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The love and caring of the town had been smothering. He knew how that sounded—awful. But it’s how he’d felt for the longest time. And with a brother and sister to finish raising, he had to concentrate on their needs. They were the reason he kept putting one foot in front of the other.
He was surprised to find that Mrs. Monroe’s hug didn’t bother him. Maybe it was because she’d just gone through a similar horrific experience with the loss of her son. Or maybe he’d finally healed and was ready to move on with the rest of his life.
Mrs. Monroe pulled back and there were tears in her eyes. “When I heard what you volunteered to do, I was so touched.” She swiped the moisture from her eyes. “Harry would have really liked it too. I just know that he’ll be smiling down over the Bake-Off.”
“I…I’m happy to do what I can. But I have to admit it wasn’t my idea.”
“It’s okay. I know my daughter and your sister lassoed you into this, but you didn’t have to agree. So I’m thankful.”
Avery shifted uncomfortably. He didn’t feel as though he deserved such high praise, especially after he’d nearly backed out of the whole event. “I hope you don’t expect much. I’ve never mastered baking.”
“Just you being there and making the effort will be enough for me and everyone else.” And then Mrs. Monroe noticed Jillian. “Hello, Jillian. I’m so sorry I haven’t had a chance to visit Tangled Charms, but I will soon. I’ve heard amazing reviews about the place. And I’ve seen people wearing your jewelry. It’s so beautiful.”
Jillian’s cheeks glowed pink again. “Thank you. I understand you have a lot on your hands right now. Don’t worry. I plan on the store being there for many years. You can stop by any time that’s convenient for you.”
Mrs. Monroe got a puzzled look on her face. “Do you need help finding something?”
Jillian shook her head. “Thanks. But I think I’ve got everything under control.”
Avery watched as Jillian began moving away from him as she perused the shelf of canned soup. What in the world? He wondered why she didn’t admit that she was there with him. Was she worried he wouldn’t want Mrs. Monroe to know she was helping him with the Bake-Off?
He didn’t mind at all. The more honest he was with Harry’s mother, the better he felt about Harry’s family putting up the money to sponsor him in this Bake-Off. Truthfully, he wished they would sponsor someone else—someone who knew his way around a cake pan—but obviously that wasn’t going to happen.
He cleared his throat, regaining Mrs. Monroe’s attention. “Actually, Jillian is here with me. She’s going to help, erm, mentor me for the Bake-Off.”
“She is?” Mrs. Monroe’s gaze moved between the two of them.
He nodded. “She agreed to be with me every step of the way.”
“That’s so nice of her. You make sure you treat her well.”
Treat her well? What was that supposed to mean? Was he supposed to insist on paying her? Was going to the wedding enough?
“I’ll definitely do my best,” he said, hoping that was the right thing to say. He noticed that Jillian was studying the store list as though she had to cram for a surprise exam.
“I’m sure you will.” Mrs. Monroe smiled.
Was it his imagination or had there been a distinctive gleam in the woman’s eyes? He turned to Jillian whose cheeks were rosy red. He was obviously missing something, but for the life of him, he couldn’t figure out what it was.
*
And so it begins.
Jillian’s good mood evaporated. Thankfully Mrs. Monroe had been called away, but it was too late. The gossip was going to start up again. She fully expected the whispers, hopeful looks, and innuendos about her and Avery being a couple.
And Avery had done nothing to discourage Mrs. Monroe from thinking they were romantically involved. Didn’t he see what he was doing? Surely he wasn’t that oblivious, was he?
Back when Jillian had worked for him, things had gotten cozy. As one year rolled into the next, they had gotten closer. At least she thought they had.
There had been movie nights that he’d invited her to—but then again, as she thought back over it, perhaps it had been Beth who had invited her and Avery had merely agreed. There had been informal dinners and school events.
Was it possible she’d read too much into the past? Probably. She’d made a fool of herself for Avery and he acted as though he never even noticed. But she was a little older now and hopefully a lot wiser.
Okay, so she had dated Glenn and that hadn’t exactly been one of her smarter moves. Still, it did prove that she was over her crush on Avery.
She was a business owner now. She needed the town to take her seriously, not gossip about how she kept making a mess of her love life.
Jillian took off down the grocery store aisle. She could hear Avery call her name, but she didn’t want to stop—not yet. She had to calm herself so she didn’t say something that she’d later regret.
