier to handle than sitting around being interrogated by well-meaning family members.”
“We’re going Christmas tree shopping today,” he said. “Apparently there’s a Christmas tree farm nearby.”
I nodded. “I haven’t been out there yet, but I’ve heard great things about it. It’s on a ranch, and the rancher offers horse-drawn sleigh rides, too. Are there any little kids in your group?”
“A few. They’d love that. Heck, I’d love that. Thanks.”
“There’s also the ice rink over in Steamboat. And you can ask Mikey to be sure, but I think they have the main ski lift running now even though the slopes aren’t open yet. There’s a log road you can hike down. And if your crew is more into doing stuff indoors, there’s a great used bookshop down the street that has a board game room in the back. What else?” I tried to think, which was hard to do with Miller’s big eyes staring up at me in something like wonder.
He reached out tentatively to brush a clump of flour off my apron, but his fingers rested over my pec for a second longer than strictly necessary. Time seemed to stand still for a beat. I clenched my hand against the desire to grab his and pull him into an embrace.
“And, uh…” I continued, trying to focus on anything other than the brush of his masculine hand over my chest. “Art galleries? There’s a paint your own pottery place next to the library. I haven’t tried it yet, but… but I’ve been meaning to. And, um…”
My phone beeped in my pocket. I fumbled to pull it out and noticed a text from Hannah asking for help packing up another large catering order.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “I need to get back in there, but… will you promise to come back and let me know what you think? About the pastries, I mean?” I realized too late I was just another person putting pressure on him. “Or not. Whatever makes you happiest. Have fun, okay?”
His face was flushed pink from the cold, and his sad eyes were a little brighter. He was stunning.
“Thank you…” he said, lingering as if trying to recall my name. I realized I’d never given it to him.
“Darius,” I said. “Darius Grant. It’s nice to meet you, Miller.”
His smile was radiant. “You too.”
When I returned to the bakery, I jumped right back into work. We were slammed with holiday and catering orders like the one from Rockley Lodge, which meant Hannah and I didn’t stop moving until we closed at three. Instead of jumping right into prep for the next morning’s baking, I went to the gym in time to join a kickboxing class. It was just what I needed to work out the jittery feeling I’d had all day.