~Leslie~
“Big announcement, huh?” Blake asked softly, looking after Holly as she left them alone.
Was the announcement news to him, too? Had Holly put him in a bind, springing this on him when he counted on her to help out with all of his youth activities?
Surely not.
“Yeah, but you probably knew all about it,” she said. “You were probably in on at least some of it.”
All the more reason to resent him, if he’d known this. Known it when she, Holly’s very own sister, hadn’t had a clue.
Travis, though… he’d seemed to know all about it, too. Brooke and Jordan as well.
What kind of sister had Leslie been if she’d been the only one to have been left in the dark?
“Ugh,” she groaned, putting her head in her hands.
“Hey,” Blake said, sitting next to her. “I didn’t know. I’m just as surprised as you are. I’m so new here that I’m still trying to figure out everything. Like what I’m supposed to do now that I’ve lost my best volunteer.”
Good. He hadn’t known either.
She looked over at him. “I don’t really care if you knew or not.”
It was catty to say this, but this was Blake and he’d been trouble for her already…
“Nice,” he said. “And here I was, feeling bad for you.”
“Not worse than I already feel,” she said.
“Sad about her leaving?”
“Obviously,” she breathed. “And she was my assistant. And I’m an awful sister, who can’t keep from thinking about that, which is probably the reason why she never mentioned this huge life decision she was making. Because I make everything about me, and I can totally blank out and ignore what’s obviously going on with everyone around me.”
She’d done that. She’d done just that with Brooke, who had gone through a lot in the past year, without Leslie taking time away from her life and her concerns to even notice.
And it didn’t just extend to her sisters. She was here at church, not to worship or to learn more about Christ as Holly had so eloquently spoken of regarding her own life and her own plans. No, she’d come so she could get Blake Young alone and arm wrestle him into giving her the building she’d been counting on owning.
Getting Blake Young alone. Well, ironically enough, she’d managed to do that. And now that she had, she wasn’t sure she had it in her to keep on. Was she just continuing to be selfish, assuming that her plans trumped whatever his plans were?
The little voice in the back of her head cleared its throat loudly, as if to remind her that this was Blake Young. The boy of a thousand kisses and even more broken promises.
“I don’t think you’re that bad,” he said to her, still back on the conversation regarding her and Holly.
She was that bad. Because even as he said it, she put Holly out of her mind again and redirected her energy to the building he’d stolen from her. Because that was easier, thinking of that instead of her sister on the other side of the world, just like it was easier to despise Blake than it was to start appreciating the fact that he was sitting next to her with concern on his face, like he legitimately cared about what was going on in her life.
As if.
“This is weird,” she said, stating the obvious as their eyes met.
“Well, yes,” he nodded. “Me and you, here together. Is that what weird thing you were thinking of?”
One of many, yes.
“No,” she said. “You. The youth pastor here. You. Being a youth pastor at all, Blake.”
He’d come to Christ their senior year of high school. She remembered being there when he’d gotten baptized, watching in the weeks that followed as Pastor John spent time discipling him and teaching him about his new faith. At the time, though, she’d never imagined that Blake would make Jesus his whole life.
What did becoming a believer really mean, though, if it wasn’t making Jesus your whole life? She hadn’t known back then and hadn’t figured it out until she’d come back to her faith in college.
Blake had it figured out better than she had, then.
He grinned at her words, not at all bothered by them. “It is weird,” he said. “But that’s where God led me, you know. After our senior year…”
And he left it hanging, bringing to Leslie’s mind all of the awkward weeks they’d spent at the end of the year failing to avoid one another and all the heartache between them. On her side, at least, because he’d gone on as if he’d been completely unaffected by it all.
She felt her heart hardening all over again as she watched him scratch the back of his neck.
“I went away to school,” he said. “Small Christian college where Pastor John had recommended me for some scholarships. Getting into college wasn’t the issue as much as paying for it was, but with his help, the costs were all but covered. Had to keep waiting tables, but that was fine. Even played on the football team, which got me free boarding in the athletic dorm.”
College. He’d gone to college. And a Christian college at that.
“I didn’t know any of that,” she said.
“Well, I left town,” he said, glancing over at her. “Just like you planned on doing. And… like you did. I heard about where you went. Thanks to Jordan.”
Jordan would have shared that news, even if Leslie had told the rest of the family to stay quiet about it. He hadn’t been family – not formally – back then, so he hadn’t had to pay attention to her rules.
“I did,” she said. “Business degree, just like Travis suggested. And culinary school while I was at it.”
“And your own business,” Blake smiled. “I got a business degree as well.”
And here it was. She was going to hear about whatever shady enterprise he was doing. Maybe he was like Holly. She was using her teaching career as a cover for covert missionary work. Blake was probably using his “ministry” career (and Leslie used the term loosely) as a cover up for some illicit business.
Why was she thinking like this? Her logical side warred with her emotional side as she thought up the details. Easier to hate him than really see who he was…
“Business degree,” she said. “What does that have to do with ministry?”
“More than you would think,” he said. “Felt called to ministry my freshman year of college and realized that it would be prudent, if I was going onto seminary at the end of my undergraduate degree, if I had a background in something practical and useful for the administrative side of ministry. Business it was. And it’s actually been helpful. Right before I finished up seminary, I was able to write out a proposal for a grant from the home mission board, asking for money to start a youth center here. Because of what I knew with my degree, I was able to make some projections for them, put it all out in a concise and neat form, and convince them that it would be profitable. Not financially profitable but spiritually profitable.”
At this, he smiled.
Youth center. That’s all Leslie heard.
“Is that what you’re doing with my building?”
“Your building?” he asked. “I’m pretty sure it’s my building. Or rather, the church’s building. And the home mission board’s building.” He narrowed his eyes for a minute, thinking through this. “When I put it like that, that building belongs to God, doesn’t it?”
Oh, no, he didn’t. He wasn’t going to make this a spiritual thing, was he?
Leslie could play along.
“Well, God doesn’t need a building,” she said.
How very spiritual of her to note it, but Blake seemed unimpressed.
“He doesn’t need much of anything, honestly,” he said. “You know, because He’s God and is completely and totally sufficient in and of Himself.”
Blake had never sounded this smart. Leslie found herself just a little annoyed, knowing that he knew more about this topic than she did. Annoyed and maybe a little convicted.
“That said,” Blake continued on, “He can use a building. And I think the plans I have for that youth center are going to bring Him a great amount of glory by spreading His name and His fame all around the young people of this town.”
What was there to say to that?
Maybe this.
“That building was supposed to be mine,” she said, her voice clipped and showcasing her increasing irritability. “I had big plans for that building.”
“What were those?” he asked as though he genuinely cared.
“Expanding my cupcake business,” she said. “Including a tasting room. An event space. An old style sweet shop.”
“You’re still doing the cupcakes, then,” he smiled.
Like he knew anything about it. Well, scratch that. He knew a little something about it. Her mind went to the memory of her very first kiss, Blake leaning across a whole row of cupcakes, his hand on her face, her eyes closing just as his did…
“I’m a big deal around here,” she said, casting the memory aside with greater furor than she intended.
“You always were a big deal, Leslie,” he said, his tone softer, alarming sincerity in his eyes.
She bristled at this, at the way it made her soften in response.
Not today, Satan.
“I am a big deal, which is why I need that building,” she said, bringing her point home. “I know you’ve started the paperwork to get the loan and –”
“No paperwork,” he said. “I bought it outright.”
How? How had he done that?”
“Grant money,” he said, seeing the disbelief on her face. “Because you jacked the price up, however, I can’t afford any remodels, unfortunately. But hey, even that’s an unexpected blessing, because we’re able to get right in starting this weekend, doing our youth parties and get togethers.”
Parties and get togethers. All of her big plans out the window so that Blake Young could have parties and get togethers.
Perhaps the derision was clearly written in her expression because he let out a little laugh.
“It sounds stupid probably, what I’m planning, but you really need to come out there and see what I’m doing,” he said, grinning that annoying grin of his. “I know you’re mad about the building, and I would be, too, had someone with a superior plan come in and snatched it up like I did.”
Was he trying to be funny? Leslie frowned at this. “I don’t think it –”
“But come and check it out anyway,” he said, his grin stretching wider. “Next Wednesday is our first big event. And if you see why I’m doing what I’m doing with this ministry you’ll get behind it and forgive me for ruining all your big plans.”
She sincerely doubted that. She would never forgive him for ruining her plans, and she would certainly never forgive him for breaking her heart all those years ago. There was too much bad blood between them.
But she was curious about what could usurp a cupcake business in their town and what he could possibly need to do that couldn’t be done at the church.
That and she was pretty sure that his invitation was given as a formality and that he had no desire for her to show up and shoot him the stink eye while he went on and did “ministry” as he called it.
“Well, Blake,” she said, “you’ve got yourself a deal. I’ll be there.”
And, yes, that was genuine surprise in his eyes as she said it, which he quickly tried to disguise with another smile. “Great,” he said. “I’m glad you’ll be there.”
She just bet he was. Jerk was probably already regretting that he’d extended the invite to her.
“I’m glad I’ll be there,” she said.
“Well, good.”
“Good.”
Was it just her, or did this whole conversation seem catty?
Probably just her, as Blake stifled a laugh.
“Hey, while I’m thinking about it,” he said, “maybe you might consider making some cupcakes for our opening night.”
Cupcakes. Was he just twisting the knife he’d put into her back?
“You want cupcakes?” she asked. “You’d have to let me know the kind you want and the number before I can give you an estimate.”
“Oh, no,” he shook his head. “I won’t be needing an estimate.”
Did he think he could afford whatever she charged? Maybe she should jack the prices up a little. Inflation for the inflated ego, after all.
“Oh?” she asked, watching him curiously. “And why is that?”
“I don’t need an estimate,” he said, “because I actually meant we wanted you to comp them. You know, donate them.” Then, as if she hadn’t been able to get it, he elaborated. “Free.”
Free cupcakes. How dare he. Like she wasn’t running a business. Like this was some goodwill charity she extended to idiotic ex-boyfriends who thought much too highly of themselves.
“Yeah, I don’t think so,” she said, congratulating herself on staying as civil as possible.
“Hey, I wouldn’t ask,” he said diplomatically. “But you should see the youth budget. We’re a charitable organization. And by that, I mean that we take charity. Because we’re broke. Especially after buying that building.” He smiled again.
Oooohhh. He was infuriating.
Luckily, she had an out.
“Yeah, I’d love to help you out like that,” she lied. “But I’m a little swamped at the moment. I have a wedding cake to make.”
“I remember when you started doing that,” he said. “Best cakes ever. I loved everything you made.”
Flattery would get him nowhere, she reminded herself, even as she felt a twinge of appreciation at this comment.
Appreciation? Since when did she appreciate Blake Young?
“Yeah, well,” she said, ignoring what he’d said, “it takes forever to put it together, and I’ve lost my assistant. She’s going to the Middle East. Because that makes so much good sense, right?”
“She’s going to do so well there,” Blake said. “Though I will miss her help with the youth. Everyone tells me she’s the best volunteer the church has.”
“She’s the best assistant, too,” Leslie said, swallowing past the lump in her throat. “So it looks like I’m not going to have a lot of time on my hands to make those cupcakes for you. So sorry.”
Sorry not sorry.
“Are you going to be able to manage at that wedding without an assistant?” he asked, legitimate concern for her clouding his expression.
Why did he care?
“I’ve never done it before,” she admitted. “But how hard can it be?”
“You need someone there to help though, surely,” he said. “Just like I need a woman to help me out with some of the things I’ve got going on with the youth this year. A girls’ chaperone, if you will.”
He smiled broadly at her.
What was he getting at? And why was she already so annoyed by whatever it was he was…
Oh, no. Wait a minute.
“Interesting position we find ourselves in, Leslie,” he said. “When is that wedding you’ve got? Most weddings you’ve got, I’d imagine.”
“Saturday,” she said, knowing just what he was getting at.
“My day off,” he said, as though he was just coming up with his idiotic plan, as though he considered it to be totally brilliant. “Isn’t that providential?”
“No, it’s –”
“You need help,” he cut in, his tone insistent. “But even more than that, I need help. And we’re in a position to help one another out.”
She did need help. Who knew Holly had been so pivotal in so many places? Why were they going to let her move to Dubai?
As if they had a choice.
As if Leslie had a choice now.
“What’s in it for me?” she asked, hardly believing that she was considering this. Like making a deal with the devil.
“Apart from getting the help that you need with your business –”
“I could hire someone,” she said.
He frowned at this, and she could nearly read his mind. Not here. Not on such short notice.
Darn him.
“You can use the kitchen,” he said. “Surely you need a big kitchen to make some of those fancy cakes of yours. And since you were planning on using the kitchen in the building anyway…”
She had been. “I’m working from home,” she said. “And the kitchen in that building needs work.”
Lots of work to get it to where she wanted it to be. But still. Even as it was it would still beat the kitchen in the rental house.
“It does,” Blake agreed. “But it’s big, right?”
Yes.
She was sure he could see her softening.
“So you’d have full use of that kitchen for your business,” he went on. “I’d get you your own key, and you could come and go as you please. Which would be good, since I’d need you there for youth activities.”
She was considered this. But not for the reasons he thought. Because as Leslie considered it more, this idea of Blake starting this youth center in a town that had never had anything like that, she realized what was going to happen.
He would fail miserably. Surely, right? He would give it up a few months in, just like that. He’d never been a man of his word when she’d known him. How was a fancy seminary degree and the esteem of church people going to fundamentally change a rotten man’s heart?
It wasn’t. It couldn’t. So, Leslie decided to agree to his terms, knowing that she’d be there to grab up the building and her life as planned just as soon as he walked away again.
“You have a deal,” she said.
Making a deal with the devil. Because that would end well.