Resolution: Baby Batter (A Resolution Pact Short Story) Read online

  Resolution: Baby Batter

  New Year’s Pact

  Frankie Love

  Contents

  Copyright

  About The Book

  1. Dune

  2. Dolly

  3. Dune

  4. Dolly

  5. Dune

  6. One Year Later...

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  Also by Frankie Love

  About the Author

  Copyright

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  Edited by Zoe Nightengale

  Cover by Dandelion Cover Designs

  Copyright © 2019 by Frankie Love

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  About The Book

  By Frankie Love

  Resolution: Baby Batter

  Let’s get a bun in her oven.

  I’m a cop with a sweet tooth and Dolly’s the treat I’m craving.

  She’s finally ended things with her deadbeat boyfriend and I’m not missing the chance to make her mine.

  Dolly’s the owner of my favorite donut shop and the woman with the best Bavarian cream in the city.

  Damn, I love her jelly filling, her chocolate frosting, her perfect donut hole.

  She may know how to make a mean old fashioned, but I know how to whip up baby batter that will get her maple glazed.

  It’s a new year, and I’m ready to do more than get a bun in her oven.

  I’ll be her baby daddy and her dream come true.

  Dear Reader,

  Dune is your blue collar fantasy with extra sprinkles.

  He wears a uniform and is reporting for duty.

  Diaper duty.

  #DadOfTheYear #ImADork #YouKnowYouLoveIt #BabyBatterFTW #LickThatSpoon #YouDidntHaveToAsk #Yummy

  xo, Frankie

  Dune

  It’s the start of a new year and I’m determined to get what I want: Dolly McAdams.

  Walking to her donut shop, I’ve got one thing on my mind: tell her how I really feel.

  That she’s the only thing I crave.

  That life would make more sense if we were together — all in.

  The two of us.

  I moved to town a few months ago; was just hired as a cop at the local station, and every day I’ve been coming into Dolly’s Donuts before work, getting a black coffee and her maple bar.

  But damn, today? I’m gonna place a different order.

  I look around the empty street — most people are probably still at home working off their NYE hangover. Looking up at the bright signage of Dolly’s shop, in this rough part of town, I can’t help but think she is a spot of sparkly pink frosting in a gray gritty wasteland. I wish she had her bakery in a nicer area, I hate thinking that this sweet thing might have run-ins with less than savory folks. As an officer, I know what goes on down here.

  The shop is empty, as it usually is this time of day. Most customers come in early to get their coffee and donuts before their day begins, but I work swing shift — which means my day starts just as her shop is closing at three in the afternoon.

  Today, though, the shop is closed. The sign in the window isn’t on and the lights are off.

  Well shit, of course it isn’t open. It’s a holiday and I suppose Dolly deserves a break more than anyone else. That sweet thing works harder than anyone I know. Don’t tell my boss that, though.

  If I had her phone number I’d call her, but there’s a glaring reason I don’t have it.

  She has a boyfriend.

  A loser of a guy named Jon who doesn’t appreciate her — it’s pretty damn clear from the few times I’ve seen him around the shop. I have nothing against mechanics, but I have something against men who don’t appreciate the treasure they have. He’s gruff and dismissive of Dolly, and it kills me.

  That is why I decided, as my New Years resolution, to tell Dolly how I feel.

  What kind of man would I be if I didn’t fight for what I know is right?

  But, damn — the shop was supposed to be open so I could start my year chasing the girl of my dreams.

  As I’m about to turn away, I notice a light turn on in the back room. I run a hand over my jaw — Dolly has got to be here. She runs this place all on her own, and no one else would be here while the shop is closed.

  I can’t wait for a door to open, I’ve gotta get it to open myself.

  I rap my knuckles on the window, trying to get her attention. It takes a few minutes, but eventually she comes out from the kitchen. She’s wearing a v-neck top that gets the attention of my cock — but it’s her eyes that have my heart pounding.

  They are rimmed in red as she unlocks the door me and pushes it open.

  “Dune,” she says, shaking her head, “I’m sorry, I’m closed today.”

  “Don’t apologize,” I say.

  “I don’t have any donuts in the oven.”

  “I didn’t come for donuts.”

  She bites her bottom lip. “I was just about to make some coffee, is that what you want?”

  “I wanted to see you, that’s why I came.”

  “Me?” she asks. “Why?” She wipes her eyes with her finger, and it’s clear she’s barely holding it together.

  “I wanted to talk to you, Dolly, I have something I need to say, but you look upset? Are you alright?”

  “I don’t want to bother you with my problems, Dune, don’t you have a town to keep safe or something?”

  “I don’t report for duty for another hour.”

  “I can put that pot on if you don’t mind waiting?” She holds open the door and I step through. What I really want is to pull her into my arms and make sure she’s okay.

  “Will you tell me why you’re crying on the first day of the New Year?” I ask, following her to the kitchen. The jeans she’s wearing hug her ass and damn, it’s a sight I’ll never tire of.

  She reaches for a coffee carafe and fills it with water as I take in her workspace. I’ve never been back here, but it’s well organized — and also pink. Lots and lots of pink. “I like your color choices,” I tell her, smiling.

  “You do? I thought you were a macho man in uniform.”

  I shake my head. “Cops get a bad rep. I’m not ego driven, and I’m pretty comfortable with my masculinity.”

  She licks her lips, looking me over. I swear she whimpers ever so slightly, but she turns back to the coffee, adding grounds to the filter.

  “My grandma loved pink,” she says as the coffee starts to brew. She turns to face me, and I can tell she’s putting on a brave face. “She loved anything and everything pink. I’m named after her, and she taught me to make donuts, so this shop is kind of my love letter to the woman who taught me everything I know.”

  “That’s pretty sweet, Dolly.” I want to pull her into my arms, tell her whatever is making her so sad, won’t last forever. I want her to smile, to start the year believing that anything is possible. Damn, what am I waiting for? “Dolly, I’ve gotta be honest,” I start, but she cuts me off.

  “You know, I think I have some day-old donuts left, let me warm them up real quick.” She begins moving about the kitchen, turning on the oven, grabbing cream from the fridge. I can tell she isn’t ready to sit down and talk yet, so I let her work — knowing she i
s a woman who likes to keep her hands moving. She wouldn’t be a self starter, running her own business if she weren’t.

  Finally she pours us coffee, sets a plate of warmed donuts on the counter, and points to a stool. “Black, just the way you like,” she says.

  “And extra cream in yours, the way you like,” I say, sitting down opposite her at the stainless steel kitchen island.

  “You’ve been paying attention,” she says with a soft smile.

  “You have no idea, Dolly.” I take a drink of the coffee she made me, ready to tell her how I feel. About her. About us.

  “So you wanted to know why I’m crying?” she asks before I can say anything.

  I nod. “Please, I hate to see you upset, all alone.”

  “It’s Jon. I asked him to marry me.”

  Dolly

  I didn’t expect to see Dune today — the one man who always manages to get me all flustered; all keyed up — a man who is handsome and honest and has the sweetest way about him. He’s not a delicate flower. No. He’s six and a half feet tall, solid muscles, biceps that pull at the seams of his uniform. He wear slacks that show off his butt and with his tucked in shirt, it’s clear he’s carrying more than a gun — he is fully loaded, if you know what I mean.

  Not that I have been looking.

  No, he has a sweet way about him because he is so sincere it makes my heart ache. He is thoughtful and considerate … and maybe most men notice how a woman takes her coffee, but I’ve only known Dune two weeks since he moved into town. Jon and I have been together two years and he doesn’t even remember my birthday.

  “You asked him to marry you?” Dune asked, eyes wide and in shock.

  “Well, basically.” I exhale my shoulder falling. I’m twenty-six and I know what I want in life. Ever since graduating from Oak Ridge University I’ve known. I want to run a donut shop, check. And be a mother. Hasn’t happened yet. “We’ve been together a while, and I decided for my New Years Resolution I’d …”

  I shake my head, biting back my words. The whole thing sounds pathetic. Not what I asked for, but that I was asking it of a man who doesn’t value me. That’s what kills me; what is eating me up.

  Dune’s jaw tightens, and I know he wants me to hurry up and finish, but all I can think of are the texts I got last night as I was getting ready to go out with Jon for New Years.

  Stacy, a member of my old sorority, was messaging everyone in the Mi Alpha Alpha Alum chat: “Remember, ladies. Do it. Whatever it is you want to do. Wherever you have wanted to go. Whatever you want to try, to taste, to feel, to live....do it. This is our year.”

  Everyone was responding with hearts and champagne GIFs and telling one another what their resolutions were.

  Brittany is going to get her first kiss. Audrina is going to take a risk and be a “bad girl”. One girl is going to learn rock climbing. Another is going skydiving.

  Me? I was going to be honest with my boyfriend and tell him exactly what I wanted.

  “Hey, Dolly,” Dune says, resting his palm on my hand, bringing me back to the present. “What exactly was this resolution of yours?”

  His touch sends a shiver over me. Electric. I look at him, his dark green eyes flecked with gold, his dark brown hair, cropped close, his cheek dimples and his smile that reaches the deepest part of me.

  “My resolution was to tell Jon what I really wanted out of life. It’s something I’d been tiptoeing around because I didn’t want to scare him off … but I realized this is my life too. I should have a say in how it goes.”

  He nods. “Damn straight you should, Dolly. You should be honest with the person you are with.”

  “Well,” I say, reaching for a cake donut and breaking it in half, “I thought it was a good plan too, until, you know, I actually went through with it.”

  He lifts an eyebrow. God, how can eyebrows even be sexy? “What happened?”

  “I told him that I wanted a baby.”

  Dune begins choking on his donut, pressing his fist to his chest until he swallows. “Shit, you asked him to marry you and to have a baby last night?”

  I groan, dropping my face in my hands. “I know, it’s a lot. But it’s the truth. I want to be mom. And so I didn’t exactly propose, but I told him I wanted to get married this year and have a baby in no particular order.”

  “And what did he say?” Dune asks, leaning in, a more serious expression on his face.

  “He said that was the last thing he wanted. And so we broke up.”

  “Just like that?”

  I shake my head. “Well, he was yelling. Mad that I ruined his New Years, mostly.” I start grabbing for ingredient to whip up another batch of donuts. It’s my comfort, adding flour and butter and sugar, mixing a batter that I know, with one hundred percent accuracy will result in something good. My love life on the other hand, it seems no matter what I added to Jon and I’s recipe it was never going to rise.

  “I’m sorry Dolly,” Dune says. “You don’t deserve that.”

  I sigh, grabbing a whisk and mixing. “I don’t know, Dune, I just wondered why I waste so much time with him.”

  “Time is rarely wasted. I bet you learned a lot from that relationship.”

  I stand up straighter, reach for my coffee and bring the mug to my mouth. “Maybe … like what kind of guy not to date. Not to spend time with?”

  “Yeah,” Dune says smiling. “Exactly. So what about Jon are you going to avoid next time?”

  “I won’t date a man who can barely keep a job.” I dip my finger in the batter and taste. Perfect.

  Dune frowns, eyeing me as I lick my finger. A jolt of desire runs over me. How does this man so quickly work me up?

  “I thought he was a mechanic?” he says.

  “Barely part time, at his uncle’s shop. When he showed.” I groan. Why was I with such a loser?

  “Okay,” Dune says, before taking a bite of his donut. “What else?”

  I laugh dryly. “Avoid men who don’t appreciate my donuts. Jon wouldn’t even eat them, was doing some no-carb thing.”

  Dune chuckles. “No man on a diet can be trusted. Anything else?”

  “No man who considers a wife and kids a deal breaker.”

  Dune nods. “I couldn’t agree more.”

  “With what?” I ask, trying to work out Dune’s smile.

  “Your requirements.”

  “It wasn’t an exhaustive list,” I say with a smirk. “But I would fall for a man who wanted those things. With me. In a heartbeat.”

  I dip my finger in the batter again. This time I offer him my finger. He licks the batter off and it’s fireworks that are brighter than the ones that went off on NYE. We’re talking heart-pounding. And Dune knows it. The moment intensifies as our eyes lock.

  “Good to know,” he says. There is more that a twinkle in his eye and it sends my stomach flip-flopping. “And I think I can help you out.”

  “With what?”

  “You want a baby?” He smiles. “Well, I got some batter.”

  Dune

  Her eyes go wide with shock, and I admit to feeling a bit of that myself. The words came out and I couldn’t pull them back. I don’t want to pull them back — hell, all I’ve ever wanted was to be a husband a father, to take care of and protect the ones I love — but I haven’t even told Dolly how I feel about her, and here I am already, offering her my baby batter.

  Well, I suppose we are in a bakery.

  “You want to have a baby with me?” she asks, slightly stunned.

  I nod. “I want you to be happy, Dolly McAdams. And I want to be the man that makes you smile.”

  She runs a finger over her lips. “You and me … like ….”

  The fact she is considering this is getting me all kinds of hot and bothered. “Look Dolly, I’m gonna be honest with you. I have to clock in soon but I’m not waiting another day to tell you this.”

  “Tell me what?”

  “That I came here to Dolly’s Donuts’ today with one goal in m
ind. Telling you how I really feel.”

  “And how do you feel?”

  “Like I’m head over fucking heels for you. That since the day I walked into your shop, the sweet scent of your donuts had me all worked up. I took one bite of your maple glaze and I wanted the whole damn thing. You. Me. Us.” I stand from the stool, and walk around the counter, pulling her up.

  I set my hands on her hips, the place they’ve dreamed of resting, and I look into her eyes. The prettiest eyes I’ve ever seen. “I came here today to tell you that your boyfriend wasn’t good enough for you. But that I was. That I wanted you to give me a chance because I was prepared to give you the whole damn world.”

  She is shaking in my arms, nervous and flustered and more than a little surprised. “You mean it? You planned on telling me all that?”

  I nod. “I have a thing for the girl who makes me donuts. I have a thing for you, Dolly.”

  I kiss her then, needing her lips on mine. My hand cups her face, holding her close, wanting her closer still. I breathe her in, powdered sugar and rising dough and nothing but the perfect treat. Her lips part, and I find her tongue, kissing her hard and deep, and tender at the same time. The way a first kiss should be: filled with promise.

  When she pulls back she is gasping and my cock is at attention and I know she is everything I ever dreamed of finding. I know getting a job in this town was no coincidence; know her New Year’s Eve confession to Jon wasn’t chance — it was fate.

  She licks her lips, taking a shaky breath as her eyes lock on mine. “And that batter you mentioned … you really want to bake something?”