Chapter 1 - THE GIRL WHO HADN'T SMILED IN MONTHSRoman saw Lily smile.
And for approximately three seconds, the feared Roman Duke looked completely defenseless.
Claire noticed.
She noticed because she had spent most of her adult life watching people carefully.
Customers told you plenty without realizing it.
The woman ordering six cupcakes and insisting they were “for coworkers” usually needed one for herself.
The exhausted father buying a birthday cake at 7:58 p.m. had probably forgotten until twenty minutes earlier.
And powerful men?
They revealed themselves in the moments when they thought nobody important was looking.
Roman Duke looked at his niece as though that tiny smile mattered more than anything else in the room.
Claire lowered her hand.
“Do you want something?”
Lily shrugged.
“Not really.”
Roman glanced at the pastry case.
“You haven't eaten breakfast.”
“I'm not hungry.”
“You said that yesterday.”
“I wasn't hungry yesterday either.”
Something passed across Roman's face.
Concern.
Claire understood immediately.
She didn't push.
Instead, she reached beneath the counter and removed a small plate.
On it sat an ugly cinnamon roll.
The icing leaned heavily to one side.
The center had collapsed.
It was exactly the kind of pastry Claire never sold.
She placed it in front of Lily.
“Free.”
Lily looked suspicious.
“Why?”
“Because it's ugly.”
Roman glanced at the pastry.
Claire pointed at him.
“Not one word.”
“I didn't say anything.”
“You were thinking expensive thoughts.”
Lily smiled again.
Claire continued.
“I can't sell that.”
“Why not?”
“Because people come in here expecting perfection.”
Lily looked at the cinnamon roll.
“That's stupid.”
“Extremely.”
“Does it taste bad?”
“No. It tastes incredible.”
“Then why does it matter what it looks like?”
Claire leaned against the counter.
“Excellent question.”
Lily looked at her.
Then at the cinnamon roll.
Slowly, she tore off a piece.
Ate it.
Roman watched without moving.
Lily took another.
Then another.
Within two minutes, half was gone.
Roman's shoulders relaxed.
Claire pretended not to notice.
“Coffee?” she asked him.
“Yes.”
“You're paying.”
“I assumed.”
“You assume a lot.”
“Apparently.”
Claire poured black coffee.
Roman took it.
Lily looked between them.
“You two are weird.”
“We are not a two,” Claire said immediately.
Roman drank his coffee.
Lily looked at him.
“You told Grandma Susan—”
“Aunt Susan,” Roman corrected.
“Whatever. You told her Claire was your girlfriend.”
“It was situational.”
Claire stared.
“Situational?”
Roman looked at her.
“You prefer accidental?”
“I prefer fictional.”
Lily laughed.
Not smiled.
Laughed.
Roman froze.
Claire did too.
The sound disappeared almost immediately.
Lily's expression closed again.
But it had happened.
Roman looked toward Claire.
Something in his eyes said thank you.
He didn't speak it.
For once, Claire appreciated his silence.
Lily finished the cinnamon roll.
“Can we go?”
Roman nodded.
He placed twenty dollars beside his coffee.
Claire pushed fifteen back.
He pushed it toward her.
She pushed it back again.
“This isn't a casino.”
“Keep it.”
“No.”
“Claire.”
“Roman.”
Lily looked between them.
“This is definitely flirting.”
Claire nearly threw another flour bag.
Roman walked out before she could.
Lily followed.
At the door, she turned.
“Do you have more ugly pastries?”
“Every morning.”
Lily nodded.
“Cool.”
They left.
At 8:15 the next morning, Lily came back.
Roman was with her.
At 8:15 the morning after that, they returned again.
By Friday, Claire stopped pretending she didn't expect them.
Lily sat at the corner table.
Roman drank black coffee.
Claire gave Lily whatever pastry had emerged from the oven imperfect.
Crooked muffins.
Cracked cookies.
A cupcake whose frosting refused to cooperate.
Lily began talking.
Not much.
But enough.
Claire learned she was sixteen.
She loved photography.
Hated algebra.
Despised mushrooms.
Had been expelled from her previous private school after punching a boy.
“Why?” Claire asked.
Lily stared at the table.
“He deserved it.”
Roman said quietly:
“He posted photographs of her.”
Lily's jaw tightened.
Claire didn't ask what kind.
She understood enough.
“Did anyone punish him?”
Lily laughed bitterly.
“His dad donated the football stadium.”
Claire's expression hardened.
“So they punished you.”
“Basically.”
Roman looked toward the window.
There was guilt in his face.
“I'm dealing with it.”
Lily rolled her eyes.
“Roman deals with everything.”
Claire glanced at him.
“I've noticed.”
Lily continued.
“My mom died when I was nine.”
Claire stopped wiping the counter.
Roman's expression changed.
“My sister,” he explained.
Claire looked at Lily.
“I'm sorry.”
Lily shrugged.
But her eyes dropped.
“My dad disappeared two years later.”
“Disappeared?”
Roman answered.
“Left.”
Lily corrected him.
“Ran away.”
Silence.
Roman had raised her since she was eleven.
Suddenly Claire understood the strange softness.
Roman Duke might terrify Pittsburgh.
But to Lily, he was the man who made sure she ate breakfast.
That complicated things.
Claire didn't like complications.
Especially attractive ones in charcoal suits.
On Saturday afternoon, Lily arrived alone.
Claire looked toward the window.
“Where's Roman?”
“Meeting.”
“You walked?”
“Driver.”
Lily sat.
Claire placed a chocolate croissant in front of her.
It was perfectly shaped.
Lily raised an eyebrow.
“This isn't ugly.”
“Don't become entitled.”
Lily smiled.
Then her expression changed.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Do you think I'm fat?”
Claire went still.
There it was.
The real problem.
“Why are you asking me?”
Lily pulled her sleeves over her hands.
“Because you're…”
She stopped.
Claire waited.
“Say it.”
“Plus-size.”
Claire smiled slightly.
“I've noticed.”
Lily looked embarrassed.
“I didn't mean—”
“You didn't insult me.”
Lily looked down.
“People at school call me stuff.”
Claire's stomach tightened.
“What stuff?”
“Doesn't matter.”
“It matters if it matters to you.”
Lily's eyes filled.
“My mom was really thin.”
Claire sat across from her.
“And?”
“Everybody says I look like my dad.”
There was pain underneath that sentence.
Claire understood.
“I spent fifteen years believing my body was something I needed to apologize for.”
Lily looked up.
“What changed?”
“I got tired.”
“Of what?”
“Waiting to become smaller before allowing myself to have a life.”
Lily stared.
Claire continued.
“You know what happened when I stopped waiting?”
“What?”
“I opened this bakery.”
She gestured around.
“I dated people.”
“Anyone good?”
“Debatable.”
Lily smiled.
“I traveled. I wore swimsuits. I took photographs. I ate cake without performing a courtroom defense first.”
Lily laughed quietly.
Claire leaned closer.
“Your body is the least interesting thing about you.”
The girl's eyes filled.
Nobody spoke for several seconds.
Then the bakery door opened.
Roman entered.
He stopped when he saw Lily crying.
His entire expression changed.
“What happened?”
Lily wiped her eyes.
“Nothing.”
Roman looked at Claire.
Claire shook her head subtly.
Not mine to tell.
He understood.
Lily stood.
“Can Claire come Sunday?”
Claire blinked.
“Where?”
“Family dinner.”
“No.”
Lily turned to Roman.
“You said she was your girlfriend.”
“Lily.”
“You started this.”
Claire almost admired the child.
Roman rubbed his forehead.
“Claire doesn't want to participate.”
Lily looked disappointed.
And Claire hated herself for what happened next.
“What time?”
Roman stared.
Lily smiled.
“Six.”
Claire pointed at Roman.
“This is not a date.”
“Understood.”
“I am not your girlfriend.”
“Understood.”
“I am going because Lily asked.”
“Completely understood.”
“And if anyone calls me your girlfriend—”
“I'll correct them.”
Claire narrowed her eyes.
“You're enjoying this.”
“Immensely.”
Sunday evening, Claire arrived at the Duke family estate carrying a lemon cake.
She expected wealthy relatives.
Awkward questions.
Maybe Susan's matchmaking.
She did not expect twelve people to fall completely silent when she entered.
Nor did she expect the beautiful woman sitting beside Roman's mother to look Claire up and down before saying:
“Oh.”
Claire stopped.
Roman's jaw tightened.
The woman smiled.
“So this is the baker.”
Claire knew that tone.
She had heard versions of it her entire life.
Roman stepped forward.
“Claire, this is Victoria Hale.”
Claire looked at him.
Something in his expression told her Victoria mattered.
Then Susan whispered:
May you like
“Roman's ex-fiancée.”
And suddenly dinner became much more interesting.
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