Cakewalk

by Claire Hastings

  “Oh, look!” she said, pointing to a booth with a bunch of oddly-shaped little jars. She grabbed his hand and pulled him over to it. Her fingers were a bit cold from the fall air, but the feel of her hand in his sent a heatwave through his body. When they reached the booth and she let go of him, he missed the touch almost instantly, making him wonder what he needed to do to get her to hold it again.

  The banner loosely draped on the front of the table read “Hunnie’s Honey.” The table itself was covered in all sorts of jars filled with the amber substance, each jar looking a little different from the last. Holden picked up one that looked like it had a twig in it, trying to figure out exactly what was inside there.

  “Hi there!” a brunette said, approaching them. She looked to be about thirty and was every inch the Vermont hippie, with her hair in two braids, well-worn jeans, a flannel shirt, and Birkenstocks. “I’m Hunnie! Welcome to Hunnie’s Honey!”

  “Hi!” Gigi said, showing off a bright smile that Holden hadn’t seen yet. “This is so cool. Do you make all this?”

  “I do! My family’s run a honey farm for more generations than I can count, and this is just my spin on it!”

  “Is that a twig in there?” Holden asked, holding up the little jar that looked like an upside down V. He didn’t want to sound too skeptical. They were here to show Gigi that anyone could learn to make something new, and this little hippie might just be his golden ticket.

  “It’s rosemary,” she told him. “You can infuse honey with pretty much anything, and getting creative with it is half the fun.”

  “These all sound yummy,” Gigi said, that illuminating smile still spread across her face. It lit her up in all new ways, and damn, was she pretty. If he’d thought there was something pulling him toward her before when she was sullen, now seeing her like that, there was no denying it. His own desire stirred deep within him, and if it wasn’t for a bit of unease at feeling such a thing, he’d be having a much harder time resisting the urge to hold her. “Do you have a favorite?”

  “That’s a toughie…but right now I’d say the elderberry,” Hunnie told her.

  “I wish I could do something this creative,” Gigi lamented, letting the smile fall from her face. “I’m kind of a disaster in the kitchen.”

  Holden opened his mouth to comment, but Hunnie beat him to it.

  “Oh please, you totally could do it!” Hunnie responded. “I’m not saying it’s without a learning curve, but there’s no reason you couldn’t figure it out.”

  “That’s so sweet of you to say, but I’ve recently tried to take up baking, and it’s not going very well. I mixed up a couple of ingredients this morning and about made everyone choke,” Gigi told her, a strangled little laugh at the end.

  “Baking is hard. I once mixed up the salt and sugar, and boy, were we all in for a rude surprise on that first bite!”

  “I mixed up the baking powder and the baking soda.”

  “I’ve done that too!”

  A feeling of relief washed over Holden as he watched the exchange between Gigi and Hunnie. He tried to hide his smile as he listened to this complete stranger tell her all about how she had made the exact mistake Gigi had this morning, and how her family now laughs about it. A sense of hope filled him, wanting to make sure that Gigi heard every word that Hunnie was telling her. When the idea came to him that talking with some of the vendors here about their process might help Gigi find some inspiration, he’d never thought that the first vendor they came upon would be this helpful. Had he known what a gold mine Hunnie’s Honey was going to be, they would have made a beeline for here and gotten donuts later.

  “Really?” Gigi asked.

  “Yes!” Hunnie exclaimed.

  Jackpot…

  Gigi

  “There’s lots of trial and error in everything,” Hunnie continued. “You should have seen me trying to learn this process. First time I played around with the chili pepper honey, I left the chilis in too long. I couldn’t taste anything else for days. I've just now gotten to a place where I can laugh about it.”

  Gigi couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Was this adorable hippie really telling her all about her failures? It had already been a relief to hear that someone else had made the same mistake with the baking powder and baking soda. But listening to Hunnie talk about how it had taken a bunch of failed attempts to get her product right made Gigi feel a glimmer of hope. Like maybe she really could be good at this.

  Sneaking a glance at Holden, she felt her insides warm up. He stood only a few inches from her, picking up jar after jar and looking at each one curiously. She knew he was trying to look nonchalant, like he wasn’t listening to the conversation she was having with Hunnie, but she would bet anything he was. The heat that was radiating off his body made her want to snuggle into his side, but she reminded herself that this wasn’t a date. Not only did she barely know the guy, he was her landlord. Oh yeah, and she was still married. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder what it would be like to have those strong arms wrap around her or what his beard would feel like against her lips.

  You did not just think about kissing another man, Gigi!

  “I’m happy to hear that I’m not the only one who has had a couple of mishaps,” Gigi said, bringing her thoughts back to the matter at hand.

  “Not even close! Here, take this,” Hunnie said, handing her a small jar of honey. “And here’s my card. My number is on there—call any time you need to share a kitchen disaster! Don’t be shy!”

  “Thank you! I might just take you up on that.”

  Gigi stuck the jar in the front pocket of her hoodie as they walked away from Hunnie’s booth, making room for more customers. She could feel Holden’s big hand on the small of her back as he guided her back to the walking path, and she reveled in the comfort of it. It’d been a long time since a man had placed his hand there simply out of being a gentleman, rather than trying to control her. She wanted to lean back into his touch but didn’t want to make things awkward. What would she even tell him if he questioned her behavior? Sorry, it’s been forever since someone else’s skin on mine wasn’t leaving a bruise? No, she couldn’t say that. She didn’t need him knowing that about her. Right now it was enough to simply not be afraid of his touch.

  “I’d ask if you put her up to that, but you don’t really seem like the type to orchestrate such a thing,” Gigi said, turning to look at Holden once they were out of hearing distance from the booth. He removed his hand from her back, sticking it in his pocket, and she instantly missed it. She had to remind herself that it would be rude to ask him to put it back, no matter how much she craved the feeling.

  “I’ve never seen her before in my life,” Holden laughed. “However, she makes some excellent points.”

  “I guess,” Gigi said, shrugging slightly.

  “You guess? Gigi, did you not hear her talk about how she couldn’t taste anything for days after trying to make a honey with chili peppers?”

  “Yes, I did,” she sighed. “But that’s different. She already knew about honey. Her family runs a honey farm! You know what my family does? I come from a long line of socialites. We excel at making lunch reservations and going shopping.”

  The words sounded a lot more condescending than she had intended. She had wanted to try and make a joke out of the sad situation she was in, but apparently, she couldn’t even do that. A desire to open up to Holden bubbled within her, but every time she went to say something, she lost her nerve. She felt so foolish around him. Here he was, this beautiful, confident man, who’d now seen her through two major failures. She was lucky he wasn’t laughing at her. Or worse, kicking her to the curb. She had no idea what his story was, but it was obvious he didn’t need a tenant to make ends meet.

  The sounds of shouts made them turn just in time to see a group of preteen boys speed toward them on bicycles. Gigi froze in place, so taken aback by their sudden presence that she had no idea how to respond. Holden grabbed her hand and pulled her out
of the way, just as the boys went whizzing by. Just as before, his skin was warm against hers, and there was a tingle from the contact. She felt her whole body react to the small gesture, and took a long, deep breath, trying to steady her racing heart.

  “You okay?” he asked, looking into her eyes, his own full of concern. For the first time since they’d met, she took a moment to stare into his eyes, noticing all the different shades woven together to create a beautiful aqua hue. The strands of blue with a touch of green mixed together so perfectly, and she knew that it wouldn’t take much to get lost in his gaze. He gave her hand a light squeeze, sending a jolt rushing through her, breaking the spell she was under from being so close to him.

  “Yeah, they just startled me,” she said, turning to start walking again. He followed her lead but kept her hand in his. She couldn’t tell if it was because he felt the need to hold on to her like a parent did a small child or if it was because he enjoyed the closeness as much as she did. Allowing herself to think it was the latter, she smiled secretly, hoping he didn’t notice her slightly giddy expression.

  “I think you just need some more trial and error,” he finally said after a few moments of walking in silence.

  “There is only so much trial and error I can have before I lose my job. After today I think Roderick might be on to me, and all I can do is pray he doesn’t tell Audrey and Zara.”

  “What if you had a test subject? Someone you could use as your guinea pig to try out recipes on. That way you wouldn’t have to do it at the café?”

  “I’m not sure I know anyone who is that much of a glutton for punishment,” she said, laughing. “Unless you’re volunteering for the job.”

  “I am.”

  His words stopped her in her tracks. Did he really just say that? He had to be joking. There was no way he’d subject himself to being her taste tester. If he knew what was good for him, he’d run the other way.

  “What?”

  “I’ll be your test subject,” he offered. “Just don’t poison me.”

  “Not funny, Holden!” she said. She knew he meant it as a joke, not realizing how afraid she was of that actually happening.

  “Sorry,” he said, a coy smile taking up his face. His eyes lit up in a way she’d never seen from him, highlighting those blue strands again. The expression in them had always been so solemn that she had no idea they could light up like this. She had no idea why, but hearing this idea excited her even more, sending a whole new rush through her. “But really, how hard can it be? We can watch some YouTube videos, pick out some recipes—we’ll figure it out together.”

  “Really?” she squealed.

  “Really.”

  Before she knew what she was doing, Gigi launched herself at Holden, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close. Why on earth he would volunteer to do this was beyond her, but she was so excited that he was willing to help that his motives didn’t really matter. When he returned the embrace, she took a moment to relax into him, enjoying the closeness. His body was hard against hers, yet soft and welcoming. Those strong arms felt even better wrapped around her than she imagined, only adding to this moment. Bradley’s arms had never felt like this.

  Coming back to her senses, she released him and took a step back, hoping that he couldn’t see her blushing. “I promise you won’t regret this!”

  “That’s the part that my pants are concerned about,” he said with another laugh.

  Gigi pressed her lips together, stopping herself from making some sort of quip about his pants. It was perfectly obvious that he meant gaining weight, and not something sexual, but she couldn’t help herself. That hug had knocked something loose deep inside her, and the blush she could feel creeping up her neck was more than telling. She was going to spend the rest of the night thinking about just what Holden St. James had in his pants.

  8

  Gigi

  Sitting at the kitchen table with both their heads huddled over Holden’s tablet felt oddly natural. Like this is how they spent all their Saturday afternoons. More than once in the hour they’d been sitting here, Gigi had let her mind wander, picturing the scene as if it were some kind of Norman Rockwell painting. Is this the kind of thing she’d been missing her whole life? That maybe if she’d spent a few more Saturdays like this, just hanging out, that her life might not have gotten so far off track.

  Oh, who was she kidding? This was never the track of her life. No one in her family would have ever spent a day searching for recipes and laughing about some of the names people had created for dishes. Not to mention, Bradley wouldn’t have been caught dead helping her with such a project.

  “Georgia, I don’t have time for whatever silly little pet project you’re working on now,” he would have told her. “I have actual important things to focus on.”

  Yeah, like schmoozing clients on the golf course…

  “Earth to Gigi,” Holden said, snapping his fingers in front of her face, trying to get her attention. She hadn’t realized that she had slipped off so deeply into her own thoughts. Poor Holden must think she was a space cadet.

  “Sorry, lost in thought,” she replied, smiling innocently.

  “The grasshopper cake sounds easy enough, yes?” he said, acting as if he were repeating it.

  “Yeah, but Bradley doesn’t really like mint, so…” she started, but then trailed off as the realization hit her. It didn’t really matter what he liked, now did it? He had absolutely no say in any of this. A spark of excitement lit inside her, and she shivered at the thought. This is why she had done all this—so she didn’t have to consider him in everything—and she liked that more than she could say. “Except he’s not here, so I guess his opinion doesn’t matter. So yes, let’s do the grasshopper!”

  “How long has he been gone?” Holden asked.

  “Oh, um, just a few months,” she answered. She had always known that she would be asked at some point, and she had the whole story practiced and ready. But the longer she’d been here in town without having to tell her tale, the more she thought she’d never have to.

  “So you left right after he passed.”

  “Well, not the split second, but shortly after. I needed out,” she answered. I needed out were the three most truthful words she’d said in a long time, and it felt good to have them out there. Even if the full weight of them was still a secret.

  “How long were you married?”

  “Ten years. I was just out of college when our parents introduced us. Well, ‘introduced’ maybe isn’t the right word. I knew who he was. Our families have known each other for years, but Bradley was four years older than me, so we never overlapped in school. He was one of those older guys that every girl crushed on, even though they didn’t really have any idea that we existed. Bradley had started working for my father’s investment firm while I was at Alabama, and then when I graduated, our parents thought it would be a good idea for us to ‘officially meet.’ He asked me out, and two years later we were married.”

  “Sounds more like a business transaction than a love affair,” Holden murmured. Gigi’s heart sank at his words, not wanting to admit just how right he was.

  “Sometimes it was in our social circles,” she said. “But not for me. I was head over heels for that man. He was good-looking and charming, had a good job. All the things a young southern socialite looks for in a husband. We were happy, at least in the beginning.”

  “Things changed?”

  “Don’t they always?” she shrugged. Holden’s blue eyes had a look in them she couldn’t place. It was one of concern and comfort, yet wary at the same time. She wanted to know what was going through his head, if he was really interested in knowing about her and Bradley's story or if he was just making conversation. Either way, she knew she had to be careful with what she said. As amazing as Holden was proving to be, she still wasn’t sure she could trust anyone with the truth. “But that’s all behind me now.”

  “Should I be worried about who is currently si
tting at my kitchen table? You’re not on the run from the law, are you?” he joked.

  “No, I’m not running from the law,” she retorted. Just my abusive husband. Gigi looked Holden up and down, taking him in for what must have been the hundredth time since they sat down at this table. He seemed so trustworthy, and he’d already done so much for her. “Truth?”

  “That is generally preferable.”

  Keep it simple and as close to the truth as possible…she reminded herself.

  “I knew my family would not be supportive of putting Bradley behind me. Of wanting to find myself and be independent. I had the chance to walk away and prove that I am more than just a pretty face and a great hostess, and I took it. But that choice is not one that everyone understands.” And it was the truth. Abbot and Marnie Shaw were not the kind of people to understand wanting to go your own way. Which was probably why they had made no effort to contact her in the weeks since she’d taken off. Or at least she assumed they had made no effort—it's not as if she left a forwarding address. However, after the embarrassment she was sure she’d caused them by disappearing the way she had, she was positive that there would be no welcome back into their good graces. If it wasn’t for her already cashed out trust fund, she had no doubt she would be completely defunded as well. “Besides, the Shaws aren’t those kind of people.”

  “And just what kind of people are the Shaws?” he asked, leaning back in his chair. His ice-blue eyes were curious, yet welcoming, and made Gigi want to continue to spill all her secrets.

  “The Shaws and the Hawthornes are see and be seen kind of people,” she laughed, trying to brush it off. For as much as she wanted to open up to Holden, she knew she couldn’t tell him everything.