Saturday mornings at the bakery were Lena's favorite—there was a rhythm to them. The clinking of cups, the low hum of conversation, the sharp scent of espresso in the air. It reminded her of being a kid, hiding behind the counter while her dad charmed the regulars and hummed along to the radio.
But today, there was something else in the air: anticipation.
Walker hadn't texted since Friday. Not a good morning, not a joke, not even a photo of his failed breakfast attempt.
Which meant Lena had spent the better part of the morning checking her phone like a teenager. Again.
By 10 a.m., she told herself to stop. He was busy. He had a company to run. She had a bakery to manage.
Still, when the bell jingled and a familiar laugh rang out, her heart jumped.
But it wasn't Walker.
It was Ava—her best friend from high school, now a pediatric nurse and just as nosy as ever.
"Lena Hart," Ava said dramatically, sliding into a stool at the counter. "You look like you've been baking your feelings again."
Lena raised a brow. "Is that what we're doing today?"
Ava smirked and reached for a scone. "Spill. Last I heard, Walker Harper was in here wearing an apron and smiling like a man who's got feelings."
Lena rolled her eyes but didn't deny it.
Ava's grin widened. "You like him again."
"I never stopped," Lena said before she could stop herself.
The admission sat between them like an open book.
Ava softened. "You always had a thing for him. Even when he was too dumb to notice."
Lena laughed quietly. "I thought I'd buried it. You know, moved on. But seeing him again—it's different. He's different."
"You mean older, hotter, and emotionally available?"
"Don't forget charming and annoying."
"So what's the problem?"
Lena sighed. "It's not that simple. He's got a whole life now. I don't know where I fit into it. And then Madeline showed up—"
Ava groaned. "Ugh, I heard. She's the one who tried to buy half of Main Street last year."
"Exactly. I don't want to be a complication in his world. And I don't want him to feel obligated just because of the past."
Ava leaned forward, serious now. "Lena. You've always taken care of everyone else's feelings. When are you going to let someone care about yours?"
Lena didn't answer right away. Instead, she reached for her notepad, flipping past recipes and grocery lists until she found the page she'd scribbled on late one night.
"What's this?" Ava asked.
"My dad's list," Lena said. "He wrote it when he was sick. A list of things he hoped I'd do someday."
Ava scanned it. "Open the bakery. Travel to Paris. Fall in love…"
Lena smiled sadly. "He wanted me to live."
Ava looked up. "So live."
The words sat in Lena's chest like a spark waiting for oxygen.
She stared at the list again, fingers brushing over the last item.
Fall in love—with someone who truly sees you.
She didn't know if Walker was that person.
But for the first time in a long time, she wanted to find out.