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eleven to two.”
    “You’re off at two?”
    I nodded. Did he want something or was he just here to talk to me? I hadn’t been nice enough for him to want to talk.
    “So I like Dantes,” he said, his blue eyes studying me. I looked down at my hands, nervously kneading the plastic pouch of frosting.
    “You’re reading the book?” My heart stuttered in my chest. I hadn’t expected that.
    “Sure I am. You recommended it. I can see why you like it – Dantes is a badass. Or I guess I should call him the Count at this point.”
    “How far have you read?” I asked, not allowing myself to look up at him. Deliciously attractive and unknowingly sweet was a dangerous combination.
    “Almost halfway. I passed out for a few hours at four am. Had to work out this morning.”
    “I’m glad you like it,” I said. I needed a moment, but I played it cool, smoothing out the ruined frosting flower on the cake. I was picturing him working out now. Damn. An image of him reading the book in bed flashed across my mind and I pursed my lips, forcing it away.
    “I should be able to finish it tonight. Can we have dinner tomorrow night to talk about it?”
    “No!” My refusal came out stronger than I intended, and my cheeks burned with embarrassment.
    “You’ve got plans?” Orion was cool as always.
    “No, I just … no.”
    His brows arched with amusement, and he smiled. “So here’s what I’m thinking,” he said.
    “I’m working,” I cut in, stopping him.
    “You can frost and listen at the same time. I won’t scare you again. So you recommend this book to me, and it’s giving me … the feels . That’s what it is, right? I’ve heard my teammates’ wives talk about books giving them the feels.”
    I scoffed and glared at him. “I seriously doubt a book gave you the feels.”
    “It’s true. You make me have the feels and then refuse to talk to me about it?”
    He was way too cute for my own good. “I can’t.”
    Liz walked in with a giant tub of frosting, looking between me and Orion as she set it on the counter.
    “Hey, Liz,” Orion said, giving her a heart-stopping grin.
    “Orion,” she said, smiling from ear to ear. She walked over and put a hand over one of his on top of the bakery case. “You just made us all so proud in the playoffs. I still can’t believe there’s a Henley boy in the NHL.”
    “Thanks. Hey, sorry if I’m keeping Samara by chatting with her.”
    Liz waved a dismissive hand. “Not at all. Did you need to order a cake?”
    “Actually, I’m trying to persuade her to have dinner with me.”
    Liz’ lips parted in shock. Yeah, that made two of us blown away by this turn of events.
    “What do you mean persuade ?” She turned to me, her eyes about to pop out of their sockets. “Did you say no?”
    I shook my head, annoyed. “Liz—”
    “Oh no.” She put her hand up in stop sign mode. “Hell no. You’ve been back home for almost three years and haven’t been on a single date.”
    I rolled my eyes skyward. “Thanks for publicizing my personal life.”
    “It’s not personal. Everyone knows it.”
    A middle-aged woman approached the bakery case and I looked at her, relieved.
    “Can I help you?” I asked, reaching for my order pad.
    “Nellie Weston,” Orion said, grinning at the customer. She turned to him with the same awestruck smile Liz had given him.
    “Orion Caldwell!” She pulled him into a hug and he looked at me with a knowing smile as they embraced. “How are you? Your mom is always telling us about your games at bridge club. And I’m so happy to hear you broke up with that Munson girl. You can do so much better.”
    “Thanks, Mrs. Weston. I was just asking Samara here to have dinner with me so we could talk about the book she recommended at the library. Can’t seem to convince her, though.”
    Nellie Weston turned to me with the same look of surprise Liz was giving me.
    “Orion is a very nice boy,” she said in an admonishing tone. “I’ve known him since