Page 108 of Digging Up Love
“You also saved his job.” Granny shook her head. “I’m not saying you two need to start necking on the dig site again ...”
“Gran!” Simone reached over and pushed their grandma’s knee, grinning gleefully.
“But at least call the man.”
But Granny didn’t know about his ex. About how Alisha had become yet another woman Quentin cared about who’d taken his faith in her and dashed it to pieces.
“What’s done is done. I’m not going to put him in a position of feeling bad for turning me down. Of needing to explain why we won’t work. It’s better this way. Cleaner.” The circle of loved ones around her looked ready to argue back, but she shook her head. “Really. I have more than I need right here. Any more would be greedy.”
How could she expect Quentin to trust her after what she’d done? Why beg for a second chance? She’d proved herself unworthy of him. All she could hope now was that he’d forget about her and move on.
CHAPTER 41
ALISHA
November
The bell over the door tinkled, letting in the hum of the city street and the skitter of dry leaves along the sidewalk.
“Welcome to Vanilla Honey,” Alisha sang out, sliding a tray of golden-brown scalloped madeleines onto a display shelf. Butterscotch notes of blond chocolate wafted toward her. The flaked sea salt on top balanced the sweetness and lent texture to the airy cookies. “I’ll be right with you.”
“No hurry. Are your macarons vegan?”
She leaned deeper into the case to straighten the label. “Not all of them, but we do have several varieties of vegan cookies. Anything marked with aV, andGFif you’re looking for gluten-free.” Satisfied, she straightened up and peeled off her gloves, beaming her best customer-service smile directly into Caitlyn’s grinning face. “Cait?”
“How’s it been, Al, gal?”
“Um, good?” Seeing Cait brought memories surging back. Memories of Quentin she’d spent the past three months suppressing. Her smile wobbled.
“Just messing with you about the vegan cookies, Ali. Bring on the butter.” Cait eased down the display, squatting to take a closer look at the spiced pumpkin whoopie pies with toasted-marshmallow cream filling Alisha had created in a nod to autumn.
Every time she whipped up a fresh batch, she battled away memories of Quentin’s eyes dark as dusk across the fire, the sweetness of their first kiss. But Caitlyn’s voice brought her back to the present.
“You know I’ve been Insta-stalking you since the day you fed me those to-die-for snickerdoodles. Been meaning to stop in since your grand opening.” Cait planted her hands on khaki-clad knees and straightened up. “I’ve got to be honest: I came for the cookies, but I also stopped in because—”
The door to the shop opened again, and a group of middle-aged ladies came in.
Stepping aside, Cait bowed at the waist and swept out her arm. The women gave her a weird look but placed their order. Alisha fetched their selections and rang them up, one eye on Cait, who sat down at one of the brushed-gold tables, following her movements like a cat with a mouse.
Jittery, she somehow managed the transaction without dropping anything and then thanked her lucky stars she only had to reswipe the credit card once.
Cait jumped up the moment the three women had left, unzipping her windbreaker like she planned to stay for a while. “Okay, you’re low on apple-butter thumbprints, so best get me three of those before someone else comes in. When do you close? Soon, right?”
She checked the purple agate wall clock. “Five minutes.”
Cait’s dark-brown eyes lit up. “Perfect. I’m gonna clean you out. But before we get to that ...” She bit into one of the cookies Alisha had handed her. “OMG, yesss.” She hugged herself and danced in place on the quartz-tiled floor. “Have you tasted this? Duh, of course you have—you’re the sugar maven who created it.” She took another bite,speaking with her mouth full. “Okay, back to business. Why the heck are you ghosting Dr.Harris?”
The question caught her off guard. “It’s not ghosting if the other person wants nothing to do with you.” At the other woman’s skeptical look, she threw up her hands. “I singlehandedly imploded his career, Cait.”
“Jeez, God complex much? There were two people in that photo, lest you forget, and one behind the camera. Besides, you fixed everything, so it’s water under the bridge.” Caitlyn swallowed. “Got any milk?”
Alisha pointed to the refrigerator case on the far wall, wishing it housed bottles of liquor instead.
“Nice. Blake thought of everything.” Cait grabbed a half pint of skim milk and knocked it back like a shot, then wiped her mouth with the back of her wrist. “Back to you and Doc Harris.”
Alisha opened her mouth, but Cait raised a hand. “I know you think he hates you, but if that’s the case, why’s he been moping around campus like a broody Heathcliff?”
“I wouldn’t know.” She kept her tone level, braced her palms on the steel countertop.
