“THE CROWNCRAFT rep is thrilled with my ideas for Auntie Bea’s,” Kitty said, holding up the Inventory Clearance Sale banner she’d made while Jennifer taped it to the window.
“You mean Cassandra’s?” Jennifer corrected.
Kitty smiled. “She even liked the name change. She’ll be up in the area next week and wants to talk about swapping out their inventory for products that will be more suitable for the new store.”
She stepped back to check the sign. “I guess, for a while at least, I’m out of hot water with them.”
“So you’ll be going to the trade show.”
“Booked my plane ticket yesterday.”
“And will you be staying for Valentine’s Day?”
Kitty eyed her friend, not missing her look of insinuation.
“I saw Howard the other day,” Jennifer added. “He asked how you were doing.”
“And you said?”
“I didn’t tell him you’ve been sleeping with The Beek, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
Kitty frowned. “You don’t have to lie. My relationship with Josh is no betrayal to Howard.”
“Is that what it is? A relationship?” Kitty didn’t have an answer, prompting Jennifer to add, “Valentine’s Day is only a few weeks away, you know.”
“I know what day it is, I’ve just been—busy.”
Jennifer picked up the stepladder and carried it to the storage room. “Busy whiling away your nights with yet another man who will get you nowhere. This one even told you on day one not to expect a relationship.” She sighed and eyed Kitty pathetically. “Tell me you don’t actually think that situation’s changed.”
For two weeks now, Jennifer had been warning Kitty about getting too involved with Josh, reminding her that it was supposed to have been a one-night stand. It wasn’t that Jennifer didn’t like Josh. It was that, for ten years now, she’d been on the receiving end of Kitty’s romantic frustrations and broken hearts. She’d listened to hours of sobs and woes and was the brainchild behind the idea of Kitty using her head instead of her heart to find the man of her dreams, since the other way around hadn’t gotten her anywhere.
“No, I don’t,” Kitty confirmed. “And you’re right. Wasting my time with men like Josh is exactly what’s left me single and pushing thirty. And, no, I haven’t given up plan Howard. I just—”
She just hadn’t wanted to let go of the wonderful time she was having, or the sexy way Josh made her feel, the way her tummy tingled every time she set eyes on him, how he touched her, the passion in their lovemaking, that he could make her laugh at the slightest things, or—
Kitty had to sit down. Plopping onto one of the crates they’d been emptying, she wrapped her arms around her waist and groaned. “Oh, no. Jennifer, I’ve fallen in love with him.”
Jennifer stood and stared. “What?”
“I knew I had it bad, but not as bad as this.”
“Kitty, Kitty.” Jennifer’s tone was chastising, as if Kitty were the stupidest woman on earth, and she couldn’t argue. She’d played with fire and something had ignited. What had she expected?
And worse, it only proved that Kitty had a serious problem when it came to men. After all, if it weren’t for Tori and Sam and the pact they’d made last year, Kitty wouldn’t even be considering Howard right now. She would have continued this fling with Josh indefinitely until he ultimately tired and broke her heart. And how much more of her life would she have wasted while she watched more of her friends marry and start families?
No, she wasn’t going there. She was going to stick to plan Howard, give the guy a solid chance, and if things didn’t work out between them, she’d at least know it wasn’t because she’d made another stupid mistake.
“I need to break it off with Josh,” she said.
Jennifer eyed the restaurant across the street. “Now would be the perfect opportunity.”
“He’s busy. I can’t bother him at work.”
“He’s never too busy to chat with customers. He’ll make time for you.”
“But—”
“Kitty, I know you. You’re a softie and a sucker for charm. If you get him in private, he’ll just talk you out of it. Don’t you remember Ron?”
Ron was a distributor whom Kitty had managed to get involved with a couple years back. On a biweekly basis, the man waltzed into town, wined and dined her, talked business, had sex, then headed back to Los Angeles until next time. Over and over again, Kitty had intended to break it off, but he’d kept stringing her along with stories about how he was thinking of relocating to the area. Until, of course, he took a job in New York and was gone forever.
“Yes, I remember Ron.” She sighed and stared out the window. “You’re right. I need to start making better choices when it comes to men, and I need to start now. I’m going over there, and as soon as I’m done, I’m walking down to Hollies Paints and asking Howard on a date.”
She stood and smoothed the creases from her slacks. “One big swoop before I can change my mind and back out.”
“Go,” Jennifer urged. “Plan Howard was a good one. He’s a nice guy and I really think that if you gave it a shot you’d find something special with him.”
Kitty had already found something special with Josh. That she knew all the way to her soul. But without two sides to that street, she was only headed for another dead end on her road to something lasting. So, with her chin up and her shoulders squared, she headed over to Beekers, determined to do this before she lost both her heart and her nerve.
She walked in and found him at the grill. “Josh, can we talk?”
He turned around and his face lit up. She tried not to let the sparkling smile affect her, but with three weeks of blissful memories running a slide show in her brain, she couldn’t help feeling a solid lump in her throat. And it didn’t help that he was standing there in those sexy chef’s whites that broadened his shoulders and trimmed his waist. No wonder the women fawned all over him when they came into the restaurant. With the delectable smells sizzling off the grill at the hand of the mouthwatering man creating them, all the senses were plundered and no female was left with a fighting chance.
“Hey, it’s my favorite gift-shop owner,” he chimed. “What can I do for you, darlin’?”
She swallowed hard and shored up her will. She’d have all the time in the world to feel sorry for herself when this was done. Right now, she had to grow a stiff spine.
“I know you’re busy, but we need to talk. It’ll only take a moment.”
The other chef at the grill eyed her then Josh. “Sounds serious.”
Josh’s smile turned inquisitive. “Sure.” He grabbed a towel and wiped his hands as he rounded the bar. “What’s up?”
“Could we talk in private? Maybe out back or—”
“Follow me.”
He led her to a storeroom, where he turned on the lights and shut the door. “What is it, babe?”
“I, um…” Her fingers found her pearls and she began toying with them nervously. “I don’t mean to do this suddenly, but this—relationship—we’ve been having.” She waved a finger between them. “This thing between us—this, well, you know.”
He crossed his arms over his chest and waited for her to keep going.
She cleared her throat. “Anyway, Valentine’s Day is coming up, and if you remember my pact with my friends at the trade show.”
Then in a rush everything she’d told him that first night in her apartment came spilling out. She sounded more like a kid explaining a broken lamp than a grown woman taking control of her love life, but it didn’t matter. She was conveying the message somewhat coherently, and Josh was getting it, judging by the way his bright mood darkened and his lips went flat. Most likely, the man had never been broken up with before, and though Kitty garnered no pleasure from that notion, it helped to explain the sorry look on his face.
“Plan Howard,” he said, his voice flat and unadorned.
“You have to understand. There are things I want in life that you don’t. The years are getting away from me. I’ll be thirty next year, and I can’t go on indefinitely waiting for a lasting relationship to simply present itself.”
He shook his head and agreed, “No, you can’t.”
“I just—I wish I could be like you, happy with my career and my friends. If that were the case, I’d take you for as long as you’d have me. But I’m not. I want a husband and a family and stability, and—” Her voice hitched and she had to stop. And thankfully, by then, Josh didn’t need to hear anymore. Instead, he pulled her into his arms and gave her a warm hug.
“Babe, I understand.”
That was good. Maybe he could explain it to her. Because despite what she’d said, she really didn’t accept why, when two people had such a wonderful and intimate time with each other—who seemed to connect on so many levels bringing such pleasure to each other’s lives—why that wouldn’t be something a person would want to hold on to forever. She certainly wanted it. But apparently Josh saw things differently.
Maybe what was a spectacular relationship to her was only run of the mill to him. She’d been across the street long enough to know that after her, a dozen other women were no doubt lined up, waiting for Josh’s attention. So what would be his motive to settle for a simple townie like her?
She pulled from his embrace and threw on a phony smile. “I’m glad.” She took an awkward step back. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate everything you’ve done for me and my store. You’re a good neighbor.”
And a good man, and lover, entertainer, chef, friend, confidant—
“It’s been my pleasure,” he said quietly.
His face was smiling but there was something hollow in it. Nonetheless, she wasn’t in a position to stay and analyze. She’d almost managed to get through this without completely humiliating herself in at least a half-dozen ways, so she needed to get out while she was still ahead.
“I’ll see you around then?”
“You know where to find me.”
Then without another look, she scampered from the room, through the restaurant and into the chilly evening air, gulping a breath and telling herself that after pulling off that stunning performance, she should be capable of just about anything.