“Are you sure?”
She nodded. “I’ll just go see about getting him.”
She went to move past Avery, but with him standing behind the couch, there wasn’t much room between him and the wall. Not about to let on that it bothered her being this close to him, she forged ahead.
As she did, she got a whiff of his woodsy cologne. Mm… She kept moving, but her thoughts centered on the pleasing yet complex scent with its hints of fresh-cut cedar and other earthy tones mixed with his unique scent. It was quite a heady mixture.
Realizing she was letting her mind drift into dangerous territory, she reined it in. She focused on retrieving the cat. Knowing every inch of the house, Jillian made her way to the back bedroom. Painted in purple and trimmed in white, it too was mostly as she remembered it. A new white comforter with large purple polka dots was the only notable difference. And there on the bed sat Marshmallow on a pillow while Romeo was curled up in the middle of the bed.
“There you are. You look mighty pleased with yourself.”
Romeo blinked his golden eyes.
Behind her, Jillian heard Avery’s uneven footsteps. She turned to him. “I thought Romeo was hiding?”
“He was. I swear.”
“Uh-huh. Then how do you explain this?” She moved aside so Avery could see both cats on the bed.
“Seems as though Romeo is making progress.”
“Progress?”
Avery nodded. “It appears he has the hots for Marshmallow, but she isn’t having any part of it.”
Jillian’s gaze moved back to the cats. Romeo had turned his head to stare at Marshmallow. If a cat could make facial expressions, then Marshmallow was definitely frowning at Romeo. Jillian couldn’t hold back a laugh. This night was like one long, strange dream, ending with a budding feline romance. Is this what her life had become? Playing chaperone to cats?
“I don’t think this is going to work out, buddy.” Jillian moved to the bed and ran a hand over Romeo’s back. And then she moved to Marshmallow and pet her. “It’s okay, girl. I’ll get him out of your way.”
Jillian leaned forward and scooped Romeo up in her arms. He was gentle and didn’t complain at all. He really was the friendliest cat.
She turned back to Avery. “Thanks so much for taking him in on this cold night.”
“Actually, I didn’t take him in. It would appear he let himself in.” Avery smiled. “It seems he knew exactly what he wanted. I opened the door and he ran past me in the dark. I didn’t even know he was here until I went to check on Marshmallow.”
“But how would he know to come here? How would he know about Marshmallow?”
Avery grinned at her. “Maybe it was destiny.”
“Hmpf…I doubt it. It was probably more like Marshmallow was in the front window studying the neighborhood when Romeo spotted her. After all, he’s a friendly guy.” She gave him a hug. “He just wanted a friend.”
“Uh-huh. And how is that explanation any better than mine?”
For that she didn’t really have an answer. “It was just my guess.”
The fact was that once upon a time she had believed in destiny. It’s what got her through the long period of Avery not noticing her. She thought if she was patient that destiny would intervene and he’d finally open his eyes. Ha! What a dreamer she’d been. Now she was more realistic and kept her feet planted firmly on the ground.
Jillian moved to the doorway where Avery was standing. Not about to brush past him again, she paused. Once he moved, she continued on her way. When she reached the dining area, she glanced toward the kitchen where she’d spent so much time preparing meals for Avery’s brother and sister.
There were drop cloths, tools, and a ladder. It stirred her curiosity. “Was there a problem in the kitchen?”
“Not really. It’s just that it still had all the original appliances and décor from when my parents bought this place thirty-some years ago. So I’m updating it in my spare time.”
“That’s great. You always were good with your hands.” And then realizing she was making excuses not to make her way out the door, she started moving again. It wasn’t until she was at the front door that she paused. It would be rude to just rush off.
She turned to Avery, who was lagging behind her. “Is there anything I can get you before I leave?”
He shook his head. “I’m just going to grab an ice pack and settle down in front of the television.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed there was now a large-screen television mounted above the fireplace. The room had been painted a tan shade with white trim. It looked really nice. There appeared to be a number of changes afoot. She’d just been a bit nervous and missed them when she’d first arrived.
Jillian wondered why Avery was making all of these improvements. He was a cowboy from the strands of his wavy brown hair to the tips of his scuffed-up cowboy boots. She’d always thought once Beth and Jordan grew up that he would move outside of town. She wondered what kept him here in this house. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask, but she resisted the temptation. His life was none of her concern. He’d made that clear a long time ago.
She recalled when she’d finally worked up the courage to make the first move with Avery. It’d been a few years after she’d started working for him and the annual Christmas Stroll had been coming up. She recalled how nervous she’d been with her stomach tied up in knots.
And then the opportunity had presented itself. Both teenagers had been visiting friends and Avery had just returned home from working on the Crooked S. She recalled the evening with crystal clarity. A pot of stew had been simmering in the slow cooker while a fresh loaf of bread was baking in the bread machine. The laundry had been done and the house picked up. She’d waited until Avery grabbed a shower and then she’d invited him to go to the stroll with her.
At first, he hadn’t said anything. She’d willed him to agree. And then he shook his head and glanced away. He’d said it wasn’t a good idea with them working together. He didn’t want to mess up a good thing.
It’d hurt and things had been awkward for a while, but with time she’d accepted that it was a case of bad timing. After all, he’d never said that he wasn’t interested. And so she’d waited—the kids weren’t going to need her much longer.
But when he shook her hand on her last day of work for him, the message was clear. There would never be anything romantic between them. The knowledge had sliced through her heart. All of that time, he’d left her waiting and hoping. She’d felt like such a fool. It was then that she’d vowed to move on and start dating again.
She turned back to Avery. “I should go. Tomorrow’s gearing up to be a big day with the grand opening.”
Avery paused. Was he disappointed that she was leaving so soon? And then he said, “I hope it goes well.”
“Thanks. Okay. Well, thanks again. I hope you’re feeling better soon.”
Once outside, she tried to shield Romeo with her coat as best she could from the cold breeze. Lucky for her, he took it all in stride. She had no problems getting Romeo in the car. She placed him on the passenger seat. As she started the engine, Romeo decided to go explore the back seat.
Jillian slowly navigated her way home over the slick roadways. When she pulled into the driveway, she glanced at her mother’s house. The lights were still out. Yes!
Jillian smiled. She’d done it. Thanks to Avery.
Now to get Romeo inside her little apartment without any further mishaps.
Chapter Four
Early the next morning, Avery’s phone buzzed. He checked the caller ID—it was his sister. Immediately his senses went on high alert.
He pressed the phone to his ear. “What’s the matter?”
“That’s some greeting,” Beth grouched.
“For you to call at this hour of the morning, something has to be wrong. It’s too early for class. And you aren’t a morning person.”
“Maybe I’m changing. You know, I’m not a ki
d anymore.”
At least that’s what she kept telling him. On the cusp of nineteen, his sister thought she had all of the answers. Maybe he had felt the same way at that age. It was hard to remember, because for him, it was a different lifetime. As for his sister, he was having a hard time letting go of the image of Beth with pigtails begging him to take her horseback riding when she was supposed to be doing her chores.
He took a sip of coffee, black with a dash of sugar. “So if nothing’s wrong, why are you up so early?”
“I have an exam this morning and I wanted to review my class notes.”
“And how does that translate into a phone call home?”
“I’m getting to it.” She paused. “I’m coming home to take care of you.”
Surely he hadn’t heard her correctly. “What did you say?”
Avery clutched his cell phone to his ear with one hand while he pet Marshmallow with his other hand. They were sitting together in the living room. But his morning coffee was now forgotten as he moved into his guardian mode.
“You heard me,” Beth said. “I’m coming home. Someone needs to take care of you.”
“No, you’re not. I’m fine.”
“If you were fine, you’d still be out on the rodeo circuit.”
He sighed. His little sister was not one to give in easily. She was stubborn and she liked to be right—all of the time. “I just need a little time to heal. Then I’ll be good as new. The doctor said so.”
“And what did he tell you?”
“I’ll be starting physical therapy soon.” He glanced at the hinged black brace that was strapped over his knee. “Don’t worry. It’s not that big of a deal.”
“That’s what you always say, even when you have to get fifteen stitches or have a broken arm. You know, one of these days you’ll be too old for the rodeo. What are you going to do then?”
This would normally be the ideal moment for him to tell her that he was fixing up the house and then signing his portion over to her. Whereas this house fit his stylish and polished sister, it didn’t work for him.
He had no intention of mentioning that the memories of their parents that were enshrined in the house only added to his guilt over the part he’d played in their parents’ deaths. When he was on horseback out on the range, the guilt lightened, but in here it was inescapable—
“Avery?”
“Um…yeah?”
She paused as though considering something. “I’m worried about you.”
On second thought, the conversation about the house could wait. “I told you my knee will be fine.”
“But you’re at home all alone. That isn’t good.”
“I’m never alone. I have Marshmallow.”
“Uh-huh. I still think I should come home. I can arrange to do my class assignments from there—”
“Don’t you dare! You’re going to be the only Wainwright of our generation to graduate from college and that’s not up for debate. Someone’s got to take care of me in my old age.”
“And at the rate you’re going that will be next year.”
“Hey! Have some respect for your injured big brother.”
“So now you want the sympathy? I don’t think so. I figured you’d fight me about coming home so I’ve made other arrangements for you.”
Avery stopped petting the cat and sat up straight. Alarm bells rang loud and clear. His sister had tried more than once to set him up on blind dates. He’d successfully avoided all of them. He wasn’t about to get caught up in Beth’s matchmaking now.
“I’m not going on any blind dates.” His tone was firm.
“Okay. But I haven’t set you up.”
He swallowed hard. “Then what exactly have you arranged for me?”
“Why do you sound so worried?”
“Because I am. You don’t exactly have the most conservative plans. And you do know that I’m not as mobile as I’d like to be.”
“You worry too much. Sometimes you act more like our father than our brother. You really need to loosen up and act your age.”
In truth, he did feel quite a few years beyond his biological age. After all, he’d been a guardian to his brother and sister since they were twelve. For six years, he’d been raising them. And those teenage years were not easy. His sympathies went out to his parents over what he’d put them through. He’d had no idea of the worries that were involved in parenting. He was not planning to repeat the experience—ever.
“Enough with picking on me,” he said. “What exactly have you done this time?”
“Something that will keep you from sitting at home and sulking over missing out on the rodeo—”
“Beth,” he prompted. His patience was at an end.
“I entered you in the Bachelor Bake-Off.”
“The what?”
“You know. The big fundraiser the town is planning.”
“No. I don’t know.”
“How can you live there and yet I know more about the goings-on of Marietta than you do? Boy, you don’t keep up on things, do you?”
“Beth.”
“Well, the town wanted to do something to remember Harry Monroe. And someone donated that old run-down house beside the Chamber of Commerce, but it’s going to take a lot of money to fix it up.”
“Fix it up for what?”
“Harry’s House. It’ll be a kid’s activity center. Isn’t that great?”
Avery was trying to take this all in and how it involved him. “The house sounds like a great idea. I’m sure Harry would have approved.”
Avery had gone to school with Harry. They’d played on some of the same sports teams. And Avery wanted to do his part for the fundraiser, but surely no one would enter him in a baking competition. He could manage cooking hot dogs and hamburgers, but cakes would push his limits.
“Beth, you surely don’t expect me to bake anything that someone would want to eat, do you?”
“You can do it. Those cupcakes you bake every year for my birthday are perfect. You can make those.”
He choked down his denial. What his little sister didn’t know is that those cupcakes were special ordered from the Copper Mountain Gingerbread and Dessert Company. He’d paid extra to have them use his mother’s recipes—strawberry cupcakes for Beth and cinnamon apple for Jordan. And here he’d been so proud of himself that every year he’d been able to sneak them in the house. No one had ever caught on to his secret. Now it was all coming back to bite him in a big way.
“Beth, this isn’t a good idea—”
“Oh.” There was a distinct note of poutiness in her voice. “I thought you would have been happy to take part. Harry’s family is even sponsoring you and paying your entry fee. Well, it’s their grocery store that’s the named sponsor, but you know what I mean.”
And the pressure continued to mount. Avery cleared his throat. “Harry’s family already knows about this idea?”
“Uh-huh. I was talking to Joanie on the phone when we came up with the idea. We thought that it would be perfect and her mother agreed.”
Joanie was Harry’s younger sister who’d tutored Beth in math for a couple of years in high school. Ever since, Beth and Joanie had been close friends despite a six-year age gap between them. Avery welcomed the friendship. Joanie was smart and had a good head on her shoulders. He figured Beth would tell Joanie things in sort of a big sister role that she wouldn’t tell him.
Beth’s voice was filled with emotion. “If you want to back out…I’ll tell Joanie and her parents—”
“No. Don’t.” And then realizing what he was getting himself into, he said, “I’ll do it.”
“You will?” Suddenly Beth was all happy again. “I’m sure Jillian can give you some pointers. Are you sure?”
He hesitated, knowing this was his last chance to back out. “Yes. I’m sure.”
He just couldn’t let everyone down. But what would happen when everyone found out he couldn’t bake? It would be a disaster. He wondered how much help Yo
uTube videos would be. Probably not as much as he needed.
Speaking of Jillian, a question came to mind. “When I ran into her last night, she mentioned something about a grand opening today.” He’d wanted to ask Jillian about it last night, but he got the distinct impression she expected him to know about it all already. “Do you know what she was referring to?”
“You really have been gone a lot. She’s talking about her new business, Tangled Charms.” Beth proceeded to give him a rundown of the handmade jewelry business.
His sister may be away at school, but she was still quite connected to Marietta. It made him even more certain he was doing the right thing by fixing the house up for her. When she graduated college, she’d have someplace to call home.
“Beth,” he said, getting her to pause to take a breath. He needed a way out because after holding Jillian in his arms and almost kissing her, it was best to keep his distance. “With all Jillian has going on, I don’t think this is the right time to ask for her help.”
“It’ll be fine. She’ll tell you if it doesn’t fit in her schedule, but I don’t think she’ll turn you down. And if you want to win, you’re going to need her help.”
His sister was right about one thing. The one person who could bake the most delicious pies and cookies was Jillian Parker. For so many years, she’d helped him out with his brother and sister. She’d done a lot more than just watch them. She went above and beyond anything he’d ever asked of her. She’d been a lifesaver.
But this was different. She no longer worked for him. She had her own very full life from the sounds of it. But most of all, he noticed the easy rapport between them had become stilted and awkward.
*
Today was the day.
Jillian had been waiting on this moment for almost ten very long years.
There were many days when she thought it would never happen. But at last, her dream was about to come true. Today Tangled Charms would become more than a few doodled thoughts on a legal pad. It would be more than figures and spreadsheets. It would become a reality. Jillian hoped it was a smashing success, just like her internet business.
Sprinkled with Love Page 3