Sprinkled with Love

by Faye, Jennifer

  “What exactly is going on between you and my daughter?”

  He swallowed hard. “We’re friends.”

  “But you want it to be more than that?”

  Wow. She wasn’t going to lighten up on him. He supposed he deserved it. “I, uh, like your daughter.”

  “Listen, if you are just going to string her along and hurt her again, back away now.”

  “But we aren’t dating. She’s seeing someone else.”

  Her mother’s eyes widened. “She is? This is news to me.” Mrs. Parker’s gaze sought out her daughter. “Perhaps I’ll go have a word with her.”

  Avery found it strange that Jillian wouldn’t tell her mother about Glenn, but maybe she was worried her mother wouldn’t like him. And for good reason too. Glenn wasn’t exactly the friendliest sort of guy—at least not the side of Glenn that Avery had seen.

  He didn’t have long to think over his conversation with Jillian’s mother. He had more pressing matters on his mind. Right about now, Avery was regretting going along with this Bake-Off competition. Even though he’d baked three pies, he’d only produced one that made Jillian smile when it came out of the oven.

  This event was making him way more nervous than the first round of baking. He didn’t even want to contemplate what it would be like to make a cake. The pie seemed challenging enough. He hoped he wouldn’t do anything to embarrass Jillian. He just needed to get through the pie portion of the contest without burning anything this time.

  Avery headed to his station and put on his apron as Mrs. Monroe made the kickoff speech. As soon as the announcement concluded, Avery began putting together the ingredients for the pie crust.

  His hands had a slight tremble as he cut the butter into the flour mixture. He struggled to get the dough to come together properly; then he recalled what Jillian had taught him about adding additional water to get the mixture to the right consistency. And it worked.

  By the time he had the rolling pin out, he was starting to feel a bit more confident. He got all of the ingredients for the filling out. He just had to add everything at the appropriate time.

  He glanced up every so often to check on Jillian. He didn’t know why, he just liked knowing she was close by. And that’s when he noticed she was speaking to someone. When the man glanced up, Avery recognized him—Glenn. And he didn’t look happy. Avery couldn’t help but wonder what was going on with them.

  It was none of his business so he turned his attention to the bowl where he was measuring out the ingredients for the pie filling. He added sugar, cinnamon, salt—his gaze strayed back to Jillian.

  Jerky arm movements said that the conversation had deteriorated. And now Jillian was frowning and pointing to the door, but Glenn was shaking his head.

  Avery wasn’t going to stand for Glenn bullying Jillian. He set down the measuring cup, not the least bit worried about the pie at this point. He ignored the judges’ comments as he moved away from his station. He’d be back just as soon as he made sure everything was all right with Jillian.

  “What’s going on here?” Avery asked, bringing the heated conversation between Jillian and Glen to a halt.

  “I’ve got this,” Jillian said.

  Glenn crossed his arms and glared at Avery. “Yeah, butt out. This is private.”

  Avery’s gaze moved between the two of them. Was this a lover’s quarrel or something more?

  “Glenn was just leaving.” Jillian glared at Glenn.

  The man turned on Avery. “This is your fault. Everything would have been fine if you hadn’t come back to town.”

  Avery refused to react to Glenn’s barbed comment. “The lady asked you to leave and I’d suggest you do it. Unless you need help out.”

  Glenn hesitated before turning to Jillian.

  “Just go,” she said. “We’ll talk later.”

  Glenn strode away.

  Talk later? Avery was disappointed to hear that Jillian wasn’t going to kick the man to the curb straightaway. What did she see in this man? It was totally beyond Avery’s comprehension.

  “What are you still dealing with him for?” Avery blurted out in frustration.

  Jillian shook her head. “You don’t understand. And I’m not getting into it here.”

  “But he doesn’t even make you happy—”

  “Avery, stop. I’m not discussing Glenn with you. It’s my problem. I’ll fix it.”

  He understood enough to know that she hadn’t washed her hands of that jerk.

  “What are you doing over here? You’re supposed to be baking.”

  And then he remembered how he’d walked off halfway through making the pie filling. As he rushed back to his station, he realized one thing. He cared far too much about Jillian to stick around and watch her waste her life with that loser. The rodeo circuit was starting to look very appealing.

  Lost in his conflicted thoughts, Avery picked up the measuring spoon he had left on the counter and added the salt followed by the remaining ingredients. Then he added the filling to the pie crust and proceeded to assemble the pie top just like he’d practiced.

  At last, he slipped the pie in the oven.

  Avery felt confident this time. He was happy to redeem himself for the Monroes’ sake. The pie was picture-perfect. Some of his finest work.

  While the pies baked, it was time to announce the winner’s name for Jillian’s jewelry auction. Avery had forgotten about his bid until that point. He wished he hadn’t come up with the idea, but now it was too late. So he leaned back and watched the proceedings.

  After Jillian said a few words, she reached out as Suzanna placed the highest bidder’s information into her hand. “And the winner is,” she unfolded the paper and paused, “um, it’s Avery Wainwright.”

  A murmur rippled through the crowd and then the clapping began. He had won the necklace and earrings. Avery made his way to the front of the crowd. He’d never seen Jillian’s face so red.

  When he approached her, she leaned over and whispered, “You shouldn’t have done this. But thank you. I hope Beth enjoys the set.”

  “But they aren’t for Beth.” When her eyes filled with questions, he said, “They are for you. They’re almost as beautiful as you.”

  “But I…um, I don’t know what to say.”

  “Just turn around and let me put it on you.”

  She shook her head. “I can’t wear them. It wouldn’t be right.”

  Her refusal to wear the jewelry deflated his happiness. It was just one more reminder of the tension lingering between them. His gut twisted in a knot.

  When she turned away to speak to another person, Avery placed the black velvet box holding the beautiful jewelry next to her purse. He just hoped she would keep the jewelry. After all, she deserved to wear her own creation.

  *

  The pies were done at last.

  The eight contestants lined up behind their entries. Avery was nervous. He held his hands behind his back to keep from fidgeting. His pie looked amazing, especially considering last week he didn’t have a clue how to bake one.

  Though the crust hadn’t browned evenly, the lattice was evenly distributed and the caramel sauce had really added an extra oomph. When the judges made it to him, he straightened his shoulders and waited. First they judged the pie’s appearance and a few other criteria.

  And then it was time for the most important element—the taste test.

  The breath caught in Avery’s throat as each judge slipped a fork into their piece of pie. And then one by one they lifted their forks and took a bite. And just as quickly each judge frowned.

  “Ugh.” Ryan Henderson, a top pastry chef, frowned as he set his fork on the plate. His gaze met Avery’s. “I think you got too much salt in it.”

  The other three judges nodded in agreement.

  In that moment, Avery realized what he’d done wrong. He’d let himself become distracted with Jillian. In the process, he’d added salt not once but twice. How could he have let himself become distract
ed again?

  As his spirits deflated, the air in his lungs escaped.

  Today just wasn’t his day.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  With a yank, the For Sale sign was once more removed.

  Monday morning, Avery trudged up to the garbage can and placed it there, for the final time. At least, the realtor had been too busy to put in one of those big wooden signs. This was just a little sign with metal prongs.

  Upon entering the house, he realized he should call the realtor and take the house off the market. He didn’t know what he was thinking agreeing to sell his childhood home—his brother and sister’s last link to their parents. The memories in the house were more important than owning a ranch. At least that’s what he kept telling himself.

  Rick Styles, owner of Styles Realty, answered on the second ring. Before Avery could get to the point of the phone call, Rick wanted to talk about the Bake-Off. Avery didn’t want to be rude and settled for making small talk until it seemed like an appropriate point to segue the conversation to taking the house off the market.

  “Are you sure this is what you want to do?” Rick asked, taking some liberties since he’d known Avery all of his life. “When I last spoke with you and your sister, you both seemed so certain it was the right thing to do.”

  Beth didn’t know about Avery changing his mind. She was now back at school and he wasn’t ready to tell her about his decision. She’d launch into another of her long-winded speeches about how he was making all of the wrong choices with his life. Since when had their roles reversed where she was advising him on his life choices?

  Avery sat down on the living room couch and stared at the mess of paperwork awaiting him. “I’ll take care of Beth.”

  “But I don’t understand,” Rick said, “your sister seemed certain about this last week. I’m not concerned about the loss on the sale. I just want to make sure you’re making the best decision for you and your family.”

  “A lot can change in a weekend.” Avery’s thoughts strayed back to the Bake-Off. He’d desperately wanted Jillian to end things once and for all with Glenn, but she hadn’t. And though their relationship appeared stormy, she still cared enough about the man to try and talk things out. Frustration balled up in Avery’s gut.

  If she couldn’t see what a loser Glenn was, there was nothing Avery could do. She’d made her choice and now it was time for him to put as much distance between them as possible.

  Maybe with time and space, he’d get her out of his system. Something told him that was more wishful thinking than anything else. Jillian was in his mind, his blood, and most of all his heart.

  What did it hurt to tell Rick about his decision? Soon everyone would know. Avery leaned back on the couch. “I’ve decided not to settle down. I’ll be heading back out on the rodeo circuit right after the last round of the Bake-Off. So I won’t have time to run a ranch.”

  “I see.” Rick sounded disappointed, but he didn’t push the matter any further. “It’ll take a day or two to pull the listing from the various real estate websites.”

  “I understand. And thank you. I’m sorry for putting you through all of the trouble.”

  “It happens. Just let me know if you ever decide to put the house back on the market. You’ve done an amazing job with the place and I think when the time is right, it’ll sell quickly.”

  Avery appreciated Rick’s kind words about his remodel job. He thanked him for everything and promised that if he needed a realtor he would be the first person he called.

  He was still holding the phone in his hand when it rang. “Hello.”

  “Can we talk?” Jillian asked.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” He didn’t want to get involved in whatever was going on with her and Glenn. And if he saw her right now, he would tell her exactly what he had on his mind. It wouldn’t do either of them any good. “Besides, I’m headed out to check on my horse.”

  “This won’t take long. I’m right outside.”

  She was? He moved to the living room and glanced out the window. Her car was parked along the curb. “How long have you been sitting there?”

  “I just pulled up. I kept trying to call, but your line was busy and I wanted to take care of this before work.”

  “Jillian, I don’t think this is a good idea—”

  “It won’t take long at all. I promise.”

  It went against his better judgment but he said, “Come in.”

  He propped the door open and waited for her to make her way up the walk. When she stepped up on the porch, he moved aside to allow her entrance to the house.

  He closed the door and turned to her. “What can I do for you?”

  “I noticed the For Sale sign is missing from the yard. Did the house sell?”

  He shook his head. “I took it off the market.”

  “Oh.” Her expressive blue eyes reflected the passage of varying thoughts that had crossed her mind. “I stopped by to let you know I don’t think we’re working well together. I’m sorry you didn’t win either of the first two rounds of the competition.”

  “It’s not you. It’s me.”

  She held up her hand, halting his explanation. “This arrangement isn’t working for either of us. But I have lined up someone to help you with the last round of the competition.”

  He knew Jillian backing out of mentoring him had nothing to do with his performance at the Bake-Off and more to do with them. She was outright rejecting him, fully and completely. Avery refused to acknowledge the stab of pain that thought brought him.

  He mentally chastised himself for following his heart instead of his brain and avoiding any messy emotional entanglements. Why had he gone there with Jillian? He’d opened himself up as much as he could but it wasn’t enough for her.

  He drew his thoughts up short. Her reasons didn’t matter. He was fooling himself to think they would ever have worked as a couple.

  “Who is this person who’s supposed to help me?” he asked, hoping it wasn’t her mother.

  “It’s Suzanna. She’s even better than me in the kitchen. So she’ll be a big help to you with the cake. She’ll stop over tomorrow at six-thirty.”

  Crash!

  The sound of shattering glass echoed through the house. Avery turned toward the bedrooms. “I better check on that. I’ll be back.”

  *

  With Avery out of the room, Jillian drew her first easy breath.

  She didn’t know how difficult this visit was going to be. She hadn’t even known if she was doing the right thing. But she felt awful that Avery hadn’t done very well at the Bake-Off and she blamed herself. Even if he wouldn’t admit it, he blamed her too. His temperament changed every time he was around her.

  Resolute to clear the air between them, Jillian moved to the couch. As she sat down, she noticed the array of papers covering the coffee table. She shouldn’t look. It was none of her business, but as she went to turn away, her gaze strayed over the word rodeo.

  At this point, she just couldn’t resist looking at the papers. There were rodeo schedules, entry forms, and instructions on closing a house for an extended period. With each word she read, her heart sunk.

  The worst thing had happened—she’d fallen in love with Avery again and he was leaving town. The backs of her eyes stung, causing her to blink repeatedly. From the looks of it, he would be gone for a very long time. She knew the rodeo was in his blood. Why did she think that would ever change?

  She got to her feet and headed for the door. And then reaching in her purse for the car keys, her hand strayed across the velvet jewelry box containing the jewelry he’d won at the Bake-Off that weekend.

  She couldn’t keep it. Every time she looked at the necklace, she would be reminded of Avery. It would be too painful of a memory.

  She slipped the box from her purse and retraced her steps to the coffee table. She set it down in the middle of the papers before letting herself quietly out the front door. There was nothing left for them to
say to each other.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  He wasn’t changing his mind.

  Avery paced back and forth in the kitchen. He’d just hung up the phone after speaking once more with Rick at the real estate office. There was an offer for the house. It had been made before Rick could pull the listing.

  When Rick had tried to explain to the buyers that the house was no longer available, they wouldn’t take no for an answer. They’d been one of the first people to tour it in the few days that it was on the market and they’d fallen in love with it. And now they were offering above asking price to purchase it.

  Before he’d hung up, Rick had told Avery to sleep on it. And Avery had agreed. Money from the sale plus the money he’d squirreled away this year would be enough to secure a loan to buy Crooked S Ranch. Not that he was really going to do it. This town was too small for him to avoid Jillian and right now, it would be too painful to stick around, especially if she worked things out with Glenn. The thought twisted his gut up in a knot.

  The doorbell rang. It would be Suzanna. He glanced up at the clock. Six-thirty, right on the dot. She was nothing if not punctual.

  He didn’t know Suzanna very well. They shared the occasional hello but not much more. And now as they worked to separate egg whites into a large mixing bowl, he found he liked her. She was friendly, considerate, and smart. No wonder she was Jillian’s best friend.

  As he followed her directions and whisked the egg whites to soft peaks, she asked him, “Have you known Blake long?”

  “I’ve known him since he started working at the Crooked S Ranch about nine or so years ago. He’s a really good guy.”

  “That’s what I thought too.”

  He had the feeling after spotting Suzanna and Blake in deep conversation at the Bake-Off that there was a romance budding. “Is there anything else you’d like to know?”

  “Can you keep a secret?”

  “I can.” He had a feeling he knew what she was about to tell him.