by Leigh Duncan
“Maybe you should. Think about it, that is. Figure out what you really want out of life.” Nick pitched a shell into the sand.
Jenny leaned back on her palms, her elbows locked. Did she dare tell Nick her grand plan for the future? Realizing how much she wanted to confide in him, how much she trusted him, she took a deep, shuddery breath. “You’re right—I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be able to work for Kay. Sooner or later, it’ll be time to move on. When that happens, I’ve always thought I’d like to start my own event planning business. That’s the one part about my job I really enjoy—pulling together the perfect birthday party, organizing a special anniversary dinner, arranging a surprise celebration.”
She’d never mentioned her dream to another soul and felt a nervous shiver run through her. She wouldn’t blame Nick for thinking hers was the most ridiculous idea he’d ever heard. After all, everyone in Heart’s Landing considered her to be a bride who waffled over every decision. If the word got out that she wanted to plan parties for a living, Mildred and Alicia would think she’d lost her mind. Nick probably did, too.
“I’ve had lots of practice—working in L.A., there’s always something going on,” she added, defensive. She forced her shoulders square, refusing to wither beneath Nick’s long, studying glance. Seconds ticked by while she waited for his reaction.
Just when she’d grown certain he was trying to figure out a way to let her down easy, he asked, “What’s stopping you?”
He’d asked a very good question, one that deserved an honest answer. She reached down deep. “I’m not sure I’d be able to do it on my own,” she confessed. “I told you my cousin is a bigwig in the industry.” She waited for his nod before she plunged ahead. “Her name has a certain amount of cachet. I’m afraid I’ll find out that the success I’ve had so far has been due to her influence.”
“That’s not going to happen,” Nick said, sounding certain. “Look how well you’ve planned your wedding. You knew exactly what you wanted and pulled it together in a matter of days.”
“Yeah, but then I didn’t stick to it,” she pointed out.
“All the more reason you should be proud of what you’ve accomplished. Whatever the reason, you’ve had to make some pretty significant changes. But there’s a lot to be said for persistence. You could have just thrown up your hands and escaped to Bora Bora. You didn’t. You stuck with it, sweet-talked the vendors in town, and got them to do what you wanted. Even me.” His lips tilted into the crazy smile she liked so much. “And you did it yourself, without any help from your cousin.”
Jenny leaned back on her elbows. Nick might be onto something. Maybe she could open her own business. Of course, she’d have to start small, and probably not in L.A., where success depended more on celebrity endorsements than the ability to pull off an event without a hitch.
“There’s just one thing.” Nick hesitated.
“Yeah?” She glanced sideways at the man sitting on the blanket beside her.
“In order to succeed, you’ll have to stiffen your spine a bit.”
“Huh?” She cocked her head, not sure she understood what he meant.
“I mean you’re going to have to stand up to your clients better than you’ve stood up for yourself with this wedding.” Nick held out one hand and ticked items off on his fingers. “This wedding won’t be anything like what it started out to be. You’ve added to the number of guests, moved the ceremony and the reception from one location to another in the Captain’s Cottage. The menu, the flowers, the colors—you’ve changed them all. Not because you wanted to, but other people insisted on it.”
“You must think I’m a nitwit.” She hung her head.
“No, never that. You’re bright and cheerful, and everyone in town likes you. But I do think you need to decide what you want and then go for it. Don’t let anyone push you around.”
Her brow puckered. Had Nick discovered the real reason behind what she’d done? “Like who?”
“Well, your fiancé, for one.”
“What’s he got to do with this?” She canted her head. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear Nick sounded a bit put out with a man who didn’t exist.
“I thought you said he was the one who added to the guest list.”
Her breath hitched when Nick’s gaze bore into hers. That was the problem with secrets and lies. One led to another and then another. Pretty soon, it was hard to keep them straight. “Him, but mostly his mother,” she corrected. “She invited everyone on both sides of their family.”
“Hmm. You’d think…”
“What?” Suddenly, she really wanted to know what Nick thought.
“You’d think Bob would stand up for you, take your side. If I had a fiancée, that’s what I’d do. If she wanted a small wedding, I’d insist on it. That’s all.”
“Yeah.” Her soft agreement whispered into the room. “You think it’s all Bob’s fault.”
The mythical, nonexistent Bob.
Nick shrugged. “Who else is there?”
Slowly, Jenny nodded. “Who else, indeed.”
Nick folded his legs when the next wave sent water rushing over the sand at his feet. The tide had changed. Within the next hour, the water would rise nearly to the cliff. As sorry as he was to see the day come to an end, it was time for him and Jenny to retrace their steps to the B&B.
While Jenny bagged their trash and stored their empty containers in the picnic basket, he shook sand out of the blanket and rolled it into a tight cylinder. As he worked, he thought hard about Jenny, trying to assemble the pieces of her puzzle. They wouldn’t fit.
On the one hand, he admired her strength and determination, her dedication to family and her outlook for the future. She’d had to be strong to survive the deaths of her parents when she’d been so young. He’d known others who hadn’t been able to deal with that kind of loss. They’d let their grief overwhelm them. For the rest of their lives, they carried their sorrow with them wherever they went, like the crabs and snails carried shells. As for determination, Jenny had a boatload of that, too. She’d needed it in order to put herself through college. From outward appearances, she was a woman who knew what she wanted and went for it. But given all that, how could someone who was so dedicated to having a schedule and sticking to it get to be so fickle about her own wedding plans?
And then there was her fiancé. Most brides-to-be found one way or another to bring their Mr. Right into every conversation. Not Jenny. She barely mentioned the man she was going to marry in a few days. When pressed for details, the woman who insisted on precisely the right flowers in her wedding bouquet had nothing in particular to say about the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with. To tell the truth, her descriptions of him were so bland, the man sounded more like a cardboard cutout than a husband.
Why was that?
Confusion sent his mouth slanting to one side. He couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to her story. Unfortunately, he had the sneaking suspicion that by the time he figured her out, it’d be too late. In two weeks, she’d walk down the aisle and into the arms of the man she said she loved. He’d whisk her off on their honeymoon, and she’d be out of his life. Probably forever.
All he had to do was let her go. To keep his distance from her in the meantime.
That was the smart thing for him to do. No matter how much he wanted to get to know her better, they should remain nothing more than polite friends. No matter how often he considered pulling her into his arms to see how well she fit, staying as far away as possible from her was the best thing he could do for everyone.
Except he couldn’t.
Not only had he promised his friends, his coworkers, that he’d keep a close watch on their fickle bride, he was pretty sure he’d fallen for her. Something about Jenny drew him. He wanted to spend every minute with her. To help her find the strength to stand up to whoev
er was pushing her around, making her life miserable.
Lost in his thoughts, he led the way back to the B&B in silence. At the porch, Jenny lifted the picnic basket. Their empty bottles rolled around in the bottom, clinking softly. “Thanks, Nick,” she said, her voice low enough that he had to strain to hear it. “I had a really nice time today.”
“Yeah, me, too.” He scuffed one foot through the grass. “What are you doing tomorrow?”
“Paperwork and bills in the morning. I’ll be at Perfectly Flawless most of the afternoon.” She shrugged as if self-conscious. “It’s sort of a test run—a massage, facial, the works. It was included in the wedding package.”
He loved that she felt the need to have an excuse for treating herself to a well-deserved day of pampering. “Sounds nice.” It also sounded like she didn’t have any intentions of making more changes to the plans for her wedding. Which ought to ease his mind about leaving her on her own while he was at work. Just to be safe, though, he probably should check in on her at least once. The other shopkeepers in town would expect him to do at least that much. “Want to grab a bite to eat tomorrow, after the bakery closes?”
“Um, I actually have a reservation at Bow Tie Pasta.”
He held his breath while he waited for her to continue. Would she cancel her plans in order to spend the evening with him?
“But I’d like it if you came with me.”
“Hey, a man’s gotta eat.” Aiming for a laugh, he patted his stomach. But there was nothing funny about how much he wanted to spend time with her, all the while knowing he shouldn’t.
Chapter Twelve
Jenny stood at the open closet in her suite at the bed and breakfast on Union Street. Hangers squeaked as she slid them from one end of the bar to the other. One by one, she considered and rejected each outfit. Why couldn’t she decide what to wear?
Her hand lingered over the black number she’d worn to dinner at Bow Tie Pasta with Nick. That evening, the glow in his eyes had rivaled the candlelight at their table, but the dress wasn’t appropriate for their plans tonight. She flipped past the skirt and jacket she’d had on the day Nick had picked up takeout from a local restaurant and met her in the park for lunch. He’d said he wanted to tell her more about Captain Thaddeus, but she’d gotten the distinct impression that he’d really just wanted to spend time with her. That feeling had intensified when she’d caught his sidelong glances while she was supposed to be studying the statue. She’d caught herself wondering if Nick liked her as much as she liked him. The possibility had sent shivers of awareness down her arms. Later that week, her heart had raced when he’d oh-so casually helped her into her sweater in the chilly diner where they’d met for breakfast one morning.
Tonight, though, they were simply meeting at the bakery for a lesson in how to make cupcakes. Or, rather, how to create them without a recipe. So why couldn’t she decide what to wear?
Despite her dilemma, she hummed a happy tune. Most people barely noticed her ever-present list of things to do or how much it bothered her when her schedule fell apart or if someone threw a monkey wrench into her plans. But Nick had, and he hadn’t just stopped there. Not content to merely chalk her actions up to a personality quirk, he’d delved deeper, asked questions, and hadn’t let up until he understood why winging it without a plan was such a huge problem for her. Then, he’d formulated his own plan to introduce spontaneity into her life. Best of all, he’d insisted on being at her side throughout the whole thing.
She supposed that was why she valued their friendship as much as she did. It wasn’t just that Nick was tall, dark and ever-so-handsome. Or that her heart went pit-a-pat every time she gazed into his deep-set blue eyes. She’d felt that zing of physical attraction before with other men, but Nick was the first one who’d ever showered her with care and concern, who hadn’t been satisfied with outward appearances, but had insisted on getting to know what really made her tick. Because of that, she felt like she’d known him forever. In the short time since she’d come to Heart’s Landing, they’d grown closer than she’d ever thought possible.
Her hand stilled on the next hanger in the closet. Did her feelings for him go deeper than friendship?
She sank onto the edge of her bed at the sudden realization that they did. Nick was everything she’d ever dreamed of—compassionate, warm, funny, caring—and he made her feel complete in a way no one else ever had. Though she hadn’t known him long, she’d fallen in love with him. And it nearly broke her heart that she couldn’t tell him.
Not now. Probably not ever.
Her chin dropped nearly to her chest. Tears gathered beneath her closed eyelids. She gave her head a rueful shake. As much as she wished things could be different between them, as much as she wanted to drop a not-so-subtle hint that she wouldn’t mind a bit if Nick leaned in for a quick kiss, she couldn’t. For that to happen, she’d have to tell him the truth, the whole truth. That she was only standing in for the real bride-to-be. That when this Saturday rolled around, she wouldn’t walk down the aisle at the Captain’s Cottage carrying a bouquet of flowers. Her cousin would. The man standing up front that wouldn’t be named Bob, but Chad. And that the real bride and groom had insisted on changing every detail about the upcoming ceremony and reception.
But those were words that could never come out of her mouth.
She’d sworn to protect Kay’s identity, and family came first. She wouldn’t, couldn’t break the promise she’d made her cousin. She couldn’t even think of taking such a risk. Not with the wedding only a few days away. No matter how much it hurt to keep the truth from Nick, she had to keep her own feelings under wraps.
She slid another hanger to the front of the closet and reached for the shirt she’d purchased in one of the shops on Procession Drive. Paired with jeans, the outfit would suffice for an evening of baking in I Do Cakes’ kitchens. As for her urge to tell Nick the truth, it would remain tucked away beneath the Heart’s Landing logo on her T-shirt.
A short time later, she sat at a sidewalk cafe on Bridal Carriage Drive, the remains of her dinner salad in front of her. The town had quieted while she ate. Lugging bags and parcels, the last of the shoppers had loaded their purchases into the trunks of cars and sped off. A few had entered nearby restaurants. Some lined up at the hostess station near the entrance to the cafe she’d chosen. There, they chatted while they waited for reservations and empty tables. One by one, the lights in various shops along the street blinked out. Shadows from the trees and buildings lengthened and then disappeared when the sun sank behind the facade of Forget Me Knot Flowers. The leaves in the trees that edged the sidewalks rustled, and birds twittered as they settled into their nests for the night.
A peaceful feeling spread through her chest as shopkeepers called to one another while they closed and locked their doors for the evening. She leaned back in her chair at a table-for-one while she drank in the atmosphere that was so different from what she was used to in Los Angeles. There, business owners protected their merchandise behind heavy metal gates at night, and cars crowded the freeways until the wee hours of the morning. She closed her eyes, imagining what it’d be like to live in a place like Heart’s Landing. The idea held more appeal than she thought it would. While life in the big city made it possible to order a pizza any time, day or night, she was pretty sure she could make do with something from the freezer in exchange for knowing her neighbors by name, sitting in the bleachers to watch a Little League game on the weekend, or joining the local Chamber of Commerce.
She chased a cherry tomato around her nearly empty salad bowl while she considered the For Rent sign she’d spotted on Honeymoon Avenue on her way back from lunch in the park with Nick last week. Located within walking distance of the center of town, the vacant space would make the perfect spot for an event planning business that focused on birthday and retirement parties, anniversaries, and other celebrations. Of course, if she really did move here and
set up shop, she’d eventually expand her services to include wedding planning, but that could wait until she’d proved she could handle the job—to herself and everyone else.
She speared the tomato and popped it into her mouth. Immediately, she wished she hadn’t. Though nothing tasted better than a great marinara sauce, she didn’t really like fresh tomatoes and only ate them because they were supposed to be good for her. Which, when she got right down to it, sounded an awful lot like how she felt about working for her cousin. She’d always known that she’d gone to work for Kay out of obligation rather than any sense of personal fulfillment. At the time, she’d viewed the job as a stepping stone, and in some ways it had been exactly that. She’d certainly learned a lot during the past two years.
But what came next? There weren’t any higher rungs to climb on this particular corporate ladder. Nick had been right when he’d suggested that unless she set her own goals, she’d end up planning her cousin’s life instead of her own for the next twenty years. She really did need to figure out what she wanted out of her future and where she wanted to go with it.
Right this minute, though, she wanted to be at I Do Cakes. Nick was waiting for her. Signaling the waiter for her bill, she smiled. She, the girl who’d never did anything that wasn’t on the agenda, the one who’d never so much as cracked open a box of cake mix, was going to make cupcakes. Without a recipe or a plan.
That, at least, sounded like a step in the right direction.
What am I doing?
The question echoed through Nick’s head while he gathered the necessary supplies for the evening’s baking session with Jenny. He tried telling himself he was merely doing what his friends and neighbors had asked of him, simply helping an uncertain bride-to-be stay the course. Which was true as far as it went. Everyone knew that Jenny’s entire wedding had turned into a house of cards. One stiff breeze—or one more change in direction—and the whole thing would collapse.
