Page 46 of Cupcake of the Month
“How do you know that?”
“Rosh Hashanah is coming up, right?”
“Yes.”
“Happy New Year.” Wendy tilted back her jar. “Josh wanted to make sure we had a supply of apples and honey to serve you.”
Jordan let loose a grunt of frustration and slapped her hand against the arm of the sofa. “Then why is he making this so damn difficult?”
“I guess that’s for you to decide. And to decide if it’s worth it.”
She leaned back and rubbed at her temples. “Well, hell, he’s only here for a couple more weeks anyway. What’s a little personal misery between now and then?”
“Oh, and so you know – he asked if he could spend the night after your party tomorrow. It’s closer to here than his home, and he has a lot of prep to do for the anniversary lunch the next day. With all the family for the couple coming in, the only room we have available is the one in the stables.”
“That’s fine. And hey, at least I have a warning this time.” Jordan dismissed Wendy’s concern with a wave of her hand. “Weren’t we supposed to stop talking about my love life? Surely there has to be something else going on.”
“We have interviews set up for the events coordinator position.” Wendy took out her phone and read the candidates’ experience out loud.
“Sounds like a good group of candidates,” Jordan said. “I’m proud of you, giving up this control.”
“Yeah, we’ll see how that works out.” She picked up the whiskey from the side table and held it out to Jordan.
Jordan shook her head and drained the remaining swallow from her jar. Wendy rose and put the orange bottle in the liquorcabinet. “I’m going to check the kitchen and then head upstairs,” she said. “You good down here?”
“Yeah, I’m off to bed, too. See you in the morning.”
She shuffled back to the stables, tapping her phone. It buzzed against her finger.
At first she thought she accidentally pressed something, but it was a text. From Josh.
She glared as if he was standing in front of her, then put her phone down, brushed her teeth, and got ready for bed. Only then did she open his message. A groveling, flowing apology would be nice.
Goodnight, Jay.
He did this, she realized. These texts. They’d spent so much more time talking with their fingers than they did in person.
Despite Josh’s jerk move, his touch still echoed across her body. It was time to embrace the fire and burn whatever he thought was keeping them apart. Only then would she be truly satisfied, even if it really did mean not being with him.Did you have fun at your lame excuse tonight?
He responded almost immediately.Sorry. Didn’t want to bore you with the details.
Of course he didn’t.Maybe I wanted to be bored.
A small pause before he typed.It wasn’t about you.
You’re going to give me a complex. I’d like it to be about me for once. Doesn’t even have to be a big thing.
She pictured him lounging on his bed in a pair of boxers, his hair wet from having showered.
See you tomorrow, Jay.
Mmmmhmmm. She’d see what tomorrow would bring.
When Jordan woke the next morning, she lay in bed, tapping her fingers on her blanket. All right. It was a normal day, like any other normal day.
She slid on a pair of jeans and a silk t-shirt, then pulled herhair through the back of a ballcap. Girl next door. Her everyday style. Nothing special.
Josh glanced up from his mixing bowl when she walked in through the kitchen door. Yearning flashed behind his blue eyes, but he banked it with a cool look. Hmmmm.
