Chapter Five
Caroline
I adjust my scarf and smile. “Well, Rory has impeccable taste.”
“Is that so?” he asks, a teasing edge to his words that makes my heart flutter.
“Absolutely, she chose me after all.” I reach out to take her from him, my fingers brushing against his muscled forearm and chest. An electric jolt runs up my arm, and I fight to keep my reaction hidden behind a carefully composed smile.
Tom chuckles, shaking his head. “You’ve got me there. You’re definitely something special, Red.”
The chunky scarf around my neck suddenly feels too warm, suffocating even.
The walls I’ve put up around my heart are tall, sturdy. Brick by brick, I’ve built a fortress against heartbreak and disappointment. I reinforced it with the harsh realities of failed relationships and painful memories.
But Tom…he’s not just another guy trying to scale my emotional fortress. When he looks at me like that, like I’m the only person in this parking lot, something inside me trembles. My carefully constructed defenses don’t stand a chance.
Six months of late-night texts and phone conversations felt safe when hundreds of miles separated us.
That Thanksgiving weekend for Maggie and Jake’s engagement was just a blip, a short forty-eight hours before I could retreat again.
Now I’m back in his town, and there’s nothing casual about the way my pulse quickens when he’s near.
Tom Rivera is the real thing. The whole enchilada, and man, do I love my enchiladas.
The grin on his face is contagious, and I find myself grinning back at him before I can think better of it. The fire truck’s engine roars to life behind him, and someone calls out to him.
“Rivera, we gotta roll!”
Tom flashes an apologetic grin. “Duty calls.”
I nod, trying to hide my disappointment. “Go save the town, Firefighter.”
He grins as he steps backward, pointing a finger at me. “Don’t you forget it, City Girl.”
Then he turns around and jogs to the truck. I watch him climb into it and drive past me, the sirens slowly fading away.
My mind reels, caught in a battle between what I know I should do (focus on the wedding, keep things casual) and what my pounding heart wants to do (let him demolish the walls with a wrecking ball).
I tilt my head toward Aurora. “Well, Rory, it seems like we’re in quite the predicament, aren’t we?”
Her only response is a happy bark. Of course, she would side with the heart; the heart wants Tom, and Tom gives her belly rubs and treats. It’s a win-win for Rory.
My phone vibrates in my bag. I set Aurora down, tightly clenching her leash this time.
It’s our girls’ group chat with Maggie, Lila, Alison, and Emilie.
Em practically begged to join after missing all the inside jokes when Maggie came to Blue Alder Cove for the renovation.
I gasp when the photo loads. It’s a picture of Tom and me in front of the diner.
I glance around the parking lot to find Mags waving and giggling.
I rush toward her and whine, “Mags! Why did you send that? You know everyone’s going to say something now.”
“What? I was showing them the evacuated diner.” She shrugs like it’s nothing.
I glare at her. “You know exactly what you’re doing, Missy.”
She grins mischievously at me and loops her arm through mine. “Come on! We got cakes to taste!”
We start walking toward Alder & Crumb Bakery, a short walk from the diner.
“Is that…?” I begin, pointing toward the shop windows.
Maggie finishes my sentence. “Christmas decorations being replaced with hearts and Cupids? Yes, yes it is.”
Red and pink accents pop up in nearly every window. “It’s barely January.”
“But it’s never too early for love, right?”
My phone buzzes again. I let out a sigh and brace myself for the barrage of messages lighting up my screen in rapid succession.
Em
WAIT A HOT MINUTE. (pun intended) Is that THE firefighter you’ve been texting, Mom?
Alison
Looks like Aunt Caroline went to Blue Alder Cove for more than just wedding business *fire emojis*
I feel my cheeks growing hotter by the minute. I shoot Maggie a withering glare, but she continues walking with a grin, completely unrepentant.
“You are unbelievable.”
“That’s why you love me,” she says, bumping her shoulder against mine.
“Sometimes you need to get out of your own head and just live in the moment. Like right now. You’ve been acting like Tom is a nuisance, all prickly and defensive.
But I’ve known you for over twenty years, Caroline.
I can tell when you think someone is attractive, charming, and fun to be around.
The electricity between you two could power this entire town during a blackout. ”
It’s true. I couldn’t ask for better friends than Maggie and Lila, even if they do meddle in my personal life more than I’d prefer. They’ve been my rocks through sleepless nights of early motherhood, my messy divorce, and everything in between.
But Tom? Well, she’s got to be wrong about that one…right?
Lila
Oh my, you two are heating up that frosty town *wink*
Maggie pulls open the bakery door. “See, Caroline, isn’t this fun?”
“Fun? More like torture.”
She chuckles. “Only because all of it is true and you won’t admit to it.”
“Maggie!” Maribeth beams at us. “Are you ready for the cake tasting? I have them all set up for you over there.”
She’s an older woman with silver hair twisted in a loose bun and an apron covered in hearts tied snugly around her waist. She gestures toward a table tucked in the back corner beneath a window.
The table gleams with delicate china plates holding a few different cake slices that Maggie had previously selected.
She added some flowers to the table, and a hand-painted banner hangs above it that says “Future Mrs. Hollis” in elegant swirls.
“This is wonderful.” Maggie’s voice is quiet, and her eyes fill with tears.
Maribeth shuffles over to Maggie and embraces her.
“Edna helped me arrange everything just so. We’re just so happy to see you and Jake together.
It’s magical. Jake was always such a sweetheart underneath it all, but that boy was closed off and grumpy for so long.
But you, my dear,” she pats Maggie’s cheek, “have made him happier than I’ve ever seen him.
And I’ve known him since he was a baby.”
“Thank you, Maribeth. I’ll be sure to give love to Edna, too. You both are so kind to me.”
“Anything for you, my dear. Now come on, let’s eat cake and celebrate!” Maribeth leads us to the table, Aurora laying down at my feet.
“First, we have the Lakeside Lemon Elderflower Dream.” She describes the three-tiered lemon sponge layered cake with elderflower buttercream, thin layers of white chocolate, and a lemon curd filling that apparently tastes like sunshine.
I take a small bite, just enough to taste, and it melts in my mouth. The lemon curd bursts with bright citrus notes. I let out a satisfied moan.
“Maribeth, this is absolutely divine!”
“A family recipe, Caroline. They’re always the best.” She winks and begins to describe the next cake, vanilla bean with blackberry-raspberry preserve mixed with mascarpone.
Maggie swallows, slow and thoughtful. “This is him.”
I blink. “Jake? Your fiancé is…cake?”
She nods and smiles. “It’s simple at first, straightforward vanilla.
Classic. Reliable. You think you know exactly what you’re getting because he’s gruff on the surface.
” She taps the berry filling with her fork.
“But then the sweet part hits you. Like when he leaves me coffee on my porch or he fixes that squeaky cabinet hinge I mentioned three weeks ago.”
“The little things,” I murmur, the phrase echoing my earlier thoughts about Tom.
“His bark was always worse than his bite.” Maribeth chuckles. “Now, I have the Chocolate Truffle you asked for, and added one more for good measure. Here, try this one.”
She points to the one with a light tan-colored frosting.
I poke my fork into the cake, ensuring I get the frosting as well, and take a bite. The espresso hits first, followed by a wave of buttery salted caramel cream.
For a girl who’s been to countless cake tastings with renowned bakers, I do not say this lightly—this is the best cake I have ever tasted.
“I’d marry this cake.” I take another bite, savoring it. “Maribeth, you’ve outdone yourself. This is the actual cake of my dreams.”
“That one, we created in-house. I’ll send you home with another slice for later.” She winks at me when the chime rings as another customer walks in. “I’ll leave you two to chat, just let me know which flavors you want for the big day.”
As if on cue, my phone buzzes in my pocket, and I sigh, bracing myself for another teasing message about Tom.
I pull it out to see a new text message. My heart beats a little faster.
Tom
Just checking in. How’s the cake tasting going?
A smile tugs at my lips as I type my reply.
Me
Found one that might ruin all other desserts for me forever.
Tom
That good?
Me
Dangerously so.
Tom
Danger, huh? That’s my middle name.
Maggie glances my way, a question in her eyes. She’s probably wondering why I’m grinning like an idiot at my phone. I shush her with a wave of my hand. She chuckles and takes another bite of the vanilla bean slice.
“So, what do you think, Care?”
“It’s delicious.” I shoot her a teasing smile. “And quite possibly the reason I might never leave this town.”
She giggles and lifts her fork for another bite. “I bet Tom would be pleased to hear that.”
My cheeks heat up again. “Maggie, really…”
She doesn’t let me finish. “Oh, come on, Caroline, he’s head over heels for you. You’d have to be blind not to see it.”
I shrug. “We’re just friends. And I’m only here for a short time. You know that. My life’s in Charlotte.”
She sighs. “I said the same thing when I was here renovating the lake house. Look at me now.”
My marriage to Preston was like being a designer handbag—expensive to maintain, meant to show off at parties, and easily replaced when a newer model caught his eye.
For twenty years, I perfected the role. I tailored dresses that hid the parts of me he criticized, practiced smiles that never reached my eyes, and perfected proper etiquette during business dinners.
Even my event planning business became another accessory to his image, as if my success only mattered because it reflected well on him.
Then his twenty-eight-year-old assistant came along, and suddenly, I was last year’s style.
It’s fine. I’ve healed from all that. My business is mine and only mine.
I’ve learned to love and show off my curves instead of hiding them.
The one I’m still working on is learning to be me.
Not Caroline the wife, or Caroline the mother, or Caroline the businesswoman. Just unapologetically wild Caroline.
The taste of salted caramel cream lingers on my tongue as I ponder Maggie’s words. I can’t deny the evidence: the way his eyes light up when I walk into a room, how our text conversations stretch into the night. A man like him doesn’t stick around if he didn’t like me.
And we don’t have to decide anything right now. It doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Maybe I can take Em’s advice and not just be here for business, but have a little fun while I’m here.