Desired in December (Spring River Valley Book 12) (7 page)

“I know, right?” Her brilliant smile gave him hope that he wouldn’t be in too much trouble for pilfering.

He nodded, munching happily. “The bethst.”

“Thanks. They’re organic dog biscuits. Can you taste the alfalfa?”

His explosive cough sprayed crumbs everywhere. Laughing, she clapped him on the back until he managed to swallow the last, half-finished bite. “I…cfff…cfff…I think I can.”

“A lot of humans like them, so I hear.”

“They’re actually better than a lot stuff we got fed in the mess hall.” In fact, he’d have gladly traded these for field rations any day.

Cassie’s smile faded
, and she looked away.

“What’s wrong? That was a compliment.”

“I…there were so many times I wanted to send you things…care packages.”

“It’s okay.” He wanted to touch her, put his fingers under her chin and draw her face to his. “Don’t feel bad.”

“Don’t
feel
bad?” Now she did meet his gaze, and there was fire in her eyes. “I don’t feel bad because I didn’t send you cookies. I feel bad because all the times I wanted to, I sat down and reread your Dear Jane letter to remind myself that you didn’t want me to…to…you didn’t
want
me.”

“Cass…I—”

She cut him off with a wave of her hand. “No. Let’s not go there. My bad for bringing it up. It’s done. I’m sorry. Here.” She shoved the basket into his arms. “Take them. I’m sorry I never sent any. I’ve got to go. Lock up when you’re finished.”

She raced out the back door before he could decide what to say to stop her. She thought it wasn’t fair to b
ring up the letter, and he knew it wasn’t fair to ask her for anything. A second chance had to be earned, and he hadn’t figured out how to do that yet. But he would, because he’d be damned if he’d give up the fight so soon.

James barely saw Cassie over the next three days. She only stopped at the shop briefly to check on the progress of the refrigeration cases and the floor tiles, never staying long enough for them to have a moment alone.

He worked laying tile and prepping the walls for painting in the creamy butter yellow color she’d chosen. The physical labor kept his mind occupied and left him too tired at night to spend much time ruminating on how Cassie might be spending her evenings.

On Friday after work, he strolled into Colette’s on Owen’s invitation to hear the band play. His friend Matt Kelso met him at the bar just as he was ordering a beer and snatched the ten-dollar bill out of his hand before he could give it to the bartender.

“Your money’s no good here, man,” Ma
tt said, tucking the bill back into the pocket of James’s shirt. “Gino, put anything this man orders on my tab.”

The young man behind the bar nodded
, and Matt waved away James’s protests. “It’s cool. Don’t worry about it. Come sit with us.”

Matt motioned to a table near the stage where Tanner Croft sat with Evie, his partner Quinn Preston, Quinn’s girlfriend Lily
, and Matt’s girlfriend Bailey. James had met all the ladies at his party, and he still couldn’t believe the good fortune of his friends, most of whom had been dedicated to the single life when he’d left for boot camp. It seemed like while he’d been gone, everyone in town had become part of a couple.

Including Cassie.

He dismissed that sobering thought and took a seat, which, thanks to some shuffling around of drinks and chairs, ended up being next to Evie. She immediately clinked her half-empty glass against his beer bottle and graced him with a bright, friendly smile. “In case you’re wondering, your issue of the
Herald
sold out. Everyone in town wanted to read about your homecoming.”

James smiled ruefully. “I hate to break it to you, Ms. Prentice, but my parents probably bought all those copies. There’s a stack of papers three feet high on our dining room table, and my mother is busy stuffing them in envelopes to mail to every person who’s even remotely related to me.”

“That’s okay. A reader’s a reader. The more people who see my byline, the happier I am.” She patted his arm. “It’s also very sweet of your mom. She must be really proud of you.”

“She may want to hit you up for reprints,” he said.

“I’ll see what I can do. Would you consider doing a follow-up interview, maybe six months from now? It would be about your transition back to civilian life.”

“I thought you were on the city hall beat.
Isn’t that more human interest?”

“I can pick my own assignments, if they’re something my editor wants to read, and she finds
you
fascinating.”

James shrugged. The last thing he wanted was to perpetuate this local celebrity thing he had going. Nice as it was to be welcomed home so enthusiastically by his friends and neighbors, he wasn’t comfortable with his face on the front page of the paper on a regular basis, or with people picking up his tab whenever he tried to buy a beer or a cup of coffee. Not to mention, he still didn’t know if he’d be here six months from now or shipping back out on another tour. He didn’t want to think about that right now, or dwell on how he’d break the news to his friends and family if he made the decision his recruiter was pushing him to make.

“Hey, Riley, Lydia, bring your chairs over here,” someone said, and, grateful for the distraction from Evie’s request, James scooted his chair over to make room at the small table for yet another couple.

“It’s the legal eagle!” Tanner said, rising to shake Riley’s hand as the newly minted lawyer took a seat. “Do
we have to call you Your Honor now?”

“That’s for judges
,” Riley replied as he and Lydia took their seats.

“It’s Barrister, isn’t it?” Matt asked.

“Yeah, like the guy who makes the coffee,” Evie joked with a sly grin.

“That’s
barista,” Riley deadpanned. “That’s what you’ll be calling me if this new workload burns me out. I’ll be taking a job at the coffee shop.”

“We’re not going to let that happen,” Lydia said, planting a kiss on Riley’s cheek. “He’s on a strict regimen of sunlight and fresh air to combat workaholism.”

Matt smirked and raised his beer to toast Riley. “And it must be working. He looks a lot less like a vampire than he did last spring.”

Everyone laughed,
and James figured it was an inside joke. He raised a brow when Riley caught his questioning glance.

“I used to have a bit of a reputation for being…pale,” Riley explained.

“And fortunately for me back then, he was a complete drone for the EBD beehive,” Matt said.

“Why fortunately for you?” James asked.

“He was too busy to finish his blind date, so I had to step in.” He put his arm around Bailey who blushed.

“Cassandra set me up with Riley
. You know she’s the town matchmaker,” the pretty brunette said. “Riley had to leave early to go back to the office, and Matt swooped in and swept me off my feet.”

“Then his bosses made him take a vacation, and he ended up at Lydia’s spa,” Lily said. “So it all worked out perfectly. You could almost say, Cassie set up both couples.”

“Oh, and she matched up her cousin Max with Iron Audrey,” Quinn said.

“That’s three couples,” Lily replied.

“I don’t know, that’s reaching,” Tanner said. “Cassie didn’t really fix Riley up with Lydia, besides, they already knew each other.”

“How about another round of drinks before the band starts?” Evie chimed in. She’d been eyeing James during the conversation about Cassie and apparently decided the topic wasn’t sitting well with him. “They’re on me, if I can get one of you gentlemen to help me carry everything. James, how about you?”

“Uh, sure. I’d be glad to.” He rose and obediently followed the reporter to the bar. “You didn’t have to do that,” he said when they met up out of earshot of their friends. “But thanks.”

“Don’t thank me yet. Thing one you have to learn about me, James
. I always have an ulterior motive.”

“
Uh-oh.”

She faced him squarely
. “I pieced this all together from stuff I’ve heard around, and the look on your face when everyone started talking about Cassie Hall confirmed it. She’s the one you want to reconnect with, isn’t she?”

“You’re very direct, aren’t you?”

“Yes.”

“It’s not a secret that we used to date,” James said suspiciously. What was her angle? He hadn’t yet decided if he liked Evie or not, but if she put his love life in the paper it would definitely be no.

“Have you had any luck in that department?”

“Are you looking for a job as a matchmaker’s apprentice?”

“No, I’m just looking for a good story. The lonely matchmaker reunited with the long-lost love of her life—”

“Whoa, wait a minute, there’s no story here. I’m not going to let you print any gossip about me and Cassie. Besides, she’s dating someone, and I don’t think he’d appreciate—”

“No, she’s not.”

“Yeah, she told me she has a boyfriend. So—”

Evie made a skeptical face. “When does she have time to date? She works all the time.”

James leaned closer to hear Evie better over the rising din of the bar. “How do you know for sure?”

“I’m not her stalker, if that’s what you’re asking, but she bakes cookies for the newspaper cafeteria, and I run into her all the time. The cub reporters drool over her because, let’s face it, she’s stunning, and yes, I hate her—not really, she’s a sweetheart, but come on, the blue eye and the green eye, the sunny blond hair, the perfect skin…she could have any one of a dozen guys, but her favorite show is
Baking with the Stars
.”

“Huh?” James had no idea what Evie was getting at. “What does
Baking with the Stars
have to do with anything?”

“It’s on Friday nights.”

“So?”

“A girl who’s dating someone isn’t home watching TV on Friday night. If she told you she’s dating someone, well…” Evie fell silent, staring at him.

She might have stopped talking, but James got the message loud and clear, and the truth was so much worse than he thought. Cassie had lied to him about being in a relationship because she didn’t want him to pursue her. She wanted it to be perfectly clear there would be no second chance for them.

Cassie was relieved to find the shop full of workmen when she arrived on Saturday morning. Her decision to give Mr. Walkowski a key so he could supervise work while she made her deliveries had saved her a few awkward encounters with James
, and after several days of constant pep talks to herself, she felt more confident that she wouldn’t find herself a hairsbreadth away from throwing herself into his arms again.

“I brought coffee and muffins,” she announced after setting up a small spread in the kitchen. While the crew filed in for cups of
joe from a cardboard box and selections from her muffin sampler basket, she kept herself busy arranging an assortment of new pans, whisks, and measuring cups. Once the workmen were finished with their morning break, she planned to prep the fridge and test all the outlets so she could organize each of the work stations. She figured she’d wait until they’d devoured the food and coffee before getting started.

Though she tried not to pay any extra attention to him, she couldn’t help but notice James steered clear of her baked goods, probably reluctant to accidentally sample any more pet treats. The memory of the look on his face when she’d told him he’d eaten a dog biscuit made her smile. As he passed through the kitchen with his coffee cup in hand, his gaze met hers briefly.

She stifled her grin, and they nodded to each other and went about their business like strangers for the rest of the morning.

They were, after all, strangers now. Very little remained of the people they’d been, and when this job was over, they’d continue to be strangers.

Sobered by that thought, she set to work, her smile replaced by a scowl.

*

By half-past three the refrigerated display cases were completely installed and half the floor had been tiled. The white-painted trim gleamed against the first two coats of yellow wall paint and the place smelled like new things and fresh construction.

When Audrey arrived with the curtains for the front widow, Cassie’s vision of the bakery was already starting to take shape.

“You must be having a fun day,” the ER nurse said, her gaze following two brawny delivery men as they walked by carrying the first of her half dozen wrought-iron tables.

“Fun? I’m exhausted.” Cassie fanned herself and whispered, “All this testosterone is making it hot in here.”

Audrey giggled and pulled Cassie aside. “Where’s James?”

Sneakily, Cassie pointed him out. He was finishing the floor tiles in the far corner of the front room near the display window in the spot where the curved waiting bench would eventually sit. His shirt was paint speckled
, and his hands were dusty, and Cassie had been thanking God all morning that she hadn’t been left alone with him looking as good as he did right now.