by Jae
“Don’t you think so too?” Her mother faced him with a questioning look.
“I think this coleslaw is amazing,” her father said. “Other people’s…um…preferences are none of our business.”
Wow. Ash stared at him. She had never heard him say even one word that indicated he was accepting of gay people. It was like being buried beneath an avalanche of rocks and then hearing the search party approach. A heavy weight seemed to be lifted from her chest, and she breathed freely for the first time in many years.
“They aren’t our daughters, after all,” her father added.
The ton of rocks clattered down on Ash’s chest again. So other people’s children were allowed to be gay, but when it was his own daughter, it stopped being okay.
“But if they were, would you be able to go along with all of it, the way Beth and Sharon are doing? There was even talk about them walking the bride down the aisle! Or brides, I guess. Good heavens, this is all so confusing.” Her mother shook her head. “Could you do something like that?”
Her father shrugged between bites of coleslaw. “Lord, no. That would be just weird. But it’s a moot point. Just because our Ashley is as picky as a spoiled toddler with a plate full of veggies doesn’t mean she’s…like that.” He chuckled and continued to eat.
“No, of course not,” her mother said. “I just don’t want people to think so.”
“Nah. She’s just doing her job, creating beautiful flower arrangements. Right, honey?”
Ash just nodded because she was sure her voice would tremble and betray her. She didn’t dare tell them that she had also been invited to the wedding. While her parents finished their lunch, she pushed her plate away. She had lost her appetite, and this time the piece of cake Sasha had served her earlier had nothing to do with it.
Chapter 10
Brooke looked up from the order of large hybrid tea roses she was conditioning and let out an exasperated sigh. “Want me to go over to A Slice of Heaven and get you some cupcakes?”
“No, thanks.” Ash continued to scrub the metal bucket with disinfectant, putting her full body weight into the task. She hadn’t been to the bakery all week, and sending Brooke instead didn’t seem right.
“Oh, come on. You know you want it.”
Ash gazed over at her. “Excuse me?”
Brooke put down her floral clippers. “You’ve had this restless energy all week, cleaning like a maniac. At the pace you’re going, we’ll run out of disinfectant by tomorrow.”
“You know how important hygiene is in a flower shop. If there are bacteria in the water—”
“The flowers won’t last. I know,” Brooke said. “But you’re taking hygiene to a whole new level. Why don’t you just admit that you’re on some crazy diet and having the worst sugar cravings ever?”
So that was what Brooke thought was going on. Ash gave a tired smile. It wasn’t sugar she was craving; it was not talking to Sasha that was making her restless—and realizing that made it even worse. It told her that Sasha was already way too important to her. Maybe keeping her distance for a while was indeed a good idea, even if it didn’t feel like it.
Lunch with her parents on Sunday had once again proven that staying in the closet was the right thing for her to do, and spending too much time with Sasha would make that harder.
With a sigh, Ash brushed a strand of hair that had escaped from her ponytail out of her face. She was just about to clean the next bucket when movement from beyond the display windows drew her attention.
Her heartbeat seemed to falter for a moment, then drummed in a faster rhythm.
Sasha was crossing the street, heading straight for the flower shop.
Ash dropped the brush into the bucket and reached up to redo her hair but then stopped herself. What are you doing? You don’t need to pretty up for her.
Before Sasha could reach the front door, Barry Clemons stopped her and apparently started to chat.
Ash narrowed her eyes. What were they talking about? Was the old Casanova trying to flirt with Sasha?
Brooke’s voice filtered into her consciousness as if from far away. “…Isn’t she lovely?”
“Yes,” Ash murmured, her gaze still on Sasha. “She certainly is.” Although lovely wasn’t the word she would choose to describe Sasha. It was too soft, too weak for a strong woman like her. Striking fit her much better. Ash had never before allowed herself to have a type—and maybe she truly didn’t have one. The only two women she had ever kissed were nothing like Sasha, yet to her, Sasha’s tall, solid body and her strong hands were as appealing as her confident, easygoing personality.
Brooke gave her a confused look. “Um, I was talking about the tea roses. You said that’s what they are called, right? Isn’t She Lovely?”
Oh God. Heat rushed through Ash from head to toe. “Oh. Of course. That’s their name. Isn’t it just perfect for them with their beautiful creamy hues? I love how the outer petals are almost white and then the colors turn a soft peach toward the middle. It’s like they were created to draw the gaze into the heart of them.” She knew she was babbling but couldn’t help it. Hopefully, Brooke would blame it on her sugar withdrawal.
“Uh, yeah. They’re nice, I guess. So, where do you want them? In the cooler or are you using them for an arrangement right away?” Brooke’s gaze went to the door, and she pumped her fist. “Cupcake delivery! Awesome! Guess these go into the cooler.” Without waiting for a reply, she carried the roses past Ash, who stood frozen as the front door swung open.
“Hi, Brooke. Nice flowers.” Sasha stopped to sniff one of the blooms. “And they even have a fragrance.”
For someone who insisted she didn’t know a lily from a dandelion, she sure had an appreciation for flowers. It was one more thing that made her endearing—as if Ash needed any more reasons to like her.
Sasha walked over. When she paused in front of Ash, she shuffled her feet once, revealing the tiniest hint of insecurity. “Hi.”
The moment Casper heard her voice, he rushed out from the back room, whining and jumping around her as if he hadn’t seen her in years.
Yeah, buddy. I know the feeling. Ash watched them greet each other and drank in the way Sasha’s face lit up and her long fingers scratched behind Casper’s ears.
Finally, Sasha straightened and held out the bakery box she was carrying. “I thought if the mountain won’t come to Muhammad… You haven’t been in all week. You okay?”
It was tempting to just nod and say that she’d been busy spring-cleaning in preparation for Easter next month and then Mother’s Day and the wedding season starting the month after. But when she looked into Sasha’s warm brown eyes, she couldn’t lie—not even a lie of omission.
“It’s been a bit crazy.” More quietly, she added, “And not just in here.” She looked pointedly in Brooke’s direction, knowing the teenager was listening to every word they said.
“Oh. Anything I can help with?” Sasha asked, her voice pitching lower.
“Not right now. But these will help.” Ash tapped the bakery box.
“I understand.” Sasha’s gaze revealed that she really did. She wouldn’t ask any more questions—at least not here. “Good thing I brought four different kinds.” She opened the lid and pointed at each of the cupcakes in turn. “Chocolate chip with espresso buttercream frosting…”
Brooke let out an excited shriek that nearly deafened Ash.
Sasha laughed. “I thought you might like that. I also brought banana walnut with maple frosting and chocolate with salted caramel frosting.”
Ash peered into the box. “No vanilla one?”
“How did I know you would ask that? Yes, there’s a vanilla one with strawberry buttercream too.” Sasha pointed at the fourth cupcake and then held up a paper bag. “And a Woofin.”
Casper and Brooke crowded her and looked up at her with equally pl
eading gazes. Brooke wolfed down her treat in about three seconds, and Casper gobbled his down so fast that Ash barely had time to remove the paper liner before he could eat that too.
Sasha’s gaze remained on Ash. “You don’t want yours?”
“I do, but I need to wash my hands first.” Ash went to the big sink in the back room and felt Sasha follow.
“You okay?” Sasha asked quietly while the water gurgled down the drain, covering her low voice. Her hand came to rest on Ash’s hip for a moment, then Sasha withdrew it before Ash could say anything.
She wasn’t sure she would have. That warm touch had been too comforting, and Brooke was probably busy devouring the rest of the cupcakes, so there was a good chance she wasn’t watching them.
Ash started to nod, then stopped herself. “Not really. Can we talk later?”
“Sure. Tonight? I got an overnight order for two hundred cupcakes for the fiftieth anniversary of Eads Plumbing, so I’ll be in the bakery. You could come over and keep me company again, if you want.”
Somehow, the thought of talking in the bakery kitchen, surrounded by soothing scents and the heat from the ovens, was comforting. “I close at five thirty.”
“I know,” Sasha said.
Why did Sasha keep track of when the shop closed? But then again, Ash knew the bakery’s hours too. Yeah, well, pretty much everyone in town does, right?
Ash dried her hands and turned toward Sasha.
Their gazes met and held.
“Can I have the chocolate one too?” Brooke called from the front, reminding Ash that they weren’t alone.
“Yes,” she answered. “But don’t you dare touch the vanilla one.”
“Wouldn’t think of it, boss. I’m not into vanilla stuff anyway.”
Sasha laughed. “You walked right into that.”
“Guess I did.” Ash smiled. She hadn’t even taken a bite of cupcake, yet she already felt better. “Brooke is too young to appreciate that vanilla stuff can be very,” she lowered her voice to an intimate drawl, “very satisfying too.”
Sasha’s eyes widened. She gulped audibly. “Did you just make a joke about…?”
“Cupcakes,” Ash said. “I was just talking about cupcakes.” She couldn’t believe she had said that.
“Yeah, right.”
The bell over the front door chimed, announcing the arrival of a customer.
“Guess that vanilla stuff will have to wait until later,” Sasha said. “I’m talking about your cupcake, of course.” She squeezed Ash’s arm. “You take good care, okay?”
Ash nodded.
Then Sasha was gone, but at least Ash had a cupcake and an evening at the bakery to look forward to. So much for her plan to stay away from Sasha for a while.
Sasha squeezed the pastry bag and piped a swirl of frosting onto the last cupcake. Then she stepped back and wiped her damp brow. She’d been running the ovens nonstop since this morning, so it was warm and steamy in the kitchen. Even though she’d stripped down to her tank top beneath the apron and had propped the back door open, she was still sweating.
But at least she was almost done. She’d worked without a break, so once she finished whipping up the last twenty lemon cupcakes, the order for Eads Plumbing would be complete. Maybe she would even be done by the time Ashley arrived, and they could talk over a beer at home.
From the way Ashley had looked earlier, she might need a drink or two before she started to talk about whatever was bothering her.
Sasha set the four types of cupcakes she’d done so far into airtight containers and put them into the walk-in cooler. When she stepped back out, the scent of melting cheese seemed to trail through the kitchen.
Her stomach rumbled.
Oh God. She was so hungry that she was apparently hallucinating already. With her nose in the air, she circled the bread machine—and found herself face-to-face with Ashley, who stood one step into the kitchen, two pizza boxes in her hands.
Sasha jumped and pressed one hand to her chest. “Jesus! You scared the hell out of me!”
“Sorry.” Ashley took a step back. “I parked around the back and saw that the door was propped open, so I thought…”
Sasha’s heartbeat settled. “It’s okay. I just wasn’t expecting you to come from there.” Why had Ashley parked around the back anyway? Had it just been more convenient because she knew the front door would be locked, or had she wanted to avoid anyone seeing her car parked in front of the bakery?
Ashley held out the pizza boxes like a peace offering. “I thought I’d return the favor and bring you something to eat for a change. I took a guess that you’d like something savory after making cakes and other sugary treats all day.”
The mere thought of pizza made Sasha’s mouth water. “You guessed right. After a day like today I’ve been known to have a jar of pickles for dinner. For a while, Jenny was convinced that I was pregnant because I kept buying them.”
Ashley laughed, and that carefree sound made Sasha smile in return. Making Ashley laugh was as special as being served pizza after a long day of baking.
“Come on. Let’s sit at one of the tables and enjoy the pizza.” Sasha got them plates from one of the cupboards and led her out front. “What kind did you get?”
Ashley put the boxes down on one of the small, round tables. “I didn’t know what you like, so I got one cheese and one taco pizza.”
“Oh yum. My favorites. I could kiss you.”
Ashley froze with the lid of one pizza box halfway opened.
Sasha’s gaze darted to Ashley’s full lips. The Cupid’s bow of her upper lip was a work of art, and she wondered how it would feel to trace it with her tongue. She shook off the thought. “Don’t worry. I didn’t mean it literally. The only one who’ll get up close and personal with my incredibly talented lips is this pizza.”
Ashley chuckled. “Well, then, I wouldn’t want to keep you from the love of your life.” She deposited a slice of each pizza on a plate and handed it to Sasha.
“Nah. My true love is apple pie. This is just a hot fling.” Sasha took a big bite of the taco pizza—and promptly burned her tongue. “Ouch. A very, very hot fling,” she mumbled around a mouthful of gooey cheese and crunchy tortilla chips. She strode behind the counter, got them each a bottle of cold water from the fridge, and took a big gulp of hers. Before she took a seat at the small table again, she stripped off her frosting-smeared apron and hung it on a chair behind her.
“Thanks.” Ashley accepted her water and took a swig. Through the clear plastic bottle, she watched Sasha with the intensity of a polar bear eyeing a baby seal.
Something in her gaze made Sasha’s mouth dry, even though she’d just taken a sip of water. “Um, what is it?” She followed Ashley’s gaze and peered down at her tank top to see if she had gotten frosting or flour on it too.
Nope. The tank top was clean, even though it clung to her damp body.
Oh. Was that why Ashley was staring at her like that? A grin crept onto Sasha’s lips. Even though nothing would ever happen between them, it was good to know that Ashley wasn’t completely unaffected by her either.
“Is that how you handle your love life?” Ashley twisted the cap back on, avoiding Sasha’s question, and kept her gaze on the bottle as if it required her full concentration. “You said you’re not the marrying kind either, and you haven’t dated in years. So do you just…?”
“Eat pizza every now and then?” Sasha finished with a grin, impressed that Ashley had dared to ask her a question like that.
Ashley peeked at her. “Um, yeah. Something like that.”
“Not really. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve had my fair share of pizza—all kinds of pizza—in college. At the time, it met my…um, nutritional needs just fine.” Sasha flashed her a grin.
“But?” Ashley reached for a slice of the cheese pizza but held it in he
r hand without eating it.
“It’s never really come up here, but I would have pizza again if I was in the mood for it.” Sasha picked a piece of tortilla chip off her pizza and crunched it, then froze. “Uh, are you just curious, or are you trying to, um, invite me over for pizza?” She held her breath while she waited for Ashley’s reply, not sure what she would say if Ashley did want a one-night stand or a fling with her.
Ashley dropped her slice back onto her plate and held out both hands. “Oh, no, no, I was just… I don’t know. I guess, relationships and what is and isn’t possible for me are on my mind a lot lately, and there aren’t many people I can talk to about it.”
“So you’re not into pizza.” Sasha made it a statement, not a question. She had already sensed Ashley’s answer, and yet a hint of disappointment flickered through her.
“Only into this one.” Ashley held up her slice of cheese pizza. She took a bite and chewed thoroughly as if she needed time to think about what else she wanted to say. A tiny bit of tomato sauce dribbled down the corner of her mouth, and she flicked out her tongue to lick it off.
Sasha resisted the urge to press her cold water bottle to her overheated face. How could Ashley make a simple thing like eating pizza look so damn sexy?
“It would probably be so much easier if I were into pizza,” Ashley said after a while. “But it just isn’t my thing. Too many empty calories, I guess.”
Sasha nodded slowly and nibbled on her crust. “I know what you mean. Every now and then, I wonder how something more substantial would taste. I mean, the, um, regular steak dinners that Holly and Leo have look pretty good, don’t they?”
“They sure do.” Ashley let out a quiet sigh.
“But then I think that it’s probably not worth the risk of food poisoning for me,” Sasha said. “Plus the food around here isn’t that appealing.”
Oh yeah? a little voice in her head piped up. Then why do you keep looking at her as if she were dessert?
“Hmm.” Ashley ate the rest of her slice and then reached for a piece of the taco pizza.