Page 38 of Cut The Cake

Why was that?

Confusion sent his mouth slanting to one side. He couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to her story. Unfortunately, he had the sneaking suspicion that by the time he figured her out, it’d be too late. In two weeks, she’d walk down the aisle and into the arms of the man she said she loved. He’d whisk her off on their honeymoon, and she’d be out of Nick’s life. Probably forever.

All he had to do was let her go. To keep his distance from her in the meantime.

That was the smart thing for him to do. No matter how much he wanted to get to know her better, they should remain nothing more than polite friends. No matter how often he considered pulling her into his arms to see how well she fit, staying as far away as possible from her was the best thing he could do for everyone.

Except he couldn’t.

Not only had he promised his friends, his coworkers, that he’d keep a close watch on their fickle bride, he was pretty sure he’d fallen for her. Something about Jenny drew him. He wanted to spend every minute with her. To help her find the strength to stand up to whoever was pushing her around, making her life miserable.

Lost in his thoughts, he led the way back to the B&B in silence. At the porch, Jenny lifted the picnic basket. Their empty bottles rolled around in the bottom, clinking softly. “Thanks, Nick,” she said, her voice low enough that he had to strain to hear it. “I had a really nice time today.”

“Yeah, me, too.” He scuffed one foot through the grass. “What are you doing tomorrow?”

“Paperwork and bills in the morning. I’ll be at Perfectly Flawless most of the afternoon.” She shrugged as if self-conscious. “It’s sort of a test run—a massage, facial, the works. It was included in the wedding package.”

He loved that she felt the need to have an excuse for treating herself to a well-deserved day of pampering. “Sounds nice.” It also sounded like she didn’t have any intention of making more changes to the plans for her wedding. Which ought to ease his mind about leaving her on her own while he was at work. Just to be safe, though, he probably should check in on her at least once. The other shopkeepers in town would expect him to do at least that much. “Want to grab a bite to eat tomorrow, after the bakery closes?”

“Um, I actually have a reservation at Bow Tie Pasta.”

He held his breath while he waited for her to continue. Would she cancel her plans in order to spend the evening with him?

“But I’d like it if you came with me.”

“Hey, a man’s gotta eat.” Aiming for a laugh, he patted his stomach. But there was nothing funny about how much he wanted to spend time with her, all the while knowing he shouldn’t.

Chapter Twelve

Jenny stood at the open closet in her suite at the bed-and-breakfast on Union Street. Hangers squeaked as she slid them from one end of the bar to the other. One by one, she considered and rejected each outfit. Why couldn’t she decide what to wear?

Her hand lingered over the black number she’d worn to dinner at Bow Tie Pasta with Nick. That evening, the glow in his eyes had rivaled the candlelight at their table, but the dress wasn’t appropriate for their plans tonight. She flipped past the skirt and jacket she’d had on the day Nick had picked up takeout from a local restaurant and met her in the park for lunch. He’d said he wanted to tell her more about Captain Thaddeus, but she’d gotten the distinct impression that he’d really just wanted to spend time with her. That feeling had intensified when she’d caught his sidelong glances while she was supposed to be studying the statue. She’d caught herself wondering if Nick liked her as much as she liked him. The possibility had sent shivers of awareness down her arms. Later that week, her heart had raced when he’d oh-so-casually helped her into her sweater in the chilly diner where they’d met for breakfast one morning.

Tonight, though, they were simply meeting at the bakery for a lesson in how to make cupcakes. Or, rather, how to create them without a recipe. So why couldn’t she decide what to wear?

Despite her dilemma, she hummed a happy tune. Most people barely noticed her ever-present list of things to do or how much it bothered her when her schedule fell apart or if someone threw a monkey wrench into her plans. Nick had, though, and he hadn’t just stopped there. Not content to merely chalk her actions up to a personality quirk, he’d delved deeper, asked questions, and hadn’t let up until he understood why winging it without a plan was such a huge problem for her. Then, he’d formulated his own plan to introduce spontaneity into her life. Best of all, he’d insisted on being at her side throughout the whole thing.

She supposed that was why she valued their friendship as much as she did. It wasn’t just that Nick was tall, dark and ever-so-handsome. Or that her heart went pit-a-pat every time she gazed into a pair of deep-set eyes that were more gray than blue. She’d felt that zing of physical attraction before with other men, but Nick was the first one who’d ever showered her with care and concern, who hadn’t been satisfied with outward appearances, but had insisted on getting to know what really made her tick. Because of that, she felt like she’d known him forever. In the short time since she’d come to Heart’s Landing, they’d grown closer than she’d ever thought possible.

Her hand stilled on the next hanger in the closet. Did her feelings for him go deeper than friendship?

She sank onto the edge of her bed at the sudden realization that they did. Nick was everything she’d ever dreamed of—compassionate, warm, funny, caring—and he made her feel complete in a way no one else ever had. Though she hadn’t known him long, she’d fallen in love with him. And it nearly broke her heart that she couldn’t tell him.

Not now. Probably not ever.

Her chin dropped nearly to her chest. Tears gathered beneath her closed eyelids. She gave her head a rueful shake. As much as she wished things could be different between them, as much as she wanted to drop a not-so-subtle hint that she wouldn’t mind a bit if Nick leaned in for a quick kiss, she couldn’t. For that to happen, she’d have to tell him the truth, the whole truth. That she was only standing in for the real bride-to-be. That when this Saturday rolled around, she wouldn’t walk down the aisle at the Captain’s Cottage carrying a bouquet of flowers. Her cousin would. That the man standing up front wouldn’t be named Bob, but Chad. And that the real bride and groom had insisted on changing every detail about the upcoming ceremony and reception.

But those were words that could never come out of her mouth.

She’d sworn to protect Kay’s identity, and family came first. She wouldn’t, couldn’t break the promise she’d made her cousin. She couldn’t even think of taking such a risk. Not with the wedding only a few days away. No matter how much it hurt to keep the truth from Nick, she had to keep her own feelings under wraps.

She slid another hanger to the front of the closet and reached for the shirt she’d purchased in one of the shops on Procession Avenue. Paired with jeans, the outfit would suffice for an evening of baking in I Do Cakes’ kitchen. As for her urge to tell Nick the truth, it would remain tucked away beneath the Heart’s Landing logo on her T-shirt.

A short time later, she sat at a sidewalk cafe on Bridal Carriage Drive, the remains of her dinner salad in front of her. The town had quieted while she ate. Lugging bags and parcels, the last of the shoppers had loaded their purchases into the trunks of cars and sped off. A few had entered nearby restaurants. Some lined up at the hostess station near the entrance to the cafe she’d chosen. There, they chatted while they waited for reservations and empty tables. One by one, the lights in various shops along the street blinked out. Shadows from the trees and buildings lengthened and then disappeared when the sun sank behind the facade of Forget Me Knot Flowers. The leaves in the trees that edged the sidewalks rustled, and birds twittered as they settled into their nests for the night.

A peaceful feeling spread through her chest as shopkeepers called to one another while they closed and locked their doors for the evening. She leaned back in her chair at a table-for-one while she drank in the atmosphere that was so different from what she was used to in Los Angeles. There, business owners protected their merchandise behind heavy metal gates at night, and cars crowded the freeways until the wee hours of the morning. She closed her eyes, imagining what it’d be like to live in a place like Heart’s Landing. The idea held more appeal than she thought it would. While life in the big city made it possible to order a pizza anytime, day or night, she was pretty sure she could make do with something from the freezer in exchange for knowing her neighbors by name, sitting in the bleachers to watch a Little League game on the weekend, or joining the local Chamber of Commerce.

She chased a cherry tomato around her nearly empty salad bowl while she considered the For Rent sign she’d spotted on Honeymoon Avenue on her way back from lunch in the park with Nick last week. Located within walking distance of the center of town, the vacant space would make the perfect spot for an event-planning business that focused on birthday and retirement parties, anniversaries, and other celebrations. Of course, if she really did move here and set up shop, she’d eventually expand her services to include wedding planning, but that could wait until she’d proved she could handle the job—to herself and everyone else.

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