Nothing Bundt Love Read online

  “Our pleasure. If there’s nothing else you’d like to add, we’ll be in touch.” Leo closes out the conversation.

  I sit back in my chair, unbuttoning my suit jacket once the two brothers leave the conference room we’ve been holding meetings in all day. I’m tired, hungry, and missing my woman. Only a few more hours until she’s back in my arms where she belongs.

  “Well, what did you think?” Leo asks, coming back into the room.

  “They were the best out of everyone we heard from today, let’s just hope their paperwork backs them up. I can see it being a good investment oppturnity.”

  “I had the same thought,” he says, taking a drink of his water. “You ready to get out of here? I can see you getting twitchy, wanting to be on your way so you can get to Harper.” He chuckles.

  “Like you don’t want to get home to Candace?” I chuck my coaster at him and he catches it, like he knows it was coming at him.

  “Never said I didn’t,” he muses, that goofy grin that always fills his face when his wife gets brought up, coming out in full force. “I guess I’ll see you on Monday morning. Don’t do anything stupid this weekend,” he states before heading out.

  Leo was able to secure a flight back using a private charter service and I’m taking the company jet. It was easier that way, rather than for me to try and secure flights to Tennessee and then back home, especially around the time I’d want to fly.

  I gather my own things, then head straight for the airport.

  I grab the bouquet of flowers I arranged to be waiting for me at the airport to take to Harper. I didn’t want the added delay of stopping anywhere before I got to her. I get out of the rental and practically sprint up the walkway, taking the steps to her front door two at a time. The door swings open and before I know what is happening, she’s launched herself into my arms. I catch her as her lips crash to my own, stumbling back one step before I settle us.

  Without breaking the kiss, I carry her inside, kicking the door closed with my foot before I turn and press her body up against it. She’s all soft curves against my hard ridges, and I can’t get enough of how good she feels in my hands.

  “Fuck, I missed you,” I say against her lips, nipping at them once more before pulling back further. The flowers fell to the floor, probably when we came through the door. I set Harper down, then bend to pick them up, handing them to her. “These are for you.” I flash her my dimpled smile, the one that I know makes her panties practically melt off.

  “Why, thank you.” She smiles up at me, the love evident in her eyes. “Let me put them in water and then we can go,” she says.

  “Did you forget what I told you last week?” I smirk.

  “You might need to remind me!” she calls over her shoulder.

  “I need you, naked, a bed or whatever surface you prefer, and an hour. Then, we can go. It’s been too long since I’ve been inside you and I don’t think I can wait until we get to the cabin.”

  “Oh…” The breath she had in her lungs rushes out.

  “Oh, is right.” I laugh, circling her waist with my hands. Once she has the flowers in a vase, I pick her up, tossing her over my shoulder. I smack her ass as I quickly take her down the hall. She slaps my ass as I go, laughing all the way.

  “Put me down,” she says, smacking me again.

  “Just a second,” I tell her as I enter the bedroom. Once I’m at the side of the bed, I carefully lay her down on the mattress, boxing her in as I hover over top.

  “Wow, it is beautiful here,” Harper says, standing at the window wearing nothing but my t-shirt from last night as she sips a cup of coffee. We got in late last night, so it was dark and we couldn’t see the view.

  “I’d have to agree,” I tell her, but I’ve only got eyes for her. I press my bare chest against her back and slip a hand under the t-shirt with my free hand. The other holds my own cup of coffee.

  “What do you want to do today?” she asks, leaning her head back to rest on my chest.

  “You.” I smirk. “Oof,” I woosh out the breath in my lungs when her elbow connects with my stomach.

  “Don’t be a smart ass.” She laughs. “And I’m sorry if I hurt you, that wasn’t my intention.”

  “You’re fine, I’ll just remember to not be standing close to you if I think the elbows might go flying.” I laugh. “But to get back to your question, I really don’t want to do anything except spend time with you. We’ve only got a handful of hours to be together and I don’t really want to do much if it means other people being in the mix.”

  “That sounds perfect,” she says, turning in my arms and pressing up to kiss me. Without breaking the kiss, I set my coffee down, then take hers and do the same, freeing up our hands and keeping us from wearing the liquid instead of drinking it. We break the kiss and I press my forehead to hers, just soaking in this time we have together. “You’re pretty romantic, you know that?” she asks.

  “You think so?”

  “Absolutely. Flowers, whisking me away for little getaways. Private flights to come see you. A girl could really get used to this.”

  “Then, let this be the warning that I need you for an entire week for your birthday in two months.”

  “Is that so? And where will you be whisking me off to?”

  “A man has got to have a few secrets,” I tell her, tugging her in for another kiss.

  We sit out on the deck, sipping on glasses of wine after we dined on steaks and potatoes I grilled for dinner. The stars are out bright, something that I definitely miss in California.

  “Have you had the chance to talk to Lacey about the bakery and what you want to do with it?” I ask.

  “We’re going to try and sit down this coming week and discuss things. She’s nervous that she won’t qualify for a loan to buy me out. If that happens, what do you think about me owner financing it? I know she’d be good for it, and it would be a way for me to still help her out.”

  “That’s definitely an option. Another option is for you to stay a partial owner, just move to more of a silent one.”

  “I hadn’t thought of that option,” she says. “Before I dump everything on her, is your offer still open to invest? We really need to update the kitchen and I know that isn’t something she’d be able to afford right away. Every time the ovens go out, it is just a huge chunk of money to fix them, but new ones can easily be thirty grand for each unit.”

  “Of course. How much do you need? I’ll have it wired on Monday and you can have new ovens ordered by Tuesday.”

  “You could really make it happen that quickly?” she asks, I think a little shocked.

  “Babe, if I really wanted things done, I could make a few calls and have it done before we go to sleep tonight, but I didn’t think it was that urgent, so I picked Monday, as that will be the easiest without pulling people out of bed to do my bidding.”

  “Wow. I’m still not used to what you can accomplish like it is nothing.”

  “If it is important to you, then it isn’t nothing,” I tell her. “How about you talk to Lacey this week, and if you need help with the logistics, you call me, and I can help walk you through some options.”

  “Now that sounds like a good plan,” she agrees.

  I didn’t come to the mountains to talk business, so I try and keep our conversation easy and sexy the remaining hours we have together. Before long, morning will come, and we’ll have to leave our little pocket of paradise. I can’t wait until Harper is ready to move to California to be with me all the time.

  “Hey, beautiful, what’s up?” I answer Harper’s call. She doesn’t usually call me midday, so I know something must be going on.

  “Are you busy? Lacey and I are talking, and she had some questions that you’d be better off answering.”

  “I can spare a half hour,” I tell her, getting up to close my office door.

  “We’ve gone over the basics of our options, one being that I outright sell the business, no longer having any legal ties to it. Opt
ion two being that I owner finance it, moving to become a silent partner until things are paid off, and option three, I keep the business, we hire additional staff, Lacey becomes the manager and I just run things from afar, with Lacey making most of the day-to-day decisions,” Harper explains, catching me up on what they’ve covered so far.

  “My main question,” Lacey takes over, “is how exactly does the owner financing work and what happens if something came up and I could no longer afford the payments?”

  “There are a few ways that it can work. When I’ve owner financed a project in the past, I still use a third-party company to facilitate the loan. They deal with collecting the payment each month and applying it to the loan. Unlike a regular bank, it would be up to me, or in this case, Harper, to tell the bank she’s foreclosing on the loan if you were to stop payments. The other option is to not use a company like that, and you’d just send the payments directly to Harper, or deposit them into an account there that she could open for that purpose,” I explain. “Another option that is also on the table, is for me to buy the bakery and I turn around and hire you to run it for me. I know nothing about the bakery industry, so I’d rely on the two of you to make sure it stays afloat, but it’s an option,” I throw out there.

  “That’s a lot to think about.” Lacey laughs.

  “It is, but I’m sure the two of you can figure out what is best. I’m here to help any way I can. I’ve got a small interest in how everything works out, seeing that the decision that’s made is one step closer to me getting Harper here with me.”

  “Aww, such a softie you are,” Lacey coos.

  “Stop it, don’t encourage him. He’s already bad enough without your encouragement,” Harper says, but I can tell she doesn’t really mean it.

  “Anything else I can answer for the two of you?”

  “I don’t think so,” Harper says after a moment. “Oh, I got an email today. The new oven units are on their way! They should be delivered next week. They’re going to install one at a time so that we don’t have to close for a day.”

  “That’s great, I hope they are exactly what you wanted and needed,” I state, smiling, knowing that so far, I’ve hidden the fact that I upgraded what she wanted to order to the best line available, she just doesn’t know it yet. Yes, it cost me an extra fifty grand, but it was worth it, knowing that it was the best available for their set up and will be something that will last for years to come.

  “Thanks for your help, Nathan,” Lacey adds.

  “Anytime. I’m just a phone call away,” I tell her. “Babe, I’ll call you later, sound good?”

  “Of course, thanks for talking us through all of this.”

  “Love you,” I tell her before we end the call.

  20

  Harper

  “So, what are you thinking?” I ask Lacey. We’ve been discussing the future of the bakery all afternoon, and after our call with Nathan, I think she’s got a pretty good picture of the options.

  “I really like the idea of buying the bakery from you, I’m just scared to take that step. I know you did it on your own, but I’ve got the kids to think about,” she says, worrying her lip.

  “I completely understand. Do you want my two cents?” I ask, knowing she will.

  “Of course,” she states.

  “I think that the best option is actually a combination of some of the ones we came up with earlier. I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before, and I’d have to run it by Nathan, but I really think it will work. He can come in as a silent partner, providing enough capital for me to pay off my loan with the bank. Once I own everything, or at least, besides his portion, that will make it easier for me to owner finance it for you. We can then come up with a sales price and payment that you’re comfortable with each month. If you want to use the third party, we can, otherwise, I can just open a new account over at the bank and you can deposit the payment into that account each month for the term of the loan.”

  “That is a very interesting option and I think my favorite. How about we think over everything for a few days, you run that by Nathan, and we can talk about it again next week,” Lacey suggests.

  “Sounds perfect,” I tell her.

  We finish our cleanup for the day, both exhausted from the long day in the kitchen, helping customers and then talking business.

  I stop at my parents’ house before heading home. I love stopping in, sometimes just to say hi. When I move to California, this will be one of the hardest parts. Not seeing my family whenever I want to. I know Nathan’s solution will be to just fly me home whenever I want to see everyone, but it still won’t be the same as just pulling in for a quick hello on my way home.

  “Hello, baby girl,” my dad greets as I enter the house. I find him kicked back in his recliner, reading a book.

  "Hi, daddy,” I greet him, kissing his cheek before I take a seat on the couch. “How’s Mom today?” I ask.

  “She’s had a rough one. The home health aide took both a blood and urine sample in to be tested. I think she’s got another UTI.”

  “Well, that sucks, I hope they can get her feeling better soon. Is she sleeping?”

  “The last I checked on her, she’d finally fallen asleep. She’s been pretty restless today. I think due to the pain.”

  “I’m sorry, Dad, you should have called me. I’d have come by earlier.”

  “We’ve got it covered; you’ve got enough on your plate as it is,” he tells me.

  “Lacey and I discussed her buying the bakery more today,” I admit.

  “And that’s something that you want to do?” he asks.

  “If you’d have asked me that six months ago, I’d have been offended, but today,” I stall, thinking over the last couple of months and what a whirlwind it has been since Nathan came back home after being gone for ten years. “Today, I’m ready to sell and move forward. We only get one chance at life and I know Nathan is my future. I have to go to where he is, and that means packing up my life here and moving to California. At least for now, and for the foreseeable future. One day, I might get him to come back here, but I don’t think that will be anytime soon.”

  “All I’ve ever wanted was for you to be happy, and if being with Nathan makes you happy, then I’m behind you one thousand percent. Just no disappearing on us like he did for so many years,” Dad jokes.

  “Don’t worry, I have no reason to stay away.”

  “Do you have any plans yet for your birthday in a few weeks? The big thirty.”

  “Ugh, don’t remind me.” I grimace. It isn’t that I’m afraid to turn thirty, it isn’t that I don’t feel accomplished, but there’s just something about starting a new decade of your life that can feel daunting sometimes. “Actually, Nathan told me to clear my schedule for the week. He said that he’s whisking me away, but won’t tell me any of the details.”

  “He sounds like a keeper,” Dad muses.

  “You know it,” I agree with him.

  “Well, before you go, we can have a small little get together for you here, maybe invite his family, as well,” Dad suggests.

  “I’d love that,” I tell him, thankful that even with my mom’s condition, my dad has never let an important moment be missed since he’s had to take over as the dominant parent and caretaker for her.

  We chat for another half hour or so before I head out and home. I need to get a load of laundry done and figure out some dinner before Nathan will be home and calling me this evening.

  Six weeks later

  “Will you tell me where you’re taking me yet?” I ask Nathan as we take our seats on the jet.

  “Our first stop is New York City for two days,” he finally tells me.

  “Just the first two days?”

  “Yep, and that’s all you’re getting for now.” He leans over and kisses me.

  “Fine, if you insist,” I say against his lips.

  “I’ll make the wait very worth it.” He smiles before kissing me again.

  The fl
ight is quick, and before I know it, we’re being whisked away to our hotel that looks out over Central Park.

  “If you’re comfortable in what you already have on, let’s go, otherwise, go change into something you’ll be okay in for us to walk around for a few hours.”

  I look down at the chucks, jeans, and t-shirt I flew here in and know that I’ll be just fine in this. I grab my jean jacket to bring, just in case there is a breeze and I get cold. It is fall and the temps drop fairly quickly once the sun sets.

  “I’m ready,” I tell him, excited to go out exploring and to hopefully figure out some of what he’s got planned for this week.

  He takes my hand, linking our fingers together as we head out of our suite and down to the lobby. It only takes us a few minutes and we’re in Central Park. I’ve never been to New York City, so my knowledge of it is what I’ve seen on TV and in movies. I take it all in. The hustle and bustle of everyone going their own ways, the street vendors selling everything from hot dogs, to knock off t-shirts and purses.

  “Are you hungry?” Nathan asks as we walk past a row of food carts.

  “A little, now that I’m smelling everything,” I admit.

  “What do you want?” he asks, standing where we can see everything being offered.

  “Maybe one of those giant pretzels with cheese,” I tell him, pointing to one of the vendors further down.

  “Sure,” he says, starting to walk that way. He steps up to the cart, ordering us one to share, along with a Coke. “For you, my love,” he states, handing over the giant pretzel. “I got us each our own cheese cup, so we don’t run out.”

  “Good thinking. I hate it when that happens,” I admit.

  “I figured so.” He smirks. “Knowing how much you like your frosting on cinnamon rolls and cupcakes, I figured the same rule applies here.”