Redemption Crash Series Book Three

Valentine's Day

Aria

The one day a year filled with romance and meant for love, Valentine’s day has arrived. My day started out with both. After making love Mason pulled out the first of many gifts, a heart charm with the number one on it for our first together. It was a cheesy, cute, but romantic gift that I gladly added to my charm bracelet before I reminded him how small the space left on the band has grown.

I got him a brand new pen with a matching pen case for his office. The pen was engraved with our initials while on the pen case I quoted Winston Churchill “Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.” I thought it quite fitting for this rocky time in his life.

To both our satisfaction he had loved it so much that a simple kiss turned into a heavy make-out session but Mr. Perfectionist is always extremely aware of the time, and this was no different. He ended it with a gentle, sweet kiss and a promise of more. I just didn’t expect the more that was coming.

“Hey, Aria we're going to need more pastry hearts and cookie kits,” Grace says from the other side of the swinging door.

“Again?”

“Yeah, we have one customer waiting and five more that placed an order.”

“Jeez, okay I’m on it.” There’s more pastry dough prepped and ready in waiting on the counter I just didn’t think it would need to be used this early in the day. The cookies on the other hand will all have to be ready for later. I still need to make more dough and frosting.

The day has been busier than I expected and I expected busy. Tara, Grace, and Sean are all here. Usually, I’m here from 5 AM for early morning baking, the daily early breakfast, and the opening rush until 4:30 PM. I’m here to cover all the busy times but still leave myself enough time to get to the soup kitchen.

Grace comes in at 6 AM and Tara comes in at Noon. During the holidays we were swamped with customers and online orders I needed to pull in a temp agency to cover some shifts with us but this time I thought ahead and asked Sean to help and he is. I think he’s having a great time feeling useful and busy.

I have him sitting at the register off his feet and back so I know he isn’t doing too much more than he can handle. Olivia is here too and I put her to work. Together the four of them have the front end covered it's just the back end that needs some help. At least that’s the way I’m feeling.

I need tomorrow's prep work to get done and tonight's shelves to be stocked but neither option seems viable at the moment. Not when everything seems to fly off the shelf. Honestly, I don’t know what I expected it’s Boston on a weekday holiday everyone wants something to bring to the office and then back home to their significant others and their kids.

Thankfully I only had four cake orders or I would have been freaking out long before now. But this weekend I have three wedding cakes I need to bake and design and four birthday cakes, all of which take plenty of time, time I don’t have.

Gut churning, smile fading, I look around frantically suddenly overwhelmed. Where to even start?

“Where do you want me?” Wyatt interrupts my frantic search.

“Honestly usually I wouldn’t ask for your help but I’m afraid I need it.”

“Just tell me what to do,”

“Wash your hands first, thank you so much.” And that’s how the day goes a busy rush of adrenaline-packed baking, frosting, and decorating. By the time the back door opens, I’m a mess of sweat and sugar, my apron stained pink and red.

“Delivery for Aria Crawford.” Connor pipes up from the back handing over a medium-sized box. I scoop up into my arms surprised at the weight.

“Thank you," I say to Connor before he scoots back out the door.

“Oh wow.” Look at that! Mason and another surprise. A rainbow of colors greets my eyes, bags, and bags full of chocolate-covered candies with Shirley’s logo printed on each individual piece. I love it, chuckling to myself I shove a bag towards Wyatt showing off my latest gift.

“That’s so sweet! From Mason” Grace asks, leaning over the counter.

“Yes! He knows the way to my heart that’s for sure.” That man is romantic to his core and I’m one hell of a lucky woman to have him.

“I’ve never really celebrated Valentine’s Day. Honestly, I never thought it was a big deal until today. But Dammann,” she draws the word out.

“Yeah, I never really celebrated it before either but I’m thankful so many people are into it,” yelling over my shoulder I grab the heavy box off the counter taking it to the back of the room where the storage shelves are.

“No kidding! This is crazy,” Grace sighs, her hands deep in doughnut dough for tomorrow.

“I’m honestly surprised this many people still showed, with the way our publicity has been…” Shaking my head I go over to the sink to wash my hands again before I get started.

“I’ve been around enough fancy people to know that any publicity is good publicity. People want to come here regardless of the reason you’re being talked about, you are being talked about and that’s good enough,” Wyatt chimes in. He’s working on balling up cookies, wearing an undersized apron over his typical all-black outfit. When I asked the guys to fit in, instead of wearing suits this is what some of them, including Wyatt, settled on. Levi wears a more casual wardrobe.

I have to go see him soon. Tomorrow I promise.

“Well, I hope they enjoy my cooking so they can start coming back for that. I don’t want people here for me like I’m some sort of sideshow.”

“We live in a busy city full of tourists, you’ve become a major tourist attraction. Your business is flourishing who cares why they’re coming?” Well, well look who’s Mr. Talkative today.

“I do. I want to be successful for my own merit because I deserve to be. Not because I’ve been on their nightly news channel.”

“Did you hear the questions today? They’re really heating up about your wedding.” Grace cuts in talking about the paparazzi that are forced to stand outside, waiting for me to come or go like the vultures they are.

“Yeah, heard that. Today’s the day of love and all that.” Of course, they want to know about the wedding, it’s big news that Mason still wants to marry the demon woman as some have started calling me after seeing the pictures of my dress ripped, dripping blood on stage.

“How are the plans coming?”

“Why do you need extra money want to sell the secrets?” I joke. I'm a little more at ease now that the day has calmed some and Wyatt started helping. Thanks to him we got caught up pretty fast.

“Oh yeah, you definitely don’t pay me enough,” she laughs. On the contrary, I’m able to pay her very well. Both Tara and her are getting paid well over normal salary rates for my market and I’m proud of it. Plus she gets to bring her daughter here whenever she wants. Which really helps her out.

Rolling my eyes I let out a slow sigh, Cynthia has been going crazy with wedding planning everything and anything. She has to fill her time hiding away in her big mansion. Luckily for her, she had some separate holdings and financial affairs from Edward. When the government seized assets, her entire life didn’t fall to pieces.

Just most of it.

“I honestly think I’ll walk into the wedding as blind to the details as any one of you.” Reaching for the heavy cream I start working on my homemade whipped cream for the cream puffs that are quickly running out.

“You don’t even sound excited. It’s your wedding to an amazing man, no?”

“I’m beyond excited to make Mason my husband.” I refuse to say his wife, not because I don’t want to be but because of how possessive and outdated it sounds. Like I’ll be nothing more than just his wife. I’m all about changing the dynamics whenever I can. “His mom is just going crazy. She thinks this is going to be the event that will redeem the Maverick name.

“She was absolutely way too over the top before. Well, now I’m expecting a bigger event than the f*****g Superbowl.”

“Step in, tell her you-”

“I’ll stop you right there. There is no controlling her, no stepping in. She’s got this wedding by the reins, and she isn’t letting go.”

“Okay well, I’ve just gotta say you’re going to love the bachelorette.” She wiggles her eyebrows at me showing off a toothy grin.

“Oh no, what are you guys planning?” I cringe thinking about the antics Tara and Grace will plan. Grace is mild-mannered and keeps to herself unless you get to know her. Then you know she’s loyal to the core daring, and willing to do anything for her daughter. Including stripping.

Tara has no manners unless necessary, like when working with the customers. Other than that she’s throwing cuss words around left and right and taking what she thinks is hers with no regrets about it. She loves to live on the wild side and will bring anyone with her. She’s unafraid to be wholly her to everyone and anyone. I envy that about her.

I can only imagine together, what kind of bachelorette the two of them will plan. Tara will want to go wild, and Grace just might let her. Besides them, I don’t have many other girlfriends to invite. Steph will come, of course, Levi’s fiancée and Olivia. But other than that, most of my friends are guys. And damn it if they invite Alec then I’m in real big trouble.

For a moment I wonder about Mia. I wonder if she’s seen the news and if she knows what happened with Brian. Would she forgive me if I reached out? If I explained myself and asked for forgiveness for pulling away all those years ago?

Has she completed her degree? Is she finally the teacher she always wanted to become? Does she miss me as much as I miss her? I haven’t had time to think about her much since my life has been turned upside down. But with my wedding coming up I can’t help but think she deserves to be there. She’s been there for me through almost everything else in my life shouldn’t she be here for my wedding too?

Alec will be there; from what I can tell he’s still madly in love with her even if he refuses to admit it. Does her heart still yearn for his? If I know anything at all, I know that as well as Mason and I fit together, so do Alec and Mia. They are meant for each other. Could my wedding be the day they finally reunite?

“Aria-” Grace snaps her fingers in front of my face. Oops, I got pulled into la la land.

“Sorry, what did you say?”

“I asked you what it is you want to do for your bachelorette. Like if you had to plan it what would you plan?”

“Wow, you’re actually asking me? No one ever asks.” Not even romantic Mason, he just does what he thinks I would want. Most of the time he isn’t wrong but it’s really nice to have someone ask for once. “A trip would be nice, but we can’t really shut down this place for a whole weekend. It’ll be early March, decently cold still. Maybe a craft night or paint night or something like that where we can be indoors.”

“Ooo, I’ve always wanted to do a paint night too.”

“Right! I’ve never been but they seem fun even if their popularity has seemed to fade.”

“That is true they aren’t talked about nearly as much as they were a few years ago.”

My phone rings from the pocket of my purse hanging on the hook on the back wall, next to the back door. Setting the spoon down next to my gallon-sized stainless steel bowl I wipe my hands on the soft fabric of my apron before I stick messy fingers inside my sickeningly expensive purse.

When my apartment burnt down I was forced to take Mason’s welfare, accepting the closet full of new things he gifted me wasn’t easy but it was easier than having nothing. At the time I was too overwhelmed to fight about something as silly as that when my building had just burnt down and my friends were in the hospital maybe dying. Thankfully Sean and Jude are okay now and me, while I’m wearing things I never even dreamed of a year ago.

Not that fashion has ever been my forte, even now I still don’t care what I’m wearing as anyone else in his expensive circles does. I just know Mason and know he only went with designer everything when he went on his shopping spree. So I’ve stopped myself from looking up the prices on my new items but I’ve been extra careful with them.

Mason: There’s a limo waiting for you outside.

Me: What? Why?

Mason: Get in, you’ll have more instructions waiting for you.

Me: You’re too much Dude.

Mason: Dude?

Me: Yeah, you’ve been downgraded from Babe for the moment. No more surprises.

Mason: Just get in the Damn Limo woman.

“Well, guys looks like I have a date to get to. Grace you can leave I think Tara should be good to close on her own now. I’ll take care of the rest in the morning.”

“No way another surprise! Girllllll, you are so lucky. I swear I hope he’s terrible in bed.” Her eyes sparkle in question while shes elbow deep rolling dough.

“Oh, he isn’t,” I laugh licking my lips and giving her an eat s**t grin. I really am lucky, sometimes I’m jealous of my own damn self. And despite what I said to Mason excitement is buzzing through my body, and my patcinces are thin. I can’t wait to see what something extra he cooked up for me this time.