Page 35 of Loving Carter

Right or wrong, I’m glad I spoke to Rachel, and I hope Carter agrees to go out with her. And as far as him getting mad, he can’t say a thing. He already pushed me toward Gabe, so actually, I’m just returning the favor.

Turnabout is, after all, fair play.

***

I’M NOT SURPRISED WHENCarter comes into my bakery early the next morning. At first, I wonder how he’s going to act, but he sits down at the counter and looks over the menu like always.

“Hi, Carter,” I say when he doesn’t say anything to me.

He smiles, but it isn’t his usual smile. He might not be mad, but he isn’t happy. Calmly upset, maybe?

“Rachel called me,” he says when I walk over to take his order. His tone makes it clear he wasn’t thrilled about the call.

“Sorry about that,” I say. “I know you said you’d handle it yourself, but I thought I’d help.”

He meets my gaze, and for a moment, he simply looks at me. Then he says, “Your way is faster.”

Things have gotten really weird with us, and I miss my friend. I’m half tempted to talk to him about it, but that doesn’t make a lot of sense. He is, after all, the person who made it weird, although I’ll admit, I seem to be adding to the weirdness.

“Okay,” I say, at a loss as to what else I can say. “I have a dog to frost. Marla Duffy ordered a cake of her dog.”

He looks at me, a smile lurking on his face. I’m glad to see his mood is improving. “What kind of dog does she have?”

“Part poodle and part something that probably snuck up on the mom,” I tell him.

Carter laughs, and I feel the tight coil of nervousness inside me relax.

“Will we be okay?” I ask, nibbling on my bottom lip.

For a heartbeat, he says nothing. Then he finally says, “Of course. Right or wrong, we’re friends forever.”

His comment makes a knot form in my throat. That’s the silly saying we developed when we were kids. It was our way of feeling secure in our friendship. I appreciate him saying it because at the moment, I can use all the reassurance I can get.

“I think we should ignore what I said and go on.” After a brief pause, he adds, “If it’s any help, today I’m not attracted to you at all.”

Normally, a man telling me he doesn’t find me attractive wouldn’t thrill me, but today’s not a normal day. “Really?”

My excitement causes him to chuckle. “Yes, really. It was a fluke.”

I’m so relieved. I don’t want things to change. My life has had too much change recently, and I like things the way they are.

“That’s wonderful.” I smile at him, and he smiles back.

“I was tired. Just ignore it.” He runs one hand through his hair. He does look tired.

“So what’s next on the expo agenda? What should we focus on now?” he asks.

“I’m meeting Gabe this evening to visit one of the bands,” I tell him. “It should be interesting. Do you and Rachel want to come too? That way we can decide right away.”

He hesitates, but only for a moment. “I’ll ask her.” He hands me the menu. “Coffee and a cinnamon roll.”

I get his food, then head to the back to focus on the dog cake. I’m really thrilled that things are going back to normal. I don’t want him attracted to me. In fact, I don’t want anyone attracted to me, at least not right now. I’m busy with the shop, and I don’t want to get involved with a man. In the past, relationships have done nothing but cause me problems. At the moment, my bakery comes first, and most dates don’t like playing second fiddle. Eventually, my plan is to find someone great and settle down, but only after my bakery is set.

When I hear the chimes on the front door, I walk back out. Carter is finishing his breakfast just as Janie rushes in. As usual, she’s running late, and she stumbles to a stop when she sees Carter.

“I didn’t know you were here,” she says, then adds, “But I wouldn’t, would I, since I just got here.”

Carter and I exchange looks, and I know he’s thinking about what to say. Finally, he settles for, “Hi, Janie.”

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