by Misty Simon
And now she was going to have to act as if she and Jack couldn’t be without each other. She’d dug a hole and dragged him into it. Her mother kept winking at her and nudging her. It wouldn’t be long until Leigh Moore blabbed.
Before Chelsea was ready for him to leave, Jack waved, then turned back toward the stairs. At the bottom of the steps, he turned back with an adorably sheepish smile on his face. “I guess I should leave this with you all.” After depositing the bottle in the middle of the table, he walked away with his hands tucked into his pockets.
“Now that is something to watch,” her cousin Melanie said with a low whistle.
Horrified Jack might have heard her comment, Chelsea’s eyes flew to Jack’s retreating back. But his step didn’t hesitate at all. Which hopefully meant he hadn’t heard. Lord, wouldn’t that have been embarrassing?
“I can’t believe you said that!” Chelsea dropped back against the booth and glowered at her mother, who was snickering.
“I notice you immediately took a second look,” Leigh said, nudging her with an elbow. “And he’s all yours to look at now, honey.”
“Mom!”
“Well, it’s true, isn’t it?”
“What does that mean?” Belinda asked, leaning forward with a keen look in her eyes.
“Nothing?” Chelsea asked.
“I doubt that.” Belinda smirked. “Something you want to tell us, sister dear?”
“No.”
“Liar. Spill.”
“We really should work on some final details of your wedding, if you want to call me tomorrow?” Chelsea tried to scoot her mother out of the booth so she could run to her room. Leigh wasn’t budging, and Belinda grabbed Chelsea’s hand before she could slide under the table.
“I like avoidance. It gives me the chance to pry it out of you.”
Chelsea rolled her eyes. Now she’d done it. She had set her sister on the trail and there would be no appeasing Belinda until Chelsea came out with the answers her sister wanted. She decided to blurt it out like ripping off the wax on her eyebrows. “Jack and I are engaged. I didn’t want to ruin your special time, so I was trying to keep it to myself until after your wedding.” The lie tasted like ash in her mouth, but it rang in her head for just a moment as she saw herself walking down the aisle to Jack…living in this house...
Sure enough, everyone jumped in on the conversation, wedging her more securely into her lie and the booth.
“He’s a great guy,” her aunt said.
“I think he’s yummy and that you are one lucky woman. Who wouldn’t want that to come home to and snuggle up with?” Melanie chimed in.
“Melanie!”
“What? It’s true.” Melanie slid her a sly grin. “Maybe the two of you can christen every room here, now that you’re together.”
“Not going to happen. And even if it did, I wouldn’t tell you,” Chelsea said, feeling stuck between her mother and her aunt. The urge to get up and pace was nearly overwhelming her.
“All right, girls,” Leigh said, patting Chelsea on the arm. “Let’s all settle down. Chelsea wanted to keep this a secret, so we’ll wait until after the wedding to razz her. I guess I’ll have to uninvite all those eligible men, Belinda.”
They laughed, and Chelsea’s stomach clenched. If only it had occurred to her to tell her mom she was engaged to someone back in Bettleton who couldn’t pull himself away from his law practice or the many surgeries he had scheduled.
Well, at least the bachelor parade was one less thing she’d have to worry about. She wouldn’t be dodging a few dozen men as her mother lobbed them at her one at a time.
“Have you told Mazzy yet, dear?” Leigh asked.
God, no. Her stomach knotted itself like a hangman’s noose. The little girl was already following Jack around like a shadow. She would not involve her child in the lie she’d gotten herself stuck in.
“Not yet. Jack and I were planning on having a dinner the day after Belinda’s wedding to announce it to our friends and family. I’ll tell Mazzy then.” Of course they would have broken up by then, so there was no need to go there. The lie was just getting bigger and bigger.
“That makes sense, I guess. I’m so excited for you, though, and want to know all the details. Mazzy is going to look so adorable as your flower girl, especially since she has my wedding to practice at. I hope I can keep my mouth shut,” Belinda said.
“Then let’s stop talking about it now so we can concentrate on you and your day. We have manicures and pedicures, outings and picnics planned.”
“You might be trying to change the subject, sister dear, but I can only be distracted for so long.” Belinda smiled with all her teeth.
Chelsea didn’t care if she had to do loop-de-loops and handstands as long as they could move from Jack to other, more comfortable subjects. Eventually she did manage to distract them all with talk about the upcoming wedding and the activities scheduled to keep them busy and make them beautiful on the lead-up to the big day.
But that night, after tiptoeing across her room to Mazzy’s and checking on her daughter through the connecting doorway, she couldn’t get the image of a grown-up Jack out of her mind.
With his dark hair, broad back, and mouthwatering body, he’d filled out in a way that made her woman’s heart beat just a little bit faster. If her mother’s heart wasn’t so much the dominant part of her these days, she might have appreciated more how very yummy he now was.
However, the little girl in the room next door needed her more than any man ever would. And Chelsea needed her daughter to be happy, healthy, and loved. All things she herself could and did provide by herself.
She’d tried the two-parent family with Mazzy’s dad for the first two years and it hadn’t worked out. Once his degree was done, he had told her he wasn’t staying around anymore. The love was gone and he had other things he wanted to do, another life he wanted to live that didn’t include them. And then he had completely ignored them. Oh, he still sent child support checks, but she had wanted him to be involved, to love her little girl as much as she did, and she couldn’t leave Bettleton before that had a chance to happen. Mazzy deserved to know her father even if Chelsea couldn’t convince him to give her the time just yet.
Mazzy knew she had a father, in a general way, that she hadn’t been pulled out from under a cabbage. Chelsea had been careful not to lie to her, but she hadn’t told her the whole truth, either. For being four, Mazzy didn’t have many questions about where this father was and why he wasn’t around. Chelsea was braced for the day that would happen, though. Hopefully, she could talk Paul into being a part of Mazzy’s life before it became necessary to explain something Chelsea herself couldn’t fathom. How did you not love the being you’d created?
She could not, and would not, subject her little girl to another person walking away from her. Especially now when Mazzy was old enough to understand when the person said he loved her and wanted to see her grow up—and then be hurt when he did neither.
Chelsea flopped back onto the bed with her arms spread out, taking up as much room on the queen-sized bed as possible. This was all hers and would always be all hers. She did not have to share her life with anyone but Mazzy, she did not have to share her bed with anyone unless Mazzy crept in, and she would not share her heart with anyone but Mazzy, ever again.
It was as simple, and as complicated, as that.
Trouble falling asleep was nothing new to Chelsea, but she made the effort. The hustle and bustle would continue tomorrow. She needed proper rest if she hoped to keep up with her sister and their two cousins. They could probably run circles around her when it came to self-indulgence.
There were massages and shopping and manicures and spa days to look forward to in the coming days. All things Chelsea normally would not do for herself but had agreed to do here because her sister was the bride and had demanded it. Chelsea wasn’t necessarily against any of the activities. They just didn’t fit into her normal life or budget as a secre
tary.
But this would be fun, she told herself, hoping she would believe it when she was dragged all over creation and plastered and waxed to within an inch of her life.
If nothing else, hopefully it would get her thoughts away from what it would be like to really be engaged to the handsome and charming Jack.
Chapter Four
This was never going to work. Chelsea walked around the library at the inn, circulating among family and old friends alike. The staff at Barton Inn had laid out a stunning array of cheese and crackers, fruits and vegetables, on clear glass trays rimmed with gold and garnished with flowers from Jack’s gardens. While it all looked appetizing, Chelsea had only taken a little from each offering, for show. No way would she be able to actually stomach anything.
Any minute now someone would grill her on her engagement. What would she say? Would she be able to pull off looking at Jack with her proverbial heart in her eyes? He was easy enough to look at, but that didn’t translate into being gaga over him to the point of supposedly accepting his never-uttered proposal. She was an idiot. She should have never started this in the first place.
It was on the tip of her tongue to ding her glass and just announce that she and Jack had been playing a prank. But she had no idea who actually knew what at this point. She would make a fool out of herself if she blurted out that it was a lie before anyone was actually aware of the lie in the first place. It was only Monday and she was already regretting the snap decision.
A hand landed on her shoulder, the warm palm sending minute shudders throughout her system. “Are you having a good time, darling?”
“Don’t lay it on thick,” she whispered out of the corner of her mouth.
Jack’s laugh rumbled through her. “I’ll try to hold myself back,” he whispered in her ear.
She smiled, but it was strained around the edges. Hopefully no one else would notice.
“Jack!” Leigh, Chelsea’s mother, carefully picked her way through the crowded library to give him a big hug. Here it came. Her mother leaned in as if conspiring, which she probably was. “I know we’re not supposed to tell anyone,” she said softly enough that no one but Chelsea and Jack could hear. “I just wanted to congratulate you, though, and say how excited I am that you’ll finally be a part of our family. I hope this means you’re going to participate in this week’s activities more than just as the proprietor of the inn.”
Now Jack’s smile was the one a tad strained around the edges. Chelsea hadn’t even thought that far ahead. What she would have given to be able to smack herself in the head without anyone noticing. The fake guy in Bettleton would have been so, so much easier, if only she’d been quicker on her toes with her mother. This was never going to work.
That warm palm settled on Chelsea’s shoulder again, dissipating the rising tension. How did he do that?
“I will be a part of as many things as possible, Leigh,” Jack said in the same hushed voice. “I know how important this wedding is to your family, and I don’t want to overshadow it with our news. You understand, I’m sure. But you can count me in for as many festivities as I can get away for. Now, I should go make sure the kitchen’s ready to serve lunch. If you’ll excuse me?” He leaned in to kiss Chelsea on the cheek and give her the moon eyes. They looked good on him. Far better than she could have pulled off.
She watched him walk away, all six-plus feet of him, and made an effort to look smitten. Thankfully, she must have pulled it off. Her mom put an arm through hers and cackled with glee.
“I knew this would happen sooner or later! You two were meant for each other. All those days you and Paige ran around together while growing up and being shepherded around by Jack were bound to come to something.” Her mom kissed her on the cheek opposite from where Jack’s kiss still simmered. “I’m so happy for you. And so is your dad, though he’s not entirely pleased Jack didn’t ask our permission,” she chided.
Chelsea almost swallowed her tongue. But she got it back into the proper place long enough to say, “It was kind of a sudden thing. I can ask Jack to go over to see Dad when this is all over, if Dad wants him to.” And wouldn’t that be the height of awkwardness? She could see Hugh Moore now, asking Jack why he wanted to marry his daughter, and Jack floundering because, really, what reason could he give?
“The deed is already done, dear. That’s okay. We’re just so pleased you’re going to be coming back home. We’ll be able to see our Mazzy more. How long are we talking as far as a long engagement? I don’t want to wait a year to have my Snazzy Mazzy all to myself. I want to see the ring, too. I know you’re trying to be discreet, but your sister’s wedding shouldn’t keep you from showing off your sparkler.”
Chelsea had to get away. She had not thought this whole thing through and now she was stuck. But she could not stand with her mother one more minute without fixing it. And if she told the truth, not only would her mother be angry with her, but the promised bachelor parade would be back on.
“I’m going to see what I can do to help Jack.” She slipped her arm out from under her mother’s.
“Hopefully, you can also steal a kiss while you’re in the kitchen.” Leigh winked and sighed. “True love is a beautiful thing. I’m so glad you finally found it.”
Scurrying away, Chelsea couldn’t help but think how inept she was at lying. Despite how things ended with Paul, she had been in love with him when they’d first married. Apparently her mother thought it hadn’t ever been true love. So if she hadn’t been convincing the first time, when it was real, then how was she going to pull off pretending to be head over heels in love with someone she was struggling to remember she was only fond of as an old friend? This week couldn’t go fast enough.
****
Jack had to get his head on straight. He stood in the middle of the bustling kitchen, staying out of everyone’s way as best he could. His rooms upstairs would have been a better option, but he couldn’t leave his staff hanging just because he was having a personal crisis.
“Get those plattered,” Frank said from behind him, bringing him out of not only his fantasies but his worries.
“I’ve got it.” Jack had spent many an evening and most summers doing kitchen duty. His parents had run a well-received bed and breakfast, but it had never seen an event like this. Usually it was a destination for a few people to spend the night or a getaway for a couple. They had five guest rooms, total, so the meal load was often less than twelve, and only breakfast at that. This was a whole new thing. One Jack was enjoying while sincerely hoping he hadn’t signed them on for more than they could handle. Adele and Frank had jumped at the chance when they’d talked about it, but the reality might be more than they had thought. Yet one more thing to worry about. They’d never done more than have the actual wedding day on the grounds and then host the couple on their wedding night, along with perhaps some other relatives. This providing of huge meals was new, since the wedding party usually brought in caterers.
He scooped mashed potatoes into china bowls and poured gravy into three boats. Seventeen hungry people had come for lunch, and it was going to be the best lunch they’d ever had. Fortunately, he’d thought ahead enough to hire a few extras to help.
“I’m going out.” Adele hefted a tray heavily laden with plates of everything anyone could possibly want for a Thanksgiving dinner in August.
“Right behind you.” He picked up his own tray. Chelsea chose that moment to burst through the swinging door, nearly knocking down Adele in the process.
“Oh, my gosh, I’m so sorry! Are you okay, Adele?”
Being the professional at all times, Adele simply smiled at Chelsea. “I didn’t drop a single thing. I call that impressive, not just okay.” And she swept out.
Trouble brewed in Chelsea’s amber eyes. Before she asked, he placed his tray on the butcher block and led her into the small office Frank used occasionally. “What’s going on?”
Glancing over her shoulder to the closed door, she leaned into him. That lemon
scent floated to him, filling his senses in a way the fragrant kitchen had not.
“I made a mistake and I don’t know how to get out of it.”
She had always taken her problems to Paige when they were younger. He’d be in the front seat driving them somewhere and couldn’t help but overhear every crush, every heartbreak. He’d normally tried to stay out of it, but every once in a while he’d cut in with the male perspective. She’d bring her problems to Paige and vice versa. Solutions were reached in grassy fields or at the diner over root beer floats. He didn’t have any root beer and he wasn’t Paige, but he’d do his best. “I’m sure whatever it is we can take care of it. Does it have to be done now? I have to get the food out to the table before lunch is served.”
She bit her lip, plumping it up on the right side. Temptation ran through him, thick and hot. Cupping her chin, he leaned forward, but she dropped her head leaving him to place a soft kiss on the crown of her hair.
He lifted her face until she met his eyes again. “What’s up, buttercup?”
She smiled, but the smile was overshadowed by her tearing eyes. “This is going to be a whole lot more than I had thought, and I don’t know how far you’re willing to go.”
Telling her “all the way” would not take that sheen out of her eyes. “It’s not that big of a deal, Chelsea. It’s only a week, right? Besides, you and Mazzy are the only two guests I have this week, so I would be sitting idle if you weren’t here, anyway. I can play doting suitor at a few of the get-togethers. What are old friend’s big brothers for?”
She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him close. Just as he was mapping out the feel of her against him, she pulled back. Her eyes were still misty, but the smile was stronger. “I totally should have told my mother I was engaged to some guy back in Bettleton to avoid all this, but I didn’t think fast enough on my feet. I’m going to owe you at the end of the week, if we survive. Thanks for being such a good sport, Jack.”