Baking Love (7 page)

“
You’re
going to get it if my phone ends up in the water!”

“Eric?”

Kate stopped squirming and looked up. Cecilia stared down at them from an open window.

Eric immediately released Kate. “Hey, sweetie,” he called out to Cecilia. “What are you doing up?”

“The noise out here woke me.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“Who’s with you?”

Eric’s gaze slid to Kate, then back to Cecilia.
Wonder why he looks worried.

“Kate Sullivan,” he answered his fiancée.

“Hey, Cecilia.” Kate waved—and realized she was still holding Eric’s phone. She quickly passed it to him. “Are you feeling better?”

The night was silent again.

“Eric, would you stop by my room before going to yours?” Cecilia asked, her voice noticeably cool.

“Yes.”

“Thank you.” She closed the window…with force.

She really seems kind.

“I’d better go,” Eric said.

“Yeah.”

“I’ll see ya.”

“Bye.” He walked to the front door of the inn. “Eric?”

He met her gaze. “Yeah?”

She smiled. “I’m glad you called.”

A smile spread across his face. “Me, too.” He pulled the door open and disappeared inside.

Thursday, March 1

Kate was decorating a birthday cake when Jess came through the kitchen door. “What do you think about this cake?” Kate asked.

“Is that a trick question?”

She chuckled. “No.”

Jess’s gaze slid to the cake, and her brows flinched. “Uh, it looks okay.”

“Tell me the truth.”

“It’s not your best work.”

Kate stared at her.

“Okay, it sucks.”

“I knew it.”

“Why does the cake look like…that?”

Kate sat down on a stool. “Something’s been bothering me, and now it’s starting to affect my work.” She motioned toward the cake. “Clearly.”

“This sounds serious.”

“It is.” Kate swallowed hard. “I’m going to be honest with you.”

“I would expect nothing less.”

“I hope you don’t end up thinking I’m a terrible person.”

“It would take a lot for me to think that.”

This might just do it.
“Alright, here it goes. When I was walking down the aisle last weekend, Eric smiled at me the way he used to years ago. It evoked feelings I couldn’t pinpoint at the time.” Kate hesitated. “Now I know what they are.” She watched Jess’s facial expression change.
Bet she knows exactly what I’m going to say.

“You’re still in love with him, aren’t you?”

“Yes, I am.”

Jess cast her a sympathetic glance. “Kate.”

“I know.”

“Maybe you’re just getting caught up in all this wedding stuff. I mean, you
were
the bride last weekend.”

Kate shook her head. “These feelings are familiar. I recognize them from three years ago.”

Realization crossed Jess’s face. “The summer you fell in love with him.”

“Exactly. I thought I got over him after we lost touch, but apparently, I was wrong.” She rested her head on her folded arms. “What am I supposed to do? I’m certainly not going to try and break up his engagement to Cecilia. I would never do such a thing.”

She felt Jess’s hand on her back. “I’m sorry, Kate. Damn.”

With tears in her eyes, Kate lifted her head and met Jess’s gaze. “How am I supposed to make a wedding cake for the man I love…and the woman
he
loves?”

Jess fell silent. “I don’t know.”

“Do you think I
should
try and break them up?”

“No, because if you succeeded, I don’t think it’d sit well with your conscience.”

“Okay. Do you think I should treat Eric any differently now?”

“What do you mean?”

“After our conversation on the altar and our game of cat-and-mouse on the terrace of the Wynnfield Inn, I feel like we’re reacquainted and back to where we were in our friendship three years ago. You know, being open and honest with each other—and also being playful and flirty. Maybe out of respect for his engagement to Cecilia, I should lay off the ‘playful and flirty’ part.”

“You mean, treat him less like your friend and more like your customer?”

“Yes. Well put.”

“I guess it couldn’t hurt.” Jess paused. “It’s nice of you to be so considerate of Eric’s feelings, but what about your own?”

“The only choice I have is to get over him, so I will, once and for all.” Kate smiled weakly. “Maybe by the time I see him again, I’ll have already moved on.”

Jess nodded, but didn’t reply.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

She knows something.
“What aren’t you telling me?”

“That’s just it. I wouldn’t be a very good friend if I
did
tell you.”

“You’re an excellent friend. Now tell me.”

Jess stared at Kate for a long moment, then sighed. “Eric’s coming to Hillsborough in two weeks.”

“He is?” Kate asked in surprise. “Why?”

“You remember he and Mark were good friends in high school.”

“Yeah.”

“They reconnected at the Wynnfield Tavern last weekend, so Eric decided to spend part of his Spring Break hanging out with Mark.”

“What are they going to do?”

“Mark’s taking time off work, and they’re going to play—basketball, golf, pool. You know, guy stuff.”

“I’m surprised Eric isn’t spending Spring Break with Cecilia at some Caribbean resort.”

“Cecilia is spending Spring Break with some of her girlfriends in Paris.”

Of course she is.
“Why were you hesitant to tell me Eric is coming to Hillsborough to see Mark?”

“Because he’s also coming to Hillsborough to see you.”

Kate’s inner turmoil gave way to excitement—and, however misplaced, hope. “Really?”

“Yeah. He told Mark he’d like for all of us to get together and do something fun. You know, for old times’ sake.”

“I’m up for it. I’d love to see Eric again.”

Jess seemed hesitant. “Won’t that be hard on you?”

“I’ll just do like you said: I’ll treat him less like my friend and more like my customer. You’ll be there for support.” Kate shrugged. “How hard could it be?”

Friday, March 16

Kate pulled open the front door of Maples and discovered Eric standing inside the entrance. He flashed her
that
smile. “Hey, you.”

This might’ve been a mistake.
Kate summoned her courage.
Stick to your plan.
“Hey, Eric. How ya doing?”
Bet you thought I was going to say, Hey, yourself.

Sure enough, he looked thrown. “Uh, fine.”

“How does it feel to be back in Hillsborough?”

“Strange, yet familiar. I feel like an outsider.”

“Well, you’ve been away for a while, but you can always come home.”
What did I mean by that statement? Did it even make sense?
Kate diverted her gaze from Eric and rolled her eyes.
New Kate needs to step it up…and change the subject.
“Where are Jess and Mark?”

“They went to get in line since it’s crowded tonight. I told them I’d wait by the door for your late self.”

Oh, to make a smart-ass remark.
“I’m sorry I’m late. Do you want to go find them now?”

Again, Kate saw confusion on Eric’s face. “Yeah, sure.”

They walked further inside, and Kate scanned the crowd for Jess and Mark. “I see them,” she told Eric. She led the way to the front of one of the lines and came up behind Jess. “Boo!”

Jess spun around. “Hey, Kate!”

“Hey! Thanks for getting in line for us.”

“No problem.”

“What size shoes?” the guy behind the counter asked Kate and Eric.

“Twelve,” Eric said.

“Ten,” Kate said.

“Your feet are big,” Eric said to Kate.

So are yours.
“I know my feet are big.”

Eric nudged her arm. “I’m just messing with you!”

Kate smiled politely.

“Are you feeling okay?”

“I’m fine, thanks.”

“Here ya go.” The guy plopped two pairs of bowling shoes on the counter. Kate and Eric picked them up and walked over to the lanes to join Jess and Mark.

“This place looks the same,” Eric commented. “It brings back memories.”

Kate started to change her shoes. “I’ve always wondered what Maples means.”

“‘Maples’ is another word for pins,” Mark explained. “Bowling pins.”

“How clever. Thanks, Mark.”

“Do you still bowl the way you did in high school, man?” Eric asked. “Because you kicked ass back then.”

Mark chuckled. “That was a long time ago.”

“Don’t believe his modesty,” Jess warned. “He’s still really good.”

“In that case, I suggest we play women against men,” Eric piped up.

“Let’s do it,” Jess said. “Come on, Kate. We’ll go get our balls.”

Kate finished tying her shoes, then walked with Jess over to a wall lined with shelves of bowling balls. “How’s it going with Eric?” Jess asked.

“It’s not as easy as I thought it’d be.”

“Hang in there. The night will be over soon enough.”

“I hope so.”

They selected their balls and returned to the lanes, where Mark now sat at the computer. “Alright,” he said. “Eric and I are on lane fifteen, and the ladies are on lane sixteen.” He pressed a button. “Kate, when you’re ready, you’re first.”

“Thanks.”

“Good luck!” Jess told her.

Kate walked up to the lane and bowled her first turn. “Yes! Six maples!”

“Nice start,” Eric called out. “Wonder if you can keep it up.”

Damn straight I can.
“I hope so.” Once Kate’s ball had returned to the rack, she walked back to the lane and bowled again. Her ball struck three pins and skirted the fourth.
So close.

“Almost!” Jess called out.

Kate returned to the seating area. “You’re up, Eric,” Mark said.

Eric smiled at the women. “Watch and learn.” He took his ball from the rack and bowled his first turn. The ball hit two pins.

“What’s the lesson there?” Jess asked him, leaving Kate to stifle laughter.

“I’m just warming up,” Eric told her while waiting for his ball to return. Once it was back, he bowled the second half of his frame.

“A whole pin,” Kate muttered under her breath. “Guess you’re not very warm yet.”

Jess snickered.

“Your turn, Jess,” Mark said.

Jess picked up her ball. “Here we go!” She walked to the lane and bowled.

“Five!” Kate clapped.

Jess came back and waited for her ball to arrive before bowling again. “Yes! A spare!” She ran to Kate, and they exchanged a high-five.

“Way to go!” Kate exclaimed.

Eric put his hand on Mark’s shoulder. “Time for you to clean up, man”

Mark chuckled. “We’ll see.” He picked up his ball from the rack and bowled it down the lane.

“Oh, yeah!” Eric pumped his arms in the air. “A strike!”

Mark shuffled back to the seating area. “Woo!” He and Eric exchanged a high-five.

“You’re the man!” Eric told him.

Jess scoffed. “Kate, wipe the floor with these boys.”

“Gladly.” Kate picked up her ball and stepped to the line. As she looked down the lane, she could hear Eric’s voice in the seating area, but couldn’t make out what he was saying. She turned around. “Are you talking to me?”

“Nope,” he smiled mischievously.

Kate turned back around and repositioned herself. Just as she was about to bowl, Eric came around her from behind. He ran to the top of her lane and released his bowling ball.

It went straight into the gutter.

Kate blinked.
What the hell?

Eric backed up to the line where she stood. “Uh, why’d you do that?” she frowned.

“You were taking a long time, so I thought maybe you needed some help.”

Maybe I should go back to treating him the way I always have, just so we can have cohesive conversations.
Kate hesitated.
Should I?

Eric’s bowling ball clapped against another as it returned to the rack.

Yep.
She met his gaze. “Did you aim for the gutter just now, or was that actually your best shot?”

“Ouch!” he laughed.

Kate smiled smugly. “You didn’t mean to bowl it in there, did you?”

“Of course I did!” Eric pointed to the gutter. “That’s exactly where I wanted the ball to go.”

“Oh, so you’re trying to bring my team down the way you’re bringing yours down, is that it?”

“What do you mean? I’m an excellent bowler.”

Kate scoffed. “You wish.”

Eric nodded in the direction of the lane. “Aren’t you going to bowl your second turn?”

“Only if you promise to stay out of my way.”

He tossed up his hands in a surrendering motion. Kate positioned herself, then walked forward and released the ball.
Nine.
She turned around and narrowed her eyes at Eric. “Sure would be nice to have the turn you wasted so I could try and knock down that last pin.”