The Tea Shop on Lavender Lane. Sheila Roberts
said. “Talk to you later.”
He did have good qualities, Cecily thought as she ended the call. He was smart and funny, and he’d proved he could stay calm in the face of trouble. He was obviously responsible enough to own a business. But was he ready to settle down and have a family? It kept coming back to that. Todd Black was a ladies’ man, and she couldn’t really see him staying with one woman.
But if he could...
Her thoughts were interrupted by another call, this one from her friend Margo James in L.A. “Hey, you,” said Margo. “I’m sitting here in front of a cracker box of a house that’s going for a mil, waiting for my client, and figured I’d give you a call. How’s life in Small Town, U.S.A.? You ready to come back to the big city yet?”
California had the sun, and when she’d gone down for a visit in January, she’d gotten a big dose of it. But that hadn’t been enough to make her want to give up the fresh air and beautiful scenery of Icicle Falls. She’d found her footing in her hometown, made new friends, carved out a life. She still didn’t have her love life sorted out, but then, she hadn’t exactly gotten it sorted out in sunny California, either.
“No. The weather’s beautiful up here right now. You should come visit.”
“If I did, you’d probably make me go hiking or introduce me to some hairy mountain man. Speaking of men, guess who’s engaged.”
“Jessica Long.”
“Aw, she told you. Or else you’re psychic.”
It wouldn’t have taken any great mental gifts to know that Jessica was on the verge of getting a ring. When Cecily had been down in January, Jessica and her boyfriend hadn’t been able to keep their hands off each other. They’d been a pro bono match-up Cecily had arranged, just two friends she’d thought would enjoy each other. And she’d been right.
“Hardly,” she said. “Anyone could see where that was heading.”
“Well, I’m jealous. When are you going to find me someone perfect?”
“After I find someone for me,” Cecily said.
“You’ve got two men after you. Don’t be greedy. By the way, Darby and Ken are pregnant.”
Why did it feel as if everyone these days was either getting engaged or getting pregnant? “Well, they’ve been trying for a year,” Cecily reminded both Margo and herself.
“Yeah, I know,” Margo said. “Sometimes I wish I hadn’t dumped Maurice. He wasn’t all that bad.”
He’d cheated on her. Twice. “Yeah, he was,” Cecily said gently.
“Okay, yeah, he was.” Margo sighed. “I don’t know why this whole man-woman thing has to be so hard. I think I’m going to become a lesbian.”
Cecily laughed. “That won’t be happening anytime soon. You like men too much.”
“Yeah, though sometimes I wonder why.”
“Hey, if it was easy, what would we have to complain about?”
“I could always find something, trust me.” There was a moment of silence on the phone, followed by, “Seriously, do you sometimes wonder if you’ll ever get it right?”
“All the time,” Cecily said.
“Oh, well. If I can’t have great sex, I’ll have to settle for making a huge commission on this dog of a house I’m about to show. Oh, and this is my client pulling up. I’d better get my game face on.”
“Go for it.”
“Ciao,” Margo said airily.
Cecily went back to writing a product description for their newest chocolate flavors. It would be nice if, for once in her life, she could get those matchmaking instincts that worked so well for everyone else to work on her own behalf.
* * *
Bailey looked out the plane window at the lush trees and lawns below. Federal Way was now in view, which meant that within minutes the plane would be landing at Sea-Tac airport outside Seattle. Both her sisters were coming to pick her up, and her mother was home preparing all her favorite foods—mushroom lasagna, chicken Caesar salad and chocolate cake. It was the same chocolate cake her mother had taught her to make when she was twelve, the same recipe she used when she catered parties and needed mini cupcakes.
Those days were now gone. Her business was dead. So, why had she packed up so many of her kitchen tools and shipped them to Icicle Falls? What a fool. She’d spent a fortune sending home things that would only remind her of her failure.
Well, a girl still needed mini muffin tins and baking sheets and measuring cups and spoons and mixing bowls, for crying out loud. Maybe not a case of cute cupcake holders or tiered serving trays or pastry bags. But still, people would be having birthdays. And baby showers. She’d continue to make fun dishes and treats. She just wouldn’t be doing it for a living now.
What would she be doing? She blinked hard and told herself not to be a baby. No more crying. She was so done with crying.
“Almost home,” said her seatmate, an older man with silver hair.
He was single and lived in Seattle. He’d been a good listener, nodding sympathetically while she told him her woes. He owned a company that distributed seafood, and she’d thought he’d be perfect for her mom. But he hadn’t been remotely interested in hearing about her sweet, pretty mother. He’d wanted to know if she ever dated older men. That had been icky and awkward.
She’d told him she had a boyfriend back in Icicle Falls. What a lie! She had no one back in Icicle Falls. She blinked again and wiped at the corner of her eye.
“Is your boyfriend coming to meet you?” asked Mr. Lech.
“No, my sisters will.” Her fabulous sisters, who were always there for her. Another tear tried to sneak out of the corner of her eye. She wiped it away and reminded herself that she had much to be grateful for.
And there was a rainbow at the end of this storm. Although her career was over, her love life could take off. There was more than family in Icicle Falls. Brandon Wallace was there. She smiled. Brandon Wallace, ski bum and resident heartbreaker, had been cracking her heart like a jawbreaker off and on since they were kids. In fact, the last time he’d dumped her for another woman had been the final straw. She’d been more than happy to move to L.A.
But that was then. She was a big girl now and more than ready to show Brandon what he’d been missing. Her career might have fizzled, but that didn’t mean her love life had to.
The plane landed with a couple of bumps and then taxied to the Jetway. Okay, she told herself, you are now approaching your new life. It will be an adventure. She only hoped this adventure ended in success.
The plane stopped and everyone hurried to stand up and wait.
“I hope everything works out for you,” the older man said. He handed her his business card. “If you ever need anything.”
What she really needed was a trip back in time and a chance to turn down catering Samba Barrett’s party.
Her suitcase took forever to appear on the baggage carousel, and after seeing her lose her balance trying to grab it and nearly landing on the carousel herself, Bailey’s former seatmate came to the rescue and pulled it off. Not an easy feat, considering how big it was and how much she’d crammed into it. He then reminded her...if she needed anything.
She thanked him and hurried off before he could offer to escort her and her suitcase and carry-ons to her car. Where were Sammy and Cec?
She was about to call when she spotted them. She waved, and they came running to hug her. Oh, those hugs felt good.
“Welcome home,” Samantha said.
“I’m so glad to see you guys!” When a girl felt beaten