Shit. How long was I standing there for?

Leaving my phone where it landed on the counter, I rushed to the door to let her in.

“Good morning,” Oakley said as I held the door open for her.

“Morning,” I replied, checking both ways on the sidewalk and across the street before closing the door again. The damn cowbell dinged with the movement, making me flinch. I never hated the thing as much as I did right now.

“You okay?” she asked as I turned to her, wiping my palms on my apron.

“Better than ever.” I pasted on a grin.

Her eyes narrowed slightly like she knew I was lying through my teeth. I was a baker—not an actress. “You’re never late to opening Triple B.”

“Late?” It was just seven-thirty when I last checked the clock. 

“It’s fifteen past opening,” she stated hesitantly.

Swallowing the tremor that was building with my inability to lie, I said, “Must’ve lost track getting the food ready.”

Oakley nodded slowly as I passed her, heading back behind the counter. She followed, eyeing my phone where it laid face down on the counter. I swiped it away, stuffing it in my apron.

“Typical order?” I asked while maintaining eye contact. Avoiding looking at someone was the telltale of a lie, right? Or was it the opposite? I should’ve glanced away, made it seem natural. How the fuck would I make something look natural when I was so obviously lying that I was okay? I was freaking the fuck out.

“Yep,” she answered in her typical cheery voice, but it sounded skeptical.

Fuck. I should’ve blinked.

I turned around to prepare her and Lennon’s coffee order.

“Is something burning?” she asked from behind me.

“Burning? No. I never burn anything,” I said, my voice coming off a little too airy.

“Sage? Do you have something in the oven?”

My eyes bulged out of my damn head.

Fuck.

Leaving the coffee to do its thing, I rushed through the door to the back, finding the room clouded with smoke. 

This was not good.

I ran over to the oven, switching it off before opening the door. I yanked a mitt off the counter, slipped it on, and pulled the tray out. 

Even through all the smoke, I could see every pastry was blackened to a crisp. It was all ruined.

Coughing filled the room from behind me and I turned to see Oakley waving a hand in the air as if it could do anything against this amount of smoke. “Are you okay?” she asked, doing her best to cover her mouth and nose.

“Fine,” I croaked as the air stung my eyes. 

“Is there a window?” 

“The door,” I said as I put my foot on the lever of the trash for the top to pop open. I angled the tray, all of the wasted food sliding into the bin with a thud. 

The back door to the cafe creaked open as Oakley propped a chair against it to keep it open.

I surveyed the room, thankful that the only damage was smoke and a few burnt pastries. I didn’t burn the place down, but I still felt guilty. It could have been way worse. He wasn’t even in front of me and he was affecting me this badly. 

I squeezed my eyes shut as if that could keep the overthinking at bay.

“Come outside with me,” Oakley said from her spot by the door. “Your eyes are probably on fire with all this smoke.”

I followed her command, heading after her out the back. I leaned against the brick building, needing the support. 

“Can Penny come in to cover your shift?” Oakley asked, standing a few feet from me.

“I’m not leaving work because of some burnt pastries.” 

Oakley tilted her head in a disbelieving manner. “This isn’t just some burnt croissants or whatever the hell was in that oven. Something’s on your mind, and I think you need a day off.”

I shifted my attention on the asphalt to her. “I can’t afford a day off.”

“PTO?”

I sighed. I did have PTO, but what if I needed it for a sick day for Avery?

“Come on, Sage. Take some time for you.”

I scoffed, adjusting my stance against the wall to lean my butt against the back of my hands where they sat folded behind me. “And what? Sit at home instead? Pass.”

“Come to the bar with us.”

“Us?” But who would watch Avery?

“Lettie, Brandy, and me. We weren’t planning on it, but they’d never pass up an excuse to day drink.”

I could, though. “I don’t know, Oakley. It was Avery’s first day of school today. I want to be there for her.”

“And you will be. But you can’t be the best mom you can be if you don’t take care of yourself first. You don’t even have to drink if you don’t want to. Just come have some girl time. We’ll find someone to watch Avery. I’m sure Charlotte would love to.”

I gnawed on my bottom lip, hating the idea of not being there for Avery. Now with these texts, I couldn’t be sure if we were even safe, and leaving her felt like the worst decision right now. But if Charlotte was watching her at the ranch, she might be safer than if she was at our house. 

What if he knew where we lived?

I shoved the thoughts away. I couldn’t let him have power over me, not anymore. I wouldn’t put our lives on hold any longer for him.

“Okay.”