“I don’t know.” Where had that come from? Of course she knew. She wasn’t interested in Luke that way. “Not really.”
Todd slung an arm over the back of his chair and regarded her. “So, our heroine is conflicted.”
There went her cheeks, warming up again.
“It’s okay,” Todd said. “I’m not afraid of a little competition. I think I can convince you who the better man is.”
And later that night, as they sat in front of her place in his truck, he set about showing her just how superior he was. When she finally got out, her clothes were mussed and her brain was foggy. And she had another date with Todd Black.
* * *
Todd drove home wearing a confident smile. Cecily Sterling had kept him dangling like a string of Christmas lights long enough. Now he was done playing games. She was going to be his. Too bad for the Sweet Dreams dude. But in the battle for the babe, that was how it always went, how it had always gone. One guy got the girl and the other one walked away with a big L for loser on his forehead.
Todd hadn’t become the pro ball player his dad had wanted him to be, but there was one sport he’d excelled at and that was getting girls. (He and his brother both had charm in spades and they’d made good use of it.) And for a teenage boy that kind of success was a lot more gratifying than what his dad had wanted for him.
He’d done other things besides chase girls. By sophomore year in high school he’d decided he needed to work a little harder if he planned to go to college, so he’d pulled up his grades and gotten a 4.0. He’d even turned out for track his junior year (although the old man was not impressed). Still he’d done well, been pretty fast.
But he made his best time with the opposite sex. In college he’d even gotten close to buying a ring, but the nearer he got to hitting the jewelry store for a diamond, the less enthusiastic he became about that relationship. And the more possessive she became. They’d finally had one too many fights and broken up. Just as well. He hadn’t been ready. He still wasn’t. It would take an exceptional woman to pin him down.
Cecily’s perfect features and baby-blue eyes came to mind. Women didn’t get any more exceptional than her. Besides being beautiful, she was smart. He liked that. And he liked that she hadn’t fallen all over herself to be with him. He appreciated a challenge, liked the fact that she kept the fence high.
But now it was time to jump the fence, time to get this thing moving. She wanted to be with him, even though she’d been trying to hide it ever since they’d met, and God knew he wanted to be with her, more than he’d wanted to be with a woman in a long time.
Flowers always helped fuel a relationship, so Monday morning he went into Lupine Floral.
“Be still, my heart. It’s Mr. Gorgeous,” Kevin, one of the owners, teased him.
“That’s me,” Todd said. “Can you guys send some flowers for me today?”
“Of course. Who are we sending to and how much do you want to spend?”
“About fifty bucks, I guess. They need to go to Cecily Sterling over at Sweet Dreams.”
“Oh, my. From Mr. Gorgeous to Ms. Beautiful. Are you two an item now?”
“Just hanging out,” Todd said.
“Uh-huh,” Kevin said with a knowing nod. “Hanging out never gets flowers.”
“Sure it does, if you’re a nice guy like me. Now, what have you got?”
Kevin led him to the refrigerator case that bloomed with a variety of arrangements. “Come and see.”
Todd trailed him over there. Flowers were flowers, as far as he was concerned. But women seemed to like roses. “How about these?” he asked and pointed to a vase of white and pink rosebuds with some kind of greens stuck in with them.
“Oh, boring,” Kevin said.
Okay, they were going to stand here all day discussing the artistic merits of flowers. “You pick one.”
“Well, if I were you, I’d send this one,” Kevin said, reaching in for a gaudy bouquet. “Orange Asiatic lilies, fuchsia carnations, red Peruvian lilies, lavender chrysanthemums and, of course, the requisite greens, all in a glass bubble bowl.”
“Works for me,” Todd said and got out his credit card. And the sooner it worked, the better he’d like it.
* * *
Flowers arrived for Cecily Monday afternoon. The card that came with them was signed, Thinking about Saturday and smiling, Todd.
That made her smile, too. It had been a good date, especially that close encounter at the end.
But should she take the risk and allow herself to get serious about him? Was he the get-serious type? She still had her doubts.
She was just leaving to meet Charley for coffee at Bavarian Brews when Luke caught up with her on her way out. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
Oh, boy. She already knew what he wanted to talk about, and she wasn’t looking forward to it. But this was a talk they needed to have. She nodded, and he escorted her around the side of the factory building.
“So, you and that guy—”
“Todd Black,” she corrected.
“Are you two serious?”
It was the same question she’d been asking herself since Saturday night. “That was only dinner and a movie.” And...she wasn’t going to tell Luke about the rest of it.
He propped a hand against the brick wall, bringing himself closer to where she stood. “I like movies. And dinner. And dancing.” She knew what he was referring to. She’d danced with him during the chocolate ball at her family’s first chocolate festival. The memory spread an unexpected warmth through her body. This was uncomfortable. And confusing.
“Let me take you out,” Luke said. “Have dinner with me.”
“We work together. It would be awkward.”
“I promise not to make it awkward.” He leaned in closer, and her nerve endings began to wake up. “All I’m asking is that you give me a chance.”
“Oh, I don’t—”
“No Sterling woman would pick the first vendor who wanted to do business with Sweet Dreams Chocolates. Don’t you think you should be just as discerning when you’re doing business of the heart?”
She’d never thought of Luke as a man of many words, especially poetic words like the ones he’d just uttered.
“A chance—that’s all I want,” he said. “At least consider it.”
She nodded.
Satisfied with that, he pushed away from the wall and let her continue to Bavarian Brews.
Except when she entered her favorite coffee shop she saw Todd inside, waiting in line to order. She did a quick about-face. After her encounter with Luke, she wasn’t ready for one with Todd, even if he had sent her flowers. Anyway, she was already feeling jittery. Probably the last thing she needed was caffeine.
No, the last thing she needed was to complicate her life by dating two different men. What on earth was she going to do?
Chapter Four
Cecily was halfway down the street when Charley caught up with her.
“Bavarian Brews is that way,” Charley teased.
“Sorry. I was going to call you.” Once she got safely away. “I decided I should cut down on my coffee consumption.”
“Does that mean I’m going to have to pump you about your love life right here in the middle of the street?”
“There’s nothing to pump.”
Charley nodded cynically. “Sure. You just happened to run into Todd Black the other night and decided to share a table at my place.”
“It was only dinner.” Cecily glanced in the direction of the coffee shop. The last thing she wanted was to be standing here when Todd came out. “Give me a rain check on the coffee, okay? I’ve got to get back to the office.”
“Okay.” Charley nodded again. “You be careful, buddy. I know he’s hot, but I don’t want to s
ee you get burned.”
“I won’t,” Cecily said as much to herself as to Charley.
Her friend was right. It was silly to take a chance on getting hurt, especially when a woman could pick a solid, dependable man. Cecily hurried back to Sweet Dreams Chocolates and went straight to Luke’s office.
She found him at his desk, frowning in concentration and typing on his computer keyboard with two fingers. He saw her and smiled hopefully. “Hi there. What brings you to my corner of the neighborhood?”
“Dinner. Are you still interested?”
His smile broadened. “Absolutely. How about Friday?”
She didn’t want Bailey to spend her first Friday home alone. “Saturday?”
“I can do that. Schwangau?”
That was certainly a more impressive first date than playing pinball in a seedy tavern. Cecily’s mind started to wander from the tavern to her first kiss at Todd’s house.
She firmly jerked her thoughts off that trail. “Schwangau sounds great.”
“Pick you up at six?”
“Sure,” she said. And then it seemed there was nothing left to say. She turned to go.
“Cecily.”
She turned back.
“Thanks,” he said softly.
She nodded.
She’d barely returned to her desk when her cell phone rang. It was Todd, and the very sound of his voice revved her hormones.
“Thanks for the flowers,” she said. “They’re beautiful.”
“Just like the woman I sent them to. When are you coming back to my cave to play some more pinball?” he asked. Then, before she could answer, he added, “Oh, yeah. That doesn’t count as a date. So how about dancing at The Red Barn on Friday night?”
“Isn’t Friday a big night at The Man Cave?”
“I’ll give myself the night off for bad behavior.”
Not interested. Just say it. “My sister’s moving back to town, and I’m spending Friday with her.”
“Oh? Where’s she staying?”
“With me.”
“No coming back to your place for a drink after our next date, then,” he said. “And, speaking of...if you can’t do Friday, how about Saturday?”
“Sorry. I’m busy.”
“How long does it take to unpack your sister’s suitcase?”
“I’m not busy with her.”
There was a long silence before he said, “Oh.” Then, “Anyone I know?”
Now the silence was on Cecily’s end. She should come right out and tell him it wasn’t going to happen between them. She was going in a new, smart direction. With Luke.
“Let me guess. The competition.”
Okay, since he asked. “Yes.” Luke was a much better candidate for a long-term relationship. And for fatherhood. He was already a family man, which meant he was solid and dependable, not wired for breaking hearts like some people.
“I hope you aren’t expecting me to say something inane like ‘have a good time,’” Todd said. “You won’t have half as much fun as you had with me, you know.”
“There’s more to life than fun,” she said primly.
“Thanks for enlightening me. Seriously, I’m interested in you, Cecily, and I’m not going away just because some other man is, too. Well, unless at some point you want me to. I’m a lot of things, but I’m not a stalker.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
“One of my many good qualities,” he said. “Talk to you later.”
He did have good qualities, Cecily thought as she ended the call. He was smart and funny, and he’d proved he could stay calm in the face of trouble. He was obviously responsible enough to own a business. But was he ready to settle down and have a family? It kept coming back to that. Todd Black was a ladies’ man, and she couldn’t really see him staying with one woman.
But if he could...
Her thoughts were interrupted by another call, this one from her friend Margo James in L.A. “Hey, you,” said Margo. “I’m sitting here in front of a cracker box of a house that’s going for a mil, waiting for my client, and figured I’d give you a call. How’s life in Small Town, U.S.A.? You ready to come back to the big city yet?”
California had the sun, and when she’d gone down for a visit in January, she’d gotten a big dose of it. But that hadn’t been enough to make her want to give up the fresh air and beautiful scenery of Icicle Falls. She’d found her footing in her hometown, made new friends, carved out a life. She still didn’t have her love life sorted out, but then, she hadn’t exactly gotten it sorted out in sunny California, either.
“No. The weather’s beautiful up here right now. You should come visit.”
“If I did, you’d probably make me go hiking or introduce me to some hairy mountain man. Speaking of men, guess who’s engaged.”
“Jessica Long.”
“Aw, she told you. Or else you’re psychic.”
It wouldn’t have taken any great mental gifts to know that Jessica was on the verge of getting a ring. When Cecily had been down in January, Jessica and her boyfriend hadn’t been able to keep their hands off each other. They’d been a pro bono match-up Cecily had arranged, just two friends she’d thought would enjoy each other. And she’d been right.
“Hardly,” she said. “Anyone could see where that was heading.”
“Well, I’m jealous. When are you going to find me someone perfect?”
“After I find someone for me,” Cecily said.
“You’ve got two men after you. Don’t be greedy. By the way, Darby and Ken are pregnant.”
Why did it feel as if everyone these days was either getting engaged or getting pregnant? “Well, they’ve been trying for a year,” Cecily reminded both Margo and herself.
“Yeah, I know,” Margo said. “Sometimes I wish I hadn’t dumped Maurice. He wasn’t all that bad.”
He’d cheated on her. Twice. “Yeah, he was,” Cecily said gently.
“Okay, yeah, he was.” Margo sighed. “I don’t know why this whole man-woman thing has to be so hard. I think I’m going to become a lesbian.”
Cecily laughed. “That won’t be happening anytime soon. You like men too much.”
“Yeah, though sometimes I wonder why.”
“Hey, if it was easy, what would we have to complain about?”
“I could always find something, trust me.” There was a moment of silence on the phone, followed by, “Seriously, do you sometimes wonder if you’ll ever get it right?”
“All the time,” Cecily said.
“Oh, well. If I can’t have great sex, I’ll have to settle for making a huge commission on this dog of a house I’m about to show. Oh, and this is my client pulling up. I’d better get my game face on.”
“Go for it.”
“Ciao,” Margo said airily.
Cecily went back to writing a product description for their newest chocolate flavors. It would be nice if, for once in her life, she could get those matchmaking instincts that worked so well for everyone else to work on her own behalf.
* * *
Bailey looked out the plane window at the lush trees and lawns below. Federal Way was now in view, which meant that within minutes the plane would be landing at Sea-Tac airport outside Seattle. Both her sisters were coming to pick her up, and her mother was home preparing all her favorite foods—mushroom lasagna, chicken Caesar salad and chocolate cake. It was the same chocolate cake her mother had taught her to make when she was twelve, the same recipe she used when she catered parties and needed mini cupcakes.
Those days were now gone. Her business was dead. So, why had she packed up so many of her kitchen tools and shipped them to Icicle Falls? What a fool. She’d spent a fortune sending home things that would only remind her of her failure.
Well, a girl still needed mini muffin tins and baking sheets and measuring cups and spoons and mixing bowls, for crying out loud. Maybe not a case of cute cupcake holders or tiered serving trays or pastry bags. But still, people would be having birthdays. And baby showers. She’d continue to make fun dishes and treats. She just wouldn’t be doing it for a living now.
What would she be doing? She blinked hard and told herself not to be a baby. No more crying. She was so done with crying.
“Almost home,” said her seatmate, an older man with silver hair.
He was single and lived in Seattle. He’d been a good listener, nodding sympathetically while she told him her woes. He owned a company that distributed seafood, and she’d thought he’d be perfect for her mom. But he hadn’t been remotely interested in hearing about her sweet, pretty mother. He’d wanted to know if she ever dated older men. That had been icky and awkward.
She’d told him she had a boyfriend back in Icicle Falls. What a lie! She had no one back in Icicle Falls. She blinked again and wiped at the corner of her eye.
“Is your boyfriend coming to meet you?” asked Mr. Lech.
“No, my sisters will.” Her fabulous sisters, who were always there for her. Another tear tried to sneak out of the corner of her eye. She wiped it away and reminded herself that she had much to be grateful for.
And there was a rainbow at the end of this storm. Although her career was over, her love life could take off. There was more than family in Icicle Falls. Brandon Wallace was there. She smiled. Brandon Wallace, ski bum and resident heartbreaker, had been cracking her heart like a jawbreaker off and on since they were kids. In fact, the last time he’d dumped her for another woman had been the final straw. She’d been more than happy to move to L.A.
But that was then. She was a big girl now and more than ready to show Brandon what he’d been missing. Her career might have fizzled, but that didn’t mean her love life had to.
The plane landed with a couple of bumps and then taxied to the Jetway. Okay, she told herself, you are now approaching your new life. It will be an adventure. She only hoped this adventure ended in success.
The plane stopped and everyone hurried to stand up and wait.
The Tea Shop on Lavender Lane (Life in Icicle Falls) Page 5
