Series: Little Cakes Series by Pepper North
Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 45110 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45110 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 180(@250wpm)___ 150(@300wpm)
“I have. I love him so much.” When her hair flopped over her eyes, Tori blew a gust of air to move it away. Her curls had always been the bane of her existence, but Evan liked them so much, she started to change her mind about them.
“Have you told him?”
“Maybe tonight? I want to be so sure. I can’t say those words lightly.” Tori and Evan had been together virtually every moment she wasn’t working at Little Cakes. She had almost as many clothes in his closet and her nursery as Evan did.
“I wish my ex-husband hadn’t thrown them around so carelessly,” Sue agreed. “Those words are special. They get tarnished if you toss them around. When we divorced, at least three women other than me thought he loved them.”
Both women shook their heads in disbelief at that statement.
“He was a jerk. I’m glad you’re away from him.”
“Me, too. So, tonight, huh?”
“I think so,” Tori whispered before biting her lower lip. She thought Evan loved her. He wouldn’t be fickle like other men, would he?
“I almost forgot to tell you. I haunt his website. I loved the picture of you he uploaded.”
“The picture of me? On Evan’s website?” Tori repeated. Those words didn’t compute in her mind.
“Here. Let me show you.”
Sue pulled her cellphone from her back pocket and opened the browser. She obviously visited the site often because it came up after a few letters. “I saw it here in the gallery.”
Scrolling through the photos with a quick flick of her fingers, Sue advanced the pictures past many shots that Tori recognized. When a flash of curls floated by, Tori leaned in closer.
“That’s me!” Her heart was racing. Why had Evan posted pictures of her?
“I know. I’d recognize your gorgeous hair anywhere,” Sue said proudly as she displayed a picture of Tori, whirling around in a circle with her skirt floating out in all directions. It wasn’t X-rated, but it was certainly suggestive, showing a good portion of Tori’s thighs.
“He told me he’d never show anyone those pictures,” Tori gasped in a quiet voice.
“That makes me want to see them,” a nasal masculine voice commented over the counter.
Tori looked up to see a customer waiting in front of them for service. Sue shoved her phone into her pocket and greeted the customer.
“Excuse us, sir. What kind of cupcakes are you taking home with you this afternoon?”
Thankfully, the man didn’t ask any questions and let the subject of pictures drop. When he walked out the door, Tori nudged Sue with a shoulder.
“Thanks for waiting on him. I’ll look at the website tonight. It’s too busy to look at our phones.” Tori was shaking and confused and angry and nervous, but she stuffed her feelings to the side and nodded toward the door as it opened to admit a trail of preschoolers from the daycare next to the strip center.
Working quickly together to get all the kiddos through the line and into a seat at the tables, Tori and Sue managed the rush.
By the time Tori’s replacement came in, she couldn’t wait to clock out. Maybe she’d mistaken someone else for her photo. She hadn’t been able to see the woman’s face—just a distinctive mop of curls that looked very familiar. Ducking into the back, she collected her things and headed for the back entrance.
“Isn’t Evan picking you up tonight?” Ellie asked as she scooped pink batter into the liners in the industrial-sized cupcake pan.
“He’s tied up with something. I couldn’t get a hold of him to tell him I was walking home. If he comes in, tell him I’ll miss tonight. I’ve got some errands to do.”
“No way, Little girl. You need to talk to your Daddy yourself,” Bear growled. Daisy’s Daddy and the creative baker at Little Cakes seemed to see right through her flimsy excuse.
Automatically, Tori nodded as she scooted toward the door. “I will. Just later.” Hurrying through the door, she cut through the back parking lot to take a circuitous route home that would avoid the main streets Evan might use if he was looking for her. Her phone buzzed incessantly, but Tori didn’t answer it. She just needed some time alone to look on his website.
Finally home, Tori dashed through the front door and up the stairs to her room.
“Hey! You just missed Evan. He’s pretty worried about you,” Terry told her when she froze against the banister. “He was going out again to look for you. What’s going on?”
“Just a slight disagreement. I need to check on something, then I’ll call him. Sorry if I worried you,” Tori said quickly.
“A disagreement?” Terry repeated. “Evan seemed clueless that anything was wrong. You should call him.”
“I will. Just in a few minutes.” Without waiting for her brother to say anything else, Tori turned and darted up the remaining steps and into her room. Closing the door, she leaned against it for a minute to let her heart stop racing quite so fast. She carefully locked the door before rushing to her computer and turning it on.