"I'm working on it." Jessie's forehead was tight. "It's going to take me a while. I've got to put together a marketing plan, form a company. There's no rush, since there's nowhere in town to put a chocolate shop."
The thought stirred something small and self-pitying inside of her. She felt herself getting into a bad spot and she needed something — or someone — to pull her out of her doldrums. Who could she turn to? Let's see: Quinn had dumped her, and Nate had put her in a foul mood. Jessie crushed an eggshell in her hands before tossing it into the trash.
"Something will come along," Emily said. She stooped to lift a dustpan from the floor and empty it into the trash. "I'm excited about my date. Nate texted me. We're going to Sam's." She paused. "I hope you don't mind."
Jessie started. "Yes. I mean, no, of course not. Why would I mind? I don't mind."
Emily leaned against the propped handle of the broom. "I just know you and Nate are friends, and you and I work together. I want to make sure nothing's strange." She smiled and resumed sweeping. "I was thinking it would be a lot of fun if we went on a double date. Oh!" She froze, her eyes wide. "You and Quinn...I forgot. I didn't mean —"
"It's okay," Jessie said abruptly, needing a change of subject. "Don't even worry about it."
"Sometimes I say the stupidest things," Emily muttered, more to herself. She continued to sweep, but moved quickly away to the other side of the kitchen.
Jessie felt a twist of guilt. Emily was one of her friends, and so was Nate, and it was great that two nice people were going out together. She set the spatula in the metal bowl, carried them both to the sink, and turned on the hot water. "It was a nice thought, Em. And you really shouldn't feel bad. Quinn and I are only taking a break." It sounded less and less convincing every time she said it.
She scrubbed the pots, pans, bowls, and utensils that were piled in and around the sink, dried them, and then wiped down the counters. By then, the scones were finished. Jessie was just setting them on a tray when her cell phone rang. When she saw the number, her mood instantly lifted. "Wren! How are you?"
"Low on chocolate stock," her cousin said. "We had a large tasting party last night and we paired wine and chocolate. Do you think you can swing by? I can send you an order sheet."
Jessie was proud to be the exclusive supplier of chocolate at Wren and Jax's Cliffside Vineyards, and Wren was exactly the person who could lift Jessie's mood. Selfishly, she couldn't have been happier that her cousin was running low on inventory. "I can load your order right now and come right over. Just tell me what you need."
The catering van was white and roomy, and the words "Hedda's Bakery — Catering" were painted on one side in purple. In the back were rows of racks to secure trays of food. Uncle Hank had purchased the van used when a local restaurant was looking to unload it. Jessie had taken advantage, offering catering as a means to raise a little extra money for Hedda's. At one point, her Auntie Lil had even helped her with the menu. But business over the past year had slowed down as more competition crept into the area, so Jessie had devoted more attention to her chocolates. The van was convenient, though. They still had a few catering jobs a month, and it was perfect for carrying large orders of chocolate.
Wren and Jax were her best customers, which wasn't saying all that much. She'd stop by every other week with an order, and they always paid her and gave her a few bottles of wine from the vineyard as a tip. As Jessie wound the van up the hills to Cliffside Vineyards, she hoped they'd spare a bottle of ice wine. She loved the sweet, syrupy treat, and she and Nate had whiled away quite a few evenings in the cottage sipping small glasses.
Jessie's heart pivoted in place. It was like she kept forgetting about how complicated things with Nate had suddenly become. Maybe he and Emily would really hit it off, and then it wasn't like they'd be drinking ice wine together very often anymore. Not alone, with him teasing her about the silly things that secretly made her cry, and her teasing him about his weirdo workout routine ideas, like that time he was going to make a client do pull-ups on monkey bars. This was what she'd lose if Emily was in the picture.
Jessie bit the inside of her cheek. It was just one date, not marriage. No need to get ahead of herself.
The vineyard itself was easy to miss, set back as it was from a narrow, rarely traveled road that jutted through a dense forest of pine. A carved wooden sign announced "Cliffside Vineyards" in simple type. It was only when one followed the long gravel drive that one saw the hidden gem: acres of rolling vineyards overlooking a sliver of the ocean; a newly constructed red barn that included a comfortable tasting room with a long bar, an imposing stone fireplace, and a large deck for summertime gatherings; and a renovated white farmhouse with a wraparound porch that was exceedingly modest by Hollywood standards, but was the place Wren and Jax called home. It was the sort of property that few found by accident, but if they did, they were rewarded with a spectacular experience.
When she arrived, the tasting room was closing for the evening and the visitors' parking lot was empty. She continued up the hill to the farmhouse. As she drew closer, she saw that the lights were on. Jessie could smell marinara sauce. She pulled a shipping box filled with truffles out of the van and lugged it to the front porch. Fortunately, Jax opened the door before Jessie was forced to decide how she was going to ring the doorbell. "I thought I was going to have to shout at you to get off my property," he joked, and lifted the box from her arms. "What is this, more chocolate?"
"Wren called in an order. She said you had a tasting."
His strong arms handled the box easily. "She's in charge of that. Did you eat? We're just sitting down and we have plenty."
"It smells great." She reached up to give him a kiss on the cheek. "You had a nice time in France?"
He wrinkled his handsome face and gave a noncommittal shrug. "I didn't get to see much of it. All your cousin ever wants to do is have sex with me. Ow!" He winced as Wren came up from behind and whacked him in the shoulder. "It's true."
Jessie had heard all about Jax long before she'd actually met him. Who hadn't? He'd been all over the celebrity gossip blogs, always with a different woman. The best, most surprising thing about Jax was that beneath the brash exterior, he was a softie who loved to spend his evenings chatting in the kitchen at Hedda's and helping the family to bake. What Jessie loved most about him was seeing the look on his face every time Wren was around. He was like a lost puppy when she entered the room.
But as Jax was looking at Wren with his characteristic adoration, Wren was rolling her eyes in mock consternation. "Those are for the event we have on Friday night. I'm putting everything in the hall."
"Yes, ma'am." He winked at Jessie before turning and heading into the home.
Wren reached for Jessie's hand. "Come in. We're just having dinner. I'll get you a plate."
The smells of pasta, marinara sauce, and garlic sent Jessie's stomach rumbling — she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast. Her gaze took in the domestic scene: the farmhouse, with its wide floorboards and light yellow walls, and Wren and Jax in blue jeans, light sweaters, and socks, joking and smiling at each other. The thought of returning to her empty cottage made her heart sink.
She said eagerly, "I'd love to."
Jessie envied the chef's kitchen, with its stainless-steel appliances, generous granite countertops, and wide picture window overlooking the stretch of vineyards. It had been designed for their gourmet chef, Tyrone, who lived in the guest quarters whenever Jax was preparing for a movie and needed to be in peak physical shape. As far as Jessie knew, Wren was trying to pick up some cooking basics, but she'd always been a sandwich and frozen pizza kind of girl. As she pulled up a stool at the breakfast bar at the center island, Jessie was secretly thrilled that Tyrone was back in LA. When he was around, dinners were vegetable-based with small portions of lean meats and unsweetened berries for dessert. He never would have cooked this dinner, which looked and smelled amazing.
She inhaled as Jax spooned a serving of bowt
ie pasta and sauce into a white bowl and set it before her. Wren said, "It's nothing fancy, but we made the sauce ourselves from the Roma tomatoes that grew in our garden last summer."
"Nothing fancy?" Jessie said. "I was just thinking that if I could, I'd unhinge my jaw and devour this entire bowl all at once."
"Now there's a visual," Jax said pleasantly, and set a bowl in front of Wren. "Do you want water, darling?"
"Darling." Jessie giggled. "You two are so gross."
"I'd love one," Wren said, and shot Jessie a knowing look. "Like Quinn has never used a pet name for you?"
Jessie picked up her fork and stabbed at her pasta. "Nope. And we broke up." She took a bite. Wow. Worth the calories.
In her peripheral vision, she saw Wren's eyes widen with concern. "You did? You didn't tell me this."
"It's not important. We're taking a little break so he can focus on his career. No big deal."
"A break? What's that mean?" Wren's pretty face was scrunched, as if she'd just caught a whiff of something that stunk.
"He's working so many hours these days that it's hard for him to focus on a relationship." She poked a piece of pasta too aggressively, and it flew over the side of her bowl. "This sauce is great, by the way. You should consider canning it. You could put your pretty faces on the label."
Jax was bustling around the kitchen, opening cabinets and slicing lemons and trying — so it seemed to Jessie — to appear that he wasn't listening. "Jess? Lemon or lime?"
"Lemon, please. Anyway, as far as Quinn goes," she said around a mouthful, "it's okay with me. I am also focusing on my career. I'm going to open my own shop, really work on selling my chocolates. I figure I've been developing my line for so long, I should go all in. What am I waiting for, right?"
"Well, I think that is great news. You work so hard that I can't imagine that you wouldn't be a household name. If there's anything we can ever do to help...I'd love to invest in you."
Jessie warmed at the offer, but she could never ask her cousin to put money into her business. "That's so sweet. But I'm going to be applying for a loan. It's a lot of paperwork, and it's a little intimidating, to be honest, but I was thinking it's time to suck it up and figure out how to make some graphs to demonstrate projected growth. But thanks anyway. I'll let you know."
"Absolutely." Wren paused and looked down at her plate as if she was trying to decide what to say next. Then she picked up her fork and held it in midair. "His career, huh? That's the excuse he gave you?"
Jessie mulled this one over as she chewed. Jax set a glass of ice water in front of her and said, "This sounds like it's going in a particular direction, and there's a game on —"
"Go ahead," Wren said, lifting her glass. "Everyone without a vagina is excused."
"Thank God," he muttered. "I'll be back in a bit to clean up."
Jessie watched him walk out before leaning closer to Wren and whispering, "You have Jax Cosgrove doing dishes? What kind of kink did that take?"
Wren gave her a wry grin. "I'm lucky that here in this house, we both forget that he's some Hollywood hotshot. But don't change the subject. Look, I'm enjoying my bowtie noodles, but when you tell me that Quinn dumped you to focus on his career, I smell pasta and bullshit."
"I don't want to talk about Quinn." And she didn't. Her stomach had started to knot as she thought about the real reason she'd been so relieved her cousin had called and given her an excuse to visit. She tried to sound upbeat. "You know, Emily and Nate are going out. On Friday. It's just a first date, so who knows. It could be serious."
When Wren didn't answer, Jessie dragged a bowtie around the bottom of her bowl, making little wave patterns in the sauce. Then as the silence dragged on, she did what she seemed to do best those days: turn off her brain and plow ahead. "And I'm happy for them. Who wouldn't be, when they're both such nice people. Nice people should end up together. Like you and Jax. You're both nice, too." Jessie took a breath. "I was going to set him up with Heather MacKenzie. I thought they'd hit it off, because Nate is all into physical fitness, and Heather...you know."
"Heather? Seriously?" Wren shook her head vehemently. "I would never see them together. And isn't she dating that politician? A state senator or something?"
"Oh yeah? I guess we've lost touch."
There was another stretch of silence. Then Wren started chuckling. "You were really going to set him up with Heather MacKenzie? Why would you do that? Nate's such a great guy!"
At first Jessie opened her mouth to defend herself, but Wren kept on laughing, and really, what defense did Jessie have, when she'd essentially decided to set up two single friends because they were...well, single. She started to giggle. "Come on, Heather is nice enough."
"If you like piranhas in Gucci. Nate is much too down-to-earth for her. Emily may be a better match." She took a sip of her water and then said, "You're funny. Your heart is where it should be, and I love you for that, but sometimes your schemes are so...elaborate. You're always looking for the complicated solution. Like Nate and Heather. Nate and Emily are a great match, and right in front of you." She shook her head. "And like your chocolates. I'll write you a check tonight and let you skip the whole business loan thing if you allow me to. It's my money, from my latest project."
"Ooh, latest project? You didn't tell me about that."
"It's a vampire romance."
Jessie wrinkled her nose and giggled again. "Vampire romance? That sounds awful."
"It's not that bad," Wren laughed. "And again with changing the subject! You're hard to pin down tonight!"
Jessie lifted another forkful of pasta and smiled, feeling suddenly lighter than she'd felt all day, even though nothing had been resolved. Friends could do that, make you feel like all the troubles in your life were a little bit funnier than you'd realized. "I haven't told you my biggest news yet," she said. "I'm running a 5K."
Wren nearly choked on her pasta. She clapped her linen napkin across her mouth and laughed silently. When she finally managed to collect herself, tears were forming at the corners of her eyes. "How in the world did you not mention this sooner? Okay, please tell me you have a camera crew documenting your every footstep, because that's television gold right there."
Jessie filled Wren in on the details, but kept a few out. Like the fact that she'd started running in order to fit in her maid of honor dress. Or the fact that she had an odd case of butterflies in her stomach at the thought of seeing Nate first thing in the morning in his sexy running shorts. Sure, sometimes Jessie shared too much, but every now and then, she had enough sense to know which things were better left unsaid.
"I sort of enjoy running," she confessed. "Emphasis on sort of, and I think it's mostly because of the company." Jessie caught a fleeting arch to Wren's eyebrows, and her cheeks grew hot. "With Nate. I mean, he's funny. He makes me, um, not think about running."
She may as well have been naked just then, she felt so exposed. But Wren had the good grace to simply reach over, stroke the ends of Jessie's hair, and say, "You're worthy of love. You know that, right? You're worthy of someone who stares at you like you're a goddess and doesn't put you second to his career. Maybe you already know someone like that?"
Jessie's face was so hot that all she could do was stare at the napkin in her lap. "Maybe. I don't know."
"Uh huh." Wren stood up from her stool and stretched. "You're in a shame spiral, Jess. I've been there. The sooner you step back and say that you won't accept second place — and actually mean it — the sooner you'll find what you're looking for. I'm guessing it's staring you smack in the face."
Jessie swallowed the tightness in her throat, her heart still hammering away in her chest. Man, "shame spiral" didn't sound like something she wanted to be a part of, but that was exactly where she was, wasn't it? Ashamed of her looks, ashamed of herself. Why did she think she needed to change, anyway? Screw Quinn and his stupid country club manners.
She hated eating her cereal dry and her oatmeal plain. She hated feel
ing like she had to be someone else to make Quinn love her. Maybe she couldn't afford a fancy dress and frequent pedicures, but she had a little chocolate business that she'd started all on her own, and she was darn proud of that. Something shifted, and Jessie breathed easier. She felt okay. She should celebrate.
"You want some dessert?" Wren said as she pulled open the freezer and stuck her head in. "I've got fudge swirl ice cream, mint chocolate chip, and a flavor called crème brûlée." She glanced over her shoulder. "Choices are made for other things. I think we should have a little of each and call it a tasting."
Jessie grinned and stood to clear her plate. "It's like you read my mind."
Chapter 11
Nate had downed three glasses of cold water before leaving his apartment, but his legs still felt like lead. He never should've let Quinn talk him into that beer and wings. Now he was going to be fighting dehydration all day. If he was lucky, he had another water bottle rolling around somewhere in the back. If he wasn't, well, he'd only be paying the Stupid Tax.
Quinn had called him after dinner the previous night. He and Caryn were fighting again. "It's her ex-boyfriend," he said, his fingers hooked around the neck of a beer bottle. "I know he's trying to get back together with her."
They were sitting in Desmond's out in Spencer, just a dive bar with loud music, sticky round wooden tables, and plenty of people looking to get laid. Nate had once found a line of cocaine in the men's bathroom, right there on the windowsill. Needless to say, it wasn't his favorite place, but it was where Quinn was drinking.
"Is that what she said, that her ex wants to get back together?" Nate stifled a yawn into his fist. It was only ten o'clock, but he'd been waking early to run with Jessie, and it was catching up with him.
"She didn't say it, but then I see her texting someone and when I ask her about it, she won't tell me who she's talking to." Quinn clenched his teeth. "I think she's hiding something."
A Sweet Possibility (Archer Cove Series Book 2) Page 13
