Chapter Eleven

Carissa would have liked to spend the entire day in bed. Instead, she was surrounded by copious amounts of chocolate chips, bags of flour and sugar, and more butter wrappers than one person ever needed to see in their lifetime.

Despite wanting to curl into a ball and mope for the next week—or year—she’d promised Riley she would bake cookies for the high school fund-raiser. She might have walked out on Jasper and the Save the Day Café, but she wouldn’t let the kids down.

You’ll just let Jasper down.

Every time she thought about Jasper, it felt like a very large, strong fist was gripping her heart and clenching it tightly. If she was honest with herself, she hadn’t even felt this way at the demise of her marriage.

“It doesn’t make sense,” she said as she took a break from cookie-making and made a cup of tea.

She’d only been in a relationship with Jasper for a short time, and that relationship was supposed to be light and fun and not serious. She’d been with Preston for almost ten years. But when she compared the hurt from being cheated on to how she’d felt learning that Jasper had interfered in her life, the adultery took a back seat.

Because Jasper was so much more important to her than Preston had ever been. She guessed that the more you cared about someone, the harder it hurt. And it did hurt.

She knew she’d panicked. Pure and simple anxiety as she watched Jasper taking the reins of the café. Not to mention, learning that he’d interfered at his mother’s party when she’d first arrived in town.

The frustrating part was that she knew it came from a good place with Jasper. Yet she still felt terrified. Carissa wanted her independence. She didn’t want to rely on anyone. At some point yesterday, she’d been sitting in his office watching her life spin out of her control. Again.

It hadn’t ended well the last time. As Jasper spit out names and possible vendors, she was transported back to her fancy Chicago condo with Preston.

“Of course I love it. But I just can’t believe you bought an entire condo without consulting me.”

“What are you talking about? I did this for you.”

Hadn’t Jasper said something similar yesterday? The problem was, she didn’t want people to do things for her. She wanted—needed—to do them herself. Because if she didn’t, she was following in her father’s less-than-illustrious footsteps.

Now she’d run out on their business deal and had no idea where she stood with Jasper. She wished she could reflect on it more only... Ding. The oven timer reminded her why she didn’t have time to dwell on the situation.

She took the sheet of chocolate chip cookies out of the oven and shoved the next sheet in. After setting the timer, she turned back to the disaster she was currently calling a kitchen. There was no way she could get all of these cookies done in this one small kitchen, with one equally small oven, all by herself. What had she been thinking trying to open a café? Really, she was doing Jasper a favor by walking out on the contract signing.

“Stop thinking about Jasper. Focus.”

Like that was going to happen. She so needed help. A knock sounded on the front door. As if on cue, Riley stood on the porch, wearing a darling outfit of skinny jeans, flats, a banana-yellow shirt, and a matching bright yellow scarf with lime-green polka dots around her neck.

“You look like something out of an old Audrey Hepburn movie,” Carissa said by way of greeting.

“Why thank you.” Riley beamed. “Not gonna lie. I’ve seen you look better.” She eyed Carissa’s outfit of pajama bottoms, ratty Northwestern T-shirt she’d had for a million years, and unbrushed hair piled on top of her head in a messy bun. If she had to guess, there was more than likely flour on her face and raw dough behind her ear.

Carissa let Riley inside. “Please tell me you’re here to help. Please, please, please.”

Riley put her hands up in front of her. “Whoa, girl. I’ve never seen you like this. Cool-as-a-cucumber Carissa never freaks out.”

“Well, I’ve turned a new leaf. I’m in way over my head with these cookies.”

Riley stood back and gave her a long once-over. “Cookies, I can help with. But...is there something else going on? You seem upset, and not just because of the baking.”

Carissa was running her hands over her face, rubbing her tired eyes. In answer to Riley’s question, she blurted, “I think Jasper and I broke up.” She hiccuped to hold in the tears that threatened.

Riley’s face morphed from question to sympathy. She led Carissa to the couch and forced her to sit down. “I’m sorry. What happened? No, wait, we need Elle for both this conversation and the cookies. Give me a second.” Riley whipped her phone out, then had a quick conversation with Elle. After, she brought Carissa’s tea to her and made a cup for herself while they waited for Elle, who showed up fifteen minutes later.

“Good thing I just hired someone to help out at the gallery. Now, what’s going on?” Elle said as she breezed in and sat on the other side of Carissa.

Flanked by her friends, Carissa sighed and then told them the entire story. She started all the way back in high school with her dad’s antics and finished with her fight with Jasper in his office yesterday.

“It’s like he didn’t even see how controlling he was being. I know he was trying to help, but there was a point when I was sitting there that I thought about my future. And it resembled my dad’s life,” she finished in a quiet voice.

Riley raised a hand. “And there is the real issue.”

“It really is, isn’t it?” Carissa agreed. “It’s not exactly the same scenario as my dad but there’s this way in which I would be relying on someone else. It’s Jasper’s investment and it was all of his suggestions and ideas and none of mine. Plus, we’re in a relationship. I would be dependent on him for everything.”

Elle was tapping a finger to her lips as she considered. “On the one hand, it’s kind of sweet. On the other, it’s controlling and I get why you freaked.”

Riley sat forward on the couch. “Where do you and Jasper stand now?”

The question set off a flurry of nerves in her stomach. She shook her head. “I really don’t know. I haven’t talked to him.” She clasped her hands together. “And I haven’t heard from him, either. I think I really messed this up.”

“You reacted honestly,” Elle said. Her loyalty touched Carissa. “I’m surprised Jasper hasn’t called or come over here.”

“I’m not,” Carissa admitted. She took a moment as her friends patiently waited for her explanation. “Jasper has always had an issue with being good enough. It started with his family and was exacerbated by our breakup after graduation. I basically rejected both the business deal he was so proud of and our relationship yesterday.”

“That’s not exactly what happened,” Riley said.

“That’s how he’ll see it, though.” Carissa knew him. He hadn’t called because she’d hurt him.

Riley patted Carissa’s hand. “I think you guys can work through this.”

Could they? Carissa wasn’t so sure. There was ten years of hurt and sadness and confusion between them. How could she be with someone who had the ability to get inside her so easily? Who could hurt her more than anyone else? Why would she allow that person in her life? Give them control over her emotions?

She was aware that both of her friends were eyeing her with concern. But she needed some time and space to work this out on her own. A master at changing the subject, she did just that.

“We have another problem,” Carissa said. “A problem that might have a simpler solution.” Elle narrowed her eyes and Riley leaned forward. “The cookies. One oven and mounds and mounds of raw dough. I need some help.” She checked the clock on the TV. “With less than twenty-four hours to go.”

“Oh, that,” Riley said, swishing her hand through the air as if this problem was nothing. “You got us. We can help bake.”

Elle agreed. “I’ll have to check in on the gallery throughout the day and go back to close up, but other than that, I’m here at your command. Put me to work.”

Carissa let out a huge sigh of relief. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. And I’m sorry if I ruined whatever plans you had today.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Riley said. “What do you say we put your independence issues and all things related to Jasper Dumont aside, and bake some damn cookies.”

She couldn’t help herself, Carissa grinned. “Now, that sounds like a plan.”

* * *

“We are done,” Riley said triumphantly.

Elle stretched her arms high over her head. “I can’t believe we did it. I’ll be seeing flour and sugar and sprinkles in my dreams for weeks, but we did it. How many did we make total?”

“One million,” Riley answered around the peanut butter cookie she had just shoved into her mouth.

“Not quite that many, but close,” Carissa put in.

She looked at each of her friends. Two women who hadn’t been in her life a couple months ago. Now she couldn’t imagine what she’d do without them. They’d stayed up the entire night mixing recipes, laying out cookies on trays, baking, and repeating the whole process over and over again. They’d consumed a whole extra-large pizza, countless cups of coffee and more cookie dough than was probably wise.

“Thank you both so much. Literally, I couldn’t have done this without you.”

“You’re welcome. Now we have two hours to spare before the fund-raiser begins. I’m going to go home, make out with Cam for a little bit, and then take a shower.”

“Same,” Riley said as she crossed to the door. “You know, except for the making out with Cam part. And I think I’m going to plan another outfit around this scarf. It’s fabulous and totally got wasted being here with you two all night.”

Carissa laughed as she fingered the bright yellow material. “This scarf is fabulous and so are you.”

Riley beamed. “See you guys at the high school.”

Carissa waved goodbye from the door. Exhausted, she stood there a moment, taking in the fresh air. The weather had finally cooled off and she could smell the beginnings of fall. Leaves were just beginning to turn their autumnal colors. She might even need a jacket today.

Carissa didn’t know how long she stood like that, one foot on the porch. But luckily the sound of her phone pulled her back in. Then she saw the name of the caller. Mom. Carissa sighed. She was way too tired for this. But manners had her saying hello anyway.

“Carissa, sweetheart, it’s so good to hear your voice.” Her mother’s bright, cheery voice was so familiar and comforting that it had her heart longing for a hug.

How long had it been since she’d seen her parents? Too long. But it was so hard to be around her father. Every time she was, he’d go on and on about trips he’d taken and new things he’d bought.

“It’s good to hear your voice, too, Mom. What’s up?” She poured herself a glass of orange juice as she listened to her mother.

There was silence on the line. Never a good thing when dealing with her mother. Finally, her mom offered that mother of a mother line that had kids shaking everywhere. “Anything you want to tell me?”

Where to start, Carissa thought.

Instead, she decided to play it cool. “What do you want to know?”

“I’d like to know why my only child moved back to Bayside and didn’t so much as mention it to her loving mother?”

Carissa bit her lip. It did sound bad when it was put like that. “Who spilled the beans?”

“Aunt Val mentioned it in passing. The question is, why didn’t you?”

She shrugged but then remembered her mother couldn’t see her. “I don’t know, Mom. I made the decision pretty fast. I had to get out of Chicago.”

“Because of the divorce?”

“Because of the divorce and the fact that I didn’t have anywhere to live or any money or any friends or a job.”

“Oh, baby. Why didn’t you come here? We would have taken care of you.”

Just like you took care of me when Dad spent all your money? Like how you left me to figure out higher education on my own? Like when you ripped everything away that I’d known my entire life at a very scary time?

She didn’t say any of that, though. Sometimes old wounds were better left alone. “I wanted to figure it out for myself.”

She could practically hear her mother’s smile. Even through the technology of cell phones, she sensed her mother relax. “You always were independent.”

Not always. Not during her marriage. “Well, I’m back in Bayside, living at Aunt Val’s place while she travels the globe.”

“I do miss Bayside. What’s it like to be back there again?”

An image of Jasper flashed into her mind. “It’s kind of the same. But kind of different, too.”

They talked about the town and some of her mother’s old friends. Carissa tried to catch her up on everything. She also told her mom about her desire to be a caterer. But at her mom’s expressed pleasure, she started fidgeting. So she changed the subject. “What’s going on with you, Mom?”

“Nothing much on my end. Just working hard.”

After her parents left Bayside in shame, they’d moved to Portland, Maine. Her mother had held a series of positions; most recently she was working at a day care center. Her mother’s bubbly attitude and aptitude to deal with children made the job a perfect fit, in Carissa’s opinion.

“Where’s Dad?”

“He’s playing golf with a friend of his.”

Of course he was. Her mother was carrying the load and her dad was out playing eighteen holes. He’d probably also placed some friendly wager on the outcome, too. “Whose money is he using for his golf game?”

“Oh, Carissa. Stop worrying about us. You do that far too much. Your father and I, we’re fine.”

Fine? Fine? Carissa shook her head. How could her mother say that they were fine? Nothing about her father’s spending habits and her mother’s blind eye was fine.

Carissa took a deep breath. “Don’t you think that Dad should pull his weight? Wouldn’t it be good for him to get a job of his own and help support you?”

“Your father’s a good man.”

“But, but,” she stuttered. “He’s made so many mistakes.”

“So have I,” her mother replied simply. “I didn’t marry your father and stay with him all of these years because he was perfect.”

That comment had her freezing in place. “Why did you stay with him all this time?”

“Because I love him.”

Four small words. Carissa wanted to protest. She wanted more of an answer than that. After everything they’d been through as a couple, how could her mother love him?

“I know how it must seem to you, Carissa. Like your father constantly messed up business deals and jobs.”

Uh, yeah, pretty much.

“You don’t know the whole story,” her mother continued. “There were times your father did mess up of his own accord. But other times, there were circumstances that were out of our control. I know you don’t want to hear it, but sometimes your dad was the victim.”

“But, Mom—”

“Not always,” she was quick to finish. “Life isn’t always black and white.”

It didn’t make sense and she had a feeling it never would. Like always, she dug deep within herself to separate the pain and confusion her father evoked and the love she had for her mother.

Then her mom said something that took her by complete surprise. “I’m sorry about what happened to your college money, Carissa. I’m so very sorry you had to get all of those jobs and work as hard as you did.”

“I’m not.” She realized for the first time she actually meant that.

There had been days where she’d worked early in the morning, gone to classes and study groups, and then finished her day at a different job. It had been hard, but it had also taught her so much.

Another realization hit. Before college, she’d been a pampered and sheltered teenager. Because of what she’d learned during that time at Northwestern, she was able to build her company today.

Her mother continued. “If it had been up to me, you would have floated into college on a cloud and lived in a protective bubble for four years.” She let out a little laugh. “I suppose all parents want that for their children. I didn’t want you to want for anything.”

“It was better the way it was. Trust me, Mom.”

They spoke a little while longer before hanging up.

Then Carissa stood in the kitchen with half a glass of orange juice and the makings of a killer headache. She needed to take a shower and get ready for the fund-raiser. But she couldn’t seem to move her feet. Somehow, she felt relieved and renewed after the conversation with her mother. Everything came back to one statement her mother had made.

Because I love him. The phrase echoed throughout her mind over and over. No qualms. No conditions. Her mother loved her father and that was it.

Carissa dropped the glass she was holding, the shards of glass raining onto the countertop she’d just cleaned. But she was too amazed at the epiphany she’d just had to worry about some broken glass.

For all of these years, Carissa had been searching for perfection. That’s why she’d dated and subsequently married Preston. She’d wanted perfection and she’d gotten it. Only, life hadn’t been quite so perfect. Preston had the pedigree and the manners. He was smart and handsome. They lived in the picture-perfect condo with the gorgeous view of the Chicago skyline. Their parties were attended by the best people. They drove the right cars. They belonged to the right clubs. They played the part just right.

Only it had been very, very wrong.

Her perfect-on-paper husband had been a massive disappointment off the page.

Then, there was Jasper. She always seemed to return to him. Not just her body, but her thoughts, her feelings. Even in college, he never strayed far from her musings. During her marriage, she would find Jasper creeping in to remind her of a much happier time.

She’d walked out on him and the café deal because he’d scared her. She loved him so he, and he alone, had the ability to hurt her more than anyone else. More than her dad even. And still, she wanted to be with him. He drove her crazy and she longed for him. Why?

“Because I love him,” she said into the silence of the kitchen, echoing her mother’s earlier statement. “I love Jasper.”

She ran a hand through her hair. Ohmigod, I love Jasper. She started giggling uncontrollably as she wondered when it had happened. Maybe she’d never stopped loving him from back in high school. It didn’t really matter because despite everything, she was in love with him now. More importantly, she realized that loving someone meant loving all of them, imperfections and all. After all, she had a lot of imperfections and Jasper seemed to look past them.

She may not understand her parents’ relationship. She definitely didn’t get how her mother could put up with her father’s lack of ambition and general laziness. But it wasn’t up to her. After that phone call, she understood that her mother loved her father anyway. In spite of everything life had thrown at them.

And she loved Jasper Dumont in the same careless, crazy, makes-no-sense kind of way. At one time, she’d thought that her ex-husband was the polar opposite of her father. But she’d been wrong. Jasper was the one who represented everything her father didn’t.

Now she had to figure out how to tell him and hope that she hadn’t pushed him away too much the other day.

* * *

Jasper walked through one of the side doors to his alma mater. It smelled of school—pencils, erasers, gym shoes. He glanced around the hallway. The lockers had been upgraded since his time here. But the large overhead light still flickered like it had when he’d been a student. Were they never going to fix it?

Jasper continued down the hallway. He knew it was still the same old Bayside High and yet it seemed smaller somehow. Maybe because this was no longer the center of his universe. That had been a different era where things like study hall, baseball practice and Carissa Blackwell were the most important things on his mind.

Well, maybe one of those things was still in the forefront of his mind.

He continued toward the gymnasium. The last thing he wanted to do today was show up for this date auction. He hadn’t slept in two nights and felt like crap. But he’d promised Riley before Carissa had even returned to town, and he wouldn’t go back on that. Even though he really didn’t want to go out with anyone but Carissa. Was that ever going to happen again? Jasper still didn’t get what had gone down in his office. One minute they’d been discussing the café. The next, she’d been accusing him of controlling her life and walking away from him.

And once again, he felt like he hadn’t been good enough. Like all of his work and all of his planning wasn’t enough.

Worse was the fact that her words had the ability to make him feel the way he used to when he’d originally walked through these hallways. Fun Jasper Dumont who everyone likes but no one takes seriously.

Cam came around the corner from the opposite direction as Jasper reached the gym. Cam’s face fell instantly. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

Jasper shook his head. “Nothing. Just gearing up to be a piece of meat.”

Cam placed a firm hand on Jasper’s shoulder and steered him away from the gym’s door. “Cut the crap, Jasp. What happened?”

He shrugged first, but the next thing he knew he was spilling the entire story. “In conclusion, well, I don’t really know what the conclusion is or where we stand.” He let out a harsh laugh. “I wasn’t ambitious enough back in high school and I guess now I’m too ambitious.” He threw his hands up in the air. “Can’t win. But the bookstore and café is a great idea. Now I have to figure out how to proceed.” Without Carissa. Jasper looked down at his feet. If he hadn’t, he may have anticipated the slap upside the head from his brother. “Hey, what was that?”

“Did that knock any sense into you? Because there’s more where that came from. Stop feeling sorry for yourself.”

“I’m not...” He trailed off. He couldn’t finish the sentence because he was, in fact, feeling sorry for himself.

“Nothing to say?” Cam goaded.

“Fine, I’m being indulgent. But who cares. The woman I love didn’t accept what I offered her and walked out on me.”

Love? Yes, love. He still loved Carissa.

Cam’s face softened. “Oh, Jasp.”

Anger suddenly took over. “What? It’s not like you didn’t know.” For extra emphasis, he gave a good hard push squarely in his brother’s chest. “Tell me you didn’t know.”

Cam was shaking his head as he said, “Christ, Jasp, everyone knew. You love her and she loves you.”

“She doesn’t love—”

“Don’t even finish that sentence, bro. The only two people in Bayside who are unaware of their feelings are you and Carissa.”

Jasper wanted to lash out. Instead, he sank back against the lockers, exhausted. “Answer me this. If she loves me, then why did she react that way when I offered her such a great opportunity?”

Cam shook his head. “I love you, but you are incredibly stupid.”

“Hey,” Jasper protested. “I’m hurting here.”

“You’re hurting because you’re an idiot. And it sounds like Carissa is screwing you again.” Cam held up a restraining hand as Jasper straightened. “I’m sorry but I think she left you hanging high and dry just like she did back in high school.”

“It’s not like that, Cam. There are other things at play here. Issues with her parents. Her dad, in particular. And you don’t even know the reason why she broke up with me after graduation.”

“Do you?”

“Yes, we talked about it. It’s all tied to those issues.”

Cam rolled back on his heels and leveled Jasper with a firm stare.

“What?”

“Did you hear what you just said?”

Jasper replayed their conversation. He didn’t detect anything special.

Cam punched him in the arm. “She has issues. Issues that made her run from you once already.”

“I just told you that.”

“You really are dense. If she ran from you once due to her own personal demons, might that be the same reason she’s doing it again?”

“Well...huh.” He hadn’t thought of it that way.

“She’s not rejecting you, Jasp. She’s protecting herself.”

“But that’s what I was trying to do by setting up this café for her. By helping her get everything started.”

“Helping? Or controlling?” Cam laughed. “I know you, Jasp. You run in at full speed and try to help so much that you end up taking over. Maybe that’s not what she needs.”

It most certainly wasn’t. He was an idiot.

“Come to your senses yet?”

“Seems like it.”

“Then, go get your girl.” With that, he shoved his hands in his pockets and walked down the hall to the gym, whistling while he left Jasper with a lot to think about.

When had Cam become so damn wise? Had to be Elle’s doing. Cam had never been in touch with his emotions—or anyone else’s, for that matter—before Elle came along.

He exhaled and ran a hand over his face. But the truth was that he did love Carissa. And he hoped Cam was right and she loved him, too. He hadn’t meant to force his idea on her. It really had come from a good place.

He started walking toward the gym but suddenly froze. Maybe it had been for himself a bit, too. Maybe he had come on strong. Maybe he should have listened to her more and not forced his opinions.

“Dumont, there you are.”

He turned to see Riley’s bubbly face bouncing toward him. “Did you just call me Dumont?”

She slapped him on the arm. “It’s the gym, I’m telling you. Makes me feel all masculine.”

He chuckled. “Nice scarf,” he commented. Riley was always dressed to the nines. Today she wore all black with a pop of color from a bright yellow scarf with lime-green polka dots tied around her neck.

“Thanks. I’m going for dramatic effect for my emcee outfit.”

“That means you didn’t decide to cancel this whole date auction then?”

Riley chucked him under his chin. “And disappoint all the women of Bayside? I expect you to bring in the most money.”

“That’s a lot of pressure.” He followed her into the gym and was immediately assaulted by the usual suspects. His mother and her friends were all dancing around him, offering advice for the auction and pledging their desire to bid on him, all while his brother and Elle stood hand in hand against the wall with identical grins as they watched him. He offered a finger of choice in his brother’s direction just before Riley led him onto the stage.

“Hey, Ri, have you, um, seen Carissa lately?” he whispered so none of the other bachelors would hear.

Her eyes instantly softened as she looked his way. “As a matter of fact, I have.”

He waited but Riley didn’t give in. “And?” he asked.

“And I think the two of you should talk. Like, really talk.”

“Apparently, that’s a popular idea,” he said drily. He searched the gym, hoping for a glance of Carissa. Even if he couldn’t see the rows of tables in the back of the gym filled to the brim with cookies, his nose would have alerted him. This was definitely the best this gym had ever smelled. It also meant that Carissa had to be around somewhere. “Is she here?”

Riley opened her mouth but before she could say anything, her name was called. She needed to go to the podium to begin the auction. “We’ll talk afterward,” she promised.

He nodded because what else could he do?

The auction began but Jasper spent most of it in a blur. He knew every single bachelor up on stage. Heck, he also knew almost every single person crammed into the gym to witness this spectacle. But he kept his eyes trained on the tables of cookies in the back of the gym. Surely Carissa would show up at some point.

Riley seemed to be doing a great job as emcee, offering stats and hobbies of each of the bachelors. She had people placed around the gym to help her as arm after arm shot into the air, pledging money in exchange for a date with Bayside’s finest.

One of the men to bring in the most bids was Sawyer Wallace, editor of the Bayside Bugle. Interestingly, he was promised to Simone, who seemed ecstatic she’d won. As they marched off together, Jasper noticed a rare frown on Riley’s usually happy face.

But she pulled herself together quickly and announced the last bachelor of the day. Jasper didn’t even realize it was his name being called until he felt someone push him from behind and he stumbled onstage.

“Ah, here’s the man everyone’s been waiting for. Making quite the entrance, it’s Jasper Dumont.”

A round of applause, along with the obligatory catcalls, sounded. Jasper took his first mark, having been trained by Riley the other day. They had three different marks to hit while Riley read out their stats. He felt like an idiot standing there as people stared at him.

“Jasper Dumont is one of Bayside’s most eligible bachelors. Besides running Dumont Incorporated, Jasper enjoys coffee from The Brewside, graphic novels, baseball and long, romantic walks on the beach.”

Jasper turned and shot Riley an annoyed look. He most certainly had not said that about the beach walks. She snickered and continued reading her stats, only half of which were true.

When she finished, he took center stage to thunderous applause. He noticed his mother was standing front and center.

The bidding began at twenty dollars. It quickly rose to forty.

“Forty-five,” one of his mother’s friends offered.

“Fifty.” Jasper almost choked at his old high school English teacher’s bid.

“Fifty-five.” Lilah Dumont jumped up and down excitedly.

“You can’t bid on me, Mom,” Jasper said through clenched teeth. Everyone laughed.

Once the figure got up to one hundred dollars, a bidding war ensued. Both women were beautiful and a couple months ago, Jasper would have been glowing from the attention and the opportunity to go out with either one of them.

But at the moment, he couldn’t seem to find any excitement in the idea of sharing a meal with anyone but Carissa. His gaze drifted over to the cookie tables and once again he was disappointed to see they remained Carissa-less.

“Ladies, ladies, let’s keep it G-rated,” Riley was saying. “There are kids here today. We’re up to two hundred dollars and the fight seems to be narrowed down to Jenny Heatherlea and Trina Wingate. Do I hear two-ten?”

“Two-ten.”

Everyone, including Jasper, turned to the side entrance of the gym as the new voice rang out over the crowd. He heard a few gasps at the sight of Carissa.

“Hey, that’s not fair,” Jenny, one of the women bidding on him, called out. “She just got here.”

“And they used to date,” Trina, the other woman, complained. “She has an advantage.”

Riley tried to calm the crowd down from the podium. “There are no exclusions in this auction. Anyone is free to bid. Let’s continue.”

“I heard they’re still dating.” This came from Tony from The Brewside, who had donated coffee and tea for the event. “According to the Bayside Blogger.”

“Thanks, man,” Jasper called out.

Tony offered a grin in exchange, clearly enjoying himself.

“Nope, they broke up again. Didn’t you see Facebook today?” someone else called out.

“In any case, we are going to accept Carissa’s bid,” Riley continued. “Even though she’s starting her own business and really shouldn’t be spending any extra money at the moment.”

Jasper would have chuckled at Riley’s commentary if he wasn’t so entranced by Carissa’s entrance. She looked beautiful, as always. Today she had on tight jeans, a bright red sweater and tall, sexy boots. But she also looked tired. Even from across the gym, he could see the strain on her face, the shadows under her eyes. She wove her fingers together nervously as she bit her lip.

Part of Jasper wanted to rush to her. He wanted to pull her into his arms and never let go. Another part of him felt cautious, unsure of what she was thinking. To be honest, he was still a little hurt. And yet there was a glimmer of hope. She’d shown up and bid on him.

“Last bid was two hundred and ten dollars. Do I hear two-fifteen?” Riley asked the crowd.

“Three hundred dollars,” one of the women shouted. The rest of the crowd offered a collective “ooohhhh.”

Riley looked toward Carissa, who was frowning. Jasper knew she didn’t have the money to do this.

“Four hundred,” the other bidder screamed.

Holy crap, Jasper thought.

“My, what generosity we’re seeing today,” Riley said. “We have an offer of four hundred dollars for Jasper Dumont.”

“Five hundred,” Jenny said. “I always win,” she added with a determined look toward Trina, who threw her hands in the air and backed up. She was out.

So it was between Jenny, who always won, and Carissa. When Jasper turned in Carissa’s direction though, she was nowhere in sight. His heart sank.

“Okay,” Riley said uncertainly, also noticing that her friend was absent. “We have five hundred dollars for Jasper Dumont. Do I hear five-ten?”

“No.”

Everyone flung around to face the back of the gym where Carissa now stood. She was next to one of the cookie tables.

She’d said no. Jasper wanted to melt into the stage.

Then Carissa grabbed two of the cookies and held them high in the air. “I don’t have five hundred and ten dollars. But I do have cookies. I bid all of these peanut butter cookies.”

“She can’t do that,” Jenny said.

“I don’t know. These cookies are pretty good.” This was said by George from the Rusty Keg, who had cookie crumbs embedded in his beard.

“I offer my chocolate chip cookies, the oatmeal raisin, the shortbread.” Carissa was walking forward as she spoke. “I give you all of my coconut bars, the white chocolate macadamia nut.” She handed the two cookies she still held to Cam as she walked by, her eyes now clasped onto Jasper’s.

“I give you the brownies I made, both the regular and the double-chocolate caramel ones. And...and...well, that’s everything I made for today. But I will make you anything you want, Jasp.”

She spread her arms wide, offering herself to him. Jasper realized how huge the gesture was for her, so he jumped off the stage and met her halfway.

“All of this for one date with me?” he asked her.

“Well,” she said in a quiet voice, lowering it so only he could hear. “I was hoping for more than one date.”

“The café,” he began. “I’m sorry I was so controlling and that I...”

She held up a hand to stop him. “I want to do the café, Jasp. You challenge me and I know you only wanted what’s best for me.”

“Hey, can you guys speak up? We can’t hear you,” George called out. Everyone started chuckling, but Jasper softened his voice even more.

“I was trying to help you, because I love helping the people I care about.”

“One of your best qualities.” Red tinged her cheeks as she glanced around at all of the people watching them. “I overreacted.”

“That’s not true—” he began, but she cut him off.

“I was blaming you for other things in my life and...well, it doesn’t matter. Because you’re not my father. You’re not my ex.”

“What am I then?”

Her gaze drilled into his. “You’re the person I want to be with.”

He was having a hell of a time staying calm. “I’m not perfect, Car.”

A tear spilled over onto her cheek. “Thank God.” With that she launched herself into his arms and held on tight. “I want you, Jasper. Just the way you are.”

“Good,” he whispered into her ear. “Because I love you, Car. I did back then and I do now.”

“I love you, too.” She pressed her lips to his to the sound of monstrous applause.

“Well, folks, I think we have our winner for Jasper Dumont. Sorry, Jenny,” Riley said from the stage, not sounding sorry at all. There were tears shining in her eyes.

The crowd kept clapping and whistling but Jasper couldn’t care less. He felt like the luckiest man alive. Carissa beamed up at him even as her eyes shone with unshed tears.

He might be back in his old high school, but everything was different now. Today, he felt like a new man. A happy man, who couldn’t believe how fortunate he was to have the woman of his dreams standing in his arms.