Page 35 of Cupcake of the Month
“Not how bad it really is,” he finished for her. He wiped his hands on a towel and returned to her side. His face was a mixture of knowledge and compassion and it made her insides weak. “You guys are tight, Jordan. You know you can tell themboth anything.”
“What would be the point? There’s nothing they can do. There’s nothing anyone can do. There’s nothing I can do but wait.”
“And yet, clients are still calling. And someone offered you a job.”
The oven timer chimed, but neither of them moved. Yearning burned inside her, but she had to lower her eyes and break his hold over her. Her future was such an uncertain road. She shouldn’t drag her past along for the ride.
Silently, he rose from her side and turned off the timer. With swift, sure movements, he picked up the sauce pan and swirled its contents.
She pushed her glasses back up her nose, watching Josh’s back muscles move and flex under his tight shirt. Her body hummed one hundred percent approval, but her mind took a step back to analyze the big picture.
This Josh now, the relaxed, commanding one, was who she had fallen for all those years ago. She braced herself as a whisper of unease stole through her. How long would this last before he turned into silent, sullen Josh again? And who knew who graced his bed on a regular basis?
It wasn’t going to be her.
When he finished at the stove, he held out a plate of eggs and a piece of toast liberally spread with peach preserves. A spring of rosemary decorated the rim and released its earthy scent. “Eat.”
She guessed they were done talking. At least for now. A loaf of bread lay on the counter next to a container of sour cream. The sizzle of something frying coming from the cast iron skillet filled the kitchen along with the unmistakable smell of butter.
“You didn’t have to hold up your work to make me food.”
He put the plate on the island in front of her, then picked up her hand and shoved the fork in it. “Eat.”
She stabbed the egg and put a bite in her mouth. He must have infused them with a cloud, because they were the lightest she’d ever had. “Wow. These are phenomenal.”
Josh went back to the stove and picked up a slice of bread. “What’s the job?”
“I haven’t studied the potential yet, but I’d be transitioning what I already do to a new environment. Instead of helping a company break down its real and perceived strengths and weaknesses to build a better work force, I’d be interviewing different groups of people and finding out what they think about issues facing the district.”
“For Congresswoman McGraw.”
How much did he notice behind the tray and tuxedo at those parties? “Yes.”
He nodded. “I like her. Voted for her.”
“She’s definitely a force. I hadn’t planned on saying yes, but she’s very convincing.”
A wave of motion caught her eye at the skillet. Josh had flipped the French toast in the air and caught it back in the pan. “So what’s holding you back?”
She blinked back the sudden tears that threatened behind her eyes. “What if I really did mess up? What if everyone lost their jobs because of something I did?”
Josh put the finished French toast in the oven and crossed over to Jordan. He put his hands on her shoulders.
“You didn’t.”
“How can you be sure?”
“Because you don’t mess up, Jay. How many CEOs and presidents, directors and managers were pleased by your work? How many companies did you helped make stronger and more successful since you opened your doors?”
Jordan shrugged. “Enough.”
“So this one bad apple...?”
“One bad apple can ruin the barrel. Especially when the badness lurks under the surface of its perfect red skin and you end up spitting it out in front of a cameraman filming you for the evening news.”
He gave a low chuckle. “If you let it. Or you can chuck it back and get yourself a new and improved piece of apple.”
“You don’t think I’ve told myself the same thing?”
