Déjà Date Read Free Page A

the same rate as I would a permanent manager.”
    “It’s a deal.” I squeezed his hand, smiling at the relief evident his eyes. “This afternoon I’ll come back and you can catch me up on on all of your current procedures. And don’t worry while you’re gone, because your bakery will be in good hands.”
    “With you running the show, I have no doubt.” He released my hand, picked up his stack of papers, and turned back to me. “If Nate gives you any trouble because I put you in charge of managing the bakery instead of him, please let me know and I’ll take care of it. He’s being moody, as usual.”
    “Um, Nate?” A chill ran down my spine. Bernie couldn’t be talking about his rebellious son who’d moved to Paris with his mom when I was fourteen, leaving me with the bittersweet memory of my first real kiss and a shattered heart.
    “Nate returned to Sacramento a couple weeks ago due to my condition. He’d been surfing in Bali when I called to inform him of the doctor’s findings. You know he’s a photographer of extreme adventures, right? His business is even online now.”
    My mouth had opened, but no words were coming out. Nate was here? In Sac?
    “Anyway, he insists on running the bakery for me, but he has no experience. Plus, unlike you, he’s never shown any interest in the bakery. So I know he’s only offering in order to be helpful. He much prefers one grand adventure after another, as you’ll recall. I’m sure you will be a good influence on him, since you value stability.”
    Me? Influence bullheaded Nate Carter? Not likely. Against my better judgment, I’d given in to my secret feelings for him the summer before freshman year in high school when he’d cornered me on the swing set at the park by my house. I’d gone to the park to be alone since we’d just put down my sweet dog, Checkers—named after my favorite childhood game.
    The memory of our kiss flooded my brain, sending tingles down my arms. Then my stomach steeled. One amazing kiss, then I’d never heard from him again. Not even so much as a postcard since he’d moved away a week later.
    My stomach churned at the thought of seeing Nate, but I couldn’t let it show. Any additional stress would only worsen Bernie’s condition.
    Unwillingly, my fists balled and my eyes narrowed. “Oh, I can handle Nate.”
    “That sounds like an enticing proposition,” a distinctive male voice came from behind me. “But shouldn’t I at least take you out to lunch first?”
    I spun around to find myself face-to-face with the leather jacket-wearing hottie that Mary Ann had called every woman’s fantasy. Our gazes locked and I stared into jade-green eyes that flickered with emotion. My breath caught in my throat.
    Standing before me was Bernie’s son, Nate Carter. My first crush and greatest heartbreak all rolled into one. And I’d just agreed to manage his dad’s bakery for the next two weeks, which meant I’d be stuck seeing plenty of him.
    I totally should’ve ordered the fudge bar.

Chapter Two
    As I stared into Nate Carter’s twinkling jade-green eyes, something stirred in my belly, and it took every ounce of effort I had to maintain a composed demeanor. If a guy breaks your heart, you don’t want him to fall off his motorcycle or anything, but you certainly don’t want your legs to turn to jelly just because he’s standing in front of you thirteen years later.
    So not right.
    “Hello, Nate.” My tone was even with just the right hint of friendly so he wouldn’t guess how he’d ripped my heart to smithereens when we were young, or how he still affected me now for that matter. I took a deep breath. “Welcome back to town.”
    “Thanks.” The corner of his mouth lifted, making him look even sexier, which shouldn’t have been possible since the guy was already the definition of smoking hot. “It’s good to be back.”
    A buzzing sound came from Bernie’s direction and he pulled his cell phone from his pocket, then scanned