Brett.
And then it clicked—his friend I’d met in Vegas.
Rather than shaking my hand, which I extended to her, she pulled me in for a hug.
“It’s so wonderful to meet you.” She squeezed.
I felt myself melting into her.
“It’s so nice to meet you too.”
Her hand circled my back before she leaned away, studying my face, like she’d done to Jenner. “What can I get you? It’s my treat. Choose anything.”
“Absolutely not. I’m a paying customer,” Jenner said in the background. “I just wanted Jo to experience the best bakery in Miami.”
A blush moved across Gloria’s face. “Flattery, my boy, makes you even more charming.” She nodded toward Jenner but spoke to me and said, “It’s impossible to say no to this one.”
I laughed. “Tell me about it.”
She led me over to the display cases, the options endless.
“It’s all good,” Jenner said as he stood next to me. “I can say that because I’ve tried just about everything.”
“Just like my Brett, he’s got a hearty appetite.”
“Mmhmm,” I agreed but for multiple reasons. I eyed the selection that ranged from cookies to tarts, cupcakes to candies. “How do I choose when it all looks so amazing?”
Gloria moved to the back side of the counter. “Can I help?”
I glanced up, our eyes connecting, and something made me nod.
“You like desserts that are a little more on the savory side, am I right?”
“Yes. You’re right.”
But I had no idea how she knew that.
“I had a feeling.” She reached across the counter, her fingers landing on my shoulder. “I have a suspicion you also like blueberries.”
The shock that hit my chest made me laugh. “Love them.”
She smiled knowingly. “I make a blueberry cake. Some call it a doughnut; some refer to it as pie. I think of it as cake because it’s more savory than sweet.” She slid the glass aside just enough that she could slip her fingers inside the case. With a pair of tongs, she picked up a piece of the cake and set it on a plate, adding a fork. “See if you like it.”
I cut off a small sliver of the corner. “Oh my God,” I said from behind my hand as I chewed, the flavors of the dense cake bursting on my tongue. “This is exceptional.”
“I thought you’d like it.”
She took out several more pieces and added them to a box, closing the lid. “And for you, my dear boy, I’m going to give you a half-moon cookie. I know you love the combination of flavors and some chocolate-coconut fudge.”
“Coconut?” I asked, looking at Jenner, surprised that was his flavor of choice.
“Trust me,” he said, “you’ve never had anything like it in your life.”
She placed several squares of fudge along with a few cookies into a separate box, placing it on top of mine, and she handed both to Jenner.
He reached into his pocket, and she put her hand up in the air.
“Don’t you even think about it. You know your money is no good here.” She eyed him. “I mean it.” She came over to our side of the counter and put her arms around him, whispering something I couldn’t hear. “Now, get out of here,” she said as she pulled back. “And go give that son of mine and his gorgeous fiancée a giant hug and tell them to come down here and visit their mama.”
“You know I will.”
She turned toward me, her hug even tighter than before. “Just be patient, my girl. For some, it takes a long time before they see the sun, but when they do, they hold on to the rays forever.” She winked at me as we separated.
Her words caught me completely off guard.
How does she know?
Jenner’s hand went to my lower back, and he led me to the door. “Gloria, always a pleasure. We’ll see you soon.”
She looked at me when she said, “Don’t be a stranger, darling.”
I waved right before we walked out, the air from outside filling my lungs, like I hadn’t breathed the entire time I was in there.
“What just happened?” I asked, a few paces from her shop.
“What do you mean?”
It took me a moment to steady my thoughts. “I feel like I just left a psychic and got a reading of my future.”
He chuckled. “She’s great, isn’t she?”
I reached for his hand that was resting behind my back. “She’s more than great. There’s something uniquely special about her.” I dug harder, trying to put my finger on it. “It truly feels like she was reading my mind.”
“She reads all of our minds, Jo.”
His eyes told me he wasn’t being facetious at all.
And instead of asking how, since I was sure he wouldn’t know, I focused on, “It’s midnight, Jenner. Why is she there? Alone? Why doesn’t she have an assistant or helper or something?”
He sighed, resting his arm over my shoulders but keeping our fingers linked. “Brett’s been trying to make that happen for years. She doesn’t want help and won’t accept it. And she stays open for the late crowd because she feels like that’s when their sweet tooth is the strongest.” He looked down at me. “She’s been in business for more than twenty years. She says people count on her to be there.”
I could see that. Hell, I could feel it.
“She has a superpower—she learns people; she caters to them in a way I’ve never witnessed before.”
“She’s certainly not doing it for the money. Her husband is one of the top financial advisers in Miami, and her son has more cash than he’ll ever be able to spend.” He kissed the top of my head. “For her, it’s all about the people.”
When we reached the end of the block, pausing at the Stop sign, I asked, “Should we take this back to the hotel to eat?” I glanced down the street, wondering if the SUV was going to come and fetch us.
He tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. A sentiment that didn’t go unnoticed. “I thought we could stay around here and eat it by the water.”
My heart throbbed. “I would love that.”
We went across the street and through the park, choosing a bench right along the ocean, immediately greeted by the sound of the waves.
He handed me my box, and we opened them, the scent of the blueberry cake making my eyes close and my mouth water.
“Try this.” He held a piece of the fudge in front of my mouth. “I don’t even like coconut, but I get it every time I’m here.”
I felt his eyes on me as I leaned forward, surrounding the corner with my lips, the sweetness hitting me the moment I bit down. “Wow.”
He was right; the coconut wasn’t gritty. It was just a flavor that was added into the chocolate. And the fudge was creamy, almost light and flaky, a texture I’d never had before.
“This is seriously divine.”
“Now, try the cookie.”
I smiled. “I’ve had half-moon cookies before.”
“Not like this one.” He placed it near my lips. “I can promise you that.”