Sweet Heat Rising (Thoroughbred Men Series) by Ginny Sterling Page B
Authors: Ginny Sterling
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sleep.
11
Four thirty in the morning, her alarm went off and Sarah jumped out of bed and into the shower. She hummed as she shampooed her hair, rinsed it out and turned off the water. She toweled it dry, threw on a polo and some slacks, pulled her hair back and French braided it wet. She pulled up to the bakery, circled the building, at five AM just like usual and opened the door.
Sarah pulled an apron over her head and flipped on the fryer. She poured out the risen dough and started to knead, separate, and pull the bread into form. The dough was a bit tacky and wet this morning, so she kneaded in a bit of flour and worked it in carefully. She plaited, braided, and twirled the dough with joy.
Tyler walked in, not long after Sarah and saw her humming as she cut the donuts and quickly moved about the kitchen. “Well, someone is in a good mood this morning,” he said sourly. “You want coffee or have you already had some?”
Sarah replied “Oh, coffee sounds fantastic. Thank you! No, I haven’t had any coffee yet,” and she went on with cutting the dough preparing for the day. She grabbed another loaf as he stood there for a moment watching her. She took a brush and glided an egg wash over the braided dough to give it a golden color as it baked.
Tyler watched her for a few moments. He wanted to be the one to put a smile on her face and resented the fact that he knew it was someone else. He muttered, “I’ll just bet you haven’t” under his breath, sarcastically referring to her remark about not having any coffee. He assumed she had “gotten some” and felt childish even uttering it.
Sarah stopped shocked. “What did you say?” she said amazed. Surely he could not be implying what she thought he was! She was mortified that he would have muttered something like that, maybe she was mistaken? “Tyler, what did you say? I’m sorry I didn’t catch that?” she repeated.
Tyler smiled at her and decided it was maybe best to play it off. He felt good lashing out, he could not help it. “It is okay, Sarah, I said I bet you haven’t had any coffee yet because the pot is turned off. I am going to make us some coffee and I will pour us both a big cup so we can get the day started,” he said.
Tyler then turned on her and said, “Is everything okay this morning? What did you think I said? You are acting very odd.” He was curious if she would reveal what was making her so very chipper so early. He knew she loved the bakery, but it never made her glow. There was something else to her happiness and wished it was because she was with him this morning.
Sarah stood there, surprised. She was positive he had made the snide remark and she was shocked at the difference in his tone and attitude now. “No, everything is fine. Thank you for asking.”
Tyler smiled again but it had a very syrupy look to it, “No problem, ma’am. I will take over on the donuts. Why don't you fix up the coffee cakes and danishes?” He proceeded to start cutting the dough for her.
Sarah moved away from him, started humming again as she whipped the batter for the coffee cakes and added the blueberries. She jumped as she heard a loud crash behind her. Sarah whirled around and exclaimed “Oh no!” and looked at Tyler and her profits on the floor among the shattered ceramic.
Tyler frowned, “Sorry, I must have accidentally knocked it off when I turned around to drop the donuts into the fryer” - a massive stoneware bowl had fallen and broken into several pieces putting shards into the dough as it rolled out onto the kitchen floor.
The bowl was over ten years old and perfect for dough. It warmed, stayed warm, and allowed it to rise evenly. It was her favorite bowl and was a gift from a friend when she opened the shop. In the ten years, it had been used thousands of times and dropped at least a dozen times without breaking-but this time must have been the final straw for the
11
Four thirty in the morning, her alarm went off and Sarah jumped out of bed and into the shower. She hummed as she shampooed her hair, rinsed it out and turned off the water. She toweled it dry, threw on a polo and some slacks, pulled her hair back and French braided it wet. She pulled up to the bakery, circled the building, at five AM just like usual and opened the door.
Sarah pulled an apron over her head and flipped on the fryer. She poured out the risen dough and started to knead, separate, and pull the bread into form. The dough was a bit tacky and wet this morning, so she kneaded in a bit of flour and worked it in carefully. She plaited, braided, and twirled the dough with joy.
Tyler walked in, not long after Sarah and saw her humming as she cut the donuts and quickly moved about the kitchen. “Well, someone is in a good mood this morning,” he said sourly. “You want coffee or have you already had some?”
Sarah replied “Oh, coffee sounds fantastic. Thank you! No, I haven’t had any coffee yet,” and she went on with cutting the dough preparing for the day. She grabbed another loaf as he stood there for a moment watching her. She took a brush and glided an egg wash over the braided dough to give it a golden color as it baked.
Tyler watched her for a few moments. He wanted to be the one to put a smile on her face and resented the fact that he knew it was someone else. He muttered, “I’ll just bet you haven’t” under his breath, sarcastically referring to her remark about not having any coffee. He assumed she had “gotten some” and felt childish even uttering it.
Sarah stopped shocked. “What did you say?” she said amazed. Surely he could not be implying what she thought he was! She was mortified that he would have muttered something like that, maybe she was mistaken? “Tyler, what did you say? I’m sorry I didn’t catch that?” she repeated.
Tyler smiled at her and decided it was maybe best to play it off. He felt good lashing out, he could not help it. “It is okay, Sarah, I said I bet you haven’t had any coffee yet because the pot is turned off. I am going to make us some coffee and I will pour us both a big cup so we can get the day started,” he said.
Tyler then turned on her and said, “Is everything okay this morning? What did you think I said? You are acting very odd.” He was curious if she would reveal what was making her so very chipper so early. He knew she loved the bakery, but it never made her glow. There was something else to her happiness and wished it was because she was with him this morning.
Sarah stood there, surprised. She was positive he had made the snide remark and she was shocked at the difference in his tone and attitude now. “No, everything is fine. Thank you for asking.”
Tyler smiled again but it had a very syrupy look to it, “No problem, ma’am. I will take over on the donuts. Why don't you fix up the coffee cakes and danishes?” He proceeded to start cutting the dough for her.
Sarah moved away from him, started humming again as she whipped the batter for the coffee cakes and added the blueberries. She jumped as she heard a loud crash behind her. Sarah whirled around and exclaimed “Oh no!” and looked at Tyler and her profits on the floor among the shattered ceramic.
Tyler frowned, “Sorry, I must have accidentally knocked it off when I turned around to drop the donuts into the fryer” - a massive stoneware bowl had fallen and broken into several pieces putting shards into the dough as it rolled out onto the kitchen floor.
The bowl was over ten years old and perfect for dough. It warmed, stayed warm, and allowed it to rise evenly. It was her favorite bowl and was a gift from a friend when she opened the shop. In the ten years, it had been used thousands of times and dropped at least a dozen times without breaking-but this time must have been the final straw for the
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