Buttery Buns ch.3

That reminds him of the purpose of his trip home. What to do with the bakery? He hesitates to start the conversation since Ron isn't here yet.

He washes his hands in the sink and returns to the shop's sitting area. Since there's no one in the store, and it's closing time for the bakery, Susan flips the sign and locks the door.

"What's your take on it, Max?" Susan asks him. "Are you on Ron's side regarding the bakery?"

Max suppresses his complaints. Susan may be stubborn, but patience has never been her strong suit. Ron wants to sell the bakery and share the profits, but of course, Susan wants to keep it. She loves the bakery as much as he does, but she also knows that it hasn't been profitable for years. "Well," he says after clearing his throat. "Either way, I don't mind."

"You know what? I plan to buy it from you guys," Susan says after a short pause.

"Are you sure?" he asks, even though he had considered this option himself. But Susan doesn't have the money. She still buys Ron out of his shares and the house they inherited. "How do you plan to pay for it?"

"I've talked to the goblins, and it looks like I qualify for a loan."

"I understand. But the shop doesn't even make a profit. For years, you've tried hard to change it."

"I know," she says. "But I really wasn't able to try new things. When Dad was alive, he stubbornly stuck to the old ways of running the shop, and I couldn't defy him. After his death, I tried to get used to managing the shop without him. Now I think I'm ready to try something new."

He raises an eyebrow. "You want to share?"

"We'll expand this place into a bakery restaurant and serve sandwiches," her eyes light up as she talks, evidently excited about her idea.

He arches an eyebrow. "Sounds good. But if I remember correctly, there's a deli across the street."

"I know. But it mostly serves cold sandwiches and lacks freshly baked artisan bread. We'll focus on other things. We can make burgers and even pasta. Daphne has some great ideas. She's very experienced, you know? I'm not talking about her parents' restaurant in the past, but she worked as a restaurant manager for over ten years on the sly. That's why I hired her..."

"Good to know," Harry said, heading towards the door, not wanting to talk about his ex-girlfriend again. "I should find a place to stay overnight. Do the Martinis still run the B&B on the outskirts?"

"Yes, but what are you talking about? You're not staying at an inn. You're going home," Susan said, her brow furrowed.

"I thought you rent out rooms."

"Not all of them. Your old room is available, and I've cleaned it for you."

He smiles. "Well, I guess I'll go home, then."

"Here's the new key to the house," Susan said, taking the key off her keychain. "I have to stay here and do some bookkeeping first, but it won't take long."

"Alright, see you soon."

Ten minutes later, he stops in front of the gray house. He pauses on his way to the front door and looks at the house he lived in for eighteen years. It looks better than he remembered when he last saw it. The walls appear to have been freshly painted, and the roof also seems new. The lawn is perfectly manicured. The sight brings back childhood memories. He and Ron used to take turns mowing the lawn, and Ron would tip him to do it for him because he hated physical work so much. He wonders if Susan hires someone to mow the lawn, but he wouldn't be surprised if the determined woman does it herself.

He gazes at the Susans in the garden, and then a loud engine roar startles him. He looks up and sees a sporty car turning into the street, blaring music accompanying it. Annoyingly, it stops right behind his car. He glances at the driver through the car window and notices the cap on their head. He's seen them recently, but where? As he squints to get a better view, the passenger-side doors swing open, and a girl steps out. Damn. It's the same blonde he saw back in high school, and he was the guy who offered her a ride. He wonders why it took them so long to get home... Why is that his concern?

"Thanks, Mike!" she waves to the driver.

"See you tomorrow."

"Wait, Mia. Do I pick you up tomorrow?"

"No, thanks, Mom's giving me a ride."

"Alright. See you!"

His heart races again as the girl approaches him. When their eyes meet, he stifles a curse. Damn. Those sparkling blue eyes and that pert nose. This girl resembles Daphne Greengrass, he remembers.

The girl also scrutinizes him with interest before stopping in front of him. "Hello," she greets him with the same dazzling smile Daphne had. "You must be Max."

His jaw drops. "How do you know?"

"I live here. My mom and I rent the house from Susan. Lately, everyone's been talking about you all the time. I've seen your pictures."

Understanding dawns on him, and he needs a moment to gather his thoughts and process the information. Daphne Greengrass not only works in his bakery but also lives in his house, and her daughter looks exactly like her. He silently curses his stepsister for this practical joke. What the hell is Susan up to?

"Is everything okay?" Mia asks him. Her eyes haven't left him the whole time, traveling over him like intense spotlights.

He forces a chuckle. "Yeah, you just remind me so much of your mom. We used to be classmates."

She giggles. "I know that. Many people in town said the same thing when they saw me for the first time. By the way, you look way sexier in person than in pictures."

Did she really say that? His mouth hangs open. This girl might resemble Daphne Greengrass in looks, but certainly not in personality. Daphne never flirted with new guys. Hell, she never flirted with any other guy but him.

While he struggles to find words, Mia heads towards the porch. "Aren't you coming in?"

"No, I'll come back to Susan's home. I really have no intention of doing that. Renting a room at Martini's B & B is the right thing to do."

Disappointment registers on Mia's face. "But you don't have to leave. You can wait for her inside."

He tries to come up with an excuse as a Ford pickup pulls into the driveway.

"My mom's back," Mia says, smiling.

He blinks when he sees Daphne's face through the front window of the pickup. Great. He curses under his breath. Now he has to make a run for it. "I definitely should come back later, Mia. I'm sure your mom has some things to take care of at home..."

He doesn't finish his sentence as Daphne steps out of the car in a blue dress. His heart somersaults at the sight. Damn. Why does she have to look so damn good? "Hi, Mom, Max came," Mia cheerfully informs her mother.

Daphne smiles at her daughter. "I know, sweetheart. Hi, Max!" she says and walks across the driveway towards him.

His knees go weak as she approaches him. Damn it. Susan is right. He never got over this woman. Maybe it's the truck she's driving, or perhaps her confident stride, but she seems even more attractive than before. Daphne, the one he used to date, couldn't even drive a car, let alone think of touching such a Muggle contraption, let alone defying her father's wishes. But what hardships must she have gone through to become the woman she is today? It's hard for him to imagine her as a single mother, yet here she is, with a daughter as beautiful and sweet as she is right beside her.

"Hi, Daphne," he forces a smile. "I should go. See you..."

"Wait, Max," Daphne says. "Please, stay for dinner. Susan asked me to cook you a welcome meal, and I just bought shrimp and chicken legs at the market a while ago. It will take less than an hour. You can go home, take a shower, and rest in the meantime."

Declining her would be the right thing to do, but he simply can't bring himself to say it, not when two pairs of eager blue eyes are begging him not to.

He sighs. "Sure, I'll do that. Let me help you with these first," he says, pointing to the grocery bags in the bed of her pickup. Despite Daphne's protests, he grabs the shopping bags and follows her into the house. Mia goes straight to her bedroom, while Daphne leads him to the kitchen.

"Just leave them on the floor. I'll take care of the rest," Daphne says to him. "You can relax in the living room or your room."

"I'll stay in the living room," he says, leaving the grocery bags on the floor as instructed.

The living room doesn't feel all that different because Susan has kept the old furniture, including Sirius's favorite rocking chair and his mother's oak china cabinet. She even preserved the antique sofa that Sirius never wanted to get rid of, thanks to its intricately carved wooden frame. However, the fabric looks new, indicating it's been reupholstered. The living room is also a gallery of their family photos. Pictures are everywhere, on every wall. Some were taken when he was a child, while others are more recent. His attention is drawn to one just above the sofa, taken just before O.W.L.s. The whole gang gathered for a Christmas celebration. His parents were still young and healthy. He wore an optimistic, innocent smile on his face. Susan sat next to his brother, her hand resting on his shoulder. For a moment, he stares at her, letting his memory drift two decades back in the same house.

"Would you like something to drink?" Daphne's voice interrupted his thoughts. It took him a moment to realize that he was a guest here, not a resident.

"Yes, please," he replied. "A glass of water would be nice."

"I'll be right back," she said, heading to the kitchen.

He watched her back as she walked away. It felt surreal because Daphne was in his house. She had been here before, but rarely in the living room or kitchen. He never expected to see her here now, especially with the daughter she had with another man.

Anger welled up inside him once more. She shouldn't be here. He wanted to tell her to leave his house, but the truth was, he wasn't the owner anymore. Damn it. He felt like a fool. Why couldn't he make peace with Daphne? It had been twenty damn years!

Daphne returned, holding a glass of water. "Here you go."

He thanked her, taking the drink from her, avoiding her gaze. Instead, he kept his eyes on her chin, which was a mistake because he noticed a brownish stain on her dress. It wasn't noticeable from afar, but up close, it was easy to see. He even caught a faint whiff of sweet rum. He focused on the gentle rise and fall of her chest for a moment before turning away. Her dress had a moderate neckline, revealing only a strip of creamy skin, but that was enough. He remembered how good her creamy neckline looked in a beige bra. The thought made him hungry in more ways than one. He heard his stomach growl at the same time his cock twitched.

Daphne chuckled softly. "Looks like someone's hungry. I'll start with dinner."

He grumbled and sank into the sofa. What was happening to him? He was behaving like a foolish teenager. The woman had betrayed him twenty years ago, and he still longed for her. He finished the water and set the glass aside. For a moment, he listened to the sound of Daphne chopping vegetables. It was incredibly strange. His former girlfriend was cooking for him in his own house. It felt like one of those dreams he had made up while longing for her over the years. He got up, fighting the urge to go to the kitchen for a moment, but instead, he headed upstairs to his bedroom.

His old bed or bed frame was still there, along with the desk and dresser. Damn it. He felt like he was time-traveling again. He had returned to the boy who spent most of his nights in this room studying or playing games with his family.