The Sweetness of Her Love: A Christian Romance (Fostered by Love Book 2)

by Kimberly Rae Jordan

  She spotted movement across the table and looked up. Her staff had learned early on that when she was working on a project, she usually had her earbuds in and that they shouldn’t come up and tap her on the shoulder. Megan stood there with a grin on her face.

  Erin tugged one of her earbuds out. “What’s up?”

  “He’s back,” she said, her grin growing bigger.

  “He?” Erin asked, even though she had a pretty good idea who Megan was referring to.

  Megan rolled her eyes. “He asked to speak with you.”

  Erin glanced around her workspace. Betsy was off on her break which meant she couldn’t take over for her. “Can you just bring him back here?”

  Megan nodded and disappeared down the hallway. Erin resisted the urge to go quickly check her hair and makeup. Her hair was covered by a net, and no doubt some of her makeup had rubbed off. She definitely wasn’t at her finest, but after their last encounter, she told herself it didn’t matter. She pulled out some plastic wrap to cover the gum paste so it didn’t dry out while they talked then went to wash her hands.

  When Megan reappeared with James Dawson in tow, Erin wiped her hands on a towel and moved to greet him.

  “I hope you don’t mind me stopping by,” James said as he glanced around the kitchen. “My last client for the day canceled, so I thought I’d come by to talk to you about your email.”

  Erin really hoped that he wasn’t going to become one of those clients who had to question everything and made requests for things that were—even for her—nearly impossible.

  “It’s not a problem. Let’s sit.” She motioned to the seat next to her desk while she walked around to sink into her chair. “Did you have some questions about the design?”

  “Just one, actually.” James took off his coat before sitting down, keeping it folded over his arm.

  Erin could have offered to hang it up for him, but she really hoped he wasn’t planning to stay too long. “What’s that?”

  “Is what you designed actually possible? Without using real flowers like the picture you sent?”

  At his comment regarding the picture, Erin smiled. It always made her feel good when people assumed the work she did—especially with flowers—was the real thing. “Actually, that was a picture of my work. That lily and a few more like it will be on your grandmother’s cake.”

  James looked surprised. “That wasn’t real?”

  Erin shook her head as she got to her feet. She went to the place where they kept completed decorations. It needed to be cool but dry so that condensation didn’t form on them when they got them out to use. With the small air tight container that held the lily in hand, she returned to the desk and set it in the middle. After pulling off the cover, she gently pushed it toward James.

  He leaned forward to look inside. When he lifted his gaze to hers a moment later, it held a mixture of surprise and admiration. Erin was happy with both those expressions because she had a feeling that James had underestimated her abilities.

  “I must say, the photos you showed me last week, and the ones you sent with the email did not do your work justice. This is quite amazing.” He sat back and stared at her. “And I have to say that applies to the cupcakes you sent with me on Friday as well. I can now understand why my grandmother is quite enamored with them. My assistant is also a fan. When I set that box on her desk, she started to rave about the stuff you sell here. You’ve got quite a fandom, it would appear.”

  “It’s always fun to hear that people are enjoying what we produce here at the bakery.” Erin covered the lily and returned it to its place. “We have built our business on repeat customers and word of mouth advertising. Social media, which is my sister’s department, has also helped a lot.”

  James nodded. “I checked out your Facebook and Instagram pages and read all the glowing comments on there. You definitely have figured out what works for you here.”

  “Tell all your friends,” Erin said with a smile, trying to remember why she wasn’t a fan of this man.

  “I just might. I know my best friend—who snagged one of the cupcakes on Friday—is making noises about coming by soon.”

  The man was slowly beginning to redeem himself. Flattering her baby—which was how she thought of the bakery—was a great first step. “I hope that you feel a little more confident about us doing your grandmother’s cake.”

  James paused for a moment, his brows drawing together. “I apologize if I gave you the impression that I doubted your ability. Not that my opinion matters at all when it comes to what my grandmother wants. She wanted a cake from you, and that’s what she’ll have. I knew you had to be someone special if my grandmother liked you. She doesn’t like just anyone.”

  “Well, I’m looking forward to doing her cake. It will be a pleasure.”

  “The design you sent looks amazing.”

  “No changes you’d like to make to it?” Erin asked, not sure why she was opening the door to allowing him to request changes. That was exactly what she didn’t want.

  “Are you kidding me? Not a chance. If you can do everything on that design, she’s going to absolutely love it.”

  Erin wasn’t quite sure what to make of the man sitting across from her and how different he seemed from the last time they’d met.

  James shifted on his seat and stared down at the desk for a moment before looking up. “I would also like to apologize for my behavior during our last meeting. I made an assumption that I shouldn’t have.”

  Her opinion of James changed a bit more, and though she still wasn’t sure he was any sort of Prince Charming, at least he didn’t seem to be a villain either. “Oh well, I made a few assumptions myself.”

  He lifted a brow at her comment. She just smiled at him, not about to reveal what her assumptions had been.

  “My grandmother set me straight on a few things, one of which was that she’d chosen not to set us up because I wasn’t good enough for you.”

  Erin stared at him for a moment as her jaw dropped slightly, then she laughed. “Are you serious?”

  “Would I say that if I wasn’t?” James frowned. “She made sure that I knew my assumption about why she wouldn’t set us up was wrong.”

  “What assumption was that?” Erin couldn’t keep from asking, even though she had a pretty good idea what it might have been.

  James’s frown deepened, and he hesitated before answering. “Just that you weren’t my type.”

  For a moment, Erin felt a pang of sadness. Of course, it made sense that she wasn’t his type, but no girl liked to think that she wasn’t the tall, dark and handsome guy’s type. But she did appreciate that Mrs. Dawson was looking out for her.

  “So why did she think you weren’t good enough for me? That’s just crazy.”

  James straightened in his seat. “I’m a lawyer, and I can be a…not-so-nice person. Sometimes. Plus, I think she knew you were likely looking for more, and I’m not. I guess she thought she was saving you from the horrible experience of going out on a date with me when I wouldn’t really want to be there.”

  Erin stared at the man, trying to figure out if she should take offense at anything he’d said. Pretty quickly she decided it just wasn’t worth it. This man wasn’t really her type either, if she was honest. She needed a guy who was flexible enough to adapt to her weird schedule and who didn’t take themselves too seriously. She wanted someone she could have fun with, doing things that might not be traditional dates.

  “Well, I can guarantee you that if I had planned the date, it would have been anything but horrible,” Erin said with a grin.

  This time, James settled back in his chair. “Oh really? So if Nana had set us up, and I let you plan the date, what would we have done?”

  “This is the perfect time of year for fun dates. We could have gone to the Winter Wonderland Christmas light display or maybe to Bethlehem Live.”

  “Bethlehem live?” James asked.

  “Yeah. It’s an event put on by a church where th
ey re-enact the Biblical Christmas story. They convert their gym into Bethlehem with people in period costume and live animals. It’s free and lots of fun to walk through.”

  “And a light display?”

  “Haven’t you ever gone to the light display at the Ex grounds?”

  James shook his head. “Can’t say that I have.”

  “No wonder you have horrible dates. I bet you take all your dates to an expensive restaurant.”

  James lifted an eyebrow. “The women haven’t complained.”

  “Probably because they had hoped to get their hands on your money when you got married.” Erin grinned. “No doubt they thought they’d be the one.”

  “The one?”

  “Yeah, the one who changed your mind about marriage.”

  “That’s not going to happen,” James said, then paused. “So you think I need to be more creative with my dates?”

  “Well, only if you want to impress women enough so that they’ll say yes to a second date.”

  James stared at her in silence for a moment. “So how about you show me how you would plan a fun date?”

  Then it was Erin’s turn to sit in silence. Was he asking her on a date? And was that something she wanted to consider?

  No.

  She was pretty sure that dating someone like James would only bring her heartache. Why would she date a guy when she knew that he wasn’t interested in a future with her? That was just asking for trouble.

  “Are you asking me out on a date?” Erin asked.

  “And if I was?”

  “I would say no,” Erin informed him. “It would be a waste of time for both of us. I don’t date just for the fun of it. If I’m going to date someone, it’s because I think I might be interested in something serious with him.” She paused. “However, if you just want to go as friends… That, I might consider.”

  “What’s the difference between a date and going out as friends?”

  Erin frowned. “You don’t have any female friends?”

  “Not really. I mean, I’m friends with my best friend’s sisters.”

  “You need to get some more female friends. We can be really fun to hang out with.”

  James didn’t look too convinced. “If you say so.”

  “Okay. Come with me to Bethlehem Live as friends. I think you’d have fun.” She gestured to him. “But no suits. Do you own anything that’s not a suit?”

  “Of course,” James said, an indignant look on his face. “I’m really not the stuffed shirt you seem to think I am.”

  “I guess you’d have the chance to prove that to me if you agree to go.”

  James once again seemed to take a moment to consider it. “Time and date?”

  Erin smiled even though she knew this wasn’t the best idea she’d ever had. In fact, it was likely a big mistake. And yet, she was going to do it even though she would have to remind herself constantly that it wasn’t a date. Given her propensity for romance, she knew that was going to be a challenge. Maybe James would continue to act arrogant so that she could remember why she’d disliked him so much at first.

  “Next Saturday. Six o’clock. And we might have to stand in line for a bit since it’s a popular event, so dress warmly.” Erin really hoped that Noella didn’t question her about where she was going.

  “So, a week from this Saturday?” At her nod, James pulled out his phone and tapped on the screen. “What’s your address?”

  Erin hesitated. On one hand, meeting him there would be a good reminder it wasn’t a date. On the other hand, however, it could be difficult to find parking since it was a popular event. But she didn’t really want Noella getting wind of this non-date, and she would definitely wonder what was up if James showed up at the door.

  “How about I just meet you there?” Erin suggested, but James scowled at the suggestion. “Not a date, remember?”

  “Okay. If you insist.” James looked back down at his phone. “What’s the address for the place?”

  Though Erin didn’t know the exact address, she gave him the name of the church and the street where it was located. “Might be best to meet there around five-thirty since it does get busy.”

  She really hoped she wasn’t making a mistake, but at least it was over a week away, so if she changed her mind, she had plenty of time to cancel.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  James left the bakery not entirely sure how he felt about the non-date that he’d set up with Erin. He’d let his curiosity get the better of him when she’d mentioned going on a fun date with a woman instead of just wining and dining them at a fancy restaurant. Strangely enough, his grandmother had often chided him about that very thing. But it was the easiest date to plan and like he’d told Erin, the women never complained.

  He wondered if he should tell his grandmother about the plan to go to this Christmas program thing with Erin. Mulling it over as he drove to his apartment, James decided he’d better not. It might raise her hopes on a couple of fronts. First, that he was going to someplace other than a restaurant and that he was going with Erin. Second, that he was actually going to set foot in a church. It had been many, many years since he’d last done that.

  What was it about Erin that was challenging some of his deepest held beliefs about himself and what he wanted for his future? When he’d seen the sparkle come back into her eyes as she’d smiled at him, James realized that he never again wanted to be the reason that sparkle faded. And though she had thwarted his efforts to turn the evening into a date, he was going to show her that he knew how to have a good time with a woman.

  When he found himself humming the Christmas carol that had been playing just before he’d left the bakery, James knew that he had truly lost his mind. If he were smart, he would be doing what he could to put distance—and a significant amount of it—between himself and Erin. He should be calling up his sister, Kaylee, and telling her that she needed to take over this part of the party.

  Given the list of things that needed to be done for the event, James had counted himself lucky when Nana had assigned him the duty of ordering the cake and cupcakes. He’d figured that wouldn’t be difficult at all. And he’d been right. It was the sudden desire he’d had to spend more time with the baker of the cake and cupcakes that was turning it into a challenging experience.

  James wasn’t sure yet if he was going to talk to Van about this latest turn of events either. The weird thing was that Van was the one who had always said that he hoped to find a woman to settle down with. The man wanted to get married and have children. That had never, ever been part of any future James saw for himself. Until now. Suddenly it was popping into his head that maybe a relationship with the right woman wouldn’t be so bad.

  Erin stared out the window and watched as Noella and Finn walked toward the car to go to the light display for their date. She felt a pang of longing and a feeling of it not being fair. From when they were teenagers, Noella had really had no interest in a relationship. Erin had been the opposite. Even though she’d been busy with the bakery, Erin had always planned to get married and have a family. Next to the bakery, it was the thing she wanted most.

  But now it was Noella who had a great man interested in her. Finn was everything a woman could want in a man. A man of faith, he had shown he was a hard worker who still made time for the important people in his life. She’d heard through Tennyson how often he did work for free or just the cost of parts at the mechanic shop where he worked if people came in who couldn’t afford to have their car repaired. Or how he helped people out who lived in the same trailer park as he did. She understood Noella’s fears, but at the same time, she really didn’t think Finn was anything like the men who had taken advantage of Noella’s mother.

  Erin could only pray that her “Finn” would come along soon. For certain it wasn’t going to be James Dawson. He could be a friend, but he couldn’t be a boyfriend let alone a husband. Trying to keep that firmly in her mind, Erin turned her attention back to the ereader she held. If she c
ouldn’t have romance in her life right then, she would happily read about it in some fictional character’s life.

  The following week, Erin was talking with Noella when a text came in from James.

  James: Are we still just meeting at the church on Saturday night?

  Right in the middle of a discussion of ordering boxes for the bakery with Noella, Erin tried to keep talking to her as she tapped back a response.

  Erin: It’s supposed to be a nice night. There’s a mall parking lot not too far from the church. How about we meet there?

  James: I still think you should just let me pick you up. Are you afraid to tell me where you live? I promise not to stalk you…

  Trying not to laugh, Erin focused on finishing up the conversation with Noella before escaping to her desk to reply to James.

  Erin: Not afraid of you stalking me. If you did, I’d just tell your grandmother.

  James: So just give me your address. Then we can save gas. ;)

  Erin snickered at that response. Would it be so bad to have him pick her up at the house? Noella might not even notice. She was distracted by her own issues right then and often stayed late at the bakery anyway.

  Erin: Here’s a compromise. Why don’t we meet at the Tim Hortons on Gateway at five then you can drive to the church? We can grab a coffee afterward.

  James: I’m all for coffee, but are you sure? Grabbing coffee together kinda sounds like a date.

  Erin: Pretty sure friends get coffee together. I’ll pay for my own just to make sure there’s no confusion.

  James: Deal! See you there at five on Saturday.

  Erin let out a long sigh. Why did she keep giving in to him? If this friendship was going to work, there had to be a clear delineation between them. She needed a line in the sand. Unfortunately, it seemed that no matter what line she drew, she kept crossing it. That thought chased away any of the humor of their latest conversation. Knowing what she did about him, there were just lines she couldn’t afford to cross because then her heart was going to get involved and that was something she couldn’t allow to happen.