Sweet Surprise: Romance Collection
Page 7
Kayli swallowed hard, wishing there was something she could say, support she could offer.
Andrea looked to Adam venomously. “You needn’t bother coming back to California, Adam. If you leave for Montana, Mike will never take you back. It’s obvious he can’t trust you.”
Adam crossed his arms in front of him. “With all you’ve seen Rachel go through, you would let her be thrown out into the street to satisfy your own vengeance? I can’t believe it, even of you, Andrea.”
“Rachel told me I’d never amount to anything, and I find it interesting that I should be ultimately responsible for her fate.” A low cackle escaped, but it didn’t sound as though Andrea took any pleasure in it. A short sob could be heard soon after, and Andrea’s cold expression mingled with pain.
“Don’t do this, Andrea. It’s been over for a long time, and you know that. I love Kayli, and whether you admit it or not, you love Mike.”
The fire returned. “You can’t possibly love her. You don’t know a thing about her.”
“I know I’ve been given a message about her, that she loves the Lord and is committed to the sanctity of marriage.”
“Five years of my life I devoted to you, waiting for you to ask me to be your wife.”
Adam visibly swallowed. “That was wrong. I was wrong. I knew when we wrote to each other in college. A man knows, and I was too weak to say good-bye. I hope someday you’ll forgive me, that you and Mike will work things out.” He grabbed her hand, and Kayli wished she could crawl under a nearby rock rather than witness Andrea’s soul-piercing cry. Adam’s words threw Kayli’s heart into turmoil as well. Yes, she loved him, too, as ridiculous as it sounded. But would he play her for years on end as he’d done with Andrea? She shivered.
“You would commit to this woman after knowing her two weeks?”
Kayli’s heart pounded waiting for his answer. Was he committing?
“It’s not knowing her for two weeks; it’s what I know about her.” Adam rested his gaze on Kayli. “She loves the Lord, she’s committed to Him, and everything she does rises out of that. I know. I have a leading, and I know.” They shared a look, and Kayli knew she would never forget that intensity. Whatever happened in her lifetime, another man would never look on her with such overwhelming devotion.
Andrea laughed derisively. “Do you expect her to live in the sticks with you, Adam? She lives in one of the most cosmopolitan areas in the world. Does she love you enough to live in a log cabin near Glacier? Where the clothes come only in flannel?” Another evil laugh followed. “You’re dumber than I thought.”
Kayli thought about all the luxuries of life: her little convertible, her carefully decorated condominium, her taste for espresso met on every street corner. How would she survive in some little backwoods town with a man she barely knew? She needed to pray, to get away from this and the emotion. Her entire future hung in the balance.
“I need to go home.” Kayli gathered her basket and darted for the car. She didn’t look back, fearing where it might lead. If she looked into those green eyes again, she would throw out reason, casting away her doubts. Doubts were important; they protected a person. Look at Andrea. She hadn’t listened to her doubts, and now she was desperately pursuing another man after her marriage. That was exactly the kind of crazy thing a heavenly man like Adam caused one to do.
“This is all too complicated. I’m a pastry chef, nothing more. Why did I think that some handsome prince was going to sweep me off my feet? I have more smarts than that.” The car wanted to steer itself back to Adam’s, but she forced the wheel to her condo. This was a time for prayer. Deep and strenuous prayer.
The next day, work pacified Kayli, tearing her mind from the reality that Adam might be gone for good and why she should care. He was a stranger. Nothing more.
Mrs. Heiden remained quiet in her comments. So quiet it unnerved Kayli.
“You might as well say what you’re thinking, Mrs. Heiden. He’s gone now. Your opinions were apparently right.”
“He’ll be back.”
“What do you mean?” Kayli stopped brushing her pastry and focused on the older woman.
“A man doesn’t look at a woman as Adam looked at you and forget it. He knows.”
“He knows what?”
The elder woman busied her hands with a wet rag. “My husband used to say that a man knows when he meets his wife. All the rest is merely formality.”
“Mrs. Heiden, I can’t believe you would believe in such a romantic notion. It’s preposterous.”
“Maybe, but I can only go on what my husband said, and I think Adam is the same kind of take-charge man. He saw what he wanted. I’m certain of that.”
“So if that’s true, where is he?”
“Preparing for marriage.”
Kayli laughed out loud. “You’re right. I suppose he’s ordering his tux as we speak.”
“That’s not what I mean. I mean he’s taking care of business, so he can focus on caring for a wife. Open your eyes, Kayli.”
“His married ex-girlfriend is still after him, pursuing him with a vengeance. You don’t see a problem there?” Kayli asked.
“Only for her.”
“I can’t believe you’re saying all this, Mrs. Heiden. You’re usually so practical. Where did that common sense of yours go? And I thought you said he was too good-looking for his own good.”
Mrs. Heiden sat down at a small table near the front of the store and stared out the window. “I had forty-three years with my husband, Kayli. It wasn’t long enough. I don’t want to see you waste your time. If you seek the Lord in this, you’ll know you knew from the first day that this is who you wanted.”
“Wanting something doesn’t make it the right thing.” Kayli was arguing for argument’s sake.
“True enough, but ask your heart, Kayli.”
The shrill tone of the phone reached her, tearing such thoughts from her mind. Adam’s warm, familiar voice met hers.
“I miss you,” he growled.
“When are you coming back?” Kayli asked unwillingly, afraid of the answer.
“Rachel went home to the Lord, Kayli.” Her heart clenched at the sorrow she heard in his voice.
“Oh, Adam, I’m so sorry!” Kayli wished she could embrace him and soothe his pain away, but his distance felt like a world between them.
“God was gracious. I got to see her, to tell her what she meant to me, how much I loved her. She would have loved you, Kayli.” He sighed and lowered his voice. “I told her all about you, and she smiled through the whole description, nodding her head.”
“It’s a compliment that you think she’d like me.” Her comment sounded so vacant. She longed to let him know she’d been praying, that she cared, but she came off as austere and disconnected. “What’s next for you?”
“I’m coming back to California. We’ll decide then.”
“Decide?” Kayli choked, her heart throbbing at the possibilities.
“On marriage. I’ve wasted enough time in my life. You’re welcome to say no or wait or whatever you feel, but I’m certain of this, Kayli. I’m coming home to marry you if you’ll have me. Rachel told me to act if I was sure. I’m sure.”
“Home is where?”
“California. There’s nothing to keep me here now. Only bitter memories and a real mother who never loved me. Maybe someday I’ll have the strength to tackle that problem, but not yet.”
“I’ll be waiting,” Kayli whispered through stiff lips, afraid to hope he meant what he said.
“I know you’re thinking this isn’t the best time, and I’ve been through a trauma, but I know, Kayli. I’ll be there in a week, and we’ll make plans. I’ll call you tonight.”
“Adam?”
“Yeah?”
“Are you sure?”
“I’ve never been more certain about anything. I love you, Kayli Johnson. Become Mrs. Harper and make me the happiest man alive.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “You’ll have to ask m
e in person if you’re serious.”
“Until tonight.” He clicked the phone, and Kayli sobbed from pure emotion, leaning her face against the door post and mourning a woman she never met. A woman who shared her love of Adam. Mrs. Heiden surrounded her with a comforting arm.
“I remember it well, Kayli.” Mrs. Heiden’s own eyes filled with tears. “There is no rational explanation for such a bond.”
The two women laughed together. Kayli wondered at what her future would hold but no longer feared it.
Chapter 10
A dam took a deep breath. Flying over the golden hills of California, along the deep blue ocean, brought a renewed peace to him. No, the landscape wasn’t nearly as dramatic as his beloved Glacier, but the Golden State was now his home. He’d tossed phone cards out like they were scrap metal from a wrecking yard, but in return he’d learned Kayli was a mystery he would continue to discover in their life together. His first inclination was correct: Kayli’s dreams and aspirations matched his own. Whatever path they took, they’d take it together.
Landing smoothly at San Jose International Airport, Adam stepped onto the tarmac, breathing in the cool Bay Area air. Then he saw her. Kayli’s deep brown hair flowed in the afternoon breeze, her soft highlights echoing the sun’s rays. She waved, her smile growing larger, and his stomach lurched.
He breathed in deeply, but he halted at the sight of Andrea standing beside Kayli. Andrea crossed her arms, anticipating his arrival with seemingly precise motives. Free of carry-on luggage, Adam quickened his pace, meeting Kayli’s rustic brown eyes with joy. Momentarily the world around them disappeared, and he pulled her into his arms. The scent of her hair, a mixture of coconut and suntan oil, forced a grin. He was home.
“I missed you,” he whispered the words into her hair, lacing his fingers through the soft mesh of tendrils. “But I’m free, Kayli. I wish Rachel was here to meet you, but I know she’s smiling on us. She had a solid faith and taught me to love God in the darkest of circumstances.” He looked at his feet for a moment. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say she released herself so I could go on with my life. She was that type of woman.”
“She must have been if she raised you.”
“How’s business?” Adam asked avoiding Andrea’s gaze and crossed arms.
“It’s okay. I have more business now that I’m putting the tables out, but I fear Mike Williams’s Sunday hours are going to hurt me. I won’t do that, though it costs me big financially.” She waved a hand in the air. “It’s not important. God will provide. If Rachel believed that, I have to as well.”
To her credit, Andrea let them have their moment together before she approached. “Quite a cozy greeting. It makes me all tingly inside.” Andrea let her eyes roll back in her head to show her sarcasm.
“I heard the restaurant is coming along nicely. Mike sounded pleased when I talked to him on the phone.” Adam smiled.
“I’ll leave you alone, Adam, but I need one last favor.”
His grin died. What would Andrea say in front of Kayli? He uttered a silent prayer, hoping for the best. “I’m fresh out of favors, Andrea.”
“Please. I thought about what you said. I do love Mike, as much as it pains me to say so. I want to be his wife. But I want him to want me as well. I thought maybe if I had another man’s attention, I’d get his.”
Adam placed his arm around Kayli’s waist, pulling her closer. “I want the same thing for you, Andrea, but you’re going about it wrong.”
“I’ve made a fool of myself, and we’re going to counseling. I came to meet you to ask you not to tell him about the pass I made at you. We have enough to work on for the time being.”
Adam looked down at Kayli, grateful they shared a faith in God and a higher calling than simply a secular marriage certificate. “As long as you keep working, my tongue will remain stilled.”
“Thank you.” She nodded at the two of them. “Sorry to interrupt your time, Kayli. You two are a striking couple.” A tear escaped Andrea’s eyes, but she turned away quickly.
Adam searched Kayli’s expression, and they seemed to share a desire to let the conversation drop.
“So what have I missed?” Adam asked.
“Well, Robert is still dating that woman, and she actually went to the Star Trek convention with him! He thinks I’m crazy for falling for you over the phone, but I know better.”
“He’s not familiar with my irresistible voice apparently.”
“Apparently.”
They walked arm in arm into the airport, retrieved Adam’s small suitcase, and stepped into her waiting car in the nearby lot. “May I drive?”
“Certainly,” Kayli answered.
Adam drove through all the high tech buildings and passed the concert amphitheater, before arriving at the golf course on the San Francisco Bay shoreline. Pulling into a parking spot, they parked before the small lake with several brightly colored sailboards gliding in the wind. He watched Kayli smile and went around the car to help her out. The soothing sound of pure silence permeated the afternoon breeze. The caw of a seagull broke the stillness every few minutes, but otherwise they were completely alone.
He sat Kayli on a bench and knelt before her. “This is crazy. I’m sure you think I’m crazy, but I love you, Kayli Johnson, and, come what may, I’m committed to you. Employed, unemployed, California, or Montana, one thing will remain constant, and that’s my love for you.”
Kayli smiled, nibbling on her lip nervously. He touched her cheek and pulled out the red-velvet box. It opened with a squeak, and he watched Kayli’s expression light up. “This was Rachel’s. She wanted you to have it, and I want you to have it.”
“I can’t take it, Adam. It’s for your wife.”
“Kayli,” he said, laughing. “I’m asking you to be my wife. I want us to be married.”
Choking sobs emanated from his future bride. She covered her face, to hide the emotion, but Adam pulled her hands away. “Is that a yes?”
She nodded. Again and again. “It’s a yes!” She grabbed his face and covered him with kisses. “Mike Williams can have whatever he wants, as long as I get you.”
His throat grew tight, but he wanted to shout with joy. To sing, to dance. Something to show his emotion. So he broke into song to the Lord while Kayli giggled.
“You’ll always have my heart, Kayli. Once I tasted that apple pie, I knew life didn’t get any better than this.”
Kayli smiled, almost an evil grin. “You ate it before you left?”
“The whole thing.”
“Well, you little sneak.”
“And it was better than my mother’s. Rachel laughed contentedly when I told her that.”
“You told her?”
“She would have read it in my face if I hadn’t. Although she said my taste buds might have been colored by my feelings.”
“I certainly hope so.”
“Who would have thought I’d have to come to a European bakery in California for American apple pie?”
“America is a lot of things, Adam, but it’s certainly like you, sweet as apple pie.”
ELLEN’S INFAMOUS APPLE PIE
This recipe is the best apple pie I’ve ever tasted, and it is a must for my husband at Thanksgiving and Christmas. My husband’s mother, Ellen Billerbeck, perfected this recipe, and it is incredible! Many thanks to her for sharing this recipe and raising such a wonderful son to enjoy it with.
INGREDIENTS:
1½ cups sugar (use a tad more if apples are really sour)
Dash of salt
½ cup flour
Dash of nutmeg
2 heaping teaspoons cinnamon
6 pippin apples (look for brown crown for the best sugared apples)
2 ready-made piecrusts
1 lemon
¼ stick butter, sliced
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine sugar, salt, flour, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a bowl. Peel and cut apples in small wedges. Roll out one ready-
made piecrust, or your own, and place in a 9-inch pie pan. Layer sugar mix, apples, lemon, and butter. Keep layering until all ingredients are used. Then place second piecrust on top, cutting a hole in the top to allow the mixture to vent. Place a cookie sheet under the pie pan to avoid boil-overs and messy ovens. Bake for 1 hour; then lower temperature to 300 degrees and bake for 30 more minutes.
CUPCAKES FOR TWO
by Birdie L. Etchison
Dedication
To my mother, Naomi Leighton, one of the best cooks ever!
Chapter 1
C ynthia Lyons grabbed her luggage and wheeled it toward the street where a taxi waited. She slung her carry-on bag over her shoulder, pushed a lock of blond hair out of her eyes, and ran to the curb.
“I need to get downtown in thirty minutes. Here’s the address.” She thrust a small piece of wadded up paper in front of the driver’s nose. “Is that possible?”
“Get in, lady. We’ll try, but no guarantees.”
He started to get out to help with the luggage, but she waved him away. “I’m used to taking care of things myself. Thanks anyway.”
Seconds later, the taxi pulled away from the cars parked three deep and was soon in the throng of Portland, Oregon, commuters.
“You aren’t from here, are you?”
“No. Is it that noticeable?” Cynthia took a deep breath, willing herself to relax. A job interview shouldn’t ruffle her. She had lots to offer a bed-and-breakfast operation.
He looked at her in the rearview mirror. “If you were, you wouldn’t have asked if I could make it. It’s a straight shot once I get on I-84 heading west.”
“That’s great. I have an appointment,” she said, “and one can’t be late for a job interview.”
“No problem. We’ll make it with time to spare. Traffic is light.”
“Thanks” was all Cynthia could manage as a sudden feeling of regret—or was it alarm?—went through her. It was ludicrous leaving Martinez, California, as she had. Stealing away, practically in the middle of the night, leaving her business to Jan, her friend and associate. If only Max had just left her alone. She thought that chapter of her life was over, but he’d returned, acting as if things would pick up as before—and wouldn’t take no for an answer. Her thoughts turned to that day when they’d argued.