"She's one of those people who's always been entertaining. Come on; I know an amazing ice cream spot not far from here. They've got some crazy flavors you're going to love."
Twenty minutes later Kate and Allison sat on a bench placed under a tree, outside an ice cream shop on Main Street.
“Oh wow!” Allison said, taking a second lick of her ice cream. “This cheesecake flavor is incredibly realistic! How is this possible?”
"I told you you'd enjoy it. Brandi's a genius when it comes to flavor. I'm not sure how she does it, but I highly doubt she'll be offering up her secrets. She's given me quite a bit of inspiration for some of my cakes."
“How did you get into baking? From the little Tracy told me, neither one of you were into any particular hobbies, right?”
"That's true. I was your average student in high school and college, and then this one girl took me on a date to a fancy restaurant in Brighton. I ordered the opera cake for dessert, and the rest is history. I'd never experienced such an explosion of flavors, all perfectly balanced. For a while, I wanted to become a food critic, but then I started baking and fell in love with that."
"That's a lovely story. You got the girl and found a new passion."
Kate winced. "The date was terrible. She was one of those wealthy types who loved to throw her money around. I don't know what made her think I'd want to be a trophy wife."
“You’re certainly pretty enough for any woman to want to have you on their arm.”
Kate’s breath hitched. Allison found her attractive, and her mind immediately raced with fantasies of what they could do together.
Get a grip. Of course Allison finds you attractive. You and Tracy have a lot of similar features.
Kate shuffled in her seat. “Uh, thanks.”
"I mean it. You're also very kind and thoughtful. I know I didn't get a proper chance to say it a couple of days ago, but I appreciate the way you were there for me. Not only did you let me stay with you, but you're proving to be a remarkable friend. Without Tracy here, I don't know what I would have done."
“Don’t you go handing off all the credit. You walked into the front of the shop without an ounce of fear today. You’re pretty good at pulling yourself up.”
"Maybe, but I don't see how I would've done it without you. Working at the bakery has given me a routine, friends, and a sense of purpose. I appreciate you taking a chance on me."
Kate shrugged. "It was a no-brainer. I knew you were a decent cook, and you have an amazing attitude. You wanted something to do, and we needed the help. It was a perfect fit. Although I have a sneaking suspicion that Jamie's hoping you'll become a permanent member of the Patsy's Bakery team."
Allison chuckled. "While I love it, I don't think I could stay forever. I'm starting to feel my creative juices kick back in. I've started sketching."
“Really? That’s amazing.”
“Nothing good yet, but it feels good.”
Kate wrapped an arm around Allison. “That’s how anything worthwhile starts—with a spark of inspiration. You’re on the right track.”
Before Kate could withdraw, Allison rested her head against her shoulder and sighed. “I’m glad I moved here. I can’t imagine my life without you, Jamie, and the bakery. I’m so much happier.”
Allison went still for a second. “Is this okay?”
Kate nodded numbly. Her mouth went dry, and her heart beat double time as Allison snuggled even closer. Kate’s early assessment of Allison being a touchy person hadn’t been wrong.
Over the last few nights Kate had looked forward to them watching TV together. Allison would inadvertently scoot closer or place a hand on Kate's knee to emphasize a point now and then. Kate lived for those moments. It wasn't just about affection. It was about the fact that Allison felt so comfortable around her.
“Are you happy Tracy and I moved here?” Allison asked.
“Totally,” Kate managed to get out. “I can’t imagine life without you, either.”
This newfound friendship Kate was building with Allison was both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, Kate loved how happy she was every day. Allison was so warm, fun, and open with Kate. She made Kate feel wanted and needed.
On the other hand, Kate could feel the stirring of deepening emotions. It was only a matter of time before Tracy returned, and the little bubble she and Allison were living in would burst. At least in Kate’s eyes. To Allison, they were friends who had a neat connection.
I hate the friend zone.
7
The next Saturday morning Allison sat at the kitchen table, sketching. A vivid image of a breathtaking white building had shown up in one of her dreams, and when she woke up she couldn't stop herself from digging through her suitcase and sitting down to capture what she had seen, before it faded from her memory.
It had been a long while since Allison had a pure moment of inspiration, and she was excited at this turn of events. In some way, her life was getting back to normal.
No. That was a lie. Her life was becoming better than it was before.
Allison smiled as she let the pencil glide over the sheet of paper. With each minute that passed, the flowing, curved lines, reminiscent of her favorite architect, Zara Hadid, began to take form.
As a young architect, Allison had looked up to the older woman, obsessively studying her work. At one point she even became an imitator, but then reality hit, and she tossed those dreams out the window. Now, after the most harrowing experience of her life, it was a building in the style of her favorite architect that showed up in her dream.
If that isn’t a sign, I don’t know what is.
“Hey,” Kate called, walking into the kitchen. “What are you doing?”
"Some sketching. I saw this building in my dream, and I'm trying to put down all the details before I forget them, although my rendition isn't as perfect as it looked."
Kate peered over Allison’s shoulder. “Wow… This is amazing.”
“You think so?”
“I’m no architecture snob, but I’ve certainly never seen a building like this. There’s an elegance in the way you’ve drawn it. Can something like this be built?”
Allison's eyebrows shot up, and she stared at Kate and wondered. No one had ever taken such an interest in her work. Avante-garde architecture wasn't exactly one of those things people instinctively gravitated to.
With all the shows on TV about wealth, people were more impressed by the size and fancy interior decoration of buildings, rather than their structure. The fact that Kate already connected with this building from a crude sketch told Allison she was indeed an artist at heart.
"There was this amazing British architect named Zara Hadid who designed buildings like this. She's had a lot of her work built, and some of the sketches she left behind before her passing are going to be built in the future. She was an immense inspiration for me."
Kate sat in the seat opposite Allison’s and rested her elbows on the table. “Was?”
“It’s a long story.”
"I don't have to be anywhere today, and I'm pretty interested."
“Are you sure you’re not just saying that?”
Kate cocked her head and smiled. "You do know that a lot of my work involving cake relies on the visual, right? I'm genuinely impressed that the building can be so artistic. So yes, I'm interested. I might even steal one of your more simple designs and try to make a cake out of it."
"That would be so cool! Getting a building built is a tall order that takes years. A cake would be the perfect form to use to express some of my designs."
Allison bit her lip as she visualized curving out the elegant shapes she had drawn. It would take dozens of hours, but she was sure that between her and Kate, they could get it done. The use of fondant would help create a surface Kate could probably use to do some of her amazing airbrushing work.
I've worked on million dollar buildings and never been this excited. How sad is that?
“Allison?” Kate asked
, waving a hand in her face. “Where did you go?”
"Every day I see the mugging and moving to Rose Lake more and more as a blessing in disguise in a twisted way."
Kate slanted her head. "Why do you say that? What was top architect Allison’s life? You don't talk much about your old job and what you used to do."
"That's because I was never really excited about it. I mean, I had an impressive job at an illustrious firm, and I had the respect of my peers in the industry, but I think I stopped being fulfilled by that a while ago."
“I can’t relate to that. I worked in a call center,” Kate said, laughing. “But I can relate to going through the motions.”
Allison snapped her fingers. “Exactly! I had achieved the kind of success I always thought I wanted. I had an incredibly nice car and an equally successful girlfriend to go along with it.”
“But it was all surface level.”
Allison sighed. “In many ways, it was. I walked away from my old job a lot more easily than I should have. I think a part of me wanted to leave. All I had ahead of me was designing more giant office structures, before progressing to a point when I’d start to mentor and manage younger architects. Sooner or later I would have been dissatisfied with all of it, but now I get to pick a new path.”
"And be true to who you are. I know full well that going after your secret dreams without fear of judgment makes life so much more fulfilling. What do you have in mind?"
Allison shrugged and giggled. "Nothing solid yet, but that's exciting. I want to do something where I could combine this type of interesting architecture with something a little more practical. I want people to have something exciting to live and work in. Something that's unique. But building a client base rich enough to commission those types of projects takes time."
“It’s a good thing you have a lot of that left.” Kate leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table. “Patsy’s Bakery is doing well for a new business. It pays both Jamie’s and my salary, but there’s not much left at the end of the month. Most people would be worried about that, but I’m not. I know once we hit our stride and get some more loyal customers coming in for custom work, then all the fancy ideas I have for the bakery will come true.”
“What fancy ideas?”
Kate's blue eyes sparkled. "First, I'd want us to be able to make cakes for bigger events. There are a lot of cool businesses that celebrate huge milestones with mediocre cakes. I'd like for us to do custom work that will live in the photos they use to share their story decades from now. I'd also like to expand the seating of the restaurant. I want us to be able to host book clubs and other community events. I'd love to do a workshop for kids. Not enough people promote the culinary arts as a legitimate career path."
Allison rested her head on her hand and beamed. "You're amazing, you know that?"
Kate blushed slightly. “Not really. I’ve got a lot of dreams. They may not all come true, but I’m sure as heck going to try.”
“No, that’s not why. Each of your ideas involves helping someone else. You’re something special, Kate Morrison. You’ve got a heart for people.”
Alison’s throat constricted, and her heart ached as she realized that Kate was the type of woman she’d always wanted to be with. Not only was the younger woman gorgeous, but she understood Allison. More importantly, she made Allison look at herself and her life differently.
Just a few minutes ago she was thinking about starting a business building homes for the wealthy. Now she was thinking about designing buildings for community centers that would create engaging spaces for teenagers and the elderly to be able to learn new things and express themselves. Kate, in a word, made Allison want to be a better human being, and it felt good.
Too good.
Allison shot to her feet. “Sorry. I need to use the bathroom.”
Adrenaline flowed through her veins as she rushed into her room and shut the bathroom door behind her. Allison's breath became erratic as reality dawned on her. She was falling for Kate, and while she'd been able to deny that over the last few weeks, telling herself that they had a phenomenal friendship, she couldn't do it now.
Allison had had dreams about Kate, and yes, she had been more touchy than usual around her, but she had never once thought about a future with her. The most worrying bit was that she had never thought about one with Tracy, and now that she tried to picture one with her girlfriend, she couldn’t see it.
“Oh God, what have I done?” Allison whispered.
She had allowed Tracy to pick up her life and move to Rose Lake to be with her. That was the kind of thing couples who saw a future together did. But at the same time, Allison had been in a dark place, and Tracy was in a lot of ways like a comfort blanket to her.
When Allison first told Tracy she needed to get out of town, she had fully expected to leave by herself. When Tracy agreed to come, she hadn’t read too much into it. What if Tracy saw it as a step toward marriage? She had introduced Allison to her family pretty quickly.
Allison's hands shook as the thoughtlessness behind her actions hit home. She had allowed a woman who she cared for, but didn't see a future with, to make serious sacrifices for her.
I’ve got to give things with Tracy a real shot, starting by getting rid of these feelings for Kate.
A knock on the bathroom door startled Allison. “Y-yes?”
“Are you okay?” Kate asked. "You’ve been gone for a while.”
Allison swallowed and did her best to make her voice steady. “I had a bit of a stomach thing. I’ll be out in a bit.”
“Okay. I’ll be in the kitchen.”
Allison got up on shaky legs and splashed water on her face. She forced herself to take deep breaths and repeatedly told herself that she could do this. But the hazel eyes that stared at her from the mirror told a different story.
Allison braced herself against the sink. "Listen up," she scolded herself. "You and Tracy have something beautiful, something worth fighting for. The last thing you can do is betray her for someone who might not even want you."
Allison exhaled and nodded to herself in the mirror before walking out of the bathroom. She had never been a cheater, and she wasn’t about to become one. She was going to give Tracy a fair shot, and if it didn’t work, then she would apologize profusely and bow out gracefully. Kate would never be an option. That would ruin Tracy’s trust in women.
“How are you feeling?” Kate asked, getting up to squeeze Allison’s shoulder.
Allison’s resolve crumpled as she leaned into the touch. “Better.”
“I hope it’s not a bug or anything.”
Allison winced internally. She’d forgotten about her little lie.
“No. Nothing serious.”
The side of Kate's mouth lifted mischievously. "Good. I want to take you to this special spot just outside Rose Lake. It's got some interesting looking houses. Some of them were built a long time ago. Don't ask me when because I couldn't tell you, but I thought we could check them out and maybe have lunch after. What do you say?"
“I’m in! I didn’t even know Rose Lake has been around so long. Thanks for thinking of me.”
Kate gently flicked the tip of Allison’s nose and winked. “What do I always tell you? I’ve got you. Sit down and have some cereal, because we’re going to have to get on the road soon.”
Allison fired off a mock salute. "Yes, ma'am."
She took a step forward, but Kate placed a hand on her shoulder and halted her progress. "I'll get the cereal. Why don't you pack a bag and make sure you carry your pencils and whatever else you need. There is a magnificent spot high up that I think you'll love to do some sketching from."
Allison expressed her thanks and ambled to her room. She meant it when she told herself that she was going to suppress her feelings for Kate, but with each passing moment Kate kept pouring more affection and thoughtful gestures onto Allison, and she ate it up like a starved street child brought into a kitchen full of pots and pans with hearty food.<
br />
“I’m so screwed.”
8
Kate leaned against the bark of a tree with a sketch pad in her lap and a pencil in her hand. Allison sat a few feet in front of her under the shade of the large tree, sketching the houses that lay at the foot of the hill. Kate was supposed to be showing off her comic-book-esque portraiture skills, but all she could do was stare at the mesmerizing woman in front of her.
With each passing day, Kate's feelings grew to dizzying heights. She'd been sitting here for more than half an hour, yet she had been unable to get any drawing done. Every time she looked at Allison, her heart ached with a desire that could not be fulfilled.
Kate had done her best to force her feelings down, but she couldn't deny the fact that she and Allison fit well together. Now, whenever Jamie teased her, Kate could do nothing but sigh. When they arrived at Zany's Point, they parked their car at the base of the hill and carried two bottles of water and a blanket to the vantage point. Somehow, halfway through that short hike, Allison's hand had found Kate's, and they had strolled up the hill with their hands clasped.
It wasn't that either of them was in danger of falling off. The hill was rocky in places, but it was an easy walk. Kate doubted that Allison even knew what she had done, but it didn't change the fact that establishing physical contact was as natural as breathing to both of them.
All of these little actions confused Kate. At first, she chalked it up to Allison's naturally touchy nature, but as time passed, she found it difficult to reconcile that truth with the feelings bubbling within her. There was a difference between physical contact to demonstrate a point and the kind of intuitive way Allison touched Kate. And that difference meant Kate was falling for her sister's girlfriend.
This is seriously messed up.
Kate shut her eyes and took an expansive breath. She was in too deep, and the way her ribs ached told her there would be no easy way to get out of the situation. The worst part was, a big part of her didn't even want to.
Kate had observed Allison and Tracy together. While they looked like any other loving couple, she hadn’t seen the kind of happiness and affection Allison had shown her.
Love Me True (Small Town Romances Book 5) Page 5