by Lila Kane
Anna frowned at her. “What?”
“Nothing, I’m just concerned about you. You’ve been…distant since yesterday.”
“I have a lot on my mind.”
Poppy nodded, pressing her lips together briefly before saying, “Are you telling Celeste that you’re going to go there?”
“She wants me to come visit.”
“Visit or stay permanently?”
Anna sighed, torn. She normally told Poppy everything, but she’d been quiet about this because she knew how Poppy would react. “Both,” she said honestly.
Poppy’s eyes widened. “Anna! Why are you keeping this a secret?”
“I’m not. I just haven’t made up my mind yet. I don’t want to jump into something before knowing exactly what I want.”
“But you can’t really be considering leaving. Have you even told Mom?” Poppy released Anna’s arm and placed her hands on her hips.
“No. Because, like I said, I haven’t decided yet.”
“This is not something you can decide on your own. If you leave, it affects everyone. Everyone. Mom and the whole business, Beckett and—”
“Wait,” Anna said, stopping Poppy. “Why would this affect Beckett?”
Poppy glared at her. “Because he’s your friend. You know what a friend is, right? Someone you talk to instead of keeping everything to yourself—”
Poppy broke off as Anna felt pain trickle into her heart. Poppy had never talked to her like this before. They were always so close, and Poppy was right, they talked. A lot. About everything.
“I’m sorry.” Poppy blew out a breath. “Listen—”
“No, let’s not do this now. Everyone’s waiting for us.”
She didn’t want to argue. And she definitely didn’t want to think about how this would affect Beckett.
“But—”
“I need some space, okay?” Anna asked.
Poppy stepped back, looking as surprised as Anna felt. “Okay. Fine.”
They both walked up the front steps. Gail was already inside with the others, and when Anna saw Eli, he gave a lopsided grin. He pulled her into a hug that made her feet come off the floor.
“Eli, I’m so glad you’re back.”
His eyes searched her face. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I just—I missed you.”
“I missed you, too.” He hugged her again.
Her phone chimed from her pocket. When she pulled it out and saw a familiar number, she frowned and opened the message.
I’d love to catch up. Can you meet for coffee this week?
Tom. She’d deleted him as a contact from her phone after they’d split up, but she still recognized the number.
As her stomach twisted into knots, she felt a light touch on her elbow. When she looked up into Beckett’s eyes and saw the concern there, she didn’t know whether to turn away or lean into him for support.
She didn’t do either. No, she couldn’t. Her family didn’t know about them. And he didn’t know about France.
“Are you okay?” Beckett asked.
Anna shoved her phone in her purse. “I’m okay.”
“You look…sick.”
“I think I just need some water. Maybe something to eat. I forgot lunch.”
He started to reach for her again, but then stopped and pulled back, eyes scanning the crowd. “Let’s get you something from the kitchen.”
She followed him across the living room, grateful when she found they were the only ones in the kitchen. She was torn between telling Beckett about Tom and keeping quiet. She didn’t know how he would react, but she needed to talk to someone and she didn’t think she could go to Poppy with this right now.
Beckett pulled a bottle of water from the refrigerator and opened it for her, his eyes still concerned.
“I got a text from Tom,” she said.
His hand froze as he passed the bottle over. She took it from him and tipped it for a long swallow before meeting his eyes.
“If he’s harassing you—”
“It’s not like that,” Anna said, shaking her head. “He wants to meet for coffee.”
“And what do you want?”
She thought about this for a moment before saying, “For him to leave me alone.”
“Then he’s harassing you. I’ll talk to him or—”
“Beckett. I didn’t tell you because I want you to do something about it.”
“Then why did you tell me?”
She frowned and set the bottle of water aside. “Because you told me to tell you if he talked to me again and I didn’t want to keep it from you. But—”
“No, you’re right.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I did say that. I do want you to tell me. But it’s hard knowing he keeps bothering you and you don’t want me to do anything about it.”
When he moved a step closer, her heart picked up speed. She could smell him from here, like pine and the outdoors and everything that felt safe and warm to her. And she had no idea why things were so difficult when she enjoyed being around him so much.
“There’s something I want to talk to you about,” Beckett said.
She tipped her chin as he moved even closer. His height dwarfed her, and a chill ran through her body. She leaned into him, loving the feel of his hands running up her back.
“What do you want to talk about?” she asked.
He started to tell her when they heard footsteps approaching the kitchen. She backed up and hastily reached for her water for a distraction.
“Good. Food!” Summer said. She pulled Anna close for a quick hug before grabbing the potato chips.
“Horseshoes,” Eli said matter-of-factly. “Anna, I challenge you.”
She looked helplessly to Beckett before averting her gaze. She wanted to finish their conversation. She wanted to be alone with him.
But she also hadn’t seen Eli in forever.
“You’re going down,” she told him.
He grinned and looped his arm around her neck. “You wish. Let’s go.”
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Beckett watched Anna walk outside with Eli, cursing himself for not pulling her aside to tell her how he felt. He needed to clear things up with her about Tom. If she didn’t want him involved, she was going to have to compromise. He didn’t want Tom around her. And if Tom tried to get in touch with her again, he wasn’t going to be able to keep his distance.
Along with that, they needed to tell her family about them. Get it all out in the open. The sooner, the better.
He went to follow the rest of the group outside, but Poppy stopped him at the door.
“No way,” he said when he saw the look on her face. “I’m not doing any more planning with you about Anna.”
She shook her head. “No, you’re right, that’s probably for the best. But…”
“No,” he said again. “I know that look, Poppy. I know you have a secret and you aren’t sure whether or not to tell me.”
She laughed. “You always wanted to know before.”
“Yeah, well, before I wasn’t involved with your sister.”
Her smile turned sly and she lowered her voice even though everyone else was outside. “Involved?”
“You know what I mean,” he hedged.
“No, I don’t. I want details.”
“Then ask Anna.”
“She doesn’t know I know about you guys and she’s not…Let’s just say we’re not communicating like we used to.”
He folded his arms across his chest. “Why not?”
“I thought you didn’t want to talk about Anna like this. You know, behind her back.”
“You’re right, I don’t.”
“But there’s something going on between you two. I can see it in your eyes.”
He glanced out the window and spotted Anna with a horseshoe in her hand. She laughed at something Eli said and it made his heart squeeze. He was in love with her. Plain and simple.
Poppy joined him at the window. “I see how
you look at her. She looks at you the same way now, too.”
“She does?”
“She just needs a little push.”
“That’s not something I want to do. Push her in any direction. I want this to be natural. Right. I don’t want her to regret anything.”
“If you don’t move a little faster, she’s going to end up regretting something anyway,” Poppy mumbled.
He narrowed his eyes. “What?”
“I…I’m trying hard to keep everyone’s secrets but it would be a lot easier if everyone knew what everyone else was up to.”
“What are you talking about?”
Poppy gripped his arm. “Do not tell Anna I told you this, but she’s thinking of leaving.”
“Leaving? The party?”
“No, the town. The state.” She frowned. “The country.”
“Poppy, what are you talking about?”
“Celeste invited her to France to stay for a while and Anna’s considering it. With Tom in the picture now…” She trailed off.
Beckett’s stomach dropped. Leaving her family? Her job? Him? But they’d only just started something. And that didn’t sound like Anna at all. Sure, she avoided her problems sometimes when she could have dealt with them head on, but family was the most important thing to her. And he’d been trying to become a part of that.
Beckett peered through the window again, his mind whirling with decisions. Maybe stopping his plan with Poppy wasn’t a good idea. Maybe now, more than ever, he needed all the help he could get.
Chapter Twelve
“Have a nice day,” Anna said and ended the call with the customer.
“Anniversary?” Leah asked.
“Yep.” Anna wrote down the last of the information. She always enjoyed replicating wedding cakes for a couple on their anniversary. “The Smiths. Red velvet cake, red roses, three tiers and big heart on top.”
Leah smiled. “Oh yeah, the one that looked like a Valentine’s Day wedding.”
“Right. But it was pretty.”
She’d enjoyed it, especially because it was right after Tom had proposed. After dating for more than two years, he’d taken her out to eat at a nice restaurant in the city and asked her to marry him at the end of the meal.
With a huge diamond.
That should have been her first clue. She wasn’t a diamond kind of girl. She liked keeping it low-key. Beckett would never get something that extravagant. No, he’d go simple, probably his grandmother’s engagement ring. And maybe a picnic or at his house. He—
“Anna?”
She snapped to attention, realizing Leah was staring at her. “Sorry.”
She busied herself with wiping the counter, her heart twisting in knots. What had she been doing? Thinking about Beckett and marriage? They’d barely even started something and now, marriage? Besides that, after Tom cheated on her she’d pretty much given up on the idea of marriage. She didn’t need love in her life. She needed consistency—and men certainly couldn’t give her that.
She had to find it on her own.
But, Beckett…
She straightened her shoulders and told herself to focus. The Smiths needed their cake by the end of August, just a small copy of the original since they weren’t having a huge party but instead celebrating on their own.
She added the note to her board. She’d transfer it to her planner by the end of the week, along with all the new assignments Jillian brought her. Mostly weddings, but sometimes other events, like showers and luncheons and even a bachelorette party or two because the barn made a great space for those kinds of gatherings.
“Eli will be here in fifteen,” Anna reminded Leah, “so I’ll need you to stay up front in the store.”
Leah waved. “No problem.”
Anna returned to the kitchen, sighing. She pulled her phone out of her apron pocket, ready to call Poppy. Then she paused. Poppy was probably busy. And maybe Poppy wasn’t ready to talk to her yet.
Anna gritted her teeth, still sore over what her sister had said. Of course she planned on talking to her mom and the rest of the family if she decided to go to France. But she didn’t want to worry them unnecessarily if she ended up not going.
She understood how important the business was to all of them. She was as much a part of it as anyone else. But it didn’t seem to fit her life anymore. Not after everything that had happened with Tom.
The back door opened and Eli appeared, lugging two bags of camera equipment and a tall light. “Morning.”
She reached for the bags and set them on the table by the door. “It’s afternoon.”
Eli shrugged and turned for the door again. “I’ve only been up a few hours. It’s still morning for me.”
“Eli…” Anna rubbed her eyes and laughed. “I really missed you.”
He stopped at the door and looked back. His gaze lingered on her face. “You look tired. You want to talk about it?”
She hesitated. Yes, she did. She wanted to talk about it with Poppy, but she and Eli had always been close. He might have a different perspective on it all, too.
“Why don’t we set up while we do,” she suggested. “Jillian wants these pictures for the next brochure and open house.”
“When’s that?” Eli asked, stepping out the door and into the sunshine.
“Three weeks.”
“She still keeps a tight schedule, huh?”
Anna laughed. “You weren’t gone that long. Not much has changed.”
“I don’t know about that.”
The sunlight warmed her cheeks as she followed Eli to his car. “What’s that supposed to…”
Her words trailed off when she saw Beckett’s car parked next to Eli’s.
“I thought we might need some help with the lighting and everything,” Eli said, keeping his gaze from hers.
And as happy as she was to see Beckett, she narrowed her eyes at her brother. “What about Shane?”
“What about him?”
“He’s been covering for you this whole time. I think he knows what he’s doing.”
Beckett got out of his car and paused next to it, his lips curving. “There a problem?”
A knot of desire unfurled in her belly. She tried to ignore it.
Eli looked at her, lowering his sunglasses so their eyes met. “Yeah, Anna. Is there a problem?”
Her mouth opened but nothing came out. Did Eli know something? Had Beckett told him what was going on?
She swallowed and smiled. “No, there’s not a problem.”
But the way Beckett was looking at her right now might cause a problem. His eyes were glued to her face, a faint curve still on his lips. He wore a simple T-shirt that stretched tight across his chest, showing off his muscles and making her throat dry.
“Hi, Anna,” he said, stepping closer.
Damn it. There was a problem. How good Beckett looked. How he made her feel.
She nodded. “Hi, Beckett.”
And then she ducked into the back of Eli’s car to grab the rest of the equipment. When she straightened, Beckett stood next to her with a grin on his face.
“Need some help?”
She peered around him and saw Eli disappear inside. “Did you say anything to Eli?”
He angled his head. “Nice to see you, too.”
“Beckett—”
The words froze in her mouth when he lifted his hand and brushed a finger down her cheek. She almost melted at his feet. And then she heard Eli, and she jerked back, her neck growing warm. All she could think was how much she missed Beckett. How much she wanted to be back in his house. Alone.
It was going to be a long afternoon.
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Beckett enjoyed seeing her flustered. Keeping Anna off guard was a bonus. The more he showed her there was nothing conventional about their relationship, the more she might believe they could have a future beyond friendship.
Anna put on an apron, a blue and white stripped one which happened to be one of his favorites, and tied a b
andana on her head. A few strands of her honey blonde hair escaped, and more than once he had to stop himself from tucking them in for her.
“Help me, Beckett,” Anna said, pulling a cake out of the refrigerator.
He helped her set it gently on the table, and stood back to admire it. “You made this just for the photo shoot?”
She nodded, adjusting the flowers to the side facing the camera. “We had one like it for a very small wedding last month, but Jillian wanted to see it with another tier since we usually do larger events, and more piping all over.”
“I don’t know how you do it. It’s like art.”
“Steady hands.”
“I bet you’re really good with your hands.”
Her gaze flashed to his, her mouth opening in surprise. Then she seemed to notice Eli was watching their exchange and turned away. “I’ve had lots of practice.”
He made eye-contact with Eli behind Anna’s back. Eli gave him a laughing smile.
Funny. His friend could laugh it up now, but one day he’d be in the same position and Beckett wouldn’t hesitate to give him a hard time.
“All right, step back so I can see,” Eli instructed. He aimed his camera and then shifted over a few feet.
Beckett stood clear of the table with Anna. He touched his hand at the small of her back and she straightened, giving him a look.
He only smiled and stepped closer to her. “Are you scared of me, Anna?”
“Are you trying to be obvious?” she returned, voice low.
“What are you whispering about over there?” Eli asked, keeping his camera on the cake.
Beckett grinned. “Anna smells like strawberries.”
She gaped at him.
Eli chuckled. “Is that so?”
Beckett nodded. He started to say something else, but she elbowed him in the side and he let out a whoosh of air.
“Can someone adjust that light?” Eli asked.
Anna hurried to it. “Sure.”
“To the side a little. A little more.”
She moved the light another inch, glaring at Beckett the entire time.
He held back a laugh.
“Good. There,” Eli said.
Anna made a wide berth around Beckett and gestured to the front of the store. “I’m going to check on Leah.”
When she was gone, Eli cleared his throat, snapping a few more pictures. “Doesn’t look like things are going very well.”