Not the Marrying Kind

by Jae

  Table Of Contents

  Other Books by Jae

  Acknowledgments

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  About Jae

  Other Books from Ylva Publishing

  Sign up for our newsletter to hear

  about new and upcoming releases.

  www.ylva-publishing.com

  Other Books by Jae

  Happily Ever After

  Standalone Romances:

  Paper Love

  Just for Show

  Falling Hard

  Heart Trouble

  Under a Falling Star

  Something in the Wine

  Shaken to the Core

  Fair Oaks Series:

  Perfect Rhythm

  Not the Marrying Kind

  The Hollywood Series:

  Departure from the Script

  Damage Control

  Just Physical

  The Hollywood Collection (box set)

  Portland Police Bureau Series:

  Conflict of Interest

  Next of Kin

  The Vampire Diet Series:

  Good Enough to Eat

  The Oregon Series:

  Backwards to Oregon

  Beyond the Trail

  Hidden Truths

  The Shape-Shifter Series:

  Second Nature

  Natural Family Disasters

  Manhattan Moon

  True Nature

  Acknowledgments

  As always, I’d like to thank my awesome team of beta readers for their help and encouragement—Anna, Anne-France, Christiane, Claire, Danielle, Erin, Laure, Louisa, Melanie, and Trish, you are truly the best!

  First and foremost, thanks to my friend Trish for countless brainstorming sessions, overnight beta reading, and for being my American guinea pig to try scenes out on.

  Thanks to Melanie for beta reading and for putting food in front of me when I forgot to take a break from writing.

  A special thanks to Trish and her mom and to Christiane, Bianca, and her mother Elke for advice on how to run a flower shop and create dazzling bouquets.

  Thanks also to my eagle-eyed editor, Amber, and to the rest of the Ylva Publishing team.

  Last but not least, I’d like to thank my loyal readers. Writing is a solitary endeavor, so it means the world to me to know that you are out there, reading and enjoying my stories. If you keep reading, I’ll keep writing.

  Chapter 1

  Sasha pushed through the swinging door connecting the kitchen to the front of the bakery and placed the tray of heart-shaped cupcakes into the glass display case. “That’s the last tray. Who knew my heart would be such a hot commodity?”

  Aunt Mae grinned. “Oh, I knew it all along. There’d be plenty of people interested in capturing your heart if only you’d let them.”

  “Nah.” Sasha wrapped one arm around her aunt. She had to lean down to do so. “Who needs romance when they can have cupcakes?”

  Aunt Mae gave her the look over the rim of her green-tinted glasses—the one that had gotten Sasha to spill the beans about whatever mischief she’d gotten into as a kid. “Who says you can’t have both? Find a good-looking hunk or a pretty gal and eat cupcakes with them.” She winked and added, “Or eat other, more interesting things.”

  Sasha burst out laughing. “No, thanks. There’s no one in this town that I want to eat cupcakes with, much less anything else.”

  The bell above the door jingled a welcome, and Ashley Gaines stepped into A Slice of Heaven.

  Sasha never wore a watch when she was working, but she didn’t need one to know it was three o’clock. Ashley came in every day at three on the dot, when the afternoon lull hit or, during busy times like today, when she needed a break. She was as regular as clockwork, and she always ordered the same thing. Ashley Gaines was nothing if not predictable.

  “Hi, Ash,” Kimberly called from where she sat having coffee with her boyfriend.

  The other customers sitting at the small tables echoed the greeting, and Ashley returned it with waves and warm smiles, stopping here and there to exchange a few words.

  That was the same as every day too. It reminded Sasha of high school, when Ashley, two years ahead of Sasha, had been part of the popular crowd. Back then, she had been class president, head cheerleader—and the quarterback’s girlfriend.

  Everyone had thought they’d get married right out of high school, but for some reason, that hadn’t happened. Maybe Ashley wasn’t that predictable after all.

  Sasha watched as Ashley finally tore herself away from her fan club and made her way over to the counter. She walked like a dancer, carrying herself with an inherent grace Sasha had envied back in high school. Ashley had skipped that awkward, gangly teenager phase, while Sasha had been the tallest person in her class and had felt about as elegant as a lumberjack.

  Even now, at thirty-three, Ashley looked like the nice girl next door in her formfitting, purple sweater and a pair of jeans with a couple of green stains. Sasha couldn’t help noticing how nicely they hugged Ashley’s curvy hips and showcased her long legs.

  Okay, she admitted to herself, maybe what she had felt back in high school hadn’t been just envy. Maybe a smidgen of teenage lust had been mixed in too. But now she would rather eat nothing but gas station donuts for a month than get involved with Ashley Gaines, even if Ash weren’t the straightest woman in Missouri. If Sasha ever started a relationship, she wanted it to be with a person who was fun and spontaneous, and Ashley was far too focused on her nice-girl image and doing what people expected of her.

  “Hi, Ashley,” Sasha said. “What can I do to make your taste buds happy today?”

  Ashley gave her the same friendly smile she had directed at everyone else. Her strikingly white teeth shone against her face that was still slightly tanned from helping out on her father’s farm all summer. “The usual, please.”

  “Oh, come on. It’s Valentine’s Day. Aren’t you feeling even a little adventurous?”

  Ashley hesitated and studied the confections on the other side of the glass.

  Sasha couldn’t resist teasing her. Ms. Goody-Two-Shoes was always such easy bait. “How about a Sweet Kiss?”

  Ashley blinked. “Um…”

  “Or would you prefer something hotter?”

  “Pardon me?”

  Sasha gave her an innocent smile and gestured at the heart-shaped cupcakes as if she had been talking about them all along. “The Sweet Kiss ones are chocolate with salted caramel frosting. Or if you’re not in the mood for something sweet, how about a spicy cheddar muffin?”

  Ashley brushed back a blonde strand that had escaped her ponytail, but the gesture couldn’t hide the blush coloring her cheeks.

  Kind of cute. Sasha bit back a groan at the thought. That lingering attraction to Ashley was really annoying.

  “Um, no, thanks,” Ashley said. “I think I’ll go with my usual vanilla cupcake.”

  Yeah, that was Ashley. Totally vanilla. Sa
sha suppressed a chuckle.

  “Plus two espresso chocolate chip cookies for Brooke and a Beagle Bite for Casper, of course,” Ashley added.

  “Of course.” Ashley never forgot to buy treats for her employee or her dog. Sasha took a paper box with the bakery’s logo and reached for one of the vanilla cupcakes with strawberry buttercream frosting.

  “You know what?” Ashley said.

  Sasha looked up. Would Ashley surprise her after all? “What?”

  “Make that two vanilla cupcakes. I think I need the extra sugar today.”

  Sasha gave her a questioning look, but Ashley didn’t elaborate. Not that Sasha had expected her to. They had never exchanged confidences. She placed a second cupcake in the box and put the cookies and the doggie treat for Ashley’s golden retriever into two separate bags. “Anything else I can do for you?”

  Jeez, why had that come out sounding so flirty?

  Ashley didn’t seem to notice. “No, thanks.” She put the exact change on the counter without having to ask how much she owed Sasha. “See you tomorrow for my cupcake break.”

  “See ya.” Sasha took the money without looking at it, her gaze following Ashley as she walked away.

  At the door, Ashley nearly ran into Leo and Holly, who had been about to enter.

  “Oh, hi, Ash,” Holly said. “How are you doing?”

  “Um, great. Keeping busy. You know how it is—Valentine’s Day is always crazy.”

  “Is it okay if we add to the craziness? Could you make up a bouquet of gerbera daisies for Leo’s mom and some tulips for mine?” Holly asked. “We’ll be by to collect them right after we get ourselves a snack.”

  “Oh, sure. I’ll get right on that. See you later.” Without waiting for a reply, Ashley hurried down the street toward her flower shop.

  Sasha stared after her. For someone who had been close friends with both Leo and Holly at one point, Ashley never seemed completely at ease chatting with them, making Sasha wonder if she was uncomfortable with their sexual orientation.

  “Hey, guys,” Sasha said as Holly and Leo walked up to the counter. “Are you having a great Valentine’s Day?”

  “The best ever,” they answered in unison.

  Sasha playfully rolled her eyes at them. “God, you two are so stinking cute together. You sound like an old, married couple.”

  They traded a long gaze.

  “Um, about that…” Holly sent Leo a questioning look. “What do you think? Should we tell her our news now or wait until later, when she’s not so busy?”

  “News? There’s news in this town, and I haven’t heard about it yet?” Sasha opened her eyes comically wide. “Wow. The Fair Oaks rumor mill really isn’t what it used to be.” She took an apricot-orange cream scone and put it in a bag without asking what Holly and Leo wanted. They, too, always ordered the same. “So, what’s the news?”

  Holly leaned forward as if about to share a secret. The ear-to-ear grin on her face made Sasha think it had to be something good. “We’re getting married.”

  A second scone and Sasha’s pair of silver tongs landed on the counter with a clatter, making several customers look over. Sasha didn’t care. She wiped her hands on her baker’s apron, rushed around the counter, and engulfed first Holly, then Leo in a warm hug. “That’s wonderful. I’m so happy for you guys!”

  As soon as she let go, Aunt Mae hurried over and hugged them too. “Did you propose today?” She looked from Holly to Leo and back.

  “I wanted to.” Holly laughed. “I had it all planned out. A romantic stroll along the creek before heading to Tasty Barn for a candlelit dinner, and when we got to the bridge, I wanted to drop down on one knee and ask her to marry me. But Leo beat me to it last night.” She held out her hand, showing off her engagement ring with a single, beautiful diamond.

  “I wanted to do it on Valentine’s Day too, but then I thought that might be a little too cheesy, even for someone who writes sappy love songs for a living.” The corners of Leo’s mouth curved up into an embarrassed smile. A ring that looked nearly identical to Holly’s sparkled on her finger. “Plus I just couldn’t wait any longer.”

  “Wow. You both planned to propose without the other knowing? Great minds think alike.” Sasha had never really believed in all that happily-ever-after stuff, but seeing the obvious love radiating off her friends, she was almost considering changing her mind. “So when’s the happy day?”

  “We were thinking the first Saturday in May. It’s my parents’ wedding date, and my mom loved the idea when we told her over breakfast,” Holly said. “Plus it’s not too hot in May.”

  Sasha nodded her approval. Elaborate wedding cakes and summer heat didn’t mix well.

  “We want something small and low-key, not a big, fancy production, so we’re not going to have an official maid of honor or bridesmaids with identical dresses or anything like that, but…” Holly traded a look with Leo, who gave her a tiny nod. “We’d like you to be part of our wedding party.”

  Warmth spread through Sasha, as if she had just taken a bite of a cinnamon roll fresh out of the oven. “I’d be honored.”

  “And we’d love for you to make our wedding cake,” Leo added.

  “Of course,” Sasha said without even consulting her order book first. “Any idea what kind of cake you want?”

  Holly and Leo again exchanged gazes before Holly said, “Not yet. But my mom thinks it’s a good idea for the baker and the florist to collaborate closely so the cake and the flowers match both in color and design. Maybe we could all get together at our place in a week or two and talk about the details.”

  “Yeah, sure. Who’ll do the flowers? Blossoms from Kansas City?”

  “Um, no,” Holly answered. “We want Ash to do it. We haven’t asked her yet, but I hope she’ll agree.”

  Ash… It shouldn’t have thrown her for a loop. Not only was The Flower Girl the only floral shop in town, but Ashley had also been friends with both brides-to-be in the past. Still, the prospect of having to work with Ashley was more unsettling than Sasha cared to admit, and she couldn’t even say why exactly.

  “That’s not a problem, is it?” Holly asked when Sasha remained silent.

  “No, of course not.” If Ms. Prim-and-Proper was willing to work a lesbian wedding with her, there wouldn’t be a problem at all. Sasha had worked with dozens of other wedding professionals over the years, and it had always gone without a hitch. Why would this time be any different?

  “If anyone else walks in here and orders a dozen red roses, I’m going to scream.” As the latest in a long string of rose-buying customers disappeared down the street, Ashley sank against the counter and stretched her aching back.

  Brooke, her part-time employee, laughed, making the small hoop in her nose vibrate. “Yeah, me too. It’s so lame. They all say they want something special and unique for V-Day—and then they order the most cliché thing ever.”

  “Well, at least we’re making good money today.” Her little shop really needed that since business was always slow in January.

  “Yeah,” Brooke said. “It’s the day of overpriced chocolates and guilt-trip flowers that people only buy because they’re supposed to.”

  Ash circled the counter to choose the most beautiful gerbera daisies for the bouquet Holly had ordered. “Wow. That’s kind of jaded for a nineteen-year-old, don’t you think? You sound like—”

  “Like you?”

  “Me?” Ash shook her head. “I never said anything like that. I merely mentioned that it would be more logical if Valentine’s Day were in summer, when roses are actually in bloom. But aside from that practical consideration, I’m a romantic at heart.”

  “A romantic who hasn’t had a date since way before I started working here.”

  Ash turned away under the pretense of getting sprigs of eucalyptus and some bear grass for the bouquet. This was e
xactly why Valentine’s Day was both a blessing and a curse for her. The most romantic day of the year was a reminder that she was alone and would likely stay that way. She forced a smile as she returned to her workstation and faced Brooke. “Is my mother paying you to say that?”

  Brooke grinned and brushed back the long side bang hanging over one eye. “Ooh! You think she would? I need all the money I can get to be able to leave this town and go away to college.”

  Before Ash could answer, the bell above the door announced another customer.

  Barry Clemons, the owner of the grain and feed, stepped into the shop and shook drops of rain and sleet off his coat. “Brr. Hi, Ashley. Can’t wait for spring. Bet your dad says the same.”

  “He does. You know him. Every year after harvest, he swears he’ll finally take Mom on vacation, but by the time January and February come around, he can’t wait to get back in the fields.”

  Barry chuckled, then sobered. “How are your folks? Must be a tough time of year for them.”

  Ash smiled through the stab of pain and sent a glance to the customer who had come in right after Barry. Thankfully, Mrs. Mitchell was busy looking at the orchids and the potted hydrangeas and didn’t seem to be listening in on their conversation. “They’re okay. Staying busy fixing tractors and doing barn repairs. Dad is even helping me out with deliveries today because we have so many online orders that my driver can’t do it all. So, how can I help you?”

  “I thought I’d get some flowers,” Barry said.

  “Captain Obvious,” Brooke muttered under her breath.

  Ash nudged her behind the cover of the counter. The customer was king, even though it was kind of obvious that he was here for flowers.

  “What were you thinking of?” Ash asked.

  He looked around the shop, which today wasn’t as neat and orderly as Ash usually tried to keep it. The floor was dirty from the many customers who’d come in since seven this morning, when she had opened the shop two hours earlier than usual. She hadn’t had much of a chance to tidy up her work area, so trimmings of stems and stripped leaves formed piles behind the counter. One of the adorable plush teddy bears had toppled over on the shelf, as if it had gotten tired waiting for someone to take it home. A heart-shaped balloon had escaped from the flower basket it had been tied to, and now it dangled from the ceiling.