by Candis Terry
Behind her the steel door closed with a bang, and the three women near the kitchen area turned in her direction.
“Tramp,” said Elvira Schlodemer, a large woman with shocking red hair.
“Decidedly not,” said Priscilla, aka Twinkie. “I say grotesque.”
Well, Kelly thought, there went any chance for her to keep a speck of confidence.
The third woman, whom Kelly did not know, exclaimed, “She’s a character. I’ll put money on it.”
Why did everyone want to bet on her? James had done the same thing, indicating he’d get her back in his bed when he knew he really had no interest. Were these women trying to scare her off as well?
“I’m sorry.” Kelly backed toward the door. “I don’t think I belong here.”
Priscilla caught up to her and took her arm before she could bail. “Not so fast, young lady. We weren’t insulting you.”
“You weren’t?”
“Don’t be silly. Until later.” Priscilla led her to the other women, who looked quite comfortable in their spandex pants, flip-flops, and floral muumuus.
Kelly would never say it out loud, but there were some women who should never put on a pair of spandex. Present company included.
“We’re talking clown types. Whenever we get new blood we always try to guess which personality type they’re going to choose.”
“There are different types?” Kelly asked.
“You just sit yourself down, and we’ll give you a brief history and rundown. Then we can get to figuring out just who your alter ego might be.
Kelly swallowed. She’d been a lot more confident before she’d walked into the room. Now with three pairs of eyes on her, she felt like she was about to step out onto the stage again. Only this version was much different from her customary courtroom.
A cup of coffee appeared in front of her, and for several hours she listened while her new friends gave her a condensed version of Clowning 101. She learned that clowns, of a sort, existed five thousand years ago in ancient Egypt, and that the word clown did not come into use until the sixteenth century. She learned the types of clowns and the specific jobs and personalities that went together. They showed her several routines, and by the time they had taken a bow, Kelly knew exactly what type of clown she wanted to be.
The quitting time siren was about to go off as Kelly strolled through the back door of the Sugar Shack and caught Kate closing up shop.
“Hey, big sister.” Kate pulled the icing-stained pink apron over her head and dumped it into the nearby laundry bin. “What’s up?”
Kelly dropped the keys to the Buick and her purse onto the desk in the office and joined Kate near the display case. “Oh, nothing much. Just thought I’d drop by and see if you’ve given any more thought to Dad’s announcement about retiring.”
Kate adjusted the frilly paper doily beneath a plate of sugared lemon cookies. “Why? Have you?”
“Actually, I have.”
“And?”
Kelly plopped her butt on a stool and braced the heels of her cowboy boots on the foot rest. Her cotton sundress slid up her legs, and she pushed it back down into place. “When Dad first told us, I’ll admit I kind of panicked.”
“Because you don’t really know what you want to do with your life?”
“I thought I knew.” She reached inside the display case, grabbed a cookie, and bit into it. The lemon and sugar rolled across her tongue and made her pucker.
“Hey.” Kate cut her a dark glare and slid her hands to her hips.
“Put it on my tab.”
“You don’t have a tab.”
“I do now.”
Kate shook her head. “Finish what you were saying before you eat up all my profits.”
“I’ve been practicing law since the moment I graduated from college. I followed all the rules. Got all the degrees. Passed all the tests.” She bit off an edge of the cookie and chewed. “With all that schooling, all that training, how could I be such a royal screw-up?”
“Just because you lost a case doesn’t mean you’re a screw-up, Kel. Shit happens. Didn’t anyone ever tell you that? Jesus. Our mother is dead. Yet she’s still floating around in the backseat of her car because she can’t bear to move on until we’re all happy in our lives.” Kate tossed up her hands. “Who knew that was even possible? Shit happens. Sometimes it’s good shit. Sometimes it’s shitty shit.”
Kelly laughed and took another bite of cookie. “When did you get so brainy?”
Kate laughed, too. “Since our mother decided to freaking appear in the backseat of her piece-of-crap car. As much as it pains me to admit it, that woman is right-on with everything she says. Too bad I didn’t listen years ago.”
Kelly lifted a brow in surprise.
“Seriously,” Kate said. “If it hadn’t been for her, I would never have come back home. I would never have run into Matt again. And I would never have thought there was anything in life for me to do other than dress celebrities in expensive clothes for their frivolous affairs.”
“So, you’re saying if Mom speaks I should listen?”
“Mom—post funeral—convinced me to take a deep breath of life. I fought it. All I could think of was getting back to my life in L.A.” She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Look at me, Kel. I thought I never wanted to be in this Podunk town or this bakery again. But here I am, and I love every minute of it. I never thought I’d find the man of my dreams. Yet he was always right there, just waiting for me to come home.”
“Yeah, but that’s—”
“If you don’t believe me, look at Dean. That man lived and breathed football from the first moment he stuck a stupid helmet on his thick skull. He loved what he did. Loved the life he lived. Mom—again, post funeral—convinced him that he was more than football and that he should take a closer look at his life. Look at him now. Have you ever seen him happier?”
Kelly shook her head and finished off the cookie. “Do you know what Mom told me?”
“I can only imagine.”
“She told me to kick Sister Serious to the curb. I’m taking her up on it.”
Kate sang a choir note and raised her hands. “Amen and hallelujah. Praise be to Mom.”
When Kate finished laughing, Kelly said, “I want in.”
“In?”
“Whoopie pies or fudge?”
Kate plopped down on a stool. “I’m not sure I follow.”
“Right now I don’t know if I’ll be here a week, a month, or a year. I don’t want to get in your way, Kate. I know how much this bakery has come to mean to you. It shows in everything you do. Even the way you redecorated it. I don’t really know what the future holds for me or if you even want me here. But as long as I am here I’d like to contribute something. You’ve got Kate’s Red Carpet Cake designs. I wanted to be able to bring something new to the table, too.”
“Well good, let’s talk about that. What about Chicago? What about that really important job you have putting bad guys behind bars?”
Kelly exhaled long and hard. “The truth?”
“Of course.”
“I’m not sure I can go back.” Kelly let go a sigh of defeat. “I’m not sure I have it in me anymore.”
“It was just one case, Kel. Everybody loses once in a while.”
“I don’t.”
“Wow.” Kate’s brows shot up her forehead. “Ever?”
Kelly shook her head. “Until the Colson case. Whatever I missed or didn’t define or didn’t state clearly . . . it was all on me. I don’t know how Alicia Colson died, but I do know she’s dead. And the man responsible is free to go on about his business, feeling bolder because he got away with it.”
“Maybe he’ll slip up.”
“I can only hope. In the meantime, I’ve done some thinking.” Kelly folded her hands together and squeezed until her fingers burned. “I think I’ve lost my drive—the desire—and what it takes to put myself back in the game. I don’t know if I’m ready to go back right n
ow. I may go back next week. I may never go back. But I do want to be right here. Right now. If you want me.”
“Are you kidding? Of course I want you here.” Kate stood and hugged her. “And if I had my way, you’d never go back to Chicago. I hated being halfway across the country from you and Dean. When I have kids I want them to know their aunt and uncle.”
“Kids?”
“Not yet. We’re still practicing.” Kate smiled. “A lot.”
Kelly laughed. “Okay then. So what’s it going to be? Whoopie pies or fudge?”
“Duh. Fudge. What’s your plan?”
“New menu items beneath the heading I Got Fudged . . . at the Sugar Shack. We could even make bumper stickers.”
“Slightly on the racy side.” Kate grinned. “I like it so far. Go on.”
“Seasonal fudge like . . .” Kelly’s heart pounded in anticipation. “Cookies-and-cream for summer. Ghost fudge for Halloween. Pumpkin-pie fudge for Thanksgiving. Moose-drool fudge for hunting season. I’ve got an entire list going.”
“Kelly, that’s an awesome idea. Dad will love it.”
“And Dad will be able to either retire or work as much or as little as he wants because I’ll be here to pick up the slack. I just have one condition.”
“Now you’re scaring me.”
“I want a portion of the proceeds of the fudge and anything related to the fudge to go toward building a playroom at the hospital.”
“That’s kind of out of the blue.”
“Not really. When I was with James at the hospital after Alex’s accident I realized it might be a really nice thing for the kids who are there to have a special room they can go to and escape their illness for a few minutes. You know, someplace that’s painted bright and cheerful with colorful things to do to take their mind off of shots and medicine and poking and prodding.”
Kate wiped the moisture from beneath her eyes. “I think that’s a wonderful idea. Dad will be thrilled too.”
The warmth that surrounded Kelly’s heart signified that she might not know exactly where she was headed in life, but she was on the right track. “Thanks, Kate.”
They shared a hug. “Just one favor. If you do decide to go back to Chicago, please give me adequate notice. I’m already up to my ears in alligators.”
“Absolutely. I’ll let you know.” Unlike what she was doing to the prosecutor’s office right now. Them she was letting hang forgotten like a burned-out string of Christmas lights. What did that say about her? Nothing she should be proud of. But it was a definite indicator that she had started to move her life in another direction. And at the end of the day, that’s why she had really come home.
“When can you start?” Kate asked.
“How about tomorrow?”
“Even more perfect.”
Kelly looked around the clean kitchen area. “Mind if I hang around for a while tonight and try out a couple of recipes?”
Kate went into the office, grabbed her purse, then came back in the kitchen and gave Kelly a hug. “Have at it. But don’t make me come in tomorrow and clean up after you.”
“Yes, mother.”
Halfway out the door, keys in hand, Kate turned and laughed. “Oh, no. We’ve got one mother already. And believe me, having you kick Sister Serious to the curb is just the first among many things she will trick you into. But no worries. She’s going to be right no matter how much you protest.” The door closed with a bang behind Kate.
Kelly had a feeling her sister was dead-on, but tonight she wasn’t going to think about that. Tonight she would enjoy herself. Celebrate the progress she’d made with her clown persona. She would not think about Chicago, or the Colson case. And she absolutely would not think about James Harley.
All her thoughts were going to be immersed in chocolate, and caramel, and cream, and all the things that made her go “Mmmmmmm.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
It had been a hell of a day. The clock had seemed to be stuck on 9 p.m. for hours until finally his shift ended.
Hot and tired, James tossed his utility belt and semi-automatic on the passenger seat. Then he unbuttoned and un-tucked his uniform shirt, climbed up into the truck, and headed toward home.
He checked in with Rocky, who’d agreed to stay with Alex until James got home. With Rocky on the job, James decided to take the leisurely route to clear his head before he walked through the door and into adolescent-with-an-attitude territory. He and Alex had talked things over a little, but there was still so much unsaid. Mostly because James had never been good with words. He wished to God he had the gift of intellectual conversation, but there was just something wrong in his DNA that prevented him from finding the proper words for the proper situation.
He punched the buttons on the radio until he found a Blake Shelton tune to calm him down.
On top of all his normal chaos there was Kelly, who’d managed to avoid him since the wedding. She confused the hell out of him, and she wouldn’t leave his thoughts for a moment. Frustration made him grip the steering wheel like he could squeeze out all his troubles, which seemed to be mounting with every breath he inhaled.
He eyed the Naughty Irish as he passed by, wishing he could stop for a cold beer. Farther down the road he could almost hear the sizzle on the steaks cooking at the Grizzly Claw Tavern, and his stomach growled. As the nose of his truck pointed toward the center of town, he anticipated the lingering scents from the Sugar Shack’s daily barrage of sweets. The bakery would have been closed for hours, but the fragrance of the breads, and muffins, and cupcakes baked there every day would float in the air above Main Street like a cloud of goodness.
He expected tonight to be no different, and he rolled down his window to capture the scent. As he cruised past the front window, he noticed lights on in the back of the shop. Since his job was to serve and protect, he swung around to the back alley to make sure nothing was amiss.
As he rolled the truck to a stop in the alley behind the bakery, the only car there was Letty Silverthorne’s rusty Buick—the car Kelly had been driving around town. Perfect, now maybe he could set things straight between the two of them. Maybe then he’d be able to get some sleep tonight.
He closed the truck door, stuck his handgun in the back of his waistband, checked the back door of the bakery, and found it unlocked. He stepped just inside the building and stopped at the blast of music blaring from the radio.
Looked like the entertainment committee had already arrived.
At the front of the prep area and with her back turned, Kelly rocked out at the top of her lungs to Carrie Underwood’s “Undo It.”
She was a little off-key, but he couldn’t care less.
His eyes traveled slowly from the heels of her worn cowboy boots, up her bare, shapely legs, to the short yellow sundress with straps as thin as spaghetti over her smooth bare shoulders.
Her skin looked tan and smooth and beneath that floaty little dress her hips swayed to the music. Right or wrong, James leaned back against the stainless sink to watch. While he watched he couldn’t wipe the smile from his face. He’d never seen Kelly quite so animated. It looked good on her.
Really good.
Lust twisted in his gut, and everything inside him shifted, heated up, and expanded.
He’d never wanted a woman more in his life. Not just any woman. He wanted her. She was like a fantasy that wouldn’t fade whether it was day or night. He might not be obsessed, but he was damned close.
The song ended way too soon, and as the music rolled into Brad Paisley’s “Mud on the Tires,” she did a cute little two-step then turned to grab a big bowl from the counter and froze. She gasped like she’d been caught naked. Too bad for him she hadn’t been. While she squeaked with indignation, James took his time examining all the little buttons dancing down the front of her dress and wondered if later she might need a little help unbuttoning them.
He might have been heading home, but she was one hell of a good detour.
“What are you doin
g here?” Kelly started at James’s sudden appearance.
He leaned back against the counter with one booted foot propped against the cabinet behind him. His uniform shirt was unbuttoned and hung open to reveal his taut, tanned skin and rippled stomach muscles. He was hard, and strong, and gorgeous, and she wanted to lick him up like a cherry flavored Slurpee.
“I saw the lights on,” he drawled. “Thought there might be a problem.”
“Well now you’ve seen that everything’s fine.” She sucked in a big gulp of air to chase away the flash of desire humming through her veins. Not so easy to do even when she knew for a fact that the man just wasn’t interested in her. “So feel free to leave.”
“What is your problem, Kelly?” He pushed away from the counter and came toward her, his stride slow and deliberate. “Is it my imagination that just last week you were kissing me?”
“I do not want to talk about that.” She held onto her bowl of melted chocolate like it was some kind of protection. Although truth be told, he probably needed protection from her. Not vice-versa.
“Well too bad.” He stopped directly in front of her, and at once she was dizzy with the warm, blatantly sexual scent that rose from his body like a welcome mat. “Sometimes we just don’t get everything we want.”
“No kidding.”
His head tilted and he looked down at her, eyes dark with frustration. “What the hell does that mean?”
“Like it isn’t obvious?” She lifted her chin in a show of pure stubbornness to camouflage her humiliation. “I threw myself at you. You pushed me away. You’re not interested. You don’t want me. I get it.”
“I don’t want you?” His dark brows shot up his forehead. “Are you out of your mind?”
“I have been a time or two, but not about this. You stopped kissing me. You pushed me away. End of story.”