Before Brady by Cindy Procter-King

Author:Cindy Procter-King [Procter-King, Cindy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Blue Orchard Books

Chapter Six

The bubbly TV reporter held her microphone toward Alicia. “I’d say you have a hit on your hands!” The woman’s toothy smile stretched across her face, reminding Alicia of a ventriloquist dummy in extreme chatterbox mode.

But who was she to judge? Adrenaline shot through her veins as she wrung her hands at the waist of her Capri pants. The thrill of appearing on live television amid curious customers milling in her shop vibrated to the soles of her serviceable workday sandals.

“Thank you,” she spoke into the mic. She aimed a relaxed smile at the camera before slipping an appreciative glance to her dad and her two middle brothers, who’d stopped by for support. “I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who responded to the online coverage and has taken a chance on Bitty Cakes,” she gushed, meaning every word. “My remarkable staff has been working nonstop.” Both indoors and out on the sidewalk, Yuri and Kristi served samples of the July S’mores cupcake. Brady, dressed in civilian duds on this sunny Thursday morning, ran the cash register.

“Before we go,” the reporter asked, “are there any new recipes coming for August? It’s just around the corner.”

“Yes.” Alicia lowered her mouth to the mic again. “Our August special is a lovely Raspberry-Lemonade cupcake. Imagine enjoying refreshing pink lemonade during a picnic on a warm summer day. We’ll have lemon-flavored bitty cakes with raspberry frosting, and fruit and citrus portions on top.” She and Kristi had brainstormed serving the cakes in red-and-white-checkered paper cups evocative of 1950s picnic blankets.

“Sounds wonderful.” The reporter’s head swiveled back to the camera. “There you have it, folks. Come on down to Bitty Cakes for a taste of Rosevale cupcake heaven!” The woman’s mega-smile remained glued in place until the camera operator signaled the end of the feed. The interviewer shook Alicia’s hand. “Thank you very much.”

“Thank you and your whole team. It’s been a pleasure.”

The reporter and her crew hustled out of the shop, carrying a complimentary box of cupcakes. Alicia took a moment to settle her nerves, smoothing her hands along her hips. Her life had changed rapidly in only five days, but especially in the two days since she and Brady kissed in her office.

But she refused to obsess about their kiss right now.

She glanced at her dad, who stood against the far wall with Ian and Aaron. Dad gave an affectionate nod. None of the Maxwell men had offered a word of advice since entering the shop. They were just here, which meant everything. Alicia’s two other brothers had stayed away to reduce the effect of the Maxwell Testosterone Contingent. Had her family finally accepted her independence?

Then there was Brady…

She risked a glance toward the cash register. Brady responded with a wink, and her heart kicked into a rapid cadence. The man was here for more than her cupcakes, and he deserved a solid answer. He didn’t have to keep showing up at her place of business, volunteering his time and tolerating her quirks. She wasn’t forcing him to help, but she couldn’t keep flip-flopping on him either.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.