'Tis the Season for Romance

by Kristen Proby

  “I couldn’t bear to stay in Seattle after that, so I asked Memaw if I could come stay with her a while until I figured out what I wanted to do with my life.”

  “I’m sorry,” Rocket said.

  Jayme appreciated his simple but heartfelt sympathy. “Me too.”

  “This might be overstepping my bounds here, but as someone who’s appreciated your culinary talents firsthand…why don’t you open your own bakery?”

  Jayme studied him. She was all too aware he hadn’t let go of her hands, and she wasn’t in any hurry to have him do so. “I’ve thought about it, but it’s a lot of work.”

  “And operating The Gingerbread House wasn’t?” Rocket countered. “It seems to me that the best things in life are those that are the hardest to obtain. You said you were practically running that bakery in Washington by yourself. Managing the staff, ordering the supplies, actually baking the goods…you already know how hard the job is and what’s involved.”

  Jayme bit her lip. She did know. She’d put her heart and soul into that bakery in Seattle and when it had been taken from her, she’d grieved. But it had been months now, and she was officially bored. She loved her memaw, but she needed to do something.

  “I’m sorry, I’m sure you’ve already thought of the ins and outs of this,” Rocket said, loosening his hand.

  Jayme tightened her fingers around his, refusing to let him pull away. “I think I’m just scared. What if I fail?”

  “Then you find something else to do,” Rocket said, simply and without judgement. “But for the record, if tonight’s desserts were anything to go by, you aren’t going to fail. In fact, I think if you find a place right here in Killeen, you’ll succeed beyond your wildest imagination. There are a lot of guys like me—single and with a horrible sweet tooth—who would love to be able to get some homemade goodies whenever we wanted. And not just guys, of course; I’m sure women would bend over backward for some wholesome treats too.”

  Jayme appreciated his encouragement. “I’ve got some awesome low-calorie recipes too.”

  Rocket grinned, then got serious. “I’m sorry you were disappointed by your friend. I don’t know this Claire person, but I’m sure she’s regretting what she did. Her nephew has probably run her precious bakery into the ground by now. But don’t let her actions ruin your dream. You can be grateful to her for giving you the opportunity to learn what you needed to learn to run your own business, while still feeling hurt over her actions.”

  That was true. Jayme still had mixed feelings about what had happened. She loved Claire, but had been so very hurt over what she’d done. “Thanks,” she said softly.

  “You’re gonna need a kick-ass name for your bakery though,” Rocket said. “What about Pie in the Sky?”

  Jayme grinned and wrinkled her nose.

  “No? What about, Holy Cannoli?”

  She laughed outright at that. “Uh, no.”

  “Right, too corny. It needs to be something that encompasses more than just cakes, cookies, or bread, so you can’t have any of those words in the name. You don’t want people thinking all you make is bread or cookies or whatever, but it can’t be so broad that no one knows what the business is.”

  “You seem to know a lot about this kind of thing,” Jayme noted.

  Rocket shrugged. “I have a master’s degree in business. Took a class on marketing.”

  “You do? Really?”

  “I know, a mechanic having a master’s degree is surprising,” he said self-deprecatingly.

  “No, it isn’t that,” Jayme said quickly, not wanting him to think she was dissing him in any way. “I just…most people don’t understand this stuff. When I tried to talk to Memaw about it, she didn’t really understand how much work goes into owning a business. She means well, but she thinks all I need to do is make a bunch of cookies and they’ll sell without any effort.”

  “Nothing about owning a business is easy,” Rocket said. “I would’ve started my own business, but helicopter repair isn’t exactly high in demand with the general population.”

  Jayme chuckled. “Right, until we all have helicopters in our garages I can see why working for a contractor is the best move for you.”

  He returned her smile. “What names have you thought of for your bakery? And don’t tell me you haven’t thought of any, because I won’t believe you.”

  How did this man know her so well after only a few hours? “Promise you won’t laugh?” she asked.

  “I’d never laugh at you,” he said seriously.

  Jayme believed him. It was crazy, but something about this man made her want to believe her dream could come true. “Confection Connection?”

  Rocket wrinkled his nose.

  “Yeah, that wasn’t my first choice,” Jayme agreed. “What about Dream Puffs? Or The Baker’s Table?”

  “Better, but I’m not sure they really fit you.”

  “Warm Delights?” Jayme asked, holding her breath. That had been her favorite of all the names she’d come up with.

  “Warm Delights…I like it. It gives the impression of all sorts of treats, not just cookies or pies. And if you ever wanted to branch out and do more than desserts, you could sell pot pies, casseroles, things like that.”

  Jayme beamed. “That’s what I thought too. Rocket…?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I’m not scared of you.” As surprise registered on his face, more words came tumbling out of her. She’d been thinking about what he’d said earlier and she wanted—no needed him to know that she didn’t think he’d ever hurt her. “Most of the men I’ve dated haven’t understood that baking calms me. That being in the kitchen is what fills my soul. They haven’t understood that I’d rather spend an evening baking than going to a music concert or to the movies. I was an annoying kid; just as my grandmother, she’ll tell you so many stories about how I wouldn’t stop bugging her or my mother to show me how to use some new kitchen utensil, or how I hated to play outside because I’d rather be inside with them baking or cooking. So now you know what my dream for the future is, owning my own bakery—and I don’t think you’re a creeper.”

  Jayme was almost panting by the time she got done with her little speech, but she’d rushed through it so she wouldn’t chicken out. She was more content to fade into the background and not bring attention to herself, so telling Rocket what she really thought had been hard…but the smile on his face was worth all the angst she’d built up inside before she’d finally shared her thoughts.

  “Good. Can I take you on a date?”

  “I’d like that,” Jayme said shyly. “I haven’t seen much of Killeen yet.”

  Rocket grinned. “I’d be honored to show you around.”

  “Cool.”

  “Cool,” he echoed.

  Then he surprised her by sitting back on the couch but not letting go of her hand. “I could leave now, but that would deprive Winnie of the satisfaction of knowing how well we got along…and how well her little plan worked.”

  Jayme laughed. “Right? Although she probably deserves to be disappointed and think her scheming didn’t work for a while.”

  “Do you really care?” Rocket asked.

  Did she? No. She loved her memaw, and while it was a little embarrassing to be set up by her, if things worked out between her and Rocket, she couldn’t really be too mad. “No,” she told him.

  “Me either. I don’t suppose Winnie’s got cable?” he asked skeptically.

  Jayme laughed. “Not only does she have cable, she has Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and Apple TV.”

  Rocket’s eyes widened. “Seriously?”

  “Yup. She says that she needs to stay up on what’s hip in the world,” Jayme told him.

  “Your grandmother’s cooler than I am,” Rocket said.

  “Me too,” Jayme agreed as she reached for the remote and clicked on the television.

  She had no idea how much time had passed while they watched a British reality series about a helicopter 9-1-1 unit, but
Jayme realized she’d fallen asleep when she heard voices speaking around her.

  Opening her eyes, she saw that Rocket had turned off the lights…and she’d somehow snuggled herself almost onto his lap. His arm was around her, and she was using his shoulder as a pillow. He’d covered her up with a blanket, and she felt warm and safe in his arms.

  He shifted next to her, and Jayme felt herself being lowered to the cushions. “I’ll call you tomorrow,” Rocket told her softly.

  Jayme nodded. She was having a hard time keeping her eyes open.

  “Go back to sleep,” Rocket told her. “I’ll see myself out.”

  “Rocket?”

  “Yeah?”

  “I had a good time tonight.”

  “Me too.”

  Then she felt his warm lips against her forehead before she sensed him moving away. She heard more low conversation, probably Rocket saying goodbye to Memaw, before she heard her grandmother shuffling back into the room. Knowing she needed to get up and go to her bedroom, Jayme slowly sat upright, keeping the blanket that smelled like Rocket around her shoulders.

  “It looks like you had a good time tonight,” Memaw said with a devilish grin.

  “I did,” Jayme told her. “How was bingo?”

  “Annoying. I hate that stupid game.”

  “Then why do you keep going?”

  “Because. I’m going to win one of these times, I just know it,” her grandmother said.

  Jayme could only shake her head in exasperation.

  “So, Rocket’s gonna call you tomorrow?”

  “You ever hear of privacy?” Jayme asked.

  “Nope. I assume you guys clicked?”

  “Yeah, Memaw, we clicked,” Jayme told her.

  “I knew you would!” her grandmother crowed.

  “Yeah, well, we aren’t getting married, so slow your roll.”

  Winnie threw her head back and laughed. “Yet. I want to give you away,” her grandmother said.

  Jayme could only shake her head in exasperation. “That’s such an archaic tradition.”

  “Don’t care. Your daddy didn’t have anything to do with you meeting Rocket. That was all me. So I want to be the one to give you to him.”

  “Fine. If we get married, I’ll let you walk me down the aisle. Happy?”

  “Immensely. But you can’t wait too long. I’m not getting any younger,” Memaw quipped.

  She’d been saying that for as long as Jayme could remember to try to get her way. “We haven’t even been on a date, Memaw. We might find out that we don’t really get along.”

  “Hogwash. Looked like the two of you were more than getting along when I walked in.”

  Jayme knew she was blushing.

  “Did he like your chicken parmesan stuffed shells?”

  “Yes.”

  “And your cookies, bread, and Butterfinger pie?”

  “Yes.”

  “Right. There ya go. There’s no better way to a man’s heart than through his stomach. That man doesn’t cook for himself, so all you gotta do is feed him and you’ll have him snared.”

  “I don’t want to snare him,” Jayme said quietly. “I want a man who likes me for who I am, not because I can feed him.”

  “Who you are is a baker,” her grandmother said gently. “From the moment you first held a spatula in your hand, that’s all you were interested in. Finding a man who appreciates that about you is a blessing. You’ve told me yourself how many men you’ve dated don’t understand that about you. I had a feeling about Rocket when I first met him. He’s lonely. He’s not a man who likes to go out on the town or party. He owns his own house, did he tell you that?”

  “No,” Jayme said.

  “He does. Bought it a while ago because he wanted to live someplace quiet. Said he didn’t want to live in an apartment, have to worry about someone else burning down his home because they’d left a candle burning. He had the kitchen and bathrooms done up all fancy too, in the hopes he might find a woman who wouldn’t mind spending her nights holed up with him.”

  “It’s rude to talk about someone behind their back,” Jayme protested.

  “Fine. I’m just sayin’ that as I got to know that man, I couldn’t help but think that you two would get on like peanut butter and jelly. And my instincts were right. Give him a chance, love.”

  “He asked me out,” Jayme told her grandmother.

  She beamed. “Good. You had better get up to bed and get some beauty rest.”

  Jayme resisted the urge to roll her eyes. “Yes, ma’am.” She stood, keeping the blanket around her shoulders, and was halfway to the stairs in her grandma’s small house when she heard Memaw say her name. Turning, Jayme looked back at her.

  “Love you, child. Rocket’s a good man. Give him a chance.”

  “I will,” Jayme said softly.

  Memaw nodded, and Jayme continued up the stairs. She lay in her bed for a long time, staring up at the ceiling. It felt a little weird being set up by her grandmother, but she couldn’t deny the sparks between her and Rocket.

  She had no idea where things between them would go, but she was looking forward to talking to him the next day. And she was thankful that she’d decided to come to Texas to figure her life out. She hadn’t planned on meeting a man, but now that she’d met Rocket, she wasn’t so interested in moving anywhere else.

  She hadn’t felt this much excitement about a relationship in a very long time, and Jayme couldn’t wait to see what the future held.

  Chapter 4

  Rocket took a deep breath and tried to calm his racing heart as he drove toward Winnie’s house to pick up Jayme for another date. Over the last two weeks, he’d talked to her every day and he’d seen her three times. He’d have preferred to see her more, but his schedule was hectic, and because of events overseas, he’d been working long hours on the Army base’s helicopters to keep them running in tip-top shape.

  But he’d gotten the afternoon off, and he’d planned something pretty over-the-top for their date today. He wasn’t sure how Jayme would feel about it though, so he was taking a chance.

  He’d taken her out to eat once and their conversation had felt a bit stilted. He’d had a good time but hadn’t been truly relaxed. And that sucked because he really liked Jayme. Wanted to see where things could go between them. Didn’t want to fuck anything up. Jayme was pretty, practical, and he really liked how devoted she was to Winnie. He didn’t have a close relationship with his own family, more his fault than anything his parents had done. He’d just gotten busy with his life and before he knew it, he hadn’t seen his mom or dad in years.

  The next time he’d taken Jayme out, he’d given her a driving tour of Killeen. He’d been a little more relaxed that time and things between them had seemed more laid-back, more like when he’d eaten dinner with her at Winnie’s. And on date three, Rocket had brought her onto the Army base and given her a tour of where he worked and introduced her to his coworkers.

  He’d loved how down-to-earth she was and how she laughed and joked with his friends, not caring about shaking their oily hands or the fact that most of them were rough around the edges.

  The more Rocket got to know Jayme, the more he liked her.

  He pulled into Winnie’s driveway and climbed out of his old Chevy Blazer. The car might be ancient, but she ran perfectly, thanks to his mechanical abilities. Rocket gave Winnie’s next-door neighbor, Brain, a chin lift in greeting. The man was outside washing his girlfriend’s car. He and Aspen had introduced themselves one day while he’d been visiting Winnie, and Rocket had to admit it made him feel better that her neighbors were watching out for her.

  She might think she was perfectly able to look after herself, but at ninety-one, she was vulnerable. Aspen had also said recently that she was happy Jayme had moved in so she could help keep an eye on the spunky older woman.

  Jogging up to the door, Rocket lifted his hand to knock but it opened before he could make contact.

  “Hey,” Jayme said, s
miling up at him.

  And just like that, Rocket’s day was made.

  “Hi,” he returned, leaning down without thought. One of his hands rested on her bicep and he brushed his lips against her cheek in greeting.

  She blushed, but her smile never dimmed.

  “You ready to go?” he asked.

  “Yup. Memaw left about half an hour ago for lunch with one of her friends. The senior bus picked her up.”

  Rocket nodded. “I think it’s great that she’s still getting out and about so much.”

  Jayme rolled her eyes. “If she didn’t, she’d be a pain in the ass. She needs her gossip time. Hang on a sec, let me grab my purse.” She ducked back inside the house and Rocket waited patiently on the front step. Today was his day off, and two weeks ago he would’ve been doing yard work or puttering around his garage, working on the old Harley he’d picked up a while ago.

  She was back in less than a minute, and when she turned around to lock the front door, Rocket couldn’t help but let his eyes stray to her ass. The woman had one of the finest backsides he’d ever seen, and it took everything he had not to reach out to touch her.

  She turned and caught him staring, but instead of getting irritated, she simply chuckled. “You’re such a guy,” she said.

  Rocket shrugged. “Guilty.”

  Her cheeks were pink, which made Rocket want her all the more. He knew she was thirty-two, but sometimes she reminded him of an untried teenager. He liked that she wasn’t jaded and didn’t flaunt her sexuality. She didn’t need to. All she had to do was smile at him and he was putty in her hands.

  “Now that we’re on our way, are you finally going to tell me what we’re doing today?” she asked.

  “Nope. Not yet,” Rocket said, amused that she was so easy to tease.

  “Okay, but you should know that there’s a freshly baked cheesecake waiting on Winnie’s counter that I made this morning…and I’m still deciding if I’m gonna let you have any of it.”

  “Oh, you’re cruel,” Rocket said, holding a hand to his chest as he opened the passenger door to his truck with the other.

  She chuckled. “Nope, you’re the cruel one. I’ve been wracking my brain trying to figure out why all the secrecy for our date and where you might be taking me.”