Bea double-checked the bowls, utensils, and ingredients. The binder with her mom’s recipes was also on the kitchen counter.
It was almost three o’clock. Carly would be arriving soon.
As the minutes ticked by, a sense of restless anxiety hit, and Bea resisted making sure everything was in place one more time. She and Carly were just making tartlets together. Why was she so darn nervous? Like first day of school, wondering if she could make friends nervous. But that was a weird take on the situation. Carly was thirteen, and she was a grown woman.
Still, she couldn’t deny that she wanted Carly to see her as...what? She wasn’t on the verge of becoming Carly’s stepmom. She was just Devin’s new girlfriend. And she would be the mother of Carly’s half brother or sister. Whether or not she and the teen had a connection beyond that was yet to be seen.
Bea paced away from the counter. It would be so helpful to talk to Esme right now. But the newlyweds were on a warm, tropical beach enjoying time as a family. She wasn’t going to interrupt them with her fears or her problems.
The doorbell rang, and she went to the door.
Devin and Carly stood outside. The teen had a backpack slung over her shoulder and held a bouquet of flowers in her hands.
“Come in.” Bea waved them inside.
“These are for you.” Carly offered her the bouquet of hydrangeas, roses, and lilies. “They’re from Dad.
“No, they’re from both of us,” he interjected. “As a thank-you for your time.”
“They’re gorgeous and much appreciated.” As she lifted the fragrant bouquet to her nose, her gaze landed on his mouth, and memories of kissing him yesterday afternoon flashed through her mind.
“Can I use your bathroom?” Carly asked.
Bea gave herself a mental shake and pointed. “Sure. It’s down the hall, first door on the right.”
The teenager dropped her backpack onto the floor, and as she hurried off, Bea turned toward the kitchen. “I better put these in a vase.”
Before she’d taken a step, Devin looped an arm around her waist and brought her back toward him.
Just like yesterday, she met him for a kiss. This time, they didn’t hold back. The slow drift and glide as he explored her mouth raised a moan out of her.
Bea laid a hand on his chest and nudged him back a little. “Carly...
“She took her phone with her,” he murmured against her lips. “She’ll be in there at least another couple of minutes. I have something important to ask you.”
“What?” she asked breathlessly.
“Lauren’s coming back early from her trip. She’s picking up Carly later tonight. You could pack a bag and spend the night with me.”
Sweet temptation curled inside of her. She wanted to...but what about them taking it slow? “I’ll think about it.”
“That’s fair.”
But the kiss he followed up with wasn’t. It conveyed what would happen if she threw caution to the wind.
Caught in the spin of ever-deepening desire, she grasped a hold of the front of his shirt.
They really had to stop. Otherwise she wouldn’t be able to concentrate on baking—all she would think about was him. Reluctantly, she slipped out of his arms.
Carly opened the bathroom door and came down the hallway. As she picked up her backpack, she gave them a curious look that paused on Bea. “What happened to the flowers?”
Bea glanced at the semi-squashed bouquet and the petals on the floor. “Oh...”
“She dropped them.” Devin cleared his throat. “I should get going. I don’t want to miss the press conference.”
“Press conference?” Bea asked.
“Another sink hole opened up a few miles north of Chatelaine. The folks in that area are up in arms, and the county officials are making a statement. I won’t be gone long. Just a couple of hours or so.”
Carly snorted in disbelief.
“Hey.” Devin playfully shot his daughter an admonishing look. “Behave. And do what Bea tells you. And make sure you save a few tartlets for me—I have to make sure they’re fit for consumption.”
“Whatever, Dad.” Carly gave a small eye roll as she hugged him.
Bea walked him to the door. Before he stepped out, he gave her a wink. “See you later.”
“Bye.” Her heart was still fluttering in her chest as she and Carly went to the kitchen.
Fortunately, most of the flowers had survived being squashed, and they brightened the nook in the kitchen.
Moments later, she and Carly were both wearing yellow aprons and had pulled back their hair.
Bea pointed to a bowl of apples. “We’re making apple tartlets like we talked about, but I made some peach filling earlier today in case you wanted a variety.”
“That sounds good.” Carly picked up an apple. “So we’re peeling them?”
“Yes, but we’re making the dough for the tartlet crust first. It has to chill for at least an hour before we bake them. I hope we can get everything done before your dad gets back.”
“We will. When dad’s working on something for the paper, he’s never on time. Mom says she always has to add an hour or more to when Dad says he’s coming back. He gets distracted and forgets what he’s supposed to do. We’re used to it.”
“Oh? That’s...interesting.” Was that really true?
Since she’d known Devin, he’d only been late once—the day they’d gone to pick up Francis. Maybe Carly was just parroting something Lauren had said a time or two.
Bea showed Carly how to make the dough for the crust. She was a natural at it.
Next they peeled the apples. Once Bea had demonstrated how to safely use the knife, she allowed the teen to help cut the fruit.
The chop of the knives against their cutting boards filled the silence.
Carly dropped diced apples into the bowl sitting between them on the counter. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
She hesitated an instant, then blurted out, “Are you and the baby going to live with my dad?”
Bea carefully finished dicing an apple. It was best to be honest, right? “Your father and I haven’t decided on that.”
Carly toyed with the peeled apple on her board but didn’t cut it. “There’s only two bedrooms—mine and dad’s.” A hint of color flushed in the girl’s light brown cheeks. “His office was a bedroom...”
Bea put down her knife and turned her full attention to Carly. “No matter what we decide, you’ll always have your room. No one’s going to take that from you.”
Carly gave her a quick smile and shrug. “I was just wondering.”
Bea wanted to reach out and reassure the teen with a hug or pat on the shoulder, but they weren’t at that stage yet.
What Carly had just asked was on the parenting questionnaire. Devin said they had time, but there were so many unanswered questions...including if his daughter was going to be living with him full-time. Should they wait on making any plans until after he and Lauren worked things out? Or should she and the baby be part of the conversation now?
A little over a couple of hours later, the finished tartlets were lined up on the counter.
They tasted them, and Carly’s face lit up. “These are sooo good. Everyone’s going to want one.” Her smile faded a little. “Oh no—I messed up. I should have made a video or taken pictures of me making them.”
“We still can. We have extra dough and filling. We just have to stage it a little.”
They set up the prep area on the counter. While Carly made tartlet shells, Bea shot video clips and took candid photos. Like her dad, Carly had a good sense of humor, and it shined through.
In the midst of taking close-ups, strands of Carly’s dark brown hair fell over one of her eyes. Flour was covering her hands, so she tried to blow her hair out of her face. She laughed. “It won’t move.”
“I’ve got it.” On an impulse, Bea smoothed the strands behind Carly’s ear.
Memories of her mom flashed in her mind, along with what she’d felt back then when she and her mother had cooked and baked together. A strong sense of caring hit Bea, and she knew what she wanted to be for Carly.
A guide. A teacher. An encourager. A protector if need be. And when she was older, a friend. She wanted Carly to know that with her, she’d always have a place to just be herself.
“Thanks.” Carly smiled.
“You’re welcome.”
After the photos and videos were done, they cleaned up again.
Devin was still a no-show.
While Carly was in the bathroom, Bea sent him a text, asking if he was on his way.
He didn’t reply.
The teen came back into the kitchen. She glanced at the phone in Bea’s hand. “Did you hear from Dad?”
“No, not yet. But if you need to work on your homework... Oh, wait—it’s Friday. Are you hungry? We could make dinner?”
“That’s okay. Mom and I are picking up something on the way home.”
“Your mom? Isn’t she still on her way back from Corpus Christi?”
“Nope. She’s here. I texted her your address, and she’s on her way to pick me up.”
Bea wasn’t sure what to say. She wasn’t going to stop Carly from going with her mom. “Well, we should pack up the tartlets.”
They were almost finished boxing up the desserts when the doorbell rang.
“I’ll get it,” Bea said. Maybe that was Devin.
She opened the door.
Devin’s ex-wife stood outside. With her hair pulled back in a ponytail, she was a pretty, adult version of her daughter.
She offered a hesitant smile. “Hello. I’m Lauren, Carly’s mom.”
Neither one of them had probably anticipated meeting this way, but it was happening.
Bea rolled with it. “Hi, I’m Bea. Come on in. Carly’s still packing up the tartlets in the kitchen, but she won’t be long.”
Lauren walked inside. “Thanks for helping her with the bake sale.” Genuine friendliness was in her tone. “I’m so tired from my trip, the best I could have done for her tonight was put sprinkles and chocolate chips on some store-bought cupcakes. I hope it wasn’t too much trouble.”
“Not at all. I enjoyed it. And Carly did most of the work. Come see what she did.”
They went to the kitchen.
Carly showed her mom the tartlets.
“Wow!” Lauren exclaimed. “Those look amazing. Great job. They’re going to sell out before the first hour of the bake sale.”
“I know.” Carly beamed.
“We’ll have to be careful taking them home.” Lauren handed the teen her car keys. “The thermal bag I use for groceries is padded. It’s behind the back seat. Go ahead and put your backpack in the car now.”
Carly left the kitchen.
The front door shut, and Bea and Lauren stood silently in the kitchen.
The dark-haired woman offered up a small smile. “I really do appreciate you helping Carly. I hope Devin didn’t dump the task on you and leave.”
“No, it was fine. He didn’t need to be here.”
“But he should have gotten back in time to pick her up. As soon as Carly told me he was working on a story, I knew what happened.” Hints of exasperation filled Lauren’s face. “When he’s caught up in a story, everyone around him gets shut out. Nothing else matters.”
Nothing else? On a reflex Bea almost laid a hand on her stomach, but she caught herself.
But not before Lauren noticed. Her exasperation morphed into a swift explanation. “I’m not saying Devin’s a bad guy. He’s just—”
The front door opened, and Lauren grew silent.
Carly returned, and Bea shifted her attention to helping her pack the bag.
As the three of them stood at the door, the girl looked from Bea to her mom as if unsure what to do next.
Lauren motioned to Carly. “What are you waiting for? Give Bea a hug and say thank you.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Bea followed Carly’s lead into an embrace. Happiness filled her as the teen tightened her arms around her.
After Lauren and Carly left, she leaned back against the door. Happiness faded. Where was Devin? Was he okay?
He gets distracted and forgets what he’s supposed to do. We’re used to it...
When he’s caught up in a story, everyone around him gets shut out. Nothing else matters...
Carly and Lauren’s comments played through her mind.
I’m not saying Devin’s a bad guy. He’s just—
He’s just what? As Bea pondered the question, remnants of the doubt she’d felt years ago when she’d first noticed cracks in her marriage started to surface. No. This wasn’t the same situation. She just needed to voice her concerns to Devin. He’d understand.
A rapping on the door startled her out of her thoughts, and she opened the door.
Devin’s expression was filled with genuine remorse. “Bea, I’m sorry.” He glanced down as he rubbed the back of his head. “Will you let me explain what happened?”
The first step in being able to voice her concerns was listening. Bea opened the door wider and let him in. After shutting it, she faced him, but she left her hand on the doorknob.
Devin held up his hands in surrender. “I realize none of what I’m about to say is a good excuse. I should have made it back when I said I would. But the press conference started late. And then I had people to interview. One of them gave me a lead on another story, and I made a stop to follow up on it. That side trip took longer than I anticipated.”
“Why didn’t you respond to my text and tell me that?”
“My phone was on silent.” He grimaced. “It’s a habit. When I was starting out as a cub reporter, my phone rang in the middle of an important interview. I lost the exclusive, and I almost lost my job. Ever since then, I’ve made sure that didn’t happen again. Usually, I remember to change the setting back to normal, but I didn’t until a little while ago. That’s when I saw I missed your text as well as Lauren’s.”
He looked so sincere, but...
Devin took a step toward her. “Rather than texting or calling you back, I wanted to explain face-to-face.”
Telling him what Lauren and Carly had claimed about him would sound like an accusation. And she wasn’t trying to start a fight. This also wasn’t about his ex-wife or his daughter—this moment was about them and their relationship.
Bea released the doorknob and walked closer to Devin. “I understand your work is important, but what if something had happened to Carly or me and we really needed to reach you? You can’t go MIA like that. I was worried.” Admitting that aloud made her heart constrict in her chest.
“In the future, I won’t chase the next story.” Devin took hold of her hand. “And I’ll answer my phone. I promise.”
Bea gave in to the need to be closer to him, and he immediately took her into his arms.
Kissing her temple, Devin’s chest rose and fell with a deep breath. As she laid her head to his chest, their breathing synced.
He held her a bit tighter. “Thanks again for helping Carly. Lauren said she’s really excited about showing off what the two of you made tomorrow.”
“I’m glad,” she murmured.
“I am bummed that I missed out on being the official taste tester.”
The desire to be with him was undeniable, and Bea weighed whether to give in to it. “I still have ingredients left.” She leaned away and looked up at him. “We can make them at your place.”