Sunlight tiptoed through the gap in the curtains, tempting Kat to greet the new day. With a groan, she yanked the covers over her head, refusing to stir from the comfort of the silky soft sheets.
Today, she’d committed to meet up with Jack to finish the display. But how could she face him after how she’d behaved last night? He’d tried to reconnect after his conversation with Ashley, but Kat had avoided him, an immature reaction at best.
Seeing Jack with his ex had forced her to confront the depth of her feelings for him. Not to mention the foolishness of falling for someone who lived hundreds of miles away. What was she thinking?
Clearly, she wasn’t. And that was the problem.
The tantalizing aroma of Belgian waffles wafted into the bedroom, reminding Kat that she’d promised Trudy she’d join them for breakfast.
After shoving the covers aside, she hastily dressed and trudged down the staircase, attempting to rouse a dollop of enthusiasm.
“Good morning, dearie!” Trudy set a glass jar of homemade strawberry preserves on the artfully arranged dining table brimming with enough food to feed Santa’s entire workshop. “We’re thrilled you could join us.”
As Kat eased herself onto one of the floral-upholstered dining chairs, she noticed the smiling couple sitting across from her.
“Kat, I’d like you to meet Elle and Graham Dalton.” Trudy’s delight was evident in the soft creases around her eyes. “They first stayed with us last spring, and I told them they simply had to come back at Christmastime.” A timer trilled, and she clapped her hands. “The muffins are ready!”
As Trudy dashed into the kitchen, the pretty young woman smiled warmly at Kat. “Trudy made Christmas in Poppy Creek sound so idyllic, we couldn’t think of a better place to spend our honeymoon. Plus, we’re also here for a friend’s wedding.”
Great. Newlyweds. Just what she needed when her heart felt like it had been trampled by a herd of reindeer. “Congratulations.”
“Thank you. Coffee?” Elle passed her a ceramic carafe.
“Yes, please.” Kat filled her mug to the brim, ignoring the way the couple subtly leaned toward each other as though their chairs weren’t close enough already. Or the way Graham kept casting adoring glances in his wife’s direction as if the way she buttered her toast deserved a standing ovation.
She stared down at her own plate of perfectly plump and golden waffles. Who would’ve thought such a mouthwatering meal could leave her feeling so melancholy?
“So, Kat,” Elle began, apparently intent on small talk. “Trudy says you’re in town visiting your sister.”
“Yes, I am.” For some reason, the ability to make lively conversation had escaped her.
“How long are you staying?” Graham asked, scooping a heaping spoonful of strawberry preserves onto his generous stack of syrup-soaked waffles.
“That’s… undecided.”
The newlyweds exchanged a confused glance as Kat sipped her coffee.
“She’s on a treasure hunt,” Trudy announced with a grand, mysterious air as she placed a basket of warm poppyseed muffins in the center of the table.
Kat sputtered, wiping the dribbles of coffee off her chin with the back of her hand. “How did you know that?”
“It’s a small town, dear,” Trudy said as though it explained everything.
“A treasure hunt? How fun.” Elle sounded intrigued.
“With a map?” Graham asked.
Kat shook her head. “Riddles, actually.”
“I love riddles.” An older man with thinning silvery hair and tanned sun-wrinkled skin burst from the kitchen carrying a tray of sizzling sausage and bacon. Although they hadn’t officially met, Kat recognized him as Trudy’s husband, George. “Can you share one of the clues with us?” He sat at the head of the table, while Trudy took the chair to his right.
“Sure.” Kat wouldn’t turn down extra help. And luckily, this one had been easier to memorize. “The most recent one is ‘A tale as old as time, a love beyond refrain, a story penned in rhyme, a rose by any name.’”
“Romeo and Juliet?” Graham guessed almost immediately. “It’s a classic love story, an eternal romance in which Shakespeare utilizes rhyming couplets. And in the second act, Juliet says, ‘What’s in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.’”
“Graham always aced our high school English exams.” Elle gifted her husband with a proud, doting smile.
“That’s what my sister, Penny, guessed as well. But when we checked her copy of Romeo and Juliet, we couldn’t find anything.”
Everyone’s brow furrowed in thought, their breakfast forgotten.
“What about an adaptation?” Graham asked.
“Yes!” Elle snapped her fingers. “Like West Side Story.” She grinned sheepishly as she added, “I watched the movie in high school instead of reading the play.”
“That’s an interesting idea,” Kat said slowly. “I did notice a shelf of old DVDs. It’s worth a look.”
“Will you let us know if you find it?” Elle asked.
“Absolutely,” Kat told her as they all resumed eating.
She caught the newlyweds exchange another loving glance and her stomach twisted.
Until meeting Jack, she’d resigned herself to remaining single forever, like Fern.
But now, she wasn’t sure what she wanted anymore.
“Come on, Luce. Pick up,” Jack muttered before the call went to voice mail. He’d been trying to reach her all morning, but she was either avoiding him or busy. He hoped it was the latter.
“Knock, knock.” Vick ducked his head into the office. “Someone’s here to see you.”
“Thanks. I’ll be right there.” Jack stood, his heart pounding. He hadn’t seen Kat since last night when she’d remained glued to Penny’s side. Come to think of it, she’d acted strange ever since Ashley showed up. Hopefully, she hadn’t read too much into it. And if so, he’d gladly set the record straight while they worked on the display this afternoon.
Passing through the busy kitchen, Jack stepped into the main dining area, already wearing a grin in anticipation of seeing Kat again.
“My, aren’t you in a good mood today.”
His blood chilled at the sight of his ex. “You’re still in town?”
She ignored his comment. “Rumor has it you want to turn the Windsor house into an inn. Is that true?”
“Maybe.” He folded his arms in front of his chest, on the defensive. “Why do you care?”
“I can help you.”
“Isn’t it a little presumptuous to assume I’d even want your help? We haven’t spoken in years.”
“You act like that’s my fault.”
“I’m not the one who left.” His jaw clenched, and he hated that she had this effect on him. He suspected his feelings for Ashley had gotten tangled up in his anger toward his father. Either way, he didn’t want to be having this conversation in the middle of his crowded diner.
“But you’re the one who didn’t come after me.” She pinned him with her dark, piercing eyes as though she planned to gaze right into his soul.
But he wouldn’t give her that luxury, not anymore. “You knew I’d never follow you to New York.”
“But I’m in Los Angeles now.” She walked toward him, the click-clack of her heels matching the throbbing of his temples. “A lot has changed, Jack. You want to open an inn, which is a far cry from when all you wanted was a sleepy diner. It’s so ambitious. It’s so—”
“Unlike me?” Jack finished for her.
“I didn’t say that.”
“But you thought it, didn’t you? You were always disappointed I didn’t have loftier goals. I just never knew about it. Until it was too late.”
“Jack,” she released an exasperated sigh, “does any of this matter anymore? I mean, look at you now.” She waved a hand to encompass the bustling restaurant. “It’s not even the lunch rush yet and every booth is filled. You’ve obviously done quite well for yourself. I’ll be sure to pass that along to your father,” she added pointedly.
“Don’t bother,” he growled.
“Why not? Don’t you want him to know how successful you’ve become after turning down his job offer?”
“You mean, the job offer you took?” He regretted the bitter edge to his words. Especially when he noticed her almost imperceptible wince.
“I just thought you’d want him to know how well you’ve done.” She raised her chin as though reclaiming her aura of impenetrable confidence.
“That’s the difference between you and me,” he said softly. “I don’t care what other people think.”
Even as he said the words, he knew they weren’t entirely true. He cared what Kat thought. Especially now as she breezed through the front door and spotted him speaking with Ashley in hushed tones. Her eyes widened ever so slightly before she spun around, exiting the way she came.
“I have to go,” he said abruptly, brushing past her.
Hurrying outside, he trotted down the sidewalk and tapped Kat’s shoulder before throwing up his hands. “Don’t attack. I’m unarmed.”
This elicited a small smile as she turned to face him. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt your conversation.”
“You didn’t. In fact, I’ve been counting down the seconds until you showed up.”
She flushed. “Does that mean you’re ready to work on the display?”
“Yep. I’m embracing my inner Martha Stewart. Let’s go grab the arbor and get started.” As they walked around back to the storage shed, Jack stole a sideways glance as he said casually, “We kept missing each other in the crowd last night.”
“Yes, I suppose we did,” she said without meeting his gaze.
“I thought we’d make up for it tonight.”
“What’d you have in mind?” She peered up at him through thick lashes.
“It’s a surprise.”
“A surprise?”
“Yeah, you do like surprises, don’t you?”
“I guess it depends on what it is.” She smirked.
“Fair enough,” he said with a chuckle. “Normally, the gentlemanly thing would be to pick you up. But what if we meet at my place instead? There’s someone there who’d really like to see you.”
Her face brightened. “I’d love that. I’ve missed him.”
Jack was tempted to ask if she’d missed him, too, but didn’t want to come on too strong.
A faint buzzing sound emanated from somewhere inside her coat pocket. Her expression clouded as soon as she read the text message.
“Everything okay?” he asked.
“Everything’s great.” She stuffed her phone back inside her pocket and flashed him a heart-stopping smile.
How could one simple gesture make him forget everything? The tension with Ashley. His long-standing family feud. Nothing else seemed to matter in Kat’s presence.
And it was the kind of feeling he could get used to.