Lucy bounced nervously on her toes behind the counter at Nook, smoothing down her apron for what felt like the hundredth time that morning.

Today was a huge day.

A local food blogger — one with a cult following — was coming in to review her little bakery. Harper had pulled some strings to make it happen, and Lucy had worked herself into a sleepless frenzy all week trying to prepare.

The front bell chimed, but it wasn’t the blogger.

It was Miles Bennet, carrying a clipboard and a look that said he was very much here on business — not pleasure.

Lucy stiffened immediately, wiping her hands on a towel.
She didn’t have time for whatever nonsense he was about to bring into her life.

“Morning, Sunshine,” Miles drawled, making a show of glancing around. “Nice turnout.”

Lucy narrowed her eyes. “What do you want?”

He lifted his free hand in surrender. “Relax. I’m not here to fight. Graham asked me to drop off a couple building maintenance updates. Landlord stuff.”

She snatched the clipboard from him a little too aggressively.
“Fine. Thanks.”

Miles smirked, clearly enjoying her gritted-teeth politeness.

He started to turn away — and then hesitated, glancing toward the back of the shop where Harper was adjusting some decorations.

“You expecting someone important today?”

Lucy stilled.
“Why?”

Miles shrugged casually. “Just looks like you went a little overboard on the presentation. Not that I’m complaining. These little pastries look dangerous.”

Lucy crossed her arms. “I’m expecting a blogger. Big deal. Please don’t scare them off with your… face.”

Miles barked a laugh.
“Ouch. Brutal.”

Before she could say anything else, the front bell chimed again — and this time, it was the food blogger.

Lucy panicked for a half second, then smoothed her expression into something friendly.
She hurried forward, leaving Miles hovering awkwardly near the counter.

---

Miles should have left.

He knew that.

But instead, he found himself lingering, pretending to inspect a crack in the counter’s edge while he listened in.

Lucy was good.
Professional, sweet, passionate — her energy practically radiated off her as she walked the blogger through the menu.

Still… he could tell she was nervous. She was talking a little too fast, gesturing a little too much.

On instinct, Miles moved toward the corner of the shop where the blogger’s camera bag had been set down — precariously close to a wobbly table.

Quietly, without drawing attention, he righted the table and subtly pushed it into a better position.

When the blogger sat down a few minutes later, the bag didn’t fall.
Lucy didn’t trip.
Nothing catastrophic happened.

Small victory.

Miles slipped out before Lucy could notice, a slight grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Maybe he wasn’t the villain she liked to paint him as after all.

---

Later that evening, Harper flopped onto Lucy’s couch and scrolled through her phone.

“Check this out,” she said, holding it up.

Lucy leaned over and squinted.
There, clear as day on the food blogger’s Instagram story, was a glowing review of Nook — complete with photos of her pastries, her cozy decor, and a smiling Lucy mid-laugh.

Lucy blinked hard, overwhelmed.

“I can’t believe it,” she whispered.

“You killed it, Luce,” Harper said, bumping her shoulder against hers. “I knew you would.”

Lucy smiled… but somewhere deep in her mind, a flash of Miles’s teasing grin and quiet, unexpected help lingered.

She hated that she noticed.

She hated even more that it made her heart flip a little.