by Boyd, Eliza
She hadn’t thought about it that way. It made everything feel even more confusing than before, but it also brought about a clarity she hadn’t considered. She absolutely did not want a repeat of the past, and though she couldn’t control how Jared handled his side of it, she could control how she handled hers.
Did she want this second chance to work out? If she was honest and listened to her heart, she really did. This new Jared seemed fun, more spontaneous, more capable of loving her and putting work aside when he needed to. It probably wouldn’t be like that every day, but she didn’t need him to do that every day when she had her own business. With that to keep her busy whenever she and Jared weren’t together, maybe this second chance could find liftoff.
So she vowed to let Jared in as much as she could—starting bright and early tomorrow morning.
14
“Everything went fine with Nourish Foods,” Thomas told Jared when he answered the phone. “We’re still on track to close the deal when you get back. Though I’m surprised you waited until the next morning to call and find out, which means things must be going well with Hailey.”
Jared’s heart pinched at the sound of her name. He could hear her downstairs, getting everything ready to bake. He had a few things to wrap up before he’d go down there and help her, and he couldn’t wait. After yesterday, his whole life felt lighter. Better. Happier. He wasn’t sure where it was going to lead, but that didn’t matter at the moment. For now, he had a second chance with his ex-wife and he was going to take it.
“You could say that,” he responded to Thomas, a smile creeping across his lips as he pushed away from the desk in his sister’s bedroom.
“You’re singing a much different tune than you were when you arrived, my friend,” Thomas chuckled. “Should I expect an early retirement? I wouldn’t mind running this place solo.”
Jared laughed, but the more that idea sank in, the more he liked it. It was too early to say one way or another, but it wasn’t like he couldn’t swing it. He had more money than he could spend in a lifetime, and Hailey wasn’t exactly known for her rich taste. At least she hadn’t been. It didn’t look like things had changed, but that was what the getting-to-know-her-again period was for. He’d find out.
“I wouldn’t count on it, but with how things have gone this week, you never know,” he said. Then he got up and crossed the room to the door. “Do you have any leads on how to fill that contract we lost?”
“Not anything to report yet,” Thomas answered. “Jessica is still digging, and I’ll put a few more people on it so we can find the right match for this partnership.”
When Jared opened the door, he peeked down the hall. He could still hear Hailey working downstairs, the Vitamix whirring loudly enough to drown out what he was about to say. “Okay. We need to hurry though. We don’t have much time now that we’ve lost that contract already.”
“We’re on it, man. We’ll figure it out.”
Jared released a deep breath. “All right. Call me with any news.”
“Will do,” Thomas said. “What’s on your vacation agenda today? Sightseeing? Hiking? A downtown tour?”
Chuckling, Jared said, “No. Believe it or not, cupcake baking.”
Thomas’s silence said it all.
“I know. I’ll explain later. I gotta go. Keep me posted though.”
“Okay,” Thomas replied, stretching the word out. “Bye.”
Jared hung up, leaving his phone on the desk before trotting down the stairs. The smell of something sweet and delicious tickled his nose before he’d even made it to the kitchen, and when he finally got there, his stomach rumbled with the desire to eat whatever she’d baked.
“Happen to have any extras for me?” He crossed over to the island, where she was using a spatula to remove batter from the blender.
With her head, she gestured toward the plate on the oven. “Those are still cooling, but you can have one. The rest need to be frosted and boxed up once they’re ready for my meeting.” She didn’t take her concentration off the task at hand.
After devouring the one cupcake he was allowed, he dusted his hands off and met her at the island. “What can I do?”
The hand she was using to stir her batter froze in the bowl. Then she flicked her gaze at him, taking a deep breath. That question needed to stop flying out of his mouth. But all he wanted to do was help her. He’d learn to rephrase it before their time in this house was up.
“Line the cupcake tin?” she finally suggested.
He nodded once and got busy doing as she’d asked. She didn’t start stirring the batter again until he was halfway done, but she did so with a small smile on her mouth, which warmed his heart.
When he was done, he brought the cupcake tin to her, setting it on the counter next to the bowl. She filled each one carefully, ladling in enough batter to create the cupcake she wanted. Then, with all the batter gone and the tin full, she popped that batch into the oven and rinsed the blender.
“What’s next?” he asked.
“The peanut butter and jelly ones. My most popular cupcake,” she responded. “I have”—she peeked at the clock on the microwave—“three hours to finish all of these and let them cool by two. Then I have to leave at two thirty to be there by three.” With a deep breath, she brought the blender back to the island, standing next to him, and placed her hands on the counter. “I can do this.”
“We can do this,” he replied, giving her shoulder a tiny bump.
A smile broke out over her face and she relaxed a little. “Yeah. I’d like that.”
“Me too.” He reached for the bag of flour and a measuring cup. “One cup of this, right?”
That smile on her lips grew as she nodded. Then she filled another measuring cup with pitted dates and worked on the wet ingredients while he added the dry ones to a bowl. Within ten minutes, they had the batter for the next batch of cupcakes, but the ones in the oven still had five minutes to bake.
“These are really easy to make,” he remarked, leaning a hip against the counter and folding his arms over his chest. “Except for the dates, which need the high-speed blender.”
Hailey shrugged. “I think they’re healthier. And I could get date paste or syrup, but it’s easier to find whole dates. Less expensive too.”
“Ahh, expense.” He swung his head from side to side. “That’s usually my job to worry about those things.”
“Yeah, well, I’m the CEO of my own business now,” she said around a laugh. When it died down, her expression turned serious. “And all the other positions. I honestly know how you felt back then, I think.” She faced him, wiping a hand over her brow. “Starting your own business isn’t easy, and I don’t think I gave you enough credit for that.”
He took a step closer to her. “Of course you did. You were always encouraging me.”
Until the business became more important than the relationship. He didn’t say it, but the words hung in the air anyway.
She shrugged with one shoulder. “I guess I understand now. And it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.” Reaching over the counter, she picked up a towel and tossed it over her shoulder. “I’d much rather come up with new recipes than keep baking the old ones. That’s where the fun is. But the old ones pay the bills.” A tight, mirthless smile covered her mouth.
Jared narrowed his eyes at her. “I thought you enjoyed this.”
After a long sigh, she said, “I do. Usually.” Then she ran a hand through her hair. “I think it’s just the pressure of this meeting today. It’ll be fine.”
“Of course it will. Your cupcakes are amazing,” he told her sincerely, dipping his head to catch her gaze.
She finally looked at him again and grinned. “Thanks,” she said. Shaking her head, she faced the counter again and got started on the next batch with the dry ingredients. “What about you? I’m not even sure what you do as a CEO.”
He uncrossed his arms and laughed lightly. “I write the checks and land the deals, basicall
y.”
“What kind of deals?”
“Ones with food delivery vendors. We’re the parent company to different kinds of meal kit boxes customers have delivered to their house to make gourmet meals.”
She raised her brow and nodded. “Like Easy Chef?”
Jared almost choked on his surprise. “Yeah. Just like that,” he said, inwardly delighted that she’d heard of his company.
While dumping flour into another bowl, she said, “I’ve looked into those kinds of companies, but no one’s doing dessert. Or breakfast. It’s all dinner.” She set the measuring cup on the counter and sighed. “Maybe that’s something you could start with your business.”
His surprise this time didn’t almost choke him, but it did leave him at a loss for words. How had he never thought of that before? Adding make-at-home desserts to complement their dinner meals—or even breakfasts for the people who wanted to make that more often. And lots of people were cooking for their pets these days. Her dog cupcakes could be a part of that line too.
Wow. This could be huge. Even bigger than the contract he’d lost with HomeGrown Foods. If they could launch dessert and breakfast kits, they’d have a leg up on the entire market. This idea could be exactly what they needed.
The timer on the over barely registered in his haze of blazing through the next steps he needed to take. He’d have to call Thomas, explain the idea, and have Jessica be on the lookout for brands that want to expand to dessert and breakfast or companies that already do this. Then he wanted contracts on their desks before the week was out. It was fast, but this kind of idea was once in a lifetime and he couldn’t let vacation time get in his way of that.
Hailey went to the oven and turned the timer off. Then she bent to take the cupcake tin out before setting it on top of the stove to cool. When he shook himself out of his stupor, he rushed over to help her. She shouldn’t do all of that with her shoulder still healing, but she’d already done it.
“I’ve got it. It’s okay,” she said reassuringly, a smile curving her lips as she gazed up at him.
Standing that close to her, with her looking happy and him feeling like he could burst out of his skin with an excitement he hadn’t felt since he’d kissed her the first time, he was inexplicably drawn to her. As he stared into her eyes, the pull to her grew stronger, more intense. He began to lean his head toward hers, testing the waters before going for it completely. He didn’t want to scare her off, but the adrenaline rushing through his system pushed him forward. When she didn’t move away, he took that as a good sign and kept leaning closer, his pulse kicking up a few notches the nearer he got to her mouth.
Then his lips were on hers, which felt even better than he remembered. Soft and sweet, tasting like maple syrup and cinnamon from her French toast cupcakes. He dared to deepen the kiss, bringing a hand up to her face, her silky hair tangling in his fingers. Lavender flooded his senses on his next breath, and as his lips fluttered against hers, all thoughts of business and contracts left his mind. Once more, he kissed her and then lingered there near her mouth, her breath warm against his skin and a dizzy sensation floating through his head.
Suddenly, Hailey pulled away from him, backing up a few inches to capture his gaze. He hadn’t realized he’d closed his eyes, but he found it difficult to open them now when he felt so blissful with her in his arms again.
“What is it?” he asked. “Should I not have done that?”
“No, it’s okay,” she said, shaking her head a little. “I just…” She took a deep breath. “I have to focus on these cupcakes first. Get through this meeting.” Stepping away from him, she put a hand on her brow. “I know I’m asking you to do exactly what you used to ask me—let me put my business first. But this—”
“It’s fine,” he said, his hands in the air in front of him. “I understand. This happened before we started…” Waving a finger between them, he hoped that was enough to finish that thought.
“Right. Once this is done, we can…” She made the save finger-waving gesture.
Jared smiled at her. “Okay.”
“Okay,” Hailey repeated, grinning too.
It gave him a lot of hope to see her so optimistic about what was happening between them. And to know she was serious about her business. If they’d both been working this hard before, they might have had a different outcome.
That thought led down a spiral of new ones. He didn’t want business to tear them apart, so what if it brought them together? What if Hailey’s cupcakes could be the ones customers ordered as dessert kits?
Suddenly, he hoped she was more than serious about taking it to a new level because he had a full plan of where to she should take her business unfolding in his mind: Easy Chef.
He wasn’t sure if she’d go for it, but he hadn’t become the CEO of a multibillion-dollar company by letting obstacles get in his way.
This one would be no different.
15
Hailey wasn’t sure what was making her more full of nerves: the meeting with Fontell Foods or whatever was happening between her and Jared. She desperately wanted this contract to build her business, but that kiss… Oh, that kiss. It’d been so long since she’d felt that excitement deep in her belly. It was addicting, but she couldn’t let it get in her way.
Between the two of those things, she was a ball of worry. A few deep breaths as she got out of Jared’s car later, she was feeling a bit calmer. She was so confident that her cupcakes would wow them. She just wasn’t sure what would happen after that.
Getting a national contract would mean she’d be busier than she already was. It’d take her cupcake company to the next level, which was exactly what she’d been aiming to do—before Jared had returned to her life. The last thing she wanted to do was create the same situation they’d been in before only in reverse, where she was the one ruining everything for them. But she couldn’t give up on her cupcake company, either. She’d started it and she was going to see it through. All she could do was hope Jared could understand that.
Or that he would be just as busy and they’d figure out how to make it work in the cracks of their lives.
No matter what would happen, the time to worry about it was not right then. She needed to focus on winning over the woman she was meeting with in ten minutes and land this national deal.
Hailey reached for the cupcake boxes in Jared’s hand, but he shook his head and moved them away.
“I won’t disturb your meeting, but I’ll bring these up for you.” He nodded toward her shoulder. “You probably shouldn’t put too much weight on it still.”
“Thanks.” She tucked the manila folder with Miriam’s name on it under her arm and went toward the door of the tall building in downtown Portland.
At the elevator bay, she pressed the up button and headed to the fifth floor per Miriam’s instructions. When they reached the receptionist’s desk, she checked in and then took a seat next to Jared to wait for Miriam. She’d barely crossed her legs when the receptionist said that Miriam was ready for her. The nerves hadn’t even had time to kick in before she rose from her seat and took the boxes from Jared.
“Go get ’em,” he told her, smiling. “I’ll wait here.” Then he leaned forward and kissed her cheek.
Warmth enveloped her with his touch. The press of his lips on her skin gave her so much more confidence than she’d had before. For a split second, it made her wish she’d supported him harder now that she was on the receiving end of it. But things were different now, and she could only focus on the future, which was on the other side of the frosted-glass doors behind her.
“Thanks,” she said before spinning on her heel, her heart pounding in her chest as she took the cupcakes toward Miriam’s office.
The office at the end of the hall had Miriam’s name stenciled onto it, so Hailey went straight to that one. She knocked once on the door, and a voice told her to come in. When she did, she found a thin woman in a stark-white fitted dress behind the desk. Her red hair was pinn
ed up in a professional updo, and she stood, gesturing for Hailey to approach her desk.
Hailey did, placing the boxes on it once she got there. Then she reached across the desk to shake Miriam’s hand.
“Hi there,” Miriam said, gripping Hailey’s hand with a firm grasp.
The movement sent pain spiraling through Hailey’s shoulder, but she did her best to hide her wince and let the woman’s hand go. “Hello. I’m Hailey Cumberland with CumberCakes.”
“So nice to meet you.” Miriam smoothed out the bottom of her dress and sat. “I’ve done some research on your cupcakes and I have to say how excited I am to taste them myself.”
Hailey grinned. “Well, I hope they live up to their reputation.” She pushed the boxes toward her. “I even baked you a brand-new recipe, so you’ll have to let me know what you think of that one for sure.”
“I’m sure I’ll love it,” Miriam answered, reaching for the boxes. “You made some for my two colleagues, correct?”
Nodding, Hailey said, “Yes. The two boxes on the bottom are for them. Each box has two different types of the cupcakes I have on my menu plus that new cupcake. It’s a French toast cupcake I’m excited to test in the market.”
Miriam set the top box on her desk, tilting her head to the side. “Oh wow. That sounds delicious.” She smirked as she opened the box. “I think I’ll try that one first.”
“It’s this one,” Hailey said, pointing over the boxes to the right cupcake.
The woman picked it up, carefully unwrapped it so her manicured nails didn’t get frosting on them, and then took a delicate bite. The look on her face—her eyes fluttering closed, her lips twisted in enjoyment—told Hailey all she needed to know. But the “Mmmm” she received said even more.
“This is incredible!” Miriam said around her bite of cupcake. That made her laugh lightly while she finished chewing. Upon swallowing it down, she said, “Sorry. I don’t normally talk with my mouth full, but I had to tell you that.”