Page 52 of Playing for Keeps
Justin nodded, turning away from the photos and focusing on his friend’s encouragement. “Thanks. That’s the best thing you can do, and I appreciate it.”
Neenah propped her hip on the desk next toCody. Her usually controlled hair stuck out in all directions, and she had a black smudge under one eye. “Hey.” She poked Justin’s shoulder. “Are you joining us for a workout?”
“Not today. I need to run home and figure out what I’m cooking for dinner.”
Cody chuckled. “Sounds very domestic for a guy who lives alone. What’s the occasion?”
Justin leaned back in his chair, finally relaxing now that his thoughts were distracted from the awful call from earlier. “Caroline is coming over.”
Neenah gasped. “You did it? You two kissed and made up?”
Cody playfully shoved her shoulder. “Justin is a gentleman. He doesn’t kiss and tell.”
“I think we’ve made up, but I make no comment on the kissing.”
In fact, he’d been thinking too hard about the almost kiss at the bakery yesterday. He smiled, pretty happy with how things were going so far with Operation Christmas Romance. She’d agreed to give things a shot, even if she hadn’t opened up completely yet.
Neenah patted Cody’s arm. “Let’s go. Justin has better things to do than hanging out with us.”
As soon as Cody and Neenah left, Justin dug back into his notes and finished the report. Knowing an evening with Caroline waited really spurred him into action.
After rushing home, completing the most thorough house clean of his life, and showering, Justin’s phone dinged.
Caroline: Leaving the bakery. Do I need to bring anything?
Justin quickly messaged back.
Justin: Your appetite.
Half a second later, a little pink heart appeared beside her name in the text thread.
He busied himself lighting the grill and checking the marinade on the steaks. For the next few minutes, he paused, backed up, and restarted a video on his phone of a woman with white hair who explained how much milk and butter to add to the boiled potatoes after mashing them with a fork. Well, Justin was using a fork. She had some special tool that made the job way easier.
He’d paced the kitchen twelve times before she softly knocked.
This was it. Caroline was at his house. Half of the stress that had choked him all afternoon came from seeing Caroline, and the other half was worry over her seeing where he lived.
Justin wiped his hands on his jeans before opening the door. Caroline stood on the small front porch with a big, rectangular box with The Cakery logo on the top.
She held it up and smiled. “Hey. I brought dessert, and we have a lot to talk about.”
20
CAROLINE
Justin’s house was a surprise.
Not an outrageous, magnificent surprise. She’d actually expected a mansion. She’d assumed he was financially well-off, but after hearing about the amount he’d just donated as Santa like it was a drop in the bucket, all of her suspicions were confirmed.
This house was modest. It was a regular, single-story house like the one Caroline lived in with Skye. She could see part of the inside around Justin’s broad shoulders, and it was just as plain as the outside. White trim, off-white walls. Zero decorations, like he’d just moved in and hadn’t unpacked anything.
Justin took the box of sweets out of her hands and stepped to the side. “You didn’t have to bring anything.”
“I know, but life is better with dessert.”
She stepped into the living room, and noticed the stark emptiness of the place. Nothing on the coffee table or the matching side tables. No throws on the gray couch facing a massive TV. Definitely a bachelor’s living room. Justin took her coat and draped it over his arm.
“I’ll hang this by the back door in case you want to sit outside while dinner cooks.”
