“You’ll find your Ragnar. Or better yet, you are just fine on your own. None of us has to have a partner in life, only that it makes life more interesting, right?”
“You are absolutely right, Leia. I just think it’s so sweet that you guys are dressed up as Star Wars characters. Apparently you know about his Star Wars fetish.”
“As a matter of fact, I do.” Lauren surveyed the crowded room and stopped when she saw Trey talking with some of the patrons. She was falling for him. She had tried to keep things light and casual, but she was falling for him.
After the last of the guests left well past two o’clock in the morning, Lauren was exhausted, but not too tired to take advantage of Trey in his Han Solo outfit. Her employees were still cleaning up the last of the catering supplies, but she couldn’t resist whispering in his ear. “So here’s my idea.”
“I’m listening.” He leaned down and wrapped his arm around her waist, sending a kaleidoscope of butterflies ricocheting up her spine.
Lauren placed both her hands on his leather tunic-covered chest, feeling the beat of his heart. “I want to reenact that scene when Princess Leia infiltrates Jabba the Hutt’s palace. Remember, when you’re frozen and I save you?”
“Sounds good.” He held her tight, his warm breath caressing her ear. “So we’re going to ad lib on the script, right? I’m frozen and you have to do wicked things to my body to unfreeze me?”
Lauren raised her eyebrows, strained against his embrace and opened her arms. “Of course. And I had some ideas involving your blaster as well, but I’ll wait to discuss that until we’re in private.”
He tightened his hold on her, his erection pressed against her belly. “Would that be my actual blaster, or the blaster between my legs that’s hard as metal right now?”
She punched him playfully in the arm. “God, I love. . . it when we do this. Isn’t cosplay fun?” Quickly, she turned away from him, the intimacy too much. “I need to check on some things in the kitchen. Be right back.”
Inwardly, she scolded herself. She had almost said she loved him. She couldn’t cross that line. She couldn’t. Could she? Confused and tired, she’d been working in preparation for this event for what felt like weeks straight without sleep. Plus she managed the bakery, and she needed to update her blog. First thing in the morning, she’d write a new blog post. And after tonight, Trey would no longer be her client.
Meeting Trey in secret the last couple of weeks was exciting and fun. She’d miss having the excuse to be together so much, under the guise of discussing menu choices—which inevitably ended with them making love—but she thought she was ready to take the next step in their relationship.
However, all this thinking made her head hurt, and for tonight she wanted to be Princess Leia a little bit longer. The evening had been a triumph, and she believed Grandma would have been proud of her. Tonight, Moose’s Tooth bakery would gain a reputation for catering as well as scrumptious food. After what felt like many past failures, tonight had been a success.
Emerging from the kitchen, Lauren sought out Trey. He was talking with his security staff, who were dressed as Storm Troopers. Several employees, both his and hers, were staying the night on the first floor. It was too late to drive home, and everyone was exhausted.
She waited for him to finish his conversation. He acknowledged her with a brief nod as he listened to his employee. Now that the third floor was complete, they’d be the first and only people staying overnight on that floor. Trey had already put her toiletry bag in room 325 and she was ready for sleep. Well, and a little something else, of course.
After he finished talking with his staff, he swung around and lifted his eyebrows. “Princess, are we ready to go?”
The look in his eyes said only one thing and it didn’t involve sleep. Desire pumped through her veins. “I’m ready.”
The heat of his hand sizzled on the small of her back as they walked to the elevator. Warmth spread through her waist and upward to her breasts. Walking with Trey, she felt like they were a real couple. Not knowing what would happen between them tomorrow scared her, but tonight she wasn’t going to think about that. Tomorrow and its uncertainties would arrive soon enough.
Chapter Ten
Trey stirred.
He squinted across the king-size bed to the adjacent pillow and the tangled mass of chocolate-brown Princess Leia buns in disarray on Lauren’s head.
He smiled. He realized he’d been doing that a lot lately. Smiling.
She made him happy. At first he’d believed his feelings for her were rooted in the past. Now everything was different. His feelings for her were very real and had nothing to do with a high school crush.
He wanted to make love to her again, but she looked so peaceful he couldn’t bring himself to wake her. He never thought someone like her, so vivacious and worldly, would ever want to be with a small-town guy like him. He worried that he wasn’t enough for her. He could never offer her the kind of life she had longed for when she left Alaska for Hollywood.
He crawled out of bed and got into the shower. He washed up and rinsed shampoo from his hair, then heard a tapping sound on the bathroom door.
“Trey?” Lauren called.
“Come in.”
She opened the door. “I need to check in at the bakery. Make sure they opened okay. I’m sorry I’ve got to run, but will I see you tonight?”
“Yes, you will.” He wondered about the questioning way she asked to see him. She was probably wondering about the status of their relationship, too. They needed to talk and iron things out between them, decide if they were going to continue as a real couple or not. He couldn’t imagine not seeing her. Before he had a chance to say anything more, she had shut the door and left.
When it was almost dinnertime and he still hadn’t heard from her, he began to wonder if he had misunderstood something when they spoke in the bathroom that morning. He tried to call her cell, but it went straight to voicemail. In the lobby of the hotel, he asked the front desk clerk if she had seen Lauren leave this morning. She had.
Trey had been preoccupied with the opening of the hotel, but his mind still had plenty of room for thoughts of Lauren. The woman was brilliant, fun, and made a heck of a Princess Leia. He’d made very quick, decisive decisions with business, but affairs of the heart were another matter. Regardless, he knew he was falling fast for her.
He could speculate all he wanted, but he didn’t know where Lauren stood. Her blog talked about a fast-paced life amongst the stars, but it also talked about food and family. He tried her cell phone again, and again, it went straight to voicemail.
He drove to the Moose’s Tooth. He got there at 5:00 p.m. as they were closing. A girl was about to lock the front door.
“Wait,” he said, “Is Lauren here?”
“No, sir, Mr. Briggs,” the brown-eyed teenager said. “Didn’t you hear the news?”
“What news would that be?”
“Lauren got a call from someone in Hollywood and off she went. She’s on an airplane.”
That explained why his calls went straight to voicemail. He scrolled through his text messages and saw nothing from her, but he did notice a missed call from her earlier in the day. He’d been so busy he hadn’t even heard it.
The girl stood holding the door open, clearly waiting for him to leave so she could lock it and close up.
“Was it an emergency?” he asked. “I know she has friends down there. Is everything all right?”
“Oh sure, everything is great. She got a call from the Food Network.” The girl craned her neck around and yelled through the bakery. “Lianne, wasn’t it the Food Network who called her?”
“Yes!” someone yelled back. “They want to give Lauren her very own show.”
Trey felt like he’d been sucker-punched in the gut. Her own show? It was her dream. Her dream was about to become reality, and while he wanted to be happy for her, all he felt was sadness. He stepped away from the door. “Thank you.”
Trey wasn’t sure where to go. He felt disoriented. Should he go back to the hotel, to his place, or to the office? Every decision he’d made in the past weeks was with Lauren in mind. Where he’d meet her, what they would talk about, the grand re-opening, and her ideas to make it a success. Now he felt adrift and alone.
How she’d managed to become so important to him in such a short period of time, he couldn’t begin to understand. He drove. He wasn’t sure where he was going, but driving his truck always helped to relax him.
It was approaching 7 o’clock and the midnight sun still illuminated the sky. He ended up at the bluffs near the playground where he often ran. He got out of his truck, and stared at the ocean of Cook Inlet and beyond to Mt. Redoubt. The wind whipped his nylon jacket. He loved this view, and never imaged himself living any other place on earth.
It amazed him the way Lauren had picked up after high school and left so quickly. How could she ever leave Alaska? There was no other place for him. Alaska was his home.
He had to believe their affair was just that—an affair. She would leave now and she’d be only a memory—a summer fling. He looked beyond the slide and swing set to the wild irises blowing in the breeze.
His phone buzzed. He looked at the screen and saw Lauren’s name.
He swiped across the screen and held the phone to his ear. “Hello?”
“Trey, hi, it’s me. I tried to call you earlier,” she said.
“Yeah, sorry, I was really busy. I didn’t hear my phone.”
“It’s okay. I just wanted to let you know I’ve just landed at LAX. Crazy, huh?”
“Yeah, I stopped by Moose’s Tooth and they told me you have a meeting with the Food Network. They want to give you your own show. Congratulations.” He said the words earnestly, but a selfish part of him wished she never got that call. If she didn’t get that call, she’d be here with him.
“Wow. News travels fast. I wanted to tell you myself and I didn’t want to text you about it, either. I’m sorry.”
“I’m sorry, too, but I’m happy for you. I wish you the best. You know that.”
“Trey, why do you have that tone?”
“What tone?”
“That ‘goodbye’ tone. I wasn’t calling to say goodbye. I have to see what their proposal is. I don’t know that I’m going to take it, but when they agreed to put me on the next plane to discuss a show, the possibility of my own show, I had to come.”
“Of course you’ll take their offer. This is your dream. Your own show on television. It’s everything you’ve ever wanted,” he said, trying to keep his voice light.
“It was everything I ever wanted, but now there are more things to consider. There’s the Moose’s Tooth, my grandmother’s legacy, and there’s you. Everything’s different now. And if I am being completely honest, I’d say what I wanted most was for my grandma to forgive me. I took her for granted. I never got the chance to say ‘I’m sorry’ to her, and I left the bakery for her to run on her own,” she said.
“You had every right to leave, and she knew you were sorry,” Trey said empathically.
“No, she didn’t.”
“She did.” Trey should have told her a long time ago. “She knew about your blog.”
“My blog?” she asked quietly.
“Your Sweet Home Alaska blog.”
“Grandma read my blog?”
“Yes. She knew you were torn up about where you belonged—you said as much on some of your earlier posts.” Trey should have told her the very first time they met. He suddenly felt like he’d kept a secret that wasn’t his right to keep.
“But she never said anything to me.” Her voice was quiet, barely audible. “She didn’t even own a computer.”
“I told her about your blog. She’d go to the library and read it. She knew about your attitudes toward food, gatherings, family—she knew the bakery meant as much to you, as it did to her and that you’d come around.”
“I’m not coming around. I’ve got the chance at my dream job now—and it isn’t in Alaska. It isn’t in her bakery!” she said, sounding heartbroken.
He regretted not telling her the truth sooner. “I know that,” he said. “But Elsie never blamed you. She knew you loved her, and you have to make the right decision for you. If Alaska isn’t where you want to live, then you shouldn’t be here.”
“Why didn’t you ever tell me that my grandma read my blog? Why didn’t you ever tell me you read my blog?”
He wanted to fix things between them. Fixing things is what he did, or tried to do. He wasn’t about to step in the way of her dreams. She would only resent him later. Besides, he would never leave Alaska.
Their summer affair wouldn’t have lasted anyway. It was better this way. “I stumbled upon your blog by accident. I told Elsie about it, but no one else. I was going to tell you this morning before you left our hotel room. The truth is, I knew our relationship was just temporary because of the job.”
“Trey, stop it. I don’t believe you.” She sounded angry.
“And as much as you talked about your fast-paced life in L.A. on your blog, I didn’t think you’d ever really be happy here.” He gripped the phone with such force he thought it might break.
“Trey, there is a difference in what I posted on my blog for entertainment purposes. What I was posting was the real me and how I really felt and thought,” she said.
“The blog doesn’t matter. I just wanted to come clean about it. I respect you and I didn’t want any secrets between us.”
“My blog wasn’t a secret,” she said.
“I know, but you wrote it as L. Kinkade. You never said your first name, so I wasn’t sure if you wanted anonymity or not. Regardless of your blog, I think you and I have different ideas about where our relationship was going.” He swallowed hard. The words were a lie and he wasn’t good at lying.
He was about to add more to his lie before she said, “I’m angry at you for not telling me you knew about the blog. I hate having this discussion over the phone, but I am really falling in love with you and I thought you were falling for me, too.”
A knot formed in his stomach and his lungs couldn’t hold air. He heard the hesitation in her voice and thought she was waiting for him to confirm or deny his intentions.
“You were wrong. I wasn’t falling for you.” The words felt bitter and stung his mouth to say them. “As soon as the job was finished, I knew we’d be finished, too.” His phone beeped at the perfect time. The incoming call was from the hotel manager. “Listen, I’ve got to go. Congratulations again. I can’t wait to watch you on television. I’m sure you’ll top the ratings and you’ll have everything you’ve ever wanted. Goodbye, Lauren.”
He hung up quickly before he changed his mind. He told himself he was doing the right thing. That if she stayed, with him, in Alaska, he would never live with the fact that she’d given up on her dream for him. She would eventually resent him for it. He could never live with that. Yes, he was in love with her. He had no doubt about that. Otherwise, he wouldn’t hurt so much.
Chapter Eleven
Lauren’s meeting with the executives of the Food Network couldn’t have gone any better. She’d spent the week signing papers, seeking advice from her agent, and hiring attorneys, but now she was on her way back home—home to Alaska, sweet home Alaska.
The past week had been the most exciting of her life, and all she could think about was how she wasn’t sharing it with Trey. He should have been with her. Her gut told her he wanted to be with her, but his words on the phone were hurtful.
Now, with all her decisions made, she felt happier than she’d ever been. Now she only had to share it with Trey.
She left L.A. on the redeye and arrived home at 6:00 a.m. As soon as her plane landed, she went home, took a shower, put on her skirt and heels, and picked up the phone. She was exhausted, but that didn’t matter.
Lauren dialed Briggs Enterprises.
“Briggs Enterprises. This is Kayla, how may I
help you?”
“Hello, Kayla. It’s Lauren. Can you tell me where Trey is?” Her words came out in a rush.
“Sure. He’s at the hotel overseeing a few things there. I don’t expect him back in the office today. Hey, I heard you were going to L.A. to talk with the Food Network about having your own show?”
“Yes, it’s true,” Lauren answered. Now she knew where Trey was.
“That’s big news. Our town doesn’t have anyone famous in it. Not until now.”
“Thanks. Not sure how famous I’ll be, but yes, this actually is a big deal. You know, I had a lot of time to think on the plane, and I was wondering what Trey’s fascination is with wild iris flowers? He plants them around town, and they are designed in the stained glass at the hotel. I was just curious—do you know?”
“Yes, because of his little sister, Iris. She died when she was three. Trey’s never talked about it, but his older brother told me he took it very hard. Trey was only five at the time.”
“I had no idea.” A stab of remorse lay buried in her breast. “I’ve got to run. Maybe we can meet up later. We should go out to lunch or something.”
“Sure. Sounds good,” Kayla said with a surprised tone.
Lauren steadied herself, sat down on her couch, and signed onto her laptop. She searched the name ‘Iris Briggs’ in Alaska. The beaming face of a three-year-old girl with red hair smiled back at her. She read the obituary. Iris had died of cancer. Her heart squeezed in anguish for Trey and his loss.
She was actually trembling now. Not only for Trey’s loss, but for her own, too. She’d never come to terms with her grandmother’s death. She hadn’t even faced it yet. Not really. She preferred being angry, or so busy working she didn’t have time to feel this desolate sense of loss.
She had lost her parents, she lost her grandma, and she desperately didn’t want to lose Trey.
After strapping herself into her van, she headed straight to the hotel. She knew with her current state of emotions it wasn’t the best way to approach a meeting with Trey, but she had to do it. What if she was wrong? What if Trey was telling her the truth, that he really wasn’t interested in anything further between them? And why didn’t he ever say he’d been following her blog?
Sweet Home Alaska Page 6
