2
New Year’s Day, Five Years Later
“Maggie I’m fine, really,” Jessica said, her cellphone tucked between her shoulder and her chin while she worked the silk fabric of a wedding dress.
“You’re at the shop, aren’t you?” her friend accused, sounding impatient.
“Yes, I am, and do you want to know why? Because a lot of girls get engaged this time of year, and soon this place will be flooded with brides wanting dresses, so I need to be ready.”
Jessica could hear her friend sigh. “But it’s New Year’s Day,” Maggie said, and then added softly, “And it’s…”
Jessica let out an exasperated sigh, “Yes, I know, it’s what would have been my and William’s five-year anniversary. Damn him for screwing up New Year’s Day for me, but the bastard insisted we get married on the first day of the new year, so we could start the year off right.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have reminded you,” Maggie said.
Jessica turned her attention back to the dress. Every year, William’s betrayal hurt less and less. Still, the sting was there. It didn’t help that since then, she opened up Ever After, one of the busiest bridal salons in all of Upstate New York, which also carried her own original designs exclusively.
“It’s fine, really. He clearly did me a favor. Anyway...sorry I can’t make it.”
“We’re all going to Jules’s bakery, our traditional New Year’s Day pig-out spot. You have to come.”
Every year her friends gathered at Sweet Spot, her friend Jules’s bakery. Although closed for the New Year holiday, and had clearly stuffed themselves with cupcakes and cookies, they gathered every year, to talk about their hopes and dreams for the year to come. They were collectively referred to by friends and families as “the coven,” since the group of them had been inseparable since they were kids.
While their annual gathering was, truly, nice and cozy, Jessica really didn’t have the time this year. Her wedding gown designs had taken off like wildfire. After a feature in Paris and US Vogue magazines—thanks in large part to the celebrity who wore one of her designs at a highly publicized wedding—Jessica was also supplying wedding gowns and other special occasion dresses to high-end wedding boutiques in New York City and throughout the country.
She had decided to open her dress salon more than five years ago, even before she and William started planning their wedding. Now here she was, left at the altar going on five years, and designing some of the most sought-after wedding gowns in the world. Ironically, she secretly hated weddings. Okay, maybe hate was a strong word. She disliked them intensely.
“If you don’t show up, we’ll all just come get you.” Maggie sounded defiant, and Jessica knew her friend wasn’t going to give up.
“Fine,” Jessica sighed. “I can be there in thirty minutes. Just let me finish pinning this dress, and I’ll be on my way.”
Sweet Spot had supplied her wedding cake, but no one ever mentioned that, or what they’d done with it after she left the wedding in Matt’s truck. He’d broken the news to her, of course, in his own Matt way. Ever the gentleman, ever the good friend. Actually, her best friend. Even though she hadn’t seen him since that horrible day.
Jessica slogged through the snow. It was still cold in New York, winter was in full force, and the town of Harper’s Corner looked like an old-fashioned Christmas card, thanks to a fresh snowfall the night before. Jessica had lived here all her life, and had never considered leaving, even after the humiliation of William’s abandonment.
When she arrived at Sweet Spot, everyone was already there—Maggie, Adelaide, Caroline, and Charlotte…and Jules, of course.
“Jessica!” several of the women caroled when Jessica pushed open the door.
“We have lots of cupcakes,” Jules announced, motioning at the spread she had laid out. Jules walked over to give Jessica a peck on the cheek and whispered “How are you doing?”
Jessica smiled and shrugged out of her coat, hanging it on the coat rack with the others. Then she turned to her friends, lifted her chin, and squared her shoulders.
“Okay,” she said, probably louder than she needed to. “I am only going to say this once. It’s been five years”—she held up her hand, wiggling her five fingers, “Five. And I’m fine. I don’t wake up each New Year’s Day pondering how to end it all, or bemoaning that I was jilted at the altar. I’ve moved on, and I want you all to do the same.”
Adelaide tossed her deep brown hair over her shoulder. “Well it’s about damned time, Jessica. We were about to call you pathetic,” she winked at Jessica while the rest of them laughed.
“Now,” Charlotte leaned back and crossed her legs, “let’s talk about you getting back on the horse.”
Jessica reached for a cupcake, red velvet with butter crème frosting, while promising herself to spend more time in Charlotte’s new spin studio tomorrow.
“What horse?” Jessica took a bite out of the cupcake and decided it was worth every fattening calorie.
“You know…” Maggie arched her brows, sipping her coffee, “…dating?”
Jessica just looked at her and took another bite, letting the shake of her head be her reply. “No,” she said after she swallowed the decadent mouthful. “I have no time, and no inclination.”
“My friend Claire said she got on Tinder, and got all kinds of requests,” a blinking, timid Adelaide offered.
“Tinder is a sex site.” Maggie took a bite out of her chocolate cupcake.
“It’s not!” Adelaide said, semi-horrified, then in almost a whisper added, “…is it?”
“They’re all sex sites.” Jules set another plate of cupcakes on the table, and Jessica started to sit down when from behind her when a male voice behind her said:
“What’s a sex site?”
Who?— OMG, it’s Matt! Her best friend, Matthew Larson, looking devastatingly hot in an officer’s uniform, with a duffel bag over one shoulder.
“Matt??” Jessica’s heart gave a happy thump. It was five years to the day since she’d last seen Matt. Setting down her second cupcake, Jessica ran to him, flinging her arms around his neck. His duffle hit the ground with a thud as he embraced her.
“Hey, ladies,” he winked at the girls over Jessica’s shoulder.
“Hey, handsome,” Maggie said. “What brings you home?”
Jessica relaxed her arms, but noticed Matt still had his hands on the small of her back. His hair was dark, almost mahogany, and every hair neatly in place. At a towering six foot four, he was quite a bit taller than his brother.
“Just got back from Afghanistan.” Matt turned to the girls. “It’s nice to see you ladies again. Jessica here has kept me updated with all of her letters and emails.”
Maggie raised an eyebrow, “Oooooooh,” she wagged a finger at Jessica, and then at Matt. “So, you two stayed in touch, did you?”
Jessica cleared her throat and gave her friend Maggie a warning stare. “As I would stay in touch with any best friend.”
Matt tried to suppress a grin, “Well, ladies, I don’t want to keep you.”
“Is this your first stop?” Jules asked, following Maggie’s lead.
Matt nodded, “It is indeed. I had hoped to take home some sweets for my mother, and then realized what day it is.” He gave a side-glance to Jessica, and then quickly added, “I mean since it’s New Year’s Day, I thought the bakery would probably be closed. But then I saw the lights on...”
“Well, for you, anything you want, Matt,” Jules leaned against the counter in a semi seductive pose she didn’t quite pull off. Just about every girl around the table, with the exception of Jessica, had had a crush on Matthew Larson, at one time or another. He was roguishly handsome, with thick, dark, wavy hair and light green eyes. The uniform only added to his appeal.
“So, what can I getcha?” Jules watched Matt drag his eyes away from Jessica and over to her.
“Oh, just grab a half a dozen of whatever, thank you.” He turned back to Jessica.
“Can I drop by your place after I spend some time with my folks?” He tried to say it in a hushed voice, but everyone around the table leaned closer.
Jessica nodded. “Sure, any time,” She said casually, while feeling anything but, with several pairs of eyes on her.
Jules boxed up the cupcakes and walked around the counter, handing them to Matt.
“Here you go, no charge, and thank you for your service.”
Matt stiffened. “Thank you, but I don’t need a handout. I’d like to pay you.”
Jules threw up her hands, “No way! Where would we be without you boys?” She nudged Jessica with her elbow. “Isn’t that right, Jessica?”
Jessica patted Matt’s arm. “I’ll pay for them, Jules. A welcome home gift for my good friend Matt.”
A chorus of awwws followed Jessica’s comment, despite her emphasis on the word “friend.”
Matt gave Jessica a slight wink, then turned to the women with a small bow and said, “Ladies, always a pleasure, and thanks for the cupcakes. I’m sure my folks will love them.”
“Not as much as they’ll love seeing you, I’m sure.” Jules said.
“I’ll see you later,” he said, low-voiced, with a wink for Jessica. Then he left, closing the door gently behind him.
“That is one fine specimen of a man, mmmm-mmm-mmmmm,” Maggie hummed after he was safely out of earshot.
“Indeed, he is,” Caroline chimed in with her sweet Southern accent, fanning herself. “And you’ve been writing that hot hunk of man this whole time?” She shook her head at Jessica, who sat down and nonchalantly took another bite of her cupcake.
“We’re friends.”
“From the way he looked at you, I’d say good friends,” Adelaide offered. Timid as she was, the girl was no fool.
Jessica grabbed another cupcake, trying to ignore them. “Matt and I have been best friends for years,” she said calmly.
“Well then, I’d say you almost married the wrong brother,” Jules piped in, and Maggie’s mouth curved.
“Yes, indeed,” Jules said, grabbing another frosted cake. “The wrong brother, for sure.”