11. Chapter 11
Chapter eleven
Cashlynn
“You look like you could use another cup of coffee,” Astrid says as I walk through the front door of Smells Like Sugar.
“I don’t even know if coffee could solve my problems,” I reply, stifling a yawn.
“I beg to differ. Coffee is the antidote to some of life’s greatest ailments.”
“In that case, another hit of caffeine would be amazing. Thank you.”
Astrid smiles and moves to her espresso machine. “Coming right up.”
I head for a table in the corner of the bakery that should be big enough for me to spread out my laptop, notebooks, and folders for my meeting with Willow. This week I’ve been working with her friend on branding, and now we’re going to start looking at the timeline for advertising and profit margins, as well as picking a supplier.
Just thinking about everything I still have to do is making my head spin. Of course, another reason for the spinning wears glasses and makes my panties wet each time I see him. My defenses against my fake fianc é—and my growing attraction—are wearing dangerously thin. I’m not sure how much longer I can hold out before I start outright begging for him to touch me again.
I know this attraction is mutual. That much was evident when I kissed him the other night and he eagerly kissed me back. The move sure as hell wasn’t planned, but it sure as hell wasn’t fake either. God, I can’t stop thinking about it.
It’s not just the kiss. It’s the way he’s been showing up for me every single day, encouraging me to believe in myself, calming my self-doubts about the gallery, and working his ass off to rebuild my father’s trust while proving he deserves to take over the practice.
This is more than just a fake arrangement. Nothing between us feels fake, and it hasn’t since he slipped that ring on my finger. The way he looked at me, the conviction in his eyes and voice—I know there’s more between us. But nothing I’ve tried has made him crack yet.
What if I’m just making this all up in my head?
The bell above the door chimes and Willow walks in, wearing soft black leggings and an oversized cream sweater with brown knee-high boots. Some women just radiate when they’re pregnant, and she is one of them.
She flicks her blonde hair over her shoulder and when our eyes meet, she heads in my direction. “Sorry I’m late,” she says as she sets her large purse on one of the empty chairs and removes a few file folders from it.
“You’re not. I just got here. Astrid is making me some coffee.”
“And I have a decaf for the mom-to-be,” Astrid announces, setting our drinks on the table.
Willow places a hand on Astrid’s arm. “I love you, but I’d love you even more if you’ve got a blueberry muffin back there with m y name on it.”
Astrid winks at her best friend. “I saved you two.”
As she walks away, Willow turns back to me. “Have you had one yet?”
“Not yet.”
Willow gasps dramatically. “They’re the best thing she makes!” She rubs her stomach as she takes a seat. “I couldn’t eat them during my first trimester because I could barely keep anything down. But now, if I don’t get my fix, bad things happen to good people.”
Chuckling, I say, “Note to self: butter up my boss with blueberry muffins.”
Willow smiles. “I’m not your boss, I’m your investor, Cashlynn. This is your baby,” she says, placing her hand over mine. “And with the way things are going, I think we might be able to open in two months instead of three.”
“Really?”
She nods.
“I can’t thank you enough, Willow. Truly.”
“I remember what it was like to be the new person in town, and how nerve-racking starting your own business can be. If it weren’t for Astrid and her generosity, I don’t know that I would have stayed. And I see something in you that reminds me a lot of myself.”
I swallow nervously. “And what’s that?”
“Resilience. Bravery. One of these days you’re going to understand how your doubts can actually lead you to where you’re meant to be.”
Her words strike a chord. I’ve been in Carrington Cove for nearly a month now, and the longer I’m here, the more this place feels like home, like this is where I’m supposed to be. Now if only I could figure out what the future looks like for me and Parker.
“Fancy seeing you two here.”
Willow and I look up to see Hazel striding over to our table.
“ You knew we were going to be here,” Willow says dryly. “I told you that when you texted me last night and asked what my plans were for today.”
“Was there a Sheppard women meeting this morning I wasn’t invited to?” Scottie walks over to us now. “I know Grady isn’t a Sheppard, but last I checked, he and I had been adopted.”
For a second, I let myself think about how if Parker and I were to actually get married, I’d become a Sheppard too.
You’re getting a little ahead of yourself, Cashlynn. Your relationship has to become real first, remember?
Astrid returns, setting a plate with two blueberry muffins in front of Willow. “Looks like the gang is all here this morning.” She leans over and hugs Scottie. “Are you here for your weekly apple fritter fix?”
“You know it.” Scottie leans over and says to me, “They’re the best thing Astrid makes.”
I chuckle. “Willow just said that about the blueberry muffins.”
Hazel holds a hand up. “Let me stop you there. Try her raspberry cheesecake cupcakes, and they’ll ruin you for everything else.”
Astrid dramatically fans her face with her hand. “Oh, you girls are gonna give me a complex.”
We share a laugh as Willow peels the wrapper from a muffin and takes a bite. “Well, Cashlynn and I are here to talk business.”
“Oh, I just wanted to say hi,” Scottie says. “I need to work on my lesson plans, but I couldn’t pass up the chance for some adult interaction. Most of the time I only get to talk to eight-year-olds and a babbling five-month-old.”
“What grade do you teach again?” I ask, slightly embarrassed that I don’t remember from the night I met her at the Sheppards’ dinner. But there were so many people and it was all I could do to keep everyone’s names straig ht.
“Third. That’s the last year where they’re still sweet. When they hit fourth grade, the sass kicks in and then I’m out.” She slices her finger across her throat dramatically. The girls laugh.
“You know,” I say, an idea sparking, “my gallery would be a great place to host a school fundraiser or take a field trip.”
Willow’s eyes light up. “Oh my God. I love that idea. When did you think of that?”
I reach for my notebook and open it to the earmarked page. “I’ve been doing research all week on galleries in other parts of the country, and then I saw an idea on Pinterest about water gun painting. I thought that would be something kids would love. I could even bring the supplies to the school and make it part of a field day—maybe tie it in with a color run or something like that.”
Scottie nods enthusiastically. “Oh, absolutely. They would be so excited, and it’s perfect for the end of the school year when they’re going bonkers anyway.”
“Yeah, just let me know when and we can schedule something.”
“I definitely will. When will you be up and running?”
I glance at Willow. “Well, that’s actually what our meeting today is about, so I’ll have to get back to you on that. If I had a business card, I’d give you one, but I’m working on that too.” Suddenly, I feel inadequate, putting the cart before the horse.
Scottie waves me off. “No worries, I get it. But count me in. My boss will be on board too, I’m sure.”
Leaning back in her chair, Hazel says, “Speaking of being on board, how’s your progress going with my brother?”
Scottie laughs, giving a wave as Astrid steers her toward the counter for her apple fritters. Willow gives Hazel the side-eye. “Hazel, this meeting is supposed to be about business,” she mutters, but then turns to me and waggles her eyebrows. “But that can wait. Spill.”
I g roan, burying my head in my hands. “Um, well… I don’t think it’s going very well.”
Hazel reaches across the table and pries my hands from my face. “Why is that?”
“I feel like a teenage girl with a crush, doing stupid things to get a boy’s attention, but he’s oblivious, and I’m even more confused about how he feels about me.”
“What have you tried?”
I pick my head up and take a drink of my coffee. “God, this is good.”
Hazel nods. “Yes, Astrid makes a fine latte. But you really need to visit Keely’s Caffeine Kick. That woman is the master of iced coffee.”
Willow rolls her eyes, sighing. “Enough with the coffee! Get back to Parker, Cashlynn.”
“So, I started with the appliance thing you suggested, Willow. I unplugged the coffee machine, which sent him into a total tailspin.”
Hazel snorts. “I saw him at the animal hospital that morning, and he mentioned it. I could tell his underwear was wedged between his butt cheeks after that stunt.”
I laugh. “It definitely threw him off. Besides that, I’ve been testing the waters—little touches here and there, nothing too obvious. But the night my dad came over for dinner…” I hesitate, glancing between them before admitting, “I kissed him.”
Both women’s jaws drop. Willow recovers first. “And how did he react? Did he kiss you back?”
I clench my thighs together at the memory. “Oh yeah. But then he jumped away like I’d burned him.”
Willow scrunches her nose. “What did you do?”
“I decided to give him space and just went to my room for the night.”
Hazel nods approvingly. “Nice. Leave him to stew.”
“ That’s what I was thinking. But the next day, he acted like nothing had happened. For days, it felt like he was actively trying to avoid me—until I took him to see the gallery space.”
Willow perks up, reaching for her coffee. “But that day, he gave you that little pep talk when you were doubting yourself. It was definitely something a real fiancé would’ve have said.”
“I thought so too, but he slipped back into a routine of avoiding me…until the other night.”
“What happened then?” Hazel asks, leaning in.
“Well, my father announced he’s retiring in three months, so now Parker and Seth are battling it out to see who will take over the practice. Parker has been running himself ragged trying to prove himself. He was working late the other night, so I had dinner waiting for him when he got home, and we sat on the couch together and talked. It felt so…normal. And I swear, he looked at me like he was glad I was there. That is, until he went to turn on the TV I forgot I’d unplugged earlier…”
Hazel and Willow both burst out laughing. “Oh my God,” Willow manages. “What did he do?”
I chuckle at the memory. “He snapped, saying he doesn’t understand what kind of human would do such a thing, and told me I had to stop. So, I challenged him to rock, paper, scissors for it—and I won. Now I get to keep pushing his buttons, one power cord at a time.”
Willow tilts her head. “Rock, paper, scissors? That’s one way to handle a disagreement, I guess.”
“It’s how he got me to hold his hand on the plane when we met.”
She covers her chest with her hand. “Oh my God. That’s adorable.”
Hazel chuckles. “Sounds like something the old Parker would’ve done.”
“The old Parker?”
Her expression dims slightly. “The one before Sasha put his heart in a blender.”
Nodding in understanding, I lower my gaze to the table. “I just don’t know if he’s ready to open himself up to me, you guys. I see these glimmers of the man I met on the plane—sweet, funny, a little cocky—but then the closed-off grump comes out, and I feel like I’m getting emotional whiplash trying to figure out how to handle him.”
Hazel and Willow share a look before Hazel speaks up. “Besides the kiss and the grazes, have there been any other physical moments?”
I bite my lip. “Not really.”
Hazel shrugs like the solution is obvious. “Then you need to step it up.”
“I don’t know…”
Willow nods. “No, I think she’s right. Sometimes men just need to get their pent-up frustrations out to relax enough to talk about their feelings. When Dallas is in a mood, I always initiate sex, and afterward, he spills his guts. It’s not exactly moral, but it works every time.”
I blink, unsure whether to laugh or take notes.
“Have you taken your shirt off yet?” Hazel asks.
My cheeks heat. “No…”
“There’s a reason why sex sells, Cashlynn. I’m telling you…show him some freaking skin.”
“You are strangely invested in Parker’s love life,” Astrid says, reappearing with a plate of raspberry scones.
“It’s not just that, okay? Tormenting my brothers is entertaining as fuck, for one,” Hazel says, holding up a finger. The rest of us laugh. “But two,” she continues, sadness filling her eyes now. “I want my brother back.”
Astrid nods in agreement. “I get it. He just hasn’t been the same since Sasha.”
“ Has he opened up to you about that yet?” Willow asks me.
“No, and I haven’t pushed him.”
Hazel shakes her head. “And now’s not the time for that. First, get him to admit that he wants you. Then maybe you can get him to talk to you about his feelings.”
“There’s definitely something between us. The things he says, the way he touches me in front of other people—like he can’t help himself.”
Hazel leans forward and places her hand on top of mine. “I know we haven’t known each other very long, but I can tell that you care about him.”
My heart is hammering so hard that I can hear it in my ears. “I do. More than I probably should.”
“All I’ve ever wanted for my brother is to find someone who understands how incredible he is. Parker is one of a kind, genuine and smart. He treated his first girlfriend in high school like a fucking prize, and I knew I could only hope to find a man that treated me like that one day. But Sasha…” Her jaw tightens. “She didn’t appreciate him. He was still the same man, though, bending over backwards to make her life incredible. She burned him—scarred him so deep that it’s almost as if a part of his heart died along with the loss of her.”
My heart aches at the weight of her words. “I wish he would tell me everything.”
“He will, once you get that pent up frustration out.” Hazel winks and Willow nods in agreement. “But since you’ve been here, I’ve seen glimpses of the old him, so as disturbing as it is to say… You need to fuck my brother, and fuck him good.”
I choke on my coffee, coughing as Willow cackles. “Yeah. That was disturbing coming from you.”
Wil low shakes her head, still laughing. “Okay, now that we’ve established Cashlynn’s mission to fuck Parker’s brains out, can we get to our business meeting?”
Hazel stands from her chair. “Yup. I’ll leave you to it. I have a long day of editing to get through, and I need a raspberry cheesecake cupcake to reward myself with.” She waves her fingers at us as she walks away. “Have fun you two. And don’t forget, Cashlynn—strategic nudity.”
Once she’s out of earshot, I lean in toward Willow. “That was a little weird, right?”
She shrugs. “Yes, but she’s not wrong. It sounds to me like the only thing standing between you and Parker’s feelings might just be your clothes.”