Alexia sat forward and pointed a finger his way. “That’s not true. He was like a brother to me. And as long as I live, I’ll take his significant oversight and tuck it into the back of my mind where it belongs, because I deserve to be part of this. You know I do.” She pulled a tissue from her tote and dabbed her dry eyes. “And it hurts… being snubbed like that after everything I did for him.”
Desperate to go to bed, Jake combed his fingers through his hair and sighed. Ever since the funeral, it seemed he’d been holding on to his temper by a thread, and this back-and-forth with Alexia, when all he wanted was sleep, was causing that thread to unravel. “Yeah, well, let’s just agree to disagree, shall we? And I don’t mean to be rude, but I have an early start in the morning.”
Her expression softened as she studied him. She lifted her wineglass, licked her bottom lip, and took a steady sip. “You know… I don’t have to leave.”
WTF?He forced a breath through pursed lips. “Yeah. You do.”
“So, you’re still pining after that Ava bitch? Once a cheater?—”
“For shit’s sake, Lex, you have no idea what you’re talking about, and frankly, I can’t handle this bullshit right now.”
She rolled her eyes, then stood, picked up her tote, and set her wineglass on the coffee table. “You never were any fun, even when you pretended to love me.”
Jake stood but remained silent. He’d met a few die-hard narcissists in his time, but Alexia could hold her own with the best of them, and he was too tired to defend himself. What would be the point?
“And you can’t carry around that grief forever, Jake.” She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a key fob. “It’s not healthy.”
Suppressing his anger with a clenched jaw, Jake decided, for the sake of his own dignity, not to respond. He followed her into the entry and opened the front door. “I haven’t mentioned Molly to mum and dad yet, so for once in your life, can you back off and let me tell them?”
She turned to look at him. “Fine. But one day, you’ll realize that I have your back. Just remember that.”
The patisserie was quiet when Todd, a lecturer in food science at the local culinary institute, stuck his head around the kitchen door the following day. The two men had known each other for years, and despite the miles that often separated them, their friendship had endured.
“Hey. You busy, man?”
“A bit,” Jake replied. “How’s your day been?”
“Good. But I have a slight problem. What are you doing the weekend after next?”
“Surfing Petrie Bay.” Jake moved around the kitchen and wiped down the counter where he’d been frosting red velvet cupcakes moments before, then picked up a piping bag to fill with choux pastry. “Why’s that?”
“I have a gig for you at the wine and food fest.”
“What kind of gig?”
“One of the bake-off judges is out with a virus. We need a replacement.”
Mildly amused, Jake glanced up from his task. “And you thought of me? Are you serious right now, dude?”
“It’s good PR for the business. Plus, the ladies will love you.”
Not taking Todd’s last sexist statement as a compliment, Jake let it slide. “You do realize I’d rather deep-fry my nuts in oil, don’t you?”
“Yeah, but it’s for charity. Who can say no to that?”
Jake felt the full weight of the guilt trip that was Todd’s specialty whenever he needed volunteers for his various do-good projects around town. The guy was always ready to help a worthy cause and, rightly so, expected his friends and family to do the same. “Are you judging as well?”
“Of course.”
He slid the tray of piped choux pastry into the oven and set the timer. He’d never judged anything before, but he’d watched a few bake-off shows on TV when he had the flu once, so he knew the deal. And while he hadn’t paid much attention to the details, he was also aware of the wine and food festival. There’d been flyers about it all over town for weeks. “Nope.”
“Come on, man. What do you want me to do, beg?”
“You could try, but it wouldn’t do you any good.”
“Time’s tight. And you, my friend, are the perfect candidate for the job.”
While wiping his hands down his apron, Jake checked on the counter through the one-way glass and was surprised to see Molly Parker perusing the pastries in the display cabinet. Almost as if sensing his gaze, she glanced his way, concern in her expression. He paused for a moment and studied her. Jesse had good taste; he’d give him that. Her face held an elegant smile, and elegance was a quality he’d long admired in a woman.
