Fierce-Bryce (Fierce Family Series Book 2) Read online

  “This isn’t the same thing and you know it. You’re up to something. You’re setting Bryce up, aren’t you?”

  She smiled. “Maybe.”

  “I thought we decided we’d talk about it before you did it. Just because you had luck with Dani and Sam doesn’t mean you can take Bryce on by yourself.”

  “It’s not by myself,” she argued.

  He snorted. “So fill me in then.”

  “Fine,” she said, pulling out a chair and sitting down. “You know Rachelle Davies, right?”

  “The phys ed teacher at your school?”

  “Yes. Her daughter, Payton, owns the place now.”

  “Okay. Tell me, because right now I’m trying to figure out how you think someone who owns a cafe is going to have anything in common with our brainy son Bryce. And isn’t Rachelle a widower? Didn’t her husband die years ago or something like that?”

  “Yes, he did. When Payton was just a teen. Rachelle never really dated again. Not to be mean or anything, but she’s never been very feminine and well, maybe that stopped her from trying again.” Diane waved her hand. “It doesn’t matter. But Payton was always shy, or so Rachelle said. She wasn’t very good in school and never went to college.”

  “This is getting worse and worse.”

  “Don’t be snobby,” she said, pointing her finger at her husband.

  “I’m not snobby in the least. I’m just saying that Bryce is the brainchild of the entire Fierce clan. Everything he does, says, or enjoys is over our heads half the time.”

  “Except food,” she said.

  “Okay, I’ll give you that. But that still doesn’t mean anything. You know how he is. He likes women he can talk to and have intelligent conversations with. You just said she wasn’t very good in school and never went to college.”

  “She has a learning disability. She is plenty smart, but it was years before Rachelle realized that Payton was dyslexic. She struggles to read and write, but she can. It doesn’t mean she isn’t smart and I’m embarrassed that you are even thinking that.”

  Grant frowned at her and she held back the laugh, knowing she put him in his place. “I think you are way off base.”

  “You said the same thing with Dani and Sam and look at how well that is working out.”

  Her husband’s shoulders dropped. “Fine. We’ll see how it goes, but this one could really be stretching it.”

  “If I’m wrong, I’ll admit it. I promise. But I don’t think I will be.”

  “You’ve never admitted you were wrong a day in your life,” he said, getting up and walking over to give her a kiss on the cheek.

  “Because I never am and I won’t be this time either.”

  Prided Herself On

  “Here you go,” Payton Davies said, handing over the egg and cheese sandwich. “Do you want me to top off your coffee?”

  “I’ve got it,” the handsome man said. He stood up and walked over to the coffee machine and filled it up again. “Here.” He handed her the gift card that he’d used to pay for his breakfast.

  “No charge. Most people don’t stay here to eat, but if they do and top their coffee off, I don’t care.”

  “Are you sure?” he asked. “It’s your business and you’re out to make a living.”

  It was the first she’d ever seen him in here. All tall and dark. Handsome, but smart looking. If someone could look smart.

  They could. She knew since she was far from anything anyone would consider smart. She hated how appearance could do that and in her case it actually fit her well, which sucked even more.

  All she needed was the boobs for the blonde bombshell to really stick. Which was why she toned down her appearance as best as she could. The second time she’d been stopped by a stranger at the mall as a teen and asked if she wanted to model she knew she’d have to take better care with her appearance and the attention she got. Especially after her parents’ reaction to that encounter.

  He was dressed casually, jeans and a light blue oxford shirt. With his size, she was guessing it was tailored to his frame.

  “I make a good living, but I appreciate the offer. Please, enjoy your breakfast.”

  She went back to the register when someone else walked in. Normally no one showed up until closer to seven, even though she opened at six thirty. She’d been here since five thirty baking muffins and frying and frosting donuts, having fond memories of her aunt.

  Sometimes wondering if her aunt was watching over her. Like an angel? Or a ghost? Though she’d never said that to anyone for fear they’d tell her what an idiot she was once again.

  Her Aunt Millie had never been a big fan of the donuts because she considered them fast food breakfast, but Payton had convinced her to give it a shot. Now all sorts of people stopped in on their way to work to grab one of the sweeter treats and a coffee to go for the road.

  Millie’s was more of a takeout place that catered to people who wanted breakfast and lunch, usually on the go. But her aunt never wanted to be classified as “fast food” and donuts made her think that for some reason. Payton didn’t care, especially if it increased business.

  She got her rushes and then when things slowed down she did her baking and salad preparations. Like the cookies that would replace the donuts and muffins that her patrons scarfed up with their lunch.

  As the sexy man at her counter said, she had to make a living, and since she was here all day anyway, she might as well bake and make some money that way too.

  “What can I get you?” she asked the next customer. Thankfully Kelly would be here in five minutes and would take over the register and get the orders so that Payton could go back and cook. She was glad the grill and fryer weren’t so far away that she could manage both for the short thirty minutes before Kelly arrived and the few hours after Kelly left at four.

  “Two blueberry muffins, two of the maple glazed donuts, and three medium coffees.” Payton put the order into the touch screen, then turned quickly and grabbed the three empty cups and a tray to hand to the customer. It was better they filled and mixed their own coffees. She was glad for those that didn’t live and die by the lattes and cappuccinos.

  Here they went to the machines, filled up their coffee, mixed it the way they wanted or grabbed what they needed for the road. Fast, simple, and efficient and that was what she prided herself on.

  “Do you want these in a bag or a pastry box?” she asked her customer.

  “A bag is good and easy for me to stick my hand in while I’m driving.” Payton grinned at the comment she’d heard plenty of times before. “Are you going to have those chocolate donuts again like you did last week?”

  “I’m sure I will. I don’t normally plan too far in advance and make what comes to me.”

  “That just means I’ll have to keep coming in hoping for them.”

  Payton handed over the bag of the goodies while the customer hit the enter button on the credit card machine. Best thing she ever did was getting that and those gift cards to swipe. “That’s my goal,” she said back. “Enjoy.”

  The customer left and Payton walked over to double-check she was stocked up with all the coffee stirrers and creamers before Kelly came jogging in.

  When the door opened, she thought it was Kelly, but instead it was another customer. Busy morning for ten of seven already. “Hi, what can I get you?” she asked the man.

  He smiled at her, then said, “Hey, sweetie. Can I get a muffin and a large coffee?”

  “Sure.” She hated when men called her sweetie, honey, sugarpie. You name it, she was called it. It’s like because she was blonde-haired, blue eyed, they thought she didn’t deserve the respect of her name. Which was on her shirt. Or that it was acceptable to use an endearment to a stranger.

  “No need to put the donut in a bag, just hand it over to me on a napkin. I’m going to have it gone before I get to my car,” he said.

  “Are you sure?” she asked. He’d been in a few times before. She was good with faces.

&n
bsp; “Not a problem. I’m starving this morning.”

  She pulled the donut out with a napkin and handed it over while he took a big bite out of it waiting for his credit card to process. She placed his empty cup on the counter and held her smile. She knew the transaction was complete, she wasn’t an idiot, but he was standing there grinning at her like he expected her to continue on with their conversation.

  Thankfully Kelly came rushing in the door. “I made it by five minutes. Wow, two people in here already.”

  “Five in here this morning,” Payton said. “Thank you,” she told the customer.

  “Have a great day, sweetie. You sure do have the magical touch with donuts.”

  “Thanks,” she said, smiling back. She almost let out a giggle when she heard the man that had been sitting at the counter snort.

  “I know you hate that,” Kelly whispered when the guy was gone, “but it’s the South and you should be used to it.”

  “It doesn’t mean I like it,” she said. “Anyway. Busy morning. I’m going to throw another batch of donuts in the fryer if you’ve got the customers. Call me out if you need me and I’ll have my eye on the screen for orders to cook up.”

  She walked by the man who’d had his second cup of coffee and was done with his egg sandwich right now. He’d been on his phone reading something the entire time, yet he’d seemed completely aware of everything else going on in the cafe.

  “Have a great day,” she said when he stood up.

  “You too,” he said, his voice nice and deep. “I’ll be back soon. Guess I need to try some of those donuts you’ve got the magical touch with.”

  She laughed at the way he lifted his eyebrows. “We all have to be good at something,” she said.

  ***

  Bryce walked out to his car after finishing his breakfast. His mother had told him the place opened at six thirty, so when he showed up at six forty, he was shocked no one was around yet.

  The woman that had waited on him was filling the case full of two kinds of muffins and donuts. He’d felt bad ordering something she had to cook, but she said it was no problem, that it was why she had them on the menu.

  The menu being a big sign on the wall, plus takeout menus by the register. Which he grabbed when he was waiting.

  The place was small. Had about six seats at a counter off to the side and a few tables that held four chairs each. A big display case showcased baked goods. Since he’d seen cookies on the menu, he was guessing they would be out before lunch along with all the salads.

  The menu wasn’t extensive, but it covered the bases. Breakfast was some egg sandwiches, pancakes, waffles, baked goods. All to go or eat on site. He had a feeling it was more to go.

  Lunch consisted of a variety of cold subs and sandwiches, burgers, steak sandwiches, salads, cookies, plus chips on the racks behind the counter. He’d almost asked if he could get a sandwich made this morning to eat later, but didn’t want to push his luck. Maybe next time since his mother gave him enough money on that gift card to hold him over for several meals.

  Payton, her name said on her shirt. Not sweetie. He tried to hold back the snort when she was called that the second time but couldn’t help himself.

  His mother would have knocked him upside the head if he’d called any woman that that he didn’t know personally.

  Though he had to admit she was a treat to look at.

  Tall, thin, long blonde hair and clear blue eyes. Normally he wasn’t attracted to blondes. Some of it was a personal preference, some of it past experiences.

  But he tried not to label people and wouldn’t this time.

  She was obviously a hard worker. She had to have been here hours earlier baking, then working on her own until help came in. Proof was the sweat on the brow that she wiped off with her forearm. No makeup on or it would have been smudged, but she was still lovely to look at.

  She was friendly and professional. Neat. Definitely neat. He was a sucker for neatness, and when she wiped the already clean counter in front of him before putting the plate down, well, he knew this might turn into his favorite place to stop for a quick meal.

  Damn Good

  “Hey, you’re back,” Payton said to the man that sat at her counter yesterday morning.

  “I am. Thought maybe I’d try some pancakes if it’s not too much trouble.” He stopped and looked around. “I see you’re by yourself.”

  “Not a problem. I’m always by myself this early. It’s not that busy. Around seven it starts to pick up. Between eight and nine there is a rush and doesn’t really stop until around ten. Lots of people on the way to Duke stop in, along with other businesses. Medium coffee again?” she asked, remembering he got it yesterday.

  He nodded his head. “Guess I’m like a lot of them. I’m on my way to work there too.”

  “You work at Duke?” she asked, not surprised really. She knew he looked smart.

  “I do.”

  She handed him his empty cup to fill himself, and rang up his order. He swiped his gift card and then went to fill his coffee while she walked to the back to put the pancakes on the grill. The batter was already made and ready to go. They were able to pump orders out so fast because she was always prepared.

  He took a seat close to the back where she could see him. “So what do you do there?” she asked. She figured why not chat since they were the only two there.

  “I’m a professor,” he said, bringing the cup to his full lips. Yikes, when had she ever noticed that about someone before?

  “And what do you teach over there?” she asked, glancing down as the bubbles started to appear on the three good-sized pancakes.

  “Chemistry.”

  “Sounds...interesting.”

  “Boring,” he said. “You can say it. I hear it all the time.”

  “Okay then. Boring. Science was never my thing.”

  No classes had ever been her thing. She’d struggled all through school. It was years before anyone realized it was because she saw letters and numbers backwards. How was she supposed to know that wasn’t normal?

  And even after she understood what her problem was, she had to train her brain to see them right and it was a struggle. It was frustrating and she felt so far behind. The teasing and being called a dumb blonde just made it worse. She’d almost died her hair brown, but figured at that point it wouldn’t make a difference. She’d been labeled as dumb and there was no changing it.

  She got through as best she could, but knew school just wasn’t for her.

  “It’s not for a lot of people,” he said. “But like you told that customer yesterday, we all have something we’re good at.”

  She grinned at the smile he was sending her. That’s right. She was damn good at her job.

  She wasn’t a gourmet chef and never professed to be one. Nor did she want to be one. Too much stress in that, she figured.

  She liked running Millie’s and had enjoyed working alongside her aunt for years. When her aunt died suddenly last year and left this business to her, she’d been both devastated over the loss and thrilled over the challenge.

  No one believed in her like Aunt Millie and she was out to prove to everyone she had what it took to be successful in life without a college degree. Oftentimes she’d imagine Aunt Millie was standing next to her in the morning, just the two of them talking about Payton’s dreams for this place. Her aunt laughing and telling her, “Start small, but always dream big.”

  She’d always dreamed, but never achieved anything it seemed. Not without the help of Aunt Millie and even then she was always afraid to step out of her comfort zone.

  Always afraid to be made fun of again, or degraded. Talked down to.

  She pushed those negative thoughts from her mind and flipped the pancakes over, then looked up when someone walked in the door. “Just a minute,” she said to the customer.

  “Not a problem. I’m trying to remember what I need to get anyway.”

  She grabbed a plate and put the three pancakes on it,
walked the dish out, and slid it in front of the sexy man she’d been conversing with, then walked over to the register. “What can I get you?”

  “I need a dozen donuts, half of each kind you’ve got, and one large coffee.”

  “Pastry box or in a bag?”

  “Box if you don’t mind?”

  She handed the empty cup to the customer and then filled his box up while he took care of his coffee. Once he was walking out the door she wiped down the counter and was going to go back to the grill and clean up when the man eating pancakes at the counter said, “So if I wanted to get a sandwich to go, could I order it now, or do I need to wait for a certain time to get lunch?”

  “I can make you a sandwich to go,” she said. “What do you want?”

  “Just a turkey sub. Small is good. Lettuce, tomato, and mayo. And a bag of chips.”

  She went to another counter where she and Kelly assembled subs and sandwiches for the lunch crowd and got to work. “So can I ask where you got the gift card from? I just started using them a few weeks ago and haven’t sold too many yet.”

  He finished chewing on his pancakes. “My mother gave it to me. I don’t cook much and she said someone that works with her recommended this place.”

  “That’s nice. I’m trying to figure out how word of mouth gets out and such on the gift cards. It makes the transactions faster, but many use credit cards anyway.” She’d never say she got charged a fee for the credit card and wouldn’t for the gift card.

  She finished with his sub and wrapped it up, then put it in a brown bag. He handed over the gift card for her to ring the order up. “Actually, now that I think of it. If you’re the owner, your mother works with my mom. That is how she found out.”

  Payton looked up sharply. “I do own the place. My mother is a teacher. Who’s your mom?”

  “Diane Fierce.”

  Ah...she should have figured. Her mother talked about Diane Fierce a lot. How it seemed she had the perfect life to the outside world.