His grip on my hand tightens, along with the lines around his eyes. “Your family sucks.”
A tearful laugh escapes my choked lungs. “That I have heard once or twice.”
His thumb rubs a soothing pattern over my knuckles. “You are doing great things, Cam. And you are capable of doing even greater things.”
I use my free hand to swipe under my eyes. “Thank you, Ben. You’re a pretty amazing guy. I hope Lindsay knows how lucky she is.”
Saying her name breaks us from some kind of spell. We gently unlock our hands and scoot back in our chairs—and the small distance feels like an uncrossable chasm. We sit in silence for a few more minutes before I swig the last of my wine and rise. My body aches the moment it’s separated from Ben’s chair, the moment it’s separated fromBen. I would give up my morning espresso for the comfort of my hand back in the warmth of his.
“Good night, Ben. I’ll see you at the fundraiser tomorrow?”
He nods. “I wouldn’t miss it.”
I offer him a slight wave before I head from his front porch over to mine. His eyes stay on me until I shut the door behind me, the weight of the evening pressing my back into the closed door.
21
So there’s a chance that had I not screwed things up so royally at my first go round as a wedding planner, I might have actually done well in that career path.
At the very least, I’m kicking ass at this whole fundraising business.
I do a final walk-through, my eyes scrupulously examining every detail before dashing back to my cottage to change for the evening. Luckily, I don’t have to worry about hair and makeup as the moment I stepped out of the shower after my bakery shift, I was ready to go, my normal makeup made more dramatic by dark liner, thick lashes, and a bright red lip.
Throwing open my closet, I realize in the moment I should have thought to plan out my outfit, but it turns out I didn’t need to worry. The perfect little black dress is hanging right in the center of the closet, a pair of strappy heels resting on the carpet below. Diamond drop earrings and a dainty necklace sit atop the dresser just waiting for me. Dare I say, I may have gotten used to this on-demand stylist deal.
I change quickly, wanting to be back at the event site before any of the guests arrive. That doesn’t stop me from lingering on the front porch for longer than it should take to close and lock my door. But there’s no hint of Ben.
I stride down Main Street, smiling as the large clear tent set up in the middle of the green comes into view. The evening air holds a chill, but the tent is perfectly warm. The ceiling of the tent has been strung with tiny lights, and the combination of the lights and the clear view of the night sky above is absolutely magical.
The tables are set with simple china and lush floral centerpieces, the dance floor is gleaming, and the band is tuning up, everyone having donated their time and services to make sure the bakery survives.
“Everything looks absolutely amazing, Cam. I can’t believe this.” Emma’s eyes are wide as she takes in the room.
“It turned out okay, yeah?”
She loops her arm through mine. “This is better than okay. It’s incredible. How can I ever thank you for everything you’ve done for me and the bakery?”
“I’m happy to do it.” I pull back a little, under the guise of checking out her dress, but mostly so we don’t have to continue down the emotional route of this conversation. I don’t know if this mascara is waterproof or not. “You look absolutely breathtaking, by the way.”
She does a little shimmy, the swingy skirt of her bright red dress dancing around her legs. The crimson pops against her brown skin and the neckline is daringly low for Heart Springs. Ethan doesn’t stand a chance tonight. “Thank you. You look gorgeous as usual.”
“Thank you.” I let her pull me into a hug because it’sjust too hard to resist Emma’s hugs. “I hope it’s enough to save the bakery.”
“It will be. I can feel it.”
A server from the catering team approaches us, her steps timid. Which is a little dramatic as I’vebarelyraised my voice at the staff. “The first guests are arriving. Did you want someone from our team to check them in?”
I shake my head and take the clipboard she hands me. “I’ll do it. I want to have face time with everyone. You should come with me, Em. Remind the people why we’re here.”
She slides her arm through mine again, and we make our way to the entrance where a small crowd has already gathered.
Emma and I greet the guests and let them know their table numbers. Emma shines, her bright smile never dropping as she makes conversation with every person who enters the tent.
What’s more surprising is that I do too. Pretty much everyone I greet has something nice to say about the event, and how happy they are to be there. Many of them offer me smiles and ask how I’m doing. No one threatens to push me into a giant vat of water, so things are much improved since our last community event.
It’s almost time to get started, but some key players are still missing. Namely Ben and Noah. My stomach turns a little at the thought of Noah not showing up. I suppose he would be well within his rights, given the purpose of the event, but he told me he would be here, and who else is going to bid on me if he doesn’t show?
Right before I can spiral into full-on panic mode, a pair of strong arms encircles me from behind.
