Page 81 of Baking and Angels

Cindy didn’t seem to notice what just happened, and the bliss washing over Charlie’s face made Rafferty’s spine shiver. He covered his discomfort by pulling bacon out ofthe oven.

Helena smiled, satisfied, as she patted Charlie’s shoulder and then moved to grab a stool next to her other friend. “I just hope the guest room was okay foryou both?”

“Well, I’ve never slept better. It’s like that trip to Mardi Gras all over again,” Cindy said, grinning as she reclaimed her coffee cup.

“And I’m so sorry about this drama just showing up on your doorstep again,” Charlie repeated for the hundredth time as he accepted the plate of breakfast fromRafferty.

“No, please, me casa, su casa, yadda yadda yadda,” Helena said as she took her own plate, giving Rafferty a kiss on the cheek. She then led them all into the dining room. “And I have to go into the office, too. Scarlet sent me an email asking me tocome in.”

“So you still work for her?” Cindy asked, holding the door for Rafferty as he followed with his own plate. It felt strange to belong with this group of tight-knit friends, but they were treating him as if he had alwaysbelonged.

But all of them would not speak to me if I were to leave tomorrow. They are not my friends,he thought bitterly to himself. Somehow that made him feel even more alone.

Guilt washed overhim, too.

She was winning the game. And he resented her for it.

They talked around him as they all ate at the table while he took slow, methodical bites ofhis food.

“You know that Cooking Underground thing that I told you about?” Helena asked as she sat down at the head ofthe table.

“Vaguely, but to be fair I’ve been a little distracted. I’m just glad you still have a job right now. It sounded like you were losing it,” Charlie said as he went behind her to sit on the bench side, letting Rafferty and Cindy have the two easier-to-access seats. Then his watch went off. “And I’m going to be late, so that’s it for me, good-bye. Tell me all aboutit later!”

Rafferty was at least grateful that Charlie cleared the remaining contents of his plate into his mouth before he grabbed his suitcase and went outthe door.

Cindy finished her breakfast and gathered up the extra plate to take to the kitchen. “I’m going to be heading out as well. I’m meeting up with my supervisor. I mean, my former supervisor. We’re going to have lunch.”

“That sounds like a great idea,” Helena added, taking up Rafferty’s finished plate as well, following her friend into the kitchen, ignoring himentirely.

Rafferty sat there with his hands in his lap. Then a peculiar itch slipped into them. Pulling out his phone before he realized he was going to, he stared at the black screen. Then got up to go to where his coat hung by the front door to retrieve Eleanor’s business card.

Typing the number in, he hit the call button before he could stop himself and overthink it.

His hand shook as it rang. Maybe he should have waited. At least have Helena sit here with him, guide him through this.When did I become so dependent on her? Is it even right for me to rely on her like this? Shouldn’t I just bebrave and—

“Hello,” Eleanoranswered.

A thrill of excitement slipped through him at the sound of her voice. “Hello. This is Rafferty,” he said, a hint of his old, charming self flowing into his words. It was the voice he used in seductions, but Eleanor bulldozed right over it completely unaffected.

“I’m not available to take your call right now but leave me a message and I’ll get you back when I’ve got a minute. Thanks.” Then there was a beep. It took another half second for him to realize this was the time for himto speak.

“Uh, hi. It’s Rafferty,” he answered, his words coming out now in sharp detached sentences. “I’m calling you.” Another long pause, his brain working so fast and coming up with nothing more to say.

So he hung up.

“What am I doing?” he asked the phone, but it offered no comment.

Just then Helena returned, dressed in a slate-gray women’s suit with a skirt that went to her knees. She was flipping her hair up into a quick, professional bun. It was hypnotic to watch. And she smiled as beautifully as the sun.

I love her,he thought as he drank it in. He knew it and felt it burn in his heart.So, what am I doing calling Eleanor?

“I’ll call when I’m on my way home. I love you,” she said so easily and casually, as if such a declaration was no big deal. Leaning in, she gave him a kiss good-bye. “Are you going to be okay here whileI’m gone?”

“Yes, of course,” he said. “I have plenty of Food Networkto watch.”

She smiled but she couldn’t hide her worried look. “I’m doing this for you, too. You know that, right? I know I’ve been leaving you alone a lot lately, but soon, you’ll be more involved as we finish getting things set up. I’ve got meetings with a production company today, and I think they’re really keen on workingwith us.”

“Doesn’t that seem… rather fast for this sort of thing?” Rafferty asked.

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