Page 51 of Summer Affair
Both women went silent.
“What did he say?” Darcy asked.
“That it was up to me.”
“Wow. Not many men would hit the pause button to talk to the mom,” Darcy said. “They’d just want to be the hero and say yes. What did you say?”
“I haven’t said anything. If I say no, Sammy will be crushed, and it would hurt Clay. If I say yes, I’m opening up Sammy to a possible disappointment. I mean, what if Clay feels pressured to do it? What if he gets called back to Seattle? What if something goes sideways with us?”
“That’s a lot of what-ifs over a football game,” Piper pointed out. “What’s really your issue?”
“That he’ll lose interest when I’m still interested,” she said honestly, having a hard time keeping the emotions at bay.
“You can’t worry about what-ifs. Instead, listen to your instincts; they never steer you wrong.” Darcy helped Jillian pick up the second tier of the cake and place it on the cardboard divider, which dispersed the weight.
“They steered me wrong with Dirk.”
“Were there really no red flags or did you ignore them?”
“Oh, there were flags, but when I finally I got pregnant with Sammy I looked past them and tried to make it work.”
“Clay isn’t Dirk. For that matter, there are a lot of great guys out there who aren’t Dirk,” Darcy said. “You just need more time to figure out what your gut is saying.”
“Maybe you just need some moreone-on-onetime with the head coach,” Piper teased.
Jillian did her best to remain focused on the task at hand, averting her gaze. It didn’t work.
Darcy tilted her head knowingly. “Do you see what I see?”
Piper aimed her camera at Jillian and snapped a photo. She flipped on the screen and her two friends huddled around. “Oh, I see it.”
“What?” Jillian moved to see the photo and was at a loss. Her hair was slipping from her bun, she had icing on her apron and a smudge on her shoulder, and her makeup needed a serious touch-up.
“You’ve already spent some one-on-one time with Clay. You got that post-orgasm glow that tells it all. So, based on your earlier statement, either you’ve been spending some quiet time with BOB or you’ve had sex with a real man.”
“With a glow that bright, I’d say an Easton man,” Darcy said conspiratorially, as if there were a congressional hearing and Jillian was on trial.
“Yes, it’s an Easton. And no, we haven’t had sex.”
Piper coughed, but it sounded suspiciously likeBullshit.
“It’s true. We have kissed—”
“We know. Several times,” Darcy added. “But there’s more.”
Jillian focused on placing the final touches on a five-tier wedding cake, with blue and yellow wildflowers precisely placed to make a stunning rustic vision. Darcy was helping separate the already clipped flowers, handing them to Jillian as she worked her way around the top layer. Piper was photographing the entire event.
They were in the prep kitchen of Belle Mont House, the premier wedding destination in the area. People came from all around to get married at Darcy’s venue. And somehow Jillian had lucked out to be added to the top of the list of approved cake designers. She wasn’t the only pâtissier on the list, but Darcy often steered clients Jillian’s way. And for that, she would forever be grateful.
Darcy was the best kind of friend: loyal, supportive, and with this freaky insight that made it impossible for Jillian to get something past her. Darcy saw right through her every time.
“Fine, we may have engaged in a phone call or three that resulted in the glow you are both referring to.”
Darcy covered her mouth, her eyes wide with surprise. “You did not.” She leaned in. “Was it hot?”
“Clearly it was since they finished with Jillian having a long-overdue big O,” Piper said.
“While I did have the Big O, as you put it, we never really reached a touchdown.”
