Page 63 of Valentine's in Bayberry

She shook her head. “It would never work.”

Her heart told her she was being foolish for turning him down. It told her he was the measuring stick by which she’d compared every man she’d dated. Not one of them had come close to filling Jackson’s space in her life—in her heart.

And yet her mind told her to stick to her decision to keep him at arm’s length. It would be for the best in the end—because it would end eventually.

“Carrie, you just have to believe in us. Can’t you do that?”

He wasn’t being realistic. The scare with his mother was the reason he was acting so out of sorts. When his mother was home, and he returned to London, he’d see everything so much differently. And she would be forgotten.

“Jackson, you don’t know what you’re saying.”

“I know exactly what I’m saying.” He paused. “Carrie, I care about you.”

Her gaze once more met his. “And I care for you, too, but that’s not enough to start a relationship.”

“I happen to think that it’s a great foundation for a lasting relationship.”

He was totally missing the point. She didn’t want to have this conversation, because it was going to change things between them forever. And yet he wasn’t leaving her much choice.

“It won’t work.” She grasped for the first excuse she could find. “You live in London, and I live here. That isn’t going to change.”

“What if it did?”

This time she held her ground as she stared directly at him. She ignored the way his presence made her heart pitter-patter. “Did you quit your job?” When he didn’t immediately respond, she said, “Jackson, did you?”

He sighed. “No. But that doesn’t mean I won’t.”

She shook her head. “Do not do that for me. I mean it.”

“Why not? Wouldn’t it solve all of our problems?”

“No. It would just create new ones.” This conversation was emotionally exhausting, and her heart ached because turning him away was the last thing she wanted to do, even though she knew it was best for both of them.

“Carrie...”

“Stop.” She held up her hand, as though to hold back the flood of words that threatened to tear down her resistance. “There’s nothing you can say that’s going to change my mind.”

“So that’s it?” Frustration laced his words. “You’re just going to reject the idea of us without even giving us a chance?”

This conversation was breaking her heart. “We wouldn’t have a chance. The cards are stacked against us.” The admission caused tears to prick the backs of her eyes. “Don’t you see that?”

“No. I don’t.” There was a hard edge to his voice that she’d rarely heard before.

“I tried to tell you that we are better off as friends.”

“Do you really believe that?” His gaze searched hers. “Because I don’t.”

Did she believe it? Or was it her fear speaking? Was Jackson right? Could they be something more? As the questions accumulated in her mind, she realized the answers didn’t matter. She shoved away the questions and ignored the mounting ache in her heart.

What could she say for him to let go of the idea of them together? Because she didn’t want to be responsible for him giving up a career that he’d worked so hard to climb to the top of. Because, eventually, he would resent her for making him give up his successful career.

And she couldn’t turn her back on the chocolate shop that she’d just opened. Not only did she love it, but she owed her grandmother for helping to make her dream come true. Not to mention that she had a business loan to repay. None of that could happen if she were to turn her back on Totally Chocolate and follow Jackson to London.

“Jackson, we’re friends. There can’t be anything more.” She struggled to keep the wobble out of her voice. “I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression. That was never my intention.”

She turned her back to him as she scraped the chocolate from the marble slab. The curls of chocolate would be used on the chocolate cake that was now cooling before she could frost it.

She sensed Jackson lingering behind her—staring at her—as if he was thinking of what he could say next to change her mind. Tears pricked the back of her eyes. She blinked repeatedly. She was not going to cry now. She wasn’t going to let him see how much she truly did care about him.

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