Baker's Law
Blue Collar BakerIn high school, Marissa Llewellyn had the hots for golden boy Jackson "Jax" Carlisles. So when he arrives at her bakery, yummier than ever, to investigate a series of break-ins, she can't help being reminded of the awkward girl she was. But that's not the reason she evades his questions….Silver Spoon SheriffJax grew up as part of the Fort Worth country club set, but as the new chief of police, that's all behind him, much to the chagrin of his family. Though he may not remember Marissa, he can't stop thinking about the woman she's become–and the secret she's obviously keeping from him.A Recipe for Romance…or Disaster?Marissa is determined to help the homeless teen she caught breaking into her shop, even if that means lying to Jax. And when the sparks between her and the sexy sheriff ignite into a passionate affair, Marissa will have to choose between following the rules he upholds, and her own sense of justice.
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Blue Collar Baker
In high school, Marissa Llewellyn had the hots for golden boy Jackson âJaxâ Carlisles. So when he arrives at her bakery, yummier than ever, to investigate a series of break-ins, she canât help being reminded of the awkward girl she was. But thatâs not the reason she evades his questionsâ¦.
Silver Spoon Sheriff
Jax grew up as part of the Fort Worth country club set, but as the new chief of police, thatâs all behind him, much to the chagrin of his family. Though he may not remember Marissa, he canât stop thinking about the woman sheâs becomeâand the secret sheâs obviously keeping from him.
A Recipe for Romanceâ¦or Disaster?
Marissa is determined to help the homeless teen she caught breaking into her shop, even if that means lying to Jax. And when the sparks between her and the sexy sheriff ignite into a passionate affair, Marissa will have to choose between following the rules he upholds, and her own sense of justice.
Dedication
To Alan, Collin, Aaron, Reed and ZacâI love you guys!
Acknowledgments
I want to thank Sandy Behr for always being there for me. Amie Stuart for always pushing me to keep at it. Nikole Berg for being a super cheering section.
Brenda Wood, Betty Brett and Carie McDonald for always being as excited as I am.
Jody Wood for bragging to everyone who will listen to you.
And Alissa Davis, my editor, for enjoying the book as much as I do!
Table of Contents
Chapter One
A loud bang woke Marissa Llewellyn. She rubbed the grit from her eyes and felt the ledger shift across her chest. Sheâd fallen asleep in the back of her cupcake shop again, this time while going over the previous monthâs pitiful financial statements and waiting to see if any cupcakes would go missing tonight.
Marissa sat up, let the ledger fall away. Something clanked in the kitchen again. She hadnât imagined it. Someone was moving around in her shop.
Without taking her eyes off the open door separating her from the intruder, she edged her sock-covered feet off the sofa and pawed for the bat she kept for just this scenario. Her sister Marlie had told her it was a bad idea to try to catch whoever kept breaking into her bakery. Marissa couldnât even prove there was a thief. Very little was missing, but twice in the morning when sheâd come in, things wereâ¦off, out of place and she was always down a couple of cupcakes.
Water ran in the bathroom. She frowned. A robber who uses the restroom? She eased up off the sofa with the bat gripped tightly in one hand. In the other, she snatched up the cordless phone sheâd left on the floor beside her. When the Oak Hollow 911-operator answered, she whispered, âThis is Marissa Llewellyn at Sweets by Marissa. On Flower Tree. I need to report a break-in.â
âAre you in any danger, maâam?â
âI donât know. Please send someone quickly.â The operator was still talking when Marissa hung up the phone. She should have stayed on the line, but she needed both hands to swing the bat. She dropped the phone on the sofa. The police would hurry. The station was only a few blocks away.
The water in the bathroom shut off and she paused only a couple of feet from the door to her office. Her heart pounded heavily. A shadow danced over the threshold into the office as the intruder walked past it and back toward the kitchen. Marissa held her breath.
A moment later one of the kitchen stools squeaked.
She crept to the opened door and gave a quick peek. The after-hours lighting cast shadows throughout the back of the shop. She couldnât see all the way into the belly of the kitchen, so she edged farther and farther out of her office. A tall, lanky man sat at the huge stainless steel table with books open in front of him. A discarded cupcake wrapper sat at his elbow. She shook her head. What the hell?
A siren sounded. The police had arrived. The man scrambled and shoved books into a backpack at his feet. He turned toward the back door and then froze when he saw her waving a bat at him.
She shifted the bat. âDonât move.â It wasnât a manâtall and lean, sure, but in the still-going-through-puberty way. âYouâre a teenager! What are you doing in here?â
He looked like he wanted to bolt, but he stayed put. He was dressed like every other teenager in Oak Hollow, Texas. Baggy jeans hung from his skinny hips. His white T-shirt and open button-down plaid shirt looked tidy but worn. She didnât know his name, but sheâd seen him hanging around the shops.
âWhat are you doing here?â She eased a step closer to him.
The boy shrugged. There was no anger or menace coming off the kid. He looked more resigned than anything as he sighed and slumped his shoulders.
