by Ellis, Eliza
Kat stood there with arms outstretched, looking utterly confused. Drew stepped into the waiting embrace and firmly wrapped his arms around her. “Thank you, Kat,” he whispered into her ear. She smelled like sweet cake and warm bread. Her arms came around him, her hands splaying across his back.
She fit snug against him, as she had when they’d said their final goodbye. Only this time, he was holding a woman with all the developed attributes a man could admire. And as a full grown man, he responded accordingly, with a tightening of his thighs.
“Drew! Your clothes!”
“I don’t care,” he answered curtly, still holding onto Kat, who squeezed him closer.
“I’m so happy you’re home,” she whispered.
“Me, too.”
“Um…” Parker nervously chuckled. “Are you trying to steal my man, Kat? That’ll be a first.”
Drew released her and stepped back. “Kat and I go way back,” he explained. He sent Kat an encouraging smile. “She and I were thick as thieves growing up.”
Parker’s brows came together. “What? You knew Drew? When? I thought you and I were besties.”
“We met later that summer. Right after he left,” Kat said quietly.
“Just missed meeting my future husband?” Parker took his arm again. “That’s crazy. Don’t you think that’s crazy, Drew? If we’d met then, we’d probably already be married.”
Kat met Drew’s gaze the same moment he looked at her. For the briefest moment, Drew saw it before Kat forced a smile that only made it as far as her cheeks. There was no way he would’ve married Parker. Not with Kat in the picture.
“It’s definitely crazy, Parker,” Kat said. They both shared a laugh, and it was strange to know that they were both faking it.
Kat looked at him again, the revelation gone.
That look in Kat’s eyes had scared Drew speechless. What would they’ve all been to each other? It was starting to feel like a weird threesome with one of them being the definite third wheel.
And Drew felt it might’ve been him.
If Drew’s family had stayed and Parker and Kat became friends, then he would’ve been forgotten about. The sexes always shared a stronger bond when banded together.
That’s what happened when he landed on Guam. He’d met Zache, and they became buddies. As time passed, Drew had forgotten all about his bond with Kat. Zache became his best friend—until his death in Afghanistan last year.
“Drew? Where are you right now? We’re having a conversation, and you’re just daydreaming,” Parker said in her pleasantly annoyed voice.
Drew smiled apologetically. “Sorry, sweetheart. It’s a little overwhelming, being back at home and seeing people you haven’t seen in years. Eating the best cupcakes. You should try one.”
Parker wrinkled her nose. “You know I would, Kat, right? If I wasn’t trying to stay flat for my wedding dress—and night.” Her lashes lowered at Drew, her mouth curving into a seductive grin. Drew’s cheeks flamed. Kat averted her eyes.
“Well, I want a dozen,” Drew said.
“Here they are!” Susie said, pushing a box across the counter.
“A dozen?” Parker nearly yelled. “Drew, you’re not going to fit into your tux. I thought we agreed we’d stay a certain size because that’s what we’re attracted to.” She squeezed his arm. “You better be in the gym if you’re going to eat all of that. I’m not going to help you.”
He shrugged off her arm and moved to the cash register. Susie had stepped aside and motioned Kat to take her place. Kat moved around the counter.
“Um, we’re having a special,” Kat whispered. “That’ll be six dollars.”
Drew eyed her. “Something tells me I’m getting a deep discount,” he whispered back.
Her eyes smiled. “No, you’re not. Everyone gets treated the same here.”
Drew grinned. “Thank you.” He pulled out six dollars and handed the bills to Kat. His gaze shot to Susie, who peered over Kat’s shoulder and then grinned. Drew looked away.
“Please come back,” Kat said softly.
He heard the sincerity in her voice. “I plan to.”
“Wait, Kat, do you make wedding cakes?” Parker asked as she stared at the blackboard on the wall that displayed their daily cake flavors, pastries, and desserts.
Kat nodded. “Yes, of course. Do you”—her eyes vaulted between Drew’s and Parker’s—“need a cake? When’s the wedding?”
“In two weeks, but yes, we’ll need one,” Parker said. “I’ll try samples, if you have any.” She craned her neck and peered through the display case.
Kat gave a patient smile. “We don’t have samples on display. You can make an appointment, and I’ll prepare samples in cupcake form for you to taste. You’ll be able to look through our design portfolio for ideas. We also custom bake, if you want something different and unique.”
“That’ll be perfect, Kat,” Drew said quickly. “Let’s go ahead and make an appointment for tomorrow. Or is that too soon?”
“Tomorrow?” Parker laughed. “Are you in a rush to get fat?” She swatted him on the stomach. He’d have to talk to her later about embarrassing him like that. She always did capitalize on every opportunity. He could only half-blame her. Parker was a high-level businesswoman. With that came certain…idiosyncrasies.
“I can do tomorrow, that’s fine,” Kat said with a nod. She opened a book near the cash register. “Let me write it down—”
“Tomorrow’s not going to work for me, sweetie,” Parker said with a sharp emphasis on the word “sweetie.” “I have that conference call that I can’t miss.”
“Oh…right,” Drew said, not knowing what in the world she was talking about.
She was always on a call, or at a meeting, or flying to a meeting. He was impressed that he got her to come all the way to Missouri to meet his grandmother and have the wedding. Parker had put it off for so long that he was afraid his entire plan would fall apart. He had to get Parker to fall in love with this place so she’d consider leaving the city for her work’s satellite office here.
“We’ll set it up for later in the week. Kat, you put something down and text it to me. I’ll fit it in, don’t worry. I just can’t have it conflict with major meetings, you understand, right? Oh, it’s so good to see you! We should definitely have lunch…” She looked down at her phone and scrolled. “How about tomorrow? I have fifteen minutes between one thirty and two.”
“Fifteen minutes? Come on, Parker, that’s—”
“It’s okay, Drew.” Kat weakly smiled at him. “I can do fifteen minutes. Tomorrow will be a busy day for me anyway with planning the samples I’ll do for you two. I’ll need the time in the kitchen.”
“You sure?” Drew asked, skeptical. Kat wasn’t usually so placating. She would stand her ground on any subject. “And less than two weeks to bake a cake?”
“They’re usually frozen anyway,” Parker said dryly. “She probably has a few slabs on ice already.”
“Yes, I’m positive.” Kat ignored the comment about the frozen cakes.
“Great! That settles it,” Parker said enthusiastically. “I’ll see you tomorrow, and you’ll bake us some samples for the cake.” Her phone rang, and she put it to her ear. In the next second, she waved, mouthed “I have to take this,” and hurried out of the shop.
Drew looked helplessly at Kat. “I better go.”
Kat wordlessly nodded.
“Katrina…”
“Go. I’ll see you in a couple of days.” She smiled before turning her back and walking briskly back to the kitchen. Drew caught Susie’s worried look. He offered her a smile and left the shop.
At least he had cupcakes…
Chapter 3
“It was awful!” Kat flung herself onto her mother’s couch and groaned into the cushions.
“I can’t believe Drew is back,” Mary said surprised. “I remember that little boy with the big hair—not as big as yours, obviously”—she fingered Kat’s frizzy, spiral
curls—“and the large ears. I hope he’s grown into those things. You know they only get bigger with age. I always thought he looked kin to Dumbo.”
Kat laughed and then came up for breath. “That’s not funny, Mom. He was very sensitive about them growing up.”
She shrugged. “I would be too, if I had ears that big.”
“Mom!”
“Oh, I know, I know.” She rubbed Kat’s back. “It was a shock to see your friend after all these years.”
“Not that—”
“I know! Even more shocking to see Parker—”
“She’s engaged to him! Does this mean nothing?” She nearly snapped the chain of the half-heart necklace from around her neck. “I’m a complete idiot, aren’t I?” She shoved the necklace back into her shirt and flopped back onto the cushions. “Holding out hope…”
Her mother gave her a tired look. “Honey, when was the last time you heard from Drew?”
“Not since we were eight,” she said meekly.
“Uh-huh. Clearly he’s moved on, or your love wasn’t that strong anyway.” She snorted and then laughed.
Kat chuckled. “It’s not funny. I remember how sad I was. My little eight-year-old heart was broken.”
“We told you that what you two were feeling was just…sweet friendship. It wasn’t love.”
“That didn’t make it any easier to get over,” Kat mumbled.
“Parker helped, if I recall correctly. You two became fast friends. She moved to town at the perfect time.”
Kat nodded. “Yes, she did. Parker was the best.”
“She sounds like the worst, now,” Mary grumbled.
“Oh, she’s not so bad. She’s a VP now. It’s been her dream to head a company, and that takes a lot of work.”
“It also takes a certain personality.”
Kat sighed. “Yeah, it does. A little rough around the edges, but she has to be tough. Her industry is still very much male-dominated. They won’t respect her unless—”
“She has the same anatomy?”
Kat sputtered. “Right.”
Her mother wrapped her arms around her shoulder and kissed her cheek. “Well, I’m proud of you. Your bakery is going to be on the map soon, and you’ll blow up!”
“It’s not my bakery, Mom,” Kat muttered.
“I know, but you’ll try again, and this time, you’ll succeed.”
Kat smiled weakly. I wish I had your confidence. She didn’t have the heart to tell her mother that she was done trying. One failure carried enough embarrassment to last a lifetime.
The doorbell rang. “Oh, would you get that, please? I’ve got to take the lasagna out of the oven. Right on time!”
“You never told me who was coming?” Kat said over her shoulder and then opened the door.
Drew stood there with the largest grin on his face. “Hi, Kat.”
“Drew…” Her eyes caught Muriel Callaghan standing beside him with a devious smile on her face. Muriel Callaghan’s related to Drew? It hadn’t even crossed Kat’s mind when her mother had mentioned meeting Muriel. “Mrs. Callaghan.”
“I hope we’re not too late, Kitty Kat.” The woman’s sharp eyes scanned Kat. “You look wonderful. Glad those sweets aren’t adding any extra pounds to you.”
Drew’s gaze went to the sky. Kat politely smiled. “No, ma’am.”
“Good. If you want to attract a man, then you can’t look as big as the house you’ll be living in.”
“Grandma! That’s incredibly rude,” Drew said. She slapped his shins with her walking stick. “Ow!”
“Don’t you tell me how to speak. You’re not even thirty yet. And even then, I’ll say what I like.” The petite Mrs. Muriel Callaghan shoved her able-bodied grandson aside and marched into the home calling for Mary as she moved through the living room.
“Has she been here before?” Drew’s eyes followed his grandmother, who disappeared into the kitchen.
Kat nodded. “My mom met her months ago at my father’s funeral. They’re part of the same historical reenactment society. I…I had no idea she was your grandmother. She never mentioned you.”
Drew’s face became downcast. “Your father died?” He cupped her elbow. “I’m so sorry, Kat. I remember…well, he was very…”
“Yeah,” Kat agreed, laying her palm across his forearm. “He wasn’t a very nice man. And thank you. I hate to say it, but it’s been a relief for us, especially my mother. I think your grandmother has brought my mother out of her shell. She’s been having a blast playing historical figures and just having a friend.”
“I think my grandmother is the one who should be grateful. She’s ornery and doesn’t get along well with everyone. She’s the one who needs friends.”
Kat chuckled. “Maybe so, but my mother takes it in stride. I think she’s learning a thing or two.”
“That’s good. And…my grandmother probably wouldn’t have mentioned me. I haven’t been back here in years. Family had a falling out earlier. Long story.”
Kat nodded politely and changed the subject. “Um…where’s Parker?”
Drew’s face became unreadable. “She’s back at the hotel handling some business.”
“Oh. You aren’t staying with your grandmother?”
Drew leaned in close and lowered his voice. “She didn’t want to.”
“Who? Parker?” Kat whispered.
Drew nodded. “Prefers hotels. It’s not like my grandmother has any pets or smells like mothballs.”
Kat hid her smile with her hand. “Well? What was her excuse?”
“Hotels are cleaner,” Drew said simply.
“That’s not at all accurate. They could be some of the dirtiest places on earth.”
“I know. But you try telling Parker anything.”
Kat kept silent, as she had no argument for that truth. She studied Drew’s still-blank expression and wondered how the two of them fell in love in the first place. They didn’t seem to…fit.
And she didn’t think that because she was too attracted to him for her own good.
“What are the two of you doing in there?” Muriel’s shrill voice came from the kitchen area. She entered the living room. “Kat, if you’re trying to steal my grandson away from his fiancée, you have my full support.”
Kat’s mouth dropped open. Drew covered his face with one hand.
“That little uppity snob refused my hospitality! Andrew, I have not given my consent to this wedding.” She gave a curt nod for emphasis.
“Grandma, I don’t actually need your consent,” Drew said gently.
“Why don’t you marry Kat? She’s pretty, nice, and can cook. Can your girl cook? She doesn’t look like she knows how to boil water let alone turn on a stove.”
“Muriel!” Mary put her hands on the elder woman’s shoulders. “Don’t embarrass them. They’re old friends. Haven’t seen each other in ages.”
Muriel’s eyes went wide. “Friendship is the perfect foundation for romance. I married my best friend. Greatest lover I ever had.” She pinned a red-faced Drew with a stare and pointed her walking stick. “That’s what you’re going to be missing out on if you don’t marry your best friend.”
Kat sucked in her lips and fiddled with her hair that she managed to wear down in a puff ball at the nape of her neck, even though she had no idea Drew would be here tonight.
“Come on, Muriel. Let’s get you seated,” Mary said. She shot an apologetic smile to Kat. “Dinner’s ready, you two. Come and join us.”
When they had moved back into the kitchen, Drew faced Kat. “Sorry about that.”
“You’re sorry? You’re the one who will be missing out on—”
“Stop it,” Drew said in a warning tone but with a smile.
Kat laughed and held up her hands. “I surrender.”
“That was fast.” His eyes twinkled. “You’re usually not one to give in so easily.”
“The war’s not over yet,” Kat said in a saucy tone and sashayed by him.
�
��Had no idea we were at war.”
They all sat down to lasagna, garlic bread, and soup stolen from a recipe made famous by a chain restaurant.
“Kat, honey, why don’t you get the dessert.”
“Of course, Mom.”
Kat went to the refrigerator to retrieve the dessert.
“Now Kat makes the best desserts in town,” Muriel said with a grin. “I’ve told her before she should have her own bakery, but she doesn’t open one up.”
“Muriel, I told you she…” Mary shared a hesitant glance with Kat. “She’s happier at the bakery she’s at.”
“Happier?” Muriel eyed Kat suspiciously. “You don’t want to be your own boss?”
Kat handed each person a generous slice of cheesecake, willing her hand to be steady as she placed the small plates in front of everyone. “I have supervisory authority over the menu at the bakery,” she said weakly.
“Surely you’ve got more drive than that. Don’t let that Park girl outshine you.”
“Parker, Grandma,” Drew said in a weary tone.
“Kat has plenty of drive. It’s easier said than done,” Mary defended her daughter.
Kat sank into her chair and stared at the cheesecake, unable to lift her heavy head. It was all so overwhelming. She had tried opening her own shop, but it was plagued with problems from the start, and when her funding fell through, she had to close the doors—which never really opened. She lost a lot of money trusting the wrong businessperson.
Her ex.
It was a tough thing to get over, especially since it happened last year. The bank’s relentless pursuit of her for the balance of the loan kept the terrible ordeal fresh in her mind.
Kat felt a foot tap hers beneath the table. She glanced up. Drew sat across from her and wagged his brows once. She responded with a shaky smile. While Muriel and Mary were discussing their upcoming reenactment, Drew asked, “Want to talk about it?”
“Not really.”
“Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s not the end of the world. You can own your own bakery.”
“I did,” Kat said in a low voice.
Drew leaned forward. “You did? Then why does…”
Kat and Drew turned to see Mary and Muriel staring at them.