Never Say Match (No Match for Love Book 9)

by Lindzee Armstrong

  Jase barely had time to enjoy the kiss before it was over. Cassidy brushed her hair behind one ear, that beautiful blush back on her cheeks. “Goodnight,” she said quietly.

  “Goodnight,” he called. She walked away, her hips swaying and boots making soft scuffing sounds with each step. He watched until she was safely inside the house, then shook his head and turned toward the bunkhouse with a grin.

  Today had been perfect. He hadn’t learned anything to help him with his role, but he didn’t care. Somehow, spending time with Cassidy had become more important.

  Jase showered and got ready for bed. He climbed into a bunk with a sigh, his muscles aching but his heart full. He couldn’t remember ever feeling so content. So happy.

  He adjusted the pillow underneath his head, then opened his email on his phone. The inbox was overflowing—no surprise there. He hadn’t looked at it since Friday. If anything really important came up, his mother or his agent would call him.

  Jase scrolled through the messages, listening to the gentle snores of the few sleeping man combined with the cheers of those watching the football game in the common room. A familiar name popped up, and he paused on the email from the production team of the upcoming cowboy film. Final script and cast list the subject line read.

  Some of Jase’s contentment fled as he clicked open the email. He’d have to see if there was somewhere in town to print off the script so he could start memorizing his lines. Most of the actors and actresses still read for the table readings, but Jase liked to try and get ahead of things. He ignored the script for now and instead opened the attachment containing the final cast list. A few unfamiliar names popped out at Jase as he scrolled through the list, along with those of actors he’d worked with before. Most of the experiences had been positive, so hopefully this film would be as well.

  Halfway down the list, he stopped scrolling, his eyes glued to one name. Jase rubbed his eyes, staring at the name again. His heart began pumping heavily while his mind scrambled to understand the implications of this single change in casting to the upcoming film.

  Seth Harrington had landed a part in the movie.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Cassidy leaned into Jase, loving the feel of his hands at her waist. “I need to go to sleep,” she murmured against his lips.

  He tightened his hold, pulling her closer. “But I’ll miss you.”

  Cassidy giggled softly. Her parents had gone to sleep hours ago, and only a single lamp in the living room lighted the main floor of the house. The movie had ended at least twenty minutes earlier, but she and Jase hadn’t made it very far out of the room. He leaned against the hallway wall, her body pressed against the length of his and dim shadows dancing across the angular lines of Jase’s face.

  “I know you’ll miss me, but I’ve got to wake up in less than five hours. So do you, for that matter.”

  “Super lame,” Jase said, nibbling at her neck. “Maybe tomorrow I’ll take the day off. We could play hooky together. Maybe ride back to the meadow. It’s been, what, two weeks since we were there?”

  The words were like a splash of cold water. Cassidy squirmed, finally extracting herself from Jase’s grip. Abandoning Cupcakes and Cowboys wasn’t a possibility for her—not even for a day. “That’s not something two responsible adults would do, is it?”

  “We can be responsible the next day.”

  The desire to accept his offer was nearly overpowering, which meant it was definitely time to go to bed. “Goodnight, Jase.”

  His hand caught hers, sending a flood of heat over her entire body. “We’re still on for our date tomorrow?”

  “Yes. Seven o’clock.” Cassidy couldn’t resist—she rose on tiptoes and brushed one last, quick kiss over Jase’s mouth. “See you then.”

  His groan echoed off the walls as she scampered upstairs, and Cassidy couldn’t help but smile. Over the past two weeks, they’d spent every spare moment with each other. She clung to their time together, knowing that each moment brought them one step closer to the inevitable end of their relationship—if you could even call it that. Cassidy knew Jase was attracted to her. He’d told her as much more than once. But she still feared this was all part of a role to him, whether Jase realized it or not. Sometime soon—Jase hadn’t said exactly when—he’d return to the glittering lights of Hollywood, leaving Cassidy alone in Sunset Plains.

  She changed into her pajamas and dropped into her bed with a happy sigh. The last two weeks had been magical. Jase now ate dinner every night with the family instead of the ranch hands. He also dropped by Cupcakes and Cowboys almost daily to bring her lunch. They stayed up way too late each night talking about everything and nothing, but in the morning Cassidy barely felt the fatigue and couldn’t wait to go home and do it all again.

  Neither of them had mentioned the elephant in the room—Jase’s impending departure. As Cassidy drifted off to sleep, the sick pit that surfaced every time she thought about Jase leaving lodged itself in her stomach. She’d been so wrong about him. Where Seth was selfish and conceited, Jase was considerate and kind. He was a hard worker who jumped in to help whenever he saw a need. Even Mason grudgingly admitted that Jase had picked up on ranching quickly—a high compliment from the crusty cowboy.

  Yes, Jase’s kisses filled her with fire. Sure, each day she counted down the minutes until she would see him again. But once he hopped in a fancy car and jetted back to the big city, she doubted he’d ever return. If she was smart, she’d break things off now, before her heart got any more involved. Any relationship between them was doomed. Jase would never abandon his career, and she wouldn’t give up her cupcake shop.

  She should’ve said she was busy tomorrow tonight. But as much as it hurt to think about him leaving, she couldn’t make herself push him away.

  Cassidy arrived at the bakery only five minutes late the next morning. She’d just unlocked the front door and flipped the sign to open when the store phone rang.

  “Cupcakes and Cowboys, this is Cassidy speaking,” she said in a chipper voice.

  “Hi, Cassidy,” said an unfamiliar voice on the other end of the line. “This is Sandra, from the college? I know this is late notice, but we’re having a faculty training event tomorrow and would love to order a custom cake for the event. Something to get the staff excited for the upcoming school year.”

  “Sounds interesting.” Cassidy tried to keep her voice nonchalant and not let her excitement show too much. “What did you have in mind?”

  Fifteen minutes later she hung up the phone and let out a squeal. The money she’d make from this order was almost enough to make her forget about turning down Anabeth’s wedding cake. Almost. The cake was simple enough, but it would still be time consuming. Cassidy couldn’t wait for Kari to arrive so she could get started. If she hurried, she might still make her date with Jase.

  The day passed in a blur as Cassidy boxed up purchases for customers and baked the cakes for her special order when business lagged. She handed a box of cupcakes to the latest customer with a smile, ignoring her aching feet. Once the front door swung closed, Cassidy pulled out her phone and checked the time again. Just another thirty minutes until Kari would arrive. She’d need to start decorating immediately if she wanted a prayer of making her date with Jase on time.

  Cassidy busied herself refilling the display case. They were nearly two-thirds empty. Having Jase Larson hang around the bakery had definitely helped sales. She’d miss that when he was gone, too.

  The wall phone rang, and Cassidy quickly grabbed it, pushing aside her depressing thoughts. “Cupcakes and Cowboys, this is Cassidy.”

  “Cassidy? It’s Kari.”

  “Hey.” Cassidy’s eyes flicked to the wall clock. She really hoped this didn’t mean Kari would be late today. Usually Kari was great about showing up on time, but sometimes cheerleading practice ran long. Cassidy was already cutting things close for her date. “What’s up?”

  “I fell during cheer practice and hurt my ankle. I’m at Urge
nt Care right now, and they think I might have broken something. They’re sending me to the hospital for x-rays.”

  Cassidy’s heart sank. Kari loved cheerleading. If she’d broken something, she’d be out for her senior year. “Oh, Kari. That stinks.”

  “Yeah. I don’t think I’m going to make it in today. I’m really sorry.” The girl’s voice was thick with tears.

  Cassidy ran a hand through her hair, her evening plans crumbling. There was no way she’d make her date with Jase now. She swallowed her disappointment, knowing it couldn’t be helped. “Of course you can’t come in. Don’t worry about it. Call me once you know what’s going on, okay? You might need to take a few days off if it’s serious.”

  “I will. Thank you.”

  Cassidy said her goodbyes and hung up the phone. She pulled her cell phone from her apron pocket and stared at the screen.

  It wasn’t like she’d tried to ruin their plans for tonight. When she’d taken the job, she’d thought Kari would be here to help. But the reason had never mattered to Seth. Whenever Cassidy had changed plans on him, he’d given her the silent treatment for days.

  She took a deep breath and dialed Jase’s number. He wasn’t Seth. And if Jase couldn’t handle a simple change in plans, well, it was a good thing he was headed back to California soon.

  The phone clicked on, and Jase’s deep voice came across the line. “Hey, pretty lady.”

  She tapped a pen on the bakery display case rapidly, unable to contain her nerves. “Hi.”

  “I can’t wait to see you in a few hours. Mason told me about this great restaurant in Meadow Falls, and now I’m dying to try it. What do you think?”

  Cassidy sighed and dropped the pen. Might as well get this over with. No sense beating around the bush. “I’m really sorry, Jase. I have a huge order I’ve got to finish tonight, and Kari just called in sick. Can we reschedule for tomorrow maybe?”

  Silence crackled across the line, and Cassidy picked up the pen and started tapping again. The familiar on-edge feeling that had always accompanied interactions with Seth roiled in her stomach.

  “Sunday would be fine,” Jase said finally.

  “Thank you.” Was he mad? She couldn’t quite tell from his tone. The knot in her stomach tightened. “They only called this morning about the order. It’s really last minute, but the money’s good.”

  “I understand.”

  Cassidy bit her lip, fighting the urge to ramble. “I’m really sorry,” she repeated.

  “It couldn’t be helped, right? We’ll talk later.”

  Cassidy said goodbye and hung up the phone. His words were right, but she couldn’t stamp back the worry growing in her stomach.

  “If he’s mad, that’s his problem, not mine,” Cassidy growled to the empty room. But saying the words aloud and believing them were two very different things. The scars Seth had left behind were healing, but they weren’t gone.

  A few minutes before six o’clock, Cassidy started her evening closing ritual. She washed all the tabletops and straightened the chairs underneath them, then flipped off the small television playing the evening news. She wiped the chalkboard menu clean and updated it with tomorrow’s cupcake of the day.

  The bell jingled. Cassidy’s heart dropped as she capped the liquid chalk marker. Normally, she didn’t mind last-minute customers who lingered, especially if they emptied out her display cases. But tonight, she really didn’t have the time. She was already in for a late night.

  Cassidy turned around, her customer smile firmly in place, but her mouth fell open in shock. Jase stood in the doorway, that pristinely white cowboy hat on his head and a smile on his full lips.

  “What are you doing here?” Cassidy asked.

  His muscled shoulders rolled in a shrug. “I thought I could help.”

  She stared at him. “Help?”

  “Yeah. You know, with the rush order.”

  Cassidy snorted, then quickly covered her mouth. She couldn’t hold back the giggles as she tried to imagine Jase in one of her frilly aprons, holding a piping bag. “You want to help me decorate a cake?”

  He rested his hands on his hips and gave her a mock glare. “I helped you sell them, didn’t I?”

  “Yes, but cake decorating isn’t something I can teach in five minutes, unlike working the cash register.”

  “I’m a fast learner and you sounded pretty stressed on the phone. Plus, I miss you. Maybe I can cook frosting or whip up a cake while you decorate.”

  Cassidy snorted again as her heart swelled with relief. He wasn’t upset. Wasn’t going to give her the silent treatment. He just wanted to help.

  She considered him, then nodded. “You don’t cook frosting, but I actually could really use the help. Thanks.” The company wouldn’t hurt, either.

  The clock hit six, and Cassidy locked the door and flipped off the lights while Jase swept the floor. Once the front was in order, they headed back to the kitchen.

  “So what are we making?” Jase asked, setting his cowboy hat on the peg where she usually kept her apron. She quickly looked away. His hat looked too at home there.

  “We’re decorating a cake for a faculty training event at the college.”

  “That sounds like fun. What flavor of cakes are we baking?”

  “They wanted vanilla bean with chocolate ganache filling. But I already baked the cakes.”

  Jase raised one eyebrow. He folded his arms and leaned back against the decorating counter, looking perfectly content in the kitchen. She liked how he could seem at home in any setting. “You did?”

  Cassidy nodded. “They’re easier to decorate when frozen. I thought something with bright primary colors that keeps with a back-to-school theme would be cute.”

  “Sounds delicious and fun. Where do we start?”

  We. Cassidy swallowed hard and motioned to the sink. “Wash your hands and find an apron.”

  Jase did as instructed while Cassidy grabbed a sixteen-inch round cardboard base and set it on her cake stand. Soon she was mixing butter cream to dirty ice the cakes while Jase washed the few dishes she hadn’t gotten to in the sink.

  “How was work today?” Cassidy asked over the hum of her mixer. The question was so simple, but she loved the intimacy suggested by it.

  “Great,” Jase said. His flannel work shirt was rolled up to the elbows, the soap suds nearly reaching the fabric. “Mason showed me how to change the timing belt on a truck. I had no idea that ranchers needed to know how to do stuff like that. Today was method acting at its finest. I loved it.”

  Cassidy imagined Jase hunched over the hood of a truck, hands black with grease and a dirty rag sticking out of his back pocket. No doubt he’d make auto mechanic work look positively divine. “You’ve told me a lot about the things you’ve done while method acting, but you’ve never really told me what made you decide to start doing it.”

  “Acting?”

  “Method acting.”

  “Huh. I guess you’re right.” He slowly rinsed off the last plate and turned to face her. “I think I method act because it lets me be someone else for a while.”

  Cassidy’s brows knit together. She’d expected he’d give an answer about how dedicated he was to his craft, or how method acting made his performance better. What she hadn’t expected was insecurity—for him to look away, rubbing his thumb along the edge of the countertop.

  “You’re Jase Larson. Men want to be you, and women want to be with you. Why would you want to be anyone else?”

  Jase took her hand gently in his, rubbing a thumb along her knuckles and making her breath catch. “I’ve always been in Hollywood. I’ve grown up with the glitz and glamor. Sometimes, I’m not sure if that’s the life I want, or the only life I’ve known.”

  He motioned to the bakery. Cassidy looked around, trying to see the kitchen through his eyes. The gleaming new stainless steel fridge and freezer made the dents and scratches in the used industrial oven more obvious. But Cassidy had painted the walls a cheerful sk
y blue to brighten up the space, and everything was tidy and neat. She was proud of her cupcake shop, no matter what anyone else thought of it.

  “This—Oklahoma—is the most I’ve ever connected with a role,” Jase said quietly, still rubbing circles on her hand. “Ranching feels like what I’ve always wanted to do and who I want to be. You’ve shown me that, Cassidy.”

  She swallowed, looking away. What was Jase saying? “It’s a good life. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

  Jase’s eyes locked with hers. “What if things had turned out differently between you and Seth?”

  Cassidy heard the unspoken question in his words—what happens with us after I leave? Her heart hammered in her chest and she pulled her hand away under the pretense of turning off the mixer. She grabbed a spatula and began whipping the frosting. “I would’ve followed him to Los Angeles. Raised the baby in a tiny one-bedroom apartment and waitressed while he chased auditions, probably. But I’m not willing to sacrifice my dreams for someone else’s anymore.”

  Jase put his hand over hers, making her freeze. “You shouldn’t have to. He didn’t deserve you, Cassidy. I’m sure it didn’t feel like it at the time, but you’re lucky to have escaped.”

  She swallowed hard and started whipping the frosting again, more slowly this time. “I know that now. But it didn’t make what happened any easier.”

  “Of course not.” Jase took a step backward, watching her with those piercing eyes. “I love it in Oklahoma, Cassidy. I love ranching. I love watching you chase your dreams.”

  “Your life is in California, Jase.”

  “Maybe I don’t want it to be.”

  Cassidy bit her lip, a thousand emotions bouncing around in her chest. She wanted to be with Jase. Was starting to need him, even.

  She didn’t want to lose him.

  But she couldn’t lose herself in a relationship again. Jase said he wanted this life, but a little over three weeks was a long vacation, not a lifestyle. Eventually, Jase would miss acting and want to return to California. And she wouldn’t give up the bakery to go with him. Couldn’t.