The next day, Beckett brought his coffee with him into town. The Keller’s storefronts lined half of Main Street, with the flower shop on the end where Poppy worked. Next to hers was the main office, the largest space, where Jillian and her mother ran the whole operation. On the other side of the main office was the bakery. Anna was probably in there right now, her honey blonde hair pulled into a colorful bandana and some 80s or 90s rock blaring from her iPod.
The only store that wasn’t attached was the boutique Summer ran in a space across the street. She settled a mannequin in the window and waved when she saw him.
He waved back and squinted his eyes against the glare of the sun, second-guessing himself for being here. For his plan.
Since when had life and love gotten so damn complicated? It used to be he liked a girl, he’d ask her out. Simple as that. But it had never been Anna before. Never a friend. Never someone he couldn’t stand to see hurt and worried his actions might harm their relationship.
He missed Eli. As the only son in the Keller family, he and Beckett had been close as they grew up. Especially with so little testosterone around. But he wasn’t sure sharing his feelings for Anna would go over well with Eli—not after what had happened with Tom. Eli was protective of his sisters, and wasn’t likely to want to see Anna with anyone after what had gone down.
Before he could change his mind, Beckett walked into Keller’s Flowers. Poppy stood behind the counter chatting with another employee. She was dressed as bright as a tulip today, in strawberry colored capris and a printed shirt.
“Hey, Beckett. What’s up?”
He got right to it. “I need your help.”
Her eyes glittered with mischief. “You’ve never said that to me before. I like the sound of it.”
She excused herself and left Maya, one of her employees, to run the store. She linked her arm through his and led him outside. They sat on a colorful bench at the front of the store while the sun warmed the day.
“What’s going on?” Poppy asked.
Beckett scratched his chin. “She thinks I’m a friend.”
Poppy blinked. “What?”
“Anna.” He glanced around, halfway expecting her to walk out of the bakery and see him talking to her sister. “She said I was a good friend.”
“You are.”
Beckett frowned.
“Okay, sorry.” Poppy brushed her short, wavy hair from her forehead and sighed. “You’re like a brother to us, Beckett.”
“Shit.” He didn’t appreciate the laugh she gave at his curse. “That’s worse than being a friend.”
“I can’t believe you’re talking to me about this.”
Beckett felt a flicker of defense. “You told me to do something.”
“No, Beckett, I’m sorry. That’s not what I mean. I just thought you’d…I don’t know. Take a step back, or keep going like you were. I’m glad you’re doing this. We should talk to Jillian.”
“No,” he said when she stood. “Poppy, sit down. You’re the closest to Anna. I don’t need anyone else’s help.”
“Yes, you do. Come on.”
“Poppy—”
But she walked straight into the main office, tossing a smile at him over her shoulder when he called her name again.
They both stopped when Jillian and Mrs. Keller looked up from the lobby area where they’d clearly been discussing an event. Jillian held color swatches and had her tablet nearby.
“Poppy.” Jillian angled her head. “Beckett. What’s going on?”
Beckett groaned inwardly, silently hoping Poppy wouldn’t say anything in front of her mother. That was the last thing he needed. Gail Keller involved in his love life.
“We need your help,” Poppy told Jillian.
Beckett shook his head. “No, we don’t. Poppy—”
“Yes, we do.” Poppy curled her hand around his arm and flashed a winning smile. “Trust me.”
Mrs. Keller laughed and stood. “I’ll leave you kids alone.”
Beckett opened his mouth to protest, but she didn’t even look his way, just exited the room to the hallway that lead to the tiny kitchen in back.
“God, I swear you don’t know when to quit,” he told Poppy.
“One of my many charms.”
Jillian sat in one of the chairs that were grouped together on a plush rug. She set her tablet aside. “Okay, what do you need my help with?”
“Nothing.”
“Beckett, please.” Poppy sat as well and waved him over. “This is Jillian. Don’t be embarrassed.”
Her saying that made it worse. He didn’t sit but instead paced at the edge of the rug. “I’m not embarrassed. I’m frustrated you can’t keep your mouth shut.”
Poppy grinned and then lowered her voice conspiratorially. “It’s about Anna.”
Jillian picked her tablet up again. “Are we making a plan?”
“Seriously?” Beckett asked. “You’re going to put it in your tablet? Like a job?”
“A very serious job,” Jillian said. It looked like she was paging through her calendar. “Are we talking something more subtle or something more obvious?”
“I don’t—” Beckett sighed. “I have no idea. I came to talk to Poppy because I wanted some ideas how to…I don’t know…”
“Woo her?” Poopy asked, slapping a hand over her heart and leaning dramatically low over the arm of her chair.
“Poppy,” he warned.
She sat up, crossed her legs, and folded her hands in her lap. “All right. Seriously. This is serious.”
He bit off a curse and dropped into a chair. Maybe he did need help. He eyed Jillian’s tablet again. “Why are you looking at that?”
“The schedule,” Jillian said. “We have a meeting this afternoon for our monthly open house. And since the open house is at your barn, it’s absolutely necessary you come to the meeting.”
“But I hardly ever come to—”
“The meeting where Anna will be,” Jillian added.
Beckett glanced at Poppy, who grinned at him again. “I told you we needed Jillian’s help.”
“There’s more where that came from,” Jillian said, still looking at her tablet. “Trust me, I know what I’m doing.”
{}{}{}
Even though she didn’t have another event for two days, Anna kept busy at the bakery. She put a check next to the third item on her list on the white board by the back door. It was far less sophisticated than Jillian’s system, but not everyone could be Jillian.
Anna had decided long ago that she thrived in chaos, as evident by the flour, batter, and pots and pans all over the kitchen.
The cleaning part was less fun, though. And it was hot in here. Only the middle of June and already warm, even for how high they were in the foothills. Park Creek had been Anna’s home since she was born. And except for time away during college, which was only an hour west, she’d been here her whole life.
Maybe I need a break. Anna rubbed the back of her hand on her cheek and went for the door. She’d been thinking the same thing for months now. That maybe it was time for her to try something new. Somewhere else.
But that would mean leaving her family. That would mean leaving—
“Beckett!” Anna slapped a hand to her chest when she opened to the door to reveal him standing there. “What are you doing?”
He took in her appearance, a slow smile spreading on his lips. And those cute dimples she’d always loved that probably drove girls crazy winked back at her. “I came to help you.”
Anna propped the door open to let in a breeze and tried to tuck some stray hairs underneath her bandana.
“You have some flour.” He reached out but his hand stopped just short of her cheek. “Right there.”
Her mind whirled at the strange flutter she felt in her stomach. What the hell? This was Beckett. Beckett. Damn those dimples. He could charm the pants off a nun. She brushed at her cheek. “Better?”
“There’s still some—”
“Can you just get it, please?” He balked, and she frowned. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
He used the pad of his thumb to brush her cheekbone, stepping far closer than necessary in the warm kitchen. And there went the flutter again. He had to be a whole head taller than her—and of course she’d noticed it before, but Beckett was…well, a friend. Like she’d told him.
A friend who smelled like the woods, like a deep forest full of magic and secrets.
She had serious issues.
“You’re good,” Beckett said, stepping back.
Anna blinked. And focused. She was probably just missing having a man in her life. One that was strong and sturdy—and nothing like Tom.
Lonely. That’s all. She was lonely. And Beckett was a good guy. The best.
“I’m sorry.” She backed to the counter and then started stacking pots in the sink.
“What for?”
“For snapping at you yesterday at the wedding.” She turned with a spatula in hand and waved it while she spoke. “You were trying to make sure I was okay because it was—well, you know—the day, and I snapped at you.”
“You didn’t snap.”
She pointed the spatula at him. “I did. So I’m trying to apologize. It wasn’t fair.”
“Okay.”
“That’s all?”
“Uh…” He scratched his chin. “Maybe if you tell me what you want me to say this will be a little easier.”
She laughed. “Say you forgive me.”
“I forgive you.”
“Say you won’t hold it against me.”
“I won’t hold it against you.”
“Good.” She flashed a smile, on even ground again. In fact, she was practically flirting with him. “So, why are you here again?”
“Jillian sent me over to help clean up before the meeting.”
“Clean up? How did she—” Anna sighed, propping her hand on her hip. Of course Jillian knew she’d made a mess. Jillian knew everything. “Why did she send you?”
He hesitated a minute. “Because everyone else was busy.”
“But why…oh, are you going to the meeting?”
He hardly ever went to their meetings. She didn’t know why he’d start coming now. Beckett was always so easy going. He let them use the barn whenever they needed to. For weddings, for open houses, for rehearsal dinners and any other events surrounding the weddings. And he didn’t ask many questions. It worked out well for him because he got a cut of the deposit and well for the Kellers because they got to use the best venue in town.
“I’ll be there,” Beckett said, rolling up his sleeves. “So, what do you need me to help with?”
“Dishes, I guess.”
Anna watched as he turned on the water without another word. Here to help? Since when had he ever come in to help her with dishes? And he said Jillian had sent him?
“Something’s going on,” she murmured.
Beckett glanced over his shoulder. “What was that?”
Anna shook her head. “Nothing.”
He went back to the dishes, and she turned to the counter again to clean it off. Yes, something was definitely going on. And she was going to find out what it was after the meeting.
{}{}{}
Keller Wedding Consultants was a product of her mother’s inability to sit still. And probably the fact that Gail had four daughters she longed to see married off one day. Anna loved her mom for her passion and innovation, but it was hard to be around a woman so consumed with weddings.
It made her feel like a failure since she was supposed to be the first one married.
At this rate, Anna was going to be the last. She was so far over Tom it wasn’t funny, but that didn’t mean she was going to trust another man anytime soon. Beckett said they weren’t all like that, but Beckett was a special case. He was the most trustworthy person she knew. He didn’t seem to understand that most guys weren’t like him at all.
In typical Gail fashion, even family meetings were planned down to the smallest detail. The perfect kind of coffee or tea. The best snacks. They gathered in one of the two meeting rooms at the main office with drinks centered on the table and a basket of croissants and muffins Anna had baked this morning.
But Jillian was the one who took the lead. She sat at the head of the table in her dark gray suit, legs crossed, tablet in hand, and studious glasses framing her deep blue eyes.
“I want to see a few more winter and spring options for the flower arrangements this time. When we find the ones we like, we’ll have Eli photograph them for the booklet and website as well.”
Poppy made a few notes before grabbing a croissant. “You want plum this time? Maybe midnight blue?”
“Midnight blue,” Summer said. “That’s going to be in this winter. And speaking of Eli, when’s he coming back?”
“If you’d check your email once in a while, you’d know the answer to that question,” Jillian said.
Anna smirked at her younger sister. Summer wasn’t a fan of technology. Her cell phone was the oldest model out there and she only used a computer because it helped keep inventory at her store. She always said things like, Life’s about more than how many friends you can make on Facebook or Don’t text me because I won’t answer. If you want to talk to me, call me or come by.
But the only reason Anna knew when Eli was coming back was because she’d seen his email this morning after sending a response to her old college roommate. Celeste had emailed her yesterday with the same thing she’d been asked all day. How are you doing?
Anna actually vented to Celeste, however. It seemed safer over email. Less chance of her breaking down.
“Next week,” Beckett said. “That’s when Eli said he’d be here.”
He stretched his long legs beneath the table, and one corner of his lip quirked when he caught her looking at him. He was the only one without a notebook—probably the only one Jillian would even let in here without some way of taking notes.
“What are you thinking for samples?” Jillian asked her.
Anna snapped her attention to her sister. “Uh…red velvet and probably something with a raspberry filling. Opposites.”
Jillian made a note. “Good. And a cake alternative—”
“For the unconventional customer,” Anna said, nodding and catching Poppy’s grin. “Yeah, I got it. I’ll start prepping this afternoon. Leah is going to come in to help.”
“Oh. No.” Jillian shook her head.
“What?” Leah always came in to prep for their open houses. She knew the routine and they got things done. In fact, she was beginning to think it made sense for Leah to take on more of the baking, learn the ropes. Just in case.
“She called this morning. Something came up,” Jillian said. She tapped on her tablet as though searching for a solution. “I’m sure there’s someone else who can help.”
Anna looked at her mom, reading the confusion there. And then the amusement. What was going on?
“I can help,” Beckett said.
Anna opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Seriously?
“That’ll work,” Jillian said, eyes lighting. “Are you sure you can spare the afternoon?”
“No problem.”
Anna didn’t miss Poppy’s snicker or the way Summer seemed overly fascinated with her own notebook.
“But…” Anna stared at Beckett. “Do you even know how to bake? I mean, I’m pretty sure I saw you burn pancakes once.”
Poppy laughed into her hand. “Sorry,” she said when everyone looked at her. “But it’s true.”
“See?” Anna asked. “No offense, Beckett, but are you sure you really want to help? I think—”
“You can teach me.”
“What?”
“Show me what you need me to do.” Those dimples flashed again, dumping a load of confusion on her. “I’m a fast learner.”
Anna slid her gaze to Jillian and tried to read something there. Anything that would give her a clue as to what was going on.
And then it hit her. They felt sorry for her. They were looking out for her and making sure she was handling things okay by sending Beckett to help her.
She started to protest again, but Jillian nodded and stood. “Great. That’s settled. We have another meeting with a newly engaged couple in ten minutes, so everyone needs to clear out.”
Beckett turned to her and extended a hand to help her up. “Ready?”
Anna stared into his hazel eyes, reading nothing but genuine helpfulness there. But she knew he was in on it, and she wasn’t going to let them get away with it.
She’d show them all just how capable she was of handling herself and her problems. And if that meant playing along a little to make her point, she planned to do just that.
Putting her hand in Beckett’s, she held back a smile. “You want to learn how to bake? Then I’m going to teach you.”