Chapter Thirteen
Lesson number two was about to commence.
Monday had slipped by in the blink of an eye. Avery had been busy all day. This time it didn’t involve finishing the kitchen remodel. It was something far more important. With renewed vigor, he’d been on the phone with sponsors who’d shown an interest in him in the past. There had to be a way to raise the money to purchase the ranch.
Some of his contacts let his call pass to their voicemail. Some took his call and gave him a very blunt response—unless he could make a miraculous comeback on the rodeo circuit, they couldn’t help him. But there were a couple who promised to look into things and get back to him. Nothing concrete, but there was at least a glimmer of hope.
For now, he had to set aside the finances because it was time for his next baking lesson.
Jillian volunteered the use of her kitchen again since his was still under construction. And she’d mentioned working on a special project for the fundraiser. She cleared off the counter next to the stove for him before she settled at the breakfast nook to work on her jewelry.
Avery straightened and closed the fridge. “You’re out of eggs.”
She snapped her fingers. “I knew there was something I needed to pick up on the way home.” Her gaze met his. “Is that why you’re frowning?”
He didn’t know he was frowning. He did his best to change his expression to something more neutral, but he was obviously unsuccessful as Jillian continued to study him.
“You know,” she said, “you’ve been wearing that glum expression since you got here. If you’re not up for a lesson tonight, we can put it off until tomorrow.”
He shook his head. “I don’t have time to waste.” He grabbed a saucepan from under the counter and placed it on the stove before adding the appropriate amount of butter. “The first round is this Saturday and I want to be prepared. So I’ll caramelize the butter and then let it cool while I run to the store.”
“So if it’s not the lesson or the fact that I forgot the eggs, what’s bothering you?”
He really didn’t want to tell her, because he didn’t want her to look at him differently. Although, it would feel good to talk with someone—someone he trusted. Jillian had always been there when he had problems with the kids and she’d been discreet. Avery hadn’t realized it until now, but he just took it for granted that Jillian would always be there for him. Now, this was his chance to recapture that closeness.
“Avery, what is it?”
“It’s the ranch.” He stopped. Words like failed, rejected, and turned down stuck in his throat. Jillian would think less of him if he admitted the truth to her.
“What about the ranch?” Her eyes lit up with interest. “Have you been working on the financing for it?”
He nodded as he turned his gaze back to the butter that was now melted. He grabbed a plastic spoon from the crock next to the stove.
“Not plastic,” Jillian warned. “It’ll melt. Try the drawer to your left. There should be metal spoons in there.”
He did as she instructed. It was so much easier to concentrate on baking rather than admitting to his failure. He just didn’t want to see the disappointment reflected in her eyes.
Her voice lowered to a soft, comforting tone. “I take it things aren’t going well?”
He swallowed hard. “You know that the banks turned me down.” When she nodded, he continued. “So I tried some of the rodeo sponsors. Even though I was last year’s champion, they want this year’s leader. And thanks to my injury, it’s thrown me too far back in the rankings to ever make it to the top again this season.”
“Well, there has to be another way to raise the money.”
“None that I can think of.” And he’d spent every wakeful moment considering all plausible solutions, but none of them held up.
“Don’t give up. I know how important this is to you. Sometimes it takes a lot of patience and a heap of faith to see dreams through to fruition.”
“Is that what you did in order to open Tangled Charms?”
She nodded. “It is. There were a lot of times when I didn’t see any way to make my dream a reality. The bank didn’t want to issue me a line of credit and the owner of the building already had an interested party. The list of problems went on and on.”
He knew where she was headed with this. “But you didn’t give up.”
“Exactly.” She glanced at the pan. “Keep stirring or the butter will burn.”
Jillian continued to tell him what she’d overcome to make Tangled Charms a reality. It amazed him how many hoops she’d had to jump through in order to open her own business. His own journey was beginning to look less daunting. Perhaps there were some other online resources he could try. Or maybe he could take on a partner like Jillian had done.
“Thanks for the advice.” He glanced at her.
“I don’t know that I would call it advice. But I hope it helps.” She smiled and a warmth grew in his chest. “I have a feeling this is all going to work out.”
Maybe he should adopt a bit of her optimism. What would it hurt?
A few minutes later, he pulled the caramelized butter from the stove and placed it a cold water bath. “While that cools, I’m going to get the eggs.”
“Don’t do that. It’s my fault. I’ll go.” She started to get up from where she was working on a sketch of a jewelry design.
“Stay. This is my project. I’ll do it.” He grabbed his jacket and slipped it on. “Is there anything else you need?”
“Not that I can think of.”
“I’ll be right back.” He grabbed his keys and headed for the door.
No matter how this Bake-Off turned out, he was going to have to figure out some special way to pay Jillian back for her generosity. She was a very special lady. Too bad he hadn’t let down his guard sooner—when she was still interested in him.
*
Knock. Knock.
That was funny. Jillian thought Avery should still be at the store. Perhaps he forgot something. But why was he knocking when he was welcome to just walk in?
She rushed over to the door and flung it open. “Hey, I was just thinking—”
The words died in her throat. It wasn’t Avery standing there. It was Glenn. What was he doing here?
The smile slipped from his face. “I take it I’m not who you were expecting.”
“I…uh, Glenn, why are you here?”
He stepped past her into the apartment without an invitation, sending the door closed behind him. “Did you get my roses?”
That was it? He was upset that she hadn’t called him and gushed about the roses? That would have happened if they were on good terms, but they were far from that.
“I got them, but I don’t know why you sent them.”
The expression on his face softened. “I told you I made a mistake.” And then he moved his arm from behind his back. He was holding a bouquet of white and red carnations. “I saw these and thought of you. I had to get them.” When she didn’t move to accept them, he said, “Go ahead. Take them.”
“I don’t want them.” Her voice was firm. He had no chance with her. “We’re over.”
His face creased with frown lines. “Why do you always have to be so difficult? This is why we broke up. Why can’t you just forgive me? After all, we wouldn’t have broken up if it weren’t for you.”
“Me?” Was he serious? It would be so easy to engage in an argument with him, but she refused to fall for his bait. He just wasn’t worth getting worked up over.
He nodded. “You’re just so stubborn. But I’m willing to forgive you. We can work this out.”
She opened the door. “It’s time you go.”
He moved to place the flowers on the kitchen counter. He turned for the door and then paused in front of her. “I know you’re angry now, but think about it. We’re perfect together. You’ll never find anyone who treats you as good as I do.”
Before she could close her gaping mouth and formulate a response, he was gone. That man had some nerve. She sent the door shut with a resounding thud. Why was he suddenly so interested in getting her back? Was he that oblivious to the fact she didn’t want him back? Not now. Not ever.
*
Jillian had company?
Avery didn’t recognize the upscale SUV sitting in the driveway when he returned to Jillian’s house. He couldn’t imagine Jillian would invite over one of her friends when they were in the middle of a baking lesson. He glanced toward Jillian’s mother’s house. The lights were on, so he assumed it was her guest.
He alighted from his pickup and leaned back inside to grab the bag containing the eggs and some snacks he recalled Jillian enjoying. It was then he heard approaching footsteps. He straightened and turned.
The man approaching him was the same man he’d seen kissing Jillian on the sidewalk the other day. But Jillian had told him she didn’t have a boyfriend. So what was this guy doing here?
“You must be Avery,” the man, wearing a dark suit with a wool overcoat and shiny dress shoes, said. The man oozed ego and money.
“I am.” Avery responded curtly. It was obvious the man had something on his mind.
The man’s eyes narrowed in on him. “You need to stay away from Jillian.”
Every muscle in Avery’s body tensed. “That’s not what Jillian wants.”
A muscle in the man’s cheek twitched. “I know she’s upset with me right now, but we will work things out. I already picked up the pieces after you broke her heart once. Don’t try it again.”
He broke Jillian’s heart? How was that possible? He’d never led her on. Not once. He’d made sure of it. But he had a feeling this man hadn’t been so cautious with Jillian’s feelings.
Avery leveled his shoulders and stared straight into the man’s eyes. “I’ll leave when Jillian asks me to.”
“You’ll regret this. Jillian is mine.” The man strode away and climbed in his vehicle.
Jillian was his?
Really? Since when did Jillian become some sort of possession? No one could own her. She was a strong woman, capable of fending for herself. Avery just hoped she never bought into this man’s warped thoughts.
Avery stood there until the man peeled off into the night. The thought of sweet and kind Jillian ending up with that jerk infuriated him. She deserved so much better.
Realizing he should check on her, he started up the walk. After a light tap of his knuckles on the door, he let himself inside. He didn’t see Jillian at the breakfast nook where she’d been earlier that evening.
And then he spotted her in the kitchen. “Hey, is everything okay?”
She turned from where she had poured herself a cup of coffee. “I take it you ran into Glenn in the driveway?”
“Yep. Saw him.”
“I, ah, hope he didn’t bother you.”
Avery was about to say something when he noticed the flowers on the counter. Apparently Jillian still had some sort of feelings for the man or she wouldn’t have kept his flowers. The thought didn’t sit well with him. Not at all.
“Everything is fine,” he said, knowing it was anything but fine.
“You’re sure?”
“Positive.”
Confusion reflected in her eyes, but thankfully she let the subject go. “There’s fresh coffee in the pot if you want some.”
The last thing he needed right now was caffeine. He was plenty pumped up and wide awake. In that moment, he realized he wanted to fight for Jillian.
The decision didn’t hit him like a bolt of lightning. Instead, it came to him gently as though he’d always known deep inside that they belonged together.
Now how would he convince Jillian?