Best of My Love (Fool's Gold) (20 page)

She saw Taryn and Patience were already waiting at a smaller booth along the back wall. A booth that only sat four.

“Not a big crowd today,” she said as she and Madeline approached the table.

Madeline did her best to smile, but it was obviously fake. There was a hint of nervousness as she said, “Sometimes that’s more fun.”

Shelby sat down next to Patience, looked at the other two and asked flatly, “What’s up?”

Patience sighed. “I knew we couldn’t fool you for long. I was hoping for at least ten minutes.”

Shelby told herself that these women loved her and she trusted them absolutely. They would never hurt her. At least not deliberately.

Jo brought over four glasses and a pitcher of iced tea, then left without saying a word. Which made Shelby think she’d been warned off.

“Now I’m scared,” she said. “Is one of you sick? Am I sick? Is a meteor about to hit Fool’s Gold and kill us all?”

The other three women exchanged a look. Madeline nodded.

“I’ll go first,” she said firmly, then reached across the table toward Shelby. “You know we all love you,” she began.

Oh, God. This was going to be bad. “Yes,” Shelby said slowly. “And?”

“And this is an intervention.”

Which was pretty much the last thing Shelby had been expecting. “Excuse me? A what?”

“An intervention,” Taryn told her. “Shelby, you’re wonderful. So creative and giving. And delightfully naive.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Aidan,” the three of them said together.

What had been nerves quickly turned to dread. Aidan? No. What could they want to tell her? That there was another woman? That he’d been seen with someone else? What if it was true? What if he’d slept with one of his campers? It had happened before. It used to happen all the time.

No, she told herself firmly. No. They were wrong. Aidan would never do that. They were sleeping together and he wasn’t the kind of man to betray that. She believed in him down to her bones.

“He’s a good guy and you can’t convince me otherwise,” she told her friends.

“We’re not trying,” Patience said quickly. “It’s not that at all. I’ve known Aidan all my life and you’re right. He’s great. In fact, that’s the problem.”

“You’re not making any sense.”

Taryn rolled her eyes. “I’ll just say it. Shelby, you’re in love with him.”

She wouldn’t have been more surprised if little green men had jumped onto the table and taken off with her drink.

“Wh-what?”

“You’re. In. Love. With. Him.” Taryn’s expression turned sympathetic. “I’m sorry to be blunt, but we thought you might not have figured it out for yourself. Judging by the wide-eyed shock, you didn’t.”

“I’m not,” she breathed, stunned by how they’d gotten it all so wrong. “We’re friends.”

Taryn groaned.

“We know you keep saying that,” Madeline said. “All the time. That’s what has us concerned. Me concerned,” she amended. “Shelby, you’ve gone through a lot and your effort to change was so inspiring. You figured out what was wrong and how to fix it. Aidan was the perfect choice. Maybe too perfect.”

“You’re all crazy. It’s not love. It’s friendship.”

Taryn shook her head. “If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck. Shelby, honey, you’re a down-to-the-bone, honest-to-God duck.”

“I’m not. We like each other. We hang out.”

“You’re having sex.”

Patience’s voice was quiet, but firm. Shelby stared at her.

“How did you know?”

“What?” Madeline gasped. “You didn’t tell me!”

“Seriously, you’re going to get hung up on that?” Taryn asked. “Of course they’re having sex. She’s been glowing for about two, maybe three weeks. They are so doing the deed.”

Speaking of glowing...Shelby felt her face heat. She kept her gaze on Patience, who gave her a rueful smile.

“I go to work really early, too,” her friend admitted. “I saw you leaving his house at four in the morning. There was no other reason for you to be there.” Patience held up her hand. “I’m not judging. I’m just worried. I think it’s great you’re in love with him. We’re just worried that you can’t admit the truth to yourself.”

Shelby pushed aside her embarrassment and stared down her friends. “I’m
not
in love with Aidan. You’re all sweet to be concerned, but it’s fine. I’m fine. We’re—”

“We know,” they said together. “Friends.”

“We are.”

The four of them went silent. Madeline drew in a breath.

“Okay then. If you’re sure. I’ll end this the way we started. We all love you very much and we’re concerned about you.”

Shelby smiled at her. “I know, and thank you. But there’s really nothing to worry about. I’m totally and completely fine.”

“Famous last words,” Taryn muttered.

“What was that?”

“Nothing. Nothing at all.”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

W
HEN
THE
F
OX
AND
H
OUND
restaurant closed for its annual week of vacation, Shelby was able to use the kitchen for her baking. That allowed the contractors to pull a couple of all-nighters and finish their work one entire week early. Which was why, the week before Memorial Day, she found herself standing in front of her brand-new business, key in hand.

“You did it,” Aidan said. “Are you excited?”

“Yes. And scared. The usual conflicting emotions.”

He put his arm around her. “You’ll do great.”

He sounded exactly the same as he always did. Calm. Supportive. The man was solid. Someone she could lean on. He was nice, she trusted him and when they were intimate, he rocked her world.

Not love. Not love.
She didn’t know why she felt the need to chant the words, but she did. Over and over again. A ridiculous waste of time and one that also made her feel foolish. Didn’t she want love in her life? Wasn’t that the point of this project with Aidan? To get herself ready? So if her friends were right and she
had
fallen in love with him, wasn’t that a good thing?

“You okay?” he asked.

She forced herself back to the topic at hand. “Yes. I’m great. Thanks for all your help with this.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

“You did so much.” She stared at the closed door. “Want to go inside?”

“Of course.”

She turned the key over in her hand, then stepped forward. The lock turned easily. There was an alarm system and usually she would enter the bakery from the rear door, but this one time, she would start at the front and work her way back.

Directly in front of her were the cases that held the baked goods. They’d been cleaned and there was new shelving. A half-dozen bistro tables with matching chairs gave people a place to sit. There was a new coffee station on the right. She wasn’t interested in competing with Brew-haha, but had needed more than the single pot she’d had before.

She knew what was behind the counter. Racks and the cold cases. Beyond that was the old kitchen. The only change had been to add two more mixers and shelving. The real magic had happened on the other side.

She turned to her left and saw open French doors. When the tea shop was open, they would be as well. When the tea shop was closed, she could lock the doors, while preserving the sense of openness.

They walked through the small restaurant. She’d had the walls painted white. Several hutches and two buffets, all in dark wood, were spaced around the edges of the room.

There were only ten tables—most seating four, but a few could hold six. Stacks of linens sat on a side table, along with teapots still in their boxes. The tablecloths were also white, but the place mats were in a rainbow of colors. The napkins were of a similar hue, but complemented rather than matched.

She and Aidan had used an online auction site to buy several incomplete sets of china. It was amazing how much she’d been able to save by purchasing a set with six plates, but eight bowls and no side plates. Now the mismatched dishes added color and elegance to the simple decor.

Boxes of glasses, flatware and vases were ready to be put out. The serving pieces had arrived the week before and were in the kitchen. A chalkboard on the wall offered a place to list the specials of the day—whatever they might be.

She led the way into the kitchen. All the appliances gleamed. She had four ovens, an oversized professional stove and refrigerator, and a pantry fit for royalty. Everything was perfect.

For a second she couldn’t believe it had all come together. That she was really that lucky.

“Tell me this isn’t a dream,” she whispered.

Aidan pulled her close. “You made this happen,” he whispered. “I’m so proud of you, Shelby. You’ve done a hell of a job here.”

She smiled up at him. He lowered his head and kissed her. His mouth was warm and firm. He offered as much as he took. She felt the pressure of his fingers, the strength of his body. Wanting began its insistent dance, but she ignored the beat. Instead she leaned her head against his shoulder and breathed in the scent of him.

Not love, she promised herself. Love scared her. Love meant she would be vulnerable. Maybe not physically—because she trusted him—but in every other way possible. This was so much better than love could ever be.

“Ready to get to work?” she asked.

“I am.”

They went back outside and started pulling cartons, bins and bags from the back of his truck. While the bakery was closed until tomorrow and the tea shop wouldn’t open until next week, tonight she was making dinner for friends and family. Sort of a thank-you for all their support.

The menu was simple. An assortment of crostini appetizers, followed by an easy salad with baby heirloom tomatoes and pears. The entrée would be her version of chicken chili verde with bacon cheddar biscuits, followed by chocolate bread pudding parfaits and custom cookies for dessert.

She’d chosen a champagne for a toast and then had gone with a simple selection of beer and wine for dinner. Which had all sounded so sensible when she’d planned it. Now she glanced at the clock and wondered if she’d overestimated her abilities.

“Two hours,” Aidan told her. “Freaking out?”

“A little.”

“Tell me what to do first.”

She’d already made the chicken chili verde, so that was easy. She had him pour it into a giant stockpot.

“Stir that every five minutes,” she told him. “We’re heating it slowly.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

He smiled as he spoke. That easy smile that said he was happy to do what she said. That he respected her and trusted her. It was the kind of smile that made her want to step closer and be held by him, but there wasn’t time.

She told him how to prep the salad. The dressing was already made. She stored that in the new, shiny, industrial refrigerator after allowing herself about ten seconds to admire all the space. The desserts were already made. She put the trays into the fridge as well, then got to work on the crostini.

While Aidan tore lettuce into bite-sized pieces and then washed them, she sliced baguettes into thin, even slices. She applied olive oil, then slid giant baking sheets into the new oven. Every five minutes, Aidan dutifully stirred the chicken.

About an hour before guests were due to arrive, she heard a voice from the front of the tea shop.

“Hey, it’s me. Anyone here?” Madeline walked into the kitchen. “There you are. I came by early to see how I could help.” She hugged Shelby, then walked to the sink and washed her hands. “How about if I start setting the tables?”

Only a few days ago Madeline had spearheaded the intervention that Shelby still found unsettling. She didn’t blame her friends for trying to help. She just wished she could convince them there wasn’t a problem. There was also the concern that her friends were upset with her for not agreeing with them.

She should have known better, she told herself happily as Madeline wiped her hands on a towel and smiled.

“So, what are your instructions?”

“We’re serving everyone buffet style,” she said. “We’ll use the two sideboards by the door for the bar and the ones in the back for the food.”

“So plates and flatware on them?”

“Yes. Bowls, too.”

“I’m on it.”

Time passed quickly. Madeline prepared the buffet line, Aidan stirred and made the salad and Shelby took care of everything else. Bailey and her husband, Kenny, arrived a few minutes early. Kenny immediately began opening bottles of wine and champagne while Bailey put the beer on ice. Amber and her husband arrived right after. Tom carried in a large box with a dozen or so small centerpieces.

“Our housewarming gift to you,” Amber said as they hugged. “I can’t tell you how beautiful everything looks.”

By six thirty, the party was in full swing. Starr and a couple of her friends circulated with plates of crostini. The chicken was bubbling hot and ready to be put out on the buffet. Once she got the cheddar bacon biscuits ready to bake, Aidan had chased her out of the kitchen to go mingle with her friends.

“I’ll handle this,” he told her.

Shelby walked out into the tea shop and watched while the people she cared most about laughed and talked.

Two years ago, she’d been in Colorado with her dying mother. She’d been dodging her father’s fists and so alone and scared. The feeling of having nowhere to turn, no safe place to be, had only gotten worse after Kipling had been injured.

Then two men had shown up at her doorstep and changed everything. Her mother had passed in peace and Shelby had moved to Fool’s Gold.

Two years ago she would never have believed she could be happy ever again. She never would have thought she would find her way to owning a business like this. She was truly blessed and so grateful.

Kipling stepped to the center of the room and held up his glass of champagne. “If I could have your attention, please,” he said. “I’d like to propose a toast. To my baby sister, Shelby.”

“To Shelby.”

Everyone raised their glasses to her. Shelby turned in a slow circle and saw the many people who made up the fabric of her life. And Aidan, who stood by the door to the kitchen. He held his glass high. When she looked at him, he winked. And everything about her world felt exactly right.

* * *

M
ARGARET
WAS
A
TALL
,
willowy blonde with a warm, easy smile and the physique of a professional athlete. Aidan remembered the first time he’d met her. She’d come to Fool’s Gold for a hiking weekend—the most challenging trip his company offered. The rest of the group had been unable to keep up with them and by the morning of the second day, it was just him and Margaret. After long days of hiking and climbing, they’d found fun ways to fill the night.

She’d been one of the few “tourists” he’d kept in touch with. She’d married a few years back. When she’d mentioned she was going to be in the area, he’d agreed to meet her for dinner.

“I can’t believe how the town’s grown,” she said as she sat across from him at Angelo’s, where they’d scored an outdoor table. “The festivals seem to be the same, but the number of people coming to town has grown. I didn’t think I would be able to book a room for the night.”

The evening was warm. Under other circumstances, it might even be romantic—but not tonight. Not when he wasn’t with Shelby.

The server returned with the bottle of wine Aidan had ordered. When they each had a glass, Aidan turned his attention back to Margaret.

“How are things?”

“Good. Busy. The kids are growing so fast. My oldest is nearly four. The baby’s just two. It’s crazy.”

“But happy.”

“It is. I’ve just gone back to work full-time.” She waved to the sidewalk just beyond the restaurant patio. “There’s some travel, which is hard. I want to be home with my kids. At the same time I also want to be working.”

“A dilemma most working mothers face,” he pointed out. “It often takes both parents working to support a family these days, but leaving every morning is difficult.”

She studied him. “Yes, and why do you know that?”

“It’s not a secret.”

“It’s not something I would expect an unmarried guy with no children to have thought about.” Her gaze narrowed. “What’s different?”

“Are you saying I wasn’t this deep the last time we were together?”

“You were fun and charming and great in bed.” She sipped her wine. “But no. Not deep.”

He wasn’t aware of making any changes in thinking, but he knew that they had taken place. They were inevitable and the point of the experiment with Shelby. He liked who he was now. Not the jackass he’d been, but a good man who respected others’ feelings. Especially when it came to women.

“I had a bad experience a few months back,” he admitted. “It caused me to look at my life and what I’d been doing in my free time.”

“Aside from sleeping with tourists?” she asked, her voice teasing.

“No, pretty much just that. While the reasons were sound, the execution turned out to have some flaws.” He briefly told her about the New Year’s Eve debacle and Shelby’s suggestion that they become friends.

“Actual friends?” Margaret asked.

“We alternate doing boy things and girl things.” He laughed. “Less formally now, but it still happens. Shelby kicks butt at Texas hold ’em and I can go to lunch with a woman and simply talk.” He leaned back in his chair. “Without offering advice.”

“I’m not sure I believe that.”

“It’s true. I’ve learned the power of listening. Not only do some problems not have a solution, sometimes the point isn’t the solution. It’s sharing the feelings the problem creates. Women bond over shared emotion.”

Margaret shook her head. “I honestly don’t know what to say. I’m a little jealous. That would never happen at my house.”

“Then you’re not expecting enough of your husband. If I can learn to listen, anyone can.”

“I wish that were true. How’s business?”

“Excellent.” He told her about the new tours he would be offering.

“I’ll have to bring the whole family back here,” she said with a laugh. “You’re making me want to move.”

“You’d be welcome.” He thought about her little kids. “You’d need a babysitting service, wouldn’t you? One you could trust.”

“Sure, but that’s hard enough to find at home. It would be impossible on vacation.”

“Unless we had referrals. I’ll have to talk to some of the other business owners in town. Maybe we could set up a co-op or something.”

“Now you’re scaring me, Aidan. What if it turns out you’re perfect?”

“Nothing you need to worry about. It’ll never happen.”

“I don’t know. You’re getting pretty close.”

“I’m better than I was,” he told her. “I’m grateful for that.” He never wanted to hurt anyone the way he’d hurt the woman he’d been unable to remember. There’d been no reason for it. No excuse.

“What happens when the six months are up?” she asked. “With you and Shelby?”

“I’m not sure.”