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He never knew there was so much more to baking than mixing up some delicious-tasting batter and pouring it into a pan. But Pepper was showing him another side of the business and he was enthralled with it. She made it look so easy—like anyone could do it. Even him.
She moved the corkscrew to a piece of waxed paper and then started to make a new one. They were beautiful. They were like little pieces of art.
And the guilt he’d been carrying around with him most of the day mounted.
“Pepper—”
“Just give me one more minute.” Her full attention was on her work and he couldn’t blame her. What she did here was like magic. If he tried to do the same thing, he’d end up with burnt sugar.
He knew he should hurry. He didn’t have that much time to get out of the city and to his country estate, where the big Christmas celebration was taking place. But he didn’t move a muscle as he stood there watching Pepper do her thing. Each golden caramel corkscrew was then placed atop a cupcake. They looked too good to eat.
When Pepper had finished with all the cupcakes, she straightened, glanced at him and blinked, as though she’d forgotten that he was still there waiting to talk to her. And then her gaze moved to the clock above his head.
“I have to hurry.” Her beautiful face creased with worry lines.
“What happens if you don’t finish these?” He knew the stakes were high, but he wondered how high they were.
Pepper shook her head as she boxed up the cupcakes. “That can’t happen.”
He moved next to her, placing a lid on the full box. “Pepper, stop for just a moment.”
She turned to him. “Simon, I’m sorry. I just don’t have time to talk. I have a very important party.”
“That’s the thing.”
“What’s the thing?”
His gaze met hers. “The party. It’s mine.”
“Yours?” She shook her head. “I spoke with a woman. Elaine something or other. I have her full name written on the order. And this party is in Connecticut.”
He nodded. “Elaine Haskins is my assistant and the party is at my country home.”
Pepper’s face creased with lines of frustration. She didn’t say a word as she digested the information.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “This is my fault. Everyone was so impressed with you at the office party that Elaine added you to our catering list. After what happened between us, I forgot to say anything to her. I totally understand you wanting to cancel—”
“Cancel?” Her shoulders straightened and she lifted her chin slightly. “I’m not canceling.”
“You’re not?” He was so confused.
“We have a contract. I expect you to keep your end of it.”
“But why? I mean, why would you want to cater a party for me?”
“Because this is business. It’s not personal. I can’t believe I have to explain this to you.”
And then he thought of the empty bakery and the overabundance of unsold goods. Something had happened to her business, and he wondered if it had anything to do with the paparazzi fuss when they’d caught on to their night together. His jaw tightened. He was so used to it that he hadn’t stopped to consider how it might affect Pepper.
“And you don’t mind working this party, even though it’s for me.”
She straightened her shoulders and there was a slight tilt to her chin. “I’m a professional. I can do this job. There won’t be any problems.”
“I know you are and I didn’t mean to imply otherwise.” He couldn’t shake the thought of the baked goods going to waste in her display cases. “I’ll throw in extra if you include everything in your cases.”
Her mouth gaped. She quickly regained her composure. “Why would you do that? If you want a cherry turnover that bad, all you have to do is ask.”
He would make sure and set those aside for himself. “I have some extra guests,” he said, which was the truth, but just part of it. “I want to make sure there’s enough for everyone.”
“Oh. Okay. I’ll get them boxed up.”
He glanced around. “Are you the only one here?”
She nodded. “Don’t worry. I have a couple employees meeting me at your estate.”
“Let me give you a hand.” He slipped off his coat.
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Sure I do. I’m the one who insisted on the extra items. The least I can do is give you a hand boxing them up.” He didn’t mention that he’d noticed the dark smudges under her eyes. She was working too hard and not getting enough sleep. At least he hoped that’s all it was.
They worked together, packing up all the delicious treats. Simon snagged one of the cherry turnovers. He couldn’t wait until later. His palate had been in withdrawal for weeks now. He was only so strong.
“Look at the time.” There was mild panic in Pepper’s voice. “With the traffic, I’m going to be late.”
“Not if you leave now.”
“But there’s still all of this to load in the van.”
“I’ll help you.”
This time she didn’t argue. They moved the baked goods on carts out to the delivery van painted in white with big black polka dots all over it and the logo for the Polka Dotted Bakery painted in bubblegum pink and lime green. He couldn’t help but smile. It was unique, just like its owner.
The truck was quite full when they were done and Simon wasn’t sure what he was going to do with all the extra food, but he would deal with that problem later.
He climbed out of the back of the van. “You’re good to go.”
She stood frowning.
“What’s the matter?”
“I forgot something.” And then her eyes widened. “My backpack. It’s on the counter.”
When she went to turn and rush back inside, he reached out to her. “You stay here. Close up the van and I’ll grab your stuff.”
She nodded.
He ran back inside the bakery. The only problem was that there were a lot of counters. His gaze moved around the kitchen in a counter clockwise manner. And then he spotted her red and white backpack as well as the digital tablet next to the stove. He rushed over and grabbed them.
He moved too quickly and the backpack knocked over a tall stack of business cards, as well as some papers. A frustrated groan formed deep in his throat. He rushed to clean up the mess. He guessed that Pepper meant to take the business cards with her to hand out at the party. He took most of them and her backpack. He flipped off the lights, exited the building and, using the keys Pepper had placed in the door earlier, locked it.
She was in the back of the van, doing something with one of the boxes.
“I’ve got it,” he called out.
“Okay. This is all set.” She climbed out, closed the door and turned to him. “I just have to set the alarm system.”
She rushed back inside. He checked the time. It was most definitely late, and it was his fault for insisting on taking her extra pastries. He owed it to Pepper to make sure she arrived on time. He called his driver to tell him to head to Connecticut without him. Simon had just hung up when she returned.
“I’m never going to make it on time,” she said.
“You will if you take a couple of shortcuts I’ve learned.”
She shook her head. “I’ll just get lost. I’m going whatever way my phone app tells me.”
“Trust me. I’ll show you the way.”
“You?” She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
“Think of it this way. The longer you stand here arguing with me, the later you’ll be.”
Her lips pressed together in a firm line. And unhappiness was written all over her face. “Fine. Let’s go.”
He hadn’t imagined the day taking this most unexpected twist. What would they talk about? On second thought, it was probably best to remain quiet. This was going to be a very interesting ride indeed.
CHAPTER THREE
WHAT WAS SHE THINKING?
The last time she’d been alone with this man, her world had come undone. Pepper kept her gaze focused on the busy roadway. But she couldn’t ignore Simon’s presence. With him next to her, it felt as though the interior of the van had shrunk.
He was so close that she could reach out and touch him—like they’d done after his party to announce the launch of his Pet Playground stores. They’d been hand in hand as Simon drove them back to his place. They’d laughed. They’d talked. The exact opposite of now.
She quietly followed Simon’s instructions as she weaved her way through traffic. Even with Simon’s input, it still wasn’t a quick journey.
And with hustling out the door, she couldn’t help but wonder if she’d turned everything off. She hated rushing. It left room for error and she always strived for perfection, though she never reached it. But she’d grabbed everything for the party and she’d set the alarm.
Still, worry niggled at her.
“What’s the matter?” Simon asked.
“Did I turn off the lights?”
“You did.”
“Did I lock the front door?”
“You did.”
“Did I get everything?”
“Pepper, what’s the matter?”
She sighed. “I just have the feeling I’m forgetting something.”
“I don’t think you have to worry. Everything is under control.”
She hoped he was right.
Other than some instructions on where to turn, silence fell back over the van. It wasn’t a comfortable silence. In place of conversation was a strained void. She should have refused his offer to ride with her. But then she would most definitely be late and that would be very bad, especially if this guest list was anything like his last party.
She couldn’t help glancing around in traffic just to make sure the paparazzi weren’t following them. Thankfully, they weren’t. She glanced over at Simon as he lounged back in his seat, checking messages on his phone.
The silence in the van was deafening. She reached over and turned on the radio. She adjusted the tuner to a station that played nothing but Christmas tunes. Andy Williams’s “Sleigh Ride” was playing. At least it was upbeat, unlike her passenger. She turned it up.
She chanced a quick glance at him. The frown on his face had deepened, marring his handsome face with deep lines. What was up with him? Did he regret offering to ride with her?
“Is something bothering you?” The question popped out of her mouth before her brain had a chance to restrain her tongue.
“What?”
At the same time, they reached for the radio. Their fingers touched. A tingle pulsed up her arm. She glanced at him. His gaze met hers, making her heart pound.
She yanked her hand away as she turned her attention back to the road. Simon lowered the volume on the radio. She swallowed hard, gripping the steering wheel with both hands as she tried to put a lid on whatever it was that just happened between them.
“That’s better,” Simon said. “Now what did you ask?”
She felt really weird asking him now, but she refused to let on how their contact had unnerved her. “Is something bothering you?”
“You mean besides you being angry at me when it was you who dumped me?”
So they were back to this again. “I didn’t see you minding so much when you were out with that tall blonde the next night.”
“It wasn’t the next night.” His tone was gruff. “It was two weeks later.”
“A day. A week or two. It’s the same difference.”
“Turn left right up here.” He was quiet for a moment. “And it does matter, because it wasn’t the same thing.”
She made the turn. She shouldn’t care, but her curiosity was eating at her. “Why is that?”
“Because that appearance wasn’t a date. It was arranged to draw the paparazzi’s attention from you.”
It wasn’t a date? She caught sight of the serious look in his eyes. Should she believe him? After all, they had looked like a real couple in the photo. “But they said you were both on the rebound.”
“Turn left in a mile onto Willow Lane.” He shifted in his seat so he could look at her. “Since when do you believe what they print online? Remember, those are the same fools that said we were getting married.”
“Like that would ever happen.”
“Exactly.” His tone softened just a bit.
He didn’t have to agree so quickly, like the thought of marrying her would be worse than a death sentence. Maybe it was better if they didn’t talk. In fact, that sounded like a really good idea.
The ride had gone far worse than he’d imagined.
Thankfully, the Christmas party was faring much better.
Simon was certain he was losing his touch with women. That or Pepper was immune to his charms. Rekindling their friendship was never going to happen. The realization was a sobering one.
But even though their relationship was broken beyond recognition, he noticed that didn’t stop her from putting on the most amazing display of pastries. But it wasn’t just sweet treats. She’d mingled in flowers and twinkle lights. The display really drew the eye.
She was attentive to the guests as their hungry gazes meandered over the lengthy selection of sugary temptations. She was kind. She was patient. And she beamed as she talked about the baked goods and her beloved bakery.
As a professional, he had no qualms with her. On a personal note, he wished they’d never taken things to the next level—even if it had been the most amazing night of his life. The price had been too high. It had cost him a friendship that he didn’t know how much he valued until it’d ended.
He made his way through the great room, greeting all of his guests. These were important clients who’d helped get his products on the store shelves. And now that he was branching out with his Pet Playground chain, he was talking it up, hoping a groundswell of excitement would carry through to his launch at Christmas.
“Your Christmas tree is gorgeous,” the wife of a business associate said.
“Thank you.” Simon didn’t admit that the tree wasn’t his. His assistant had hired a decorator to come in and stage the house with holiday cheer. When the party was over, the tree, the twinkle lights and all of the other decorations would go away. None too soon as far as he was concerned.
But the funny thing was, as much as he tried to talk business, everyone wanted to talk about the baker he’d hired. Forget the heated appetizers; they were all agog over the sweets. Not that he could blame them. They were delicious.
“Isn’t she the best?” Elaine stepped up next to him.
His assistant was a few years younger than him, married and the most efficient assistant he’d ever hired. He would be lost without her. She kept him and his calendar on task.
“Yes, Pepper is very good.” He only hired the best.
“The guests seem to love her. And everyone seems to be enjoying themselves.”
He nodded. “You’ve done an excellent job coordinating this party.”
He made a mental note to speak with Elaine at a later date about removing Pepper from their list of vendors. No matter how good Pepper was, they needed to maintain their distance. He felt bad about having to do it, but it was for the best—for both of their sakes. Because no matter how much they both wanted to deny it, there was still chemistry sizzling between them.
His gaze kept straying to Pepper. He assured himself that it was his job to keep an eye on the staff, to make sure the party was running smoothly. He noticed her on the phone. He couldn’t have his employees chatting while they were supposed to be working. She turned her back to him and headed toward the kitchen with the phone pressed to her ear.
His jaw tightened. Surely she had to know how important this party was to him. He set off after her. When he stepped into the kitchen, the door almost bumped Pepper.
“Are you sure?” she said into the phone. “Okay. Okay. I... I’m out of town. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
He couldn’t see her face, but he could hear the tremor in her voice. “What’s the matter?”
She turned to him. Her face was white like the frosted snowflake cookies on the buffet. Her eyes filled with unshed tears, but she didn’t speak.
“What’s the matter?” He repeated with more urgency.
“I have to go.” She rushed to the coat check.
He followed her. “Go where?”
She attempted to shove her hand in the sleeve of her coat, but missed. She tried again and got it. Her movements were quick and jerky. She muttered something under her breath.
“What did you say?”
“My backpack. I need my backpack.”
It was hanging right in front of her. He took it down from the hook. “Here you go. Now tell me, what is going on?”
“I don’t have time. I have to go.”
Concern pumped through his veins. He took her by the shoulders. “Pepper, look at me.” When her wide-eyed stare met his, he said, “Tell me what’s going on.”
“The bakery. It’s on fire.”
“Fire?” This was the very last thing he was expecting her to say. “Are you sure?”
“It was the alarm company.”
“Okay.” He rushed to process this information. “Maybe it’s a false alarm. Those happen all of the time.”
“I have to go.” She looked as though she was trying to figure out how to get around him, as he was blocking the doorway.
There was no way she was in any condition to drive. Before he could decide the right and the wrong of it, he said, “I’ll take you.”
“Fine. Let’s go.”
The fact that she didn’t argue with him let him know how scared she was of losing the most important thing in her life. He texted his driver to meet them in the back. And then he texted Elaine to let her know that she was in charge of the party, as he had an emergency.
Once they were seated in the back of the black sedan, the driver wasted no time heading south to the city. Simon wasn’t sure what to do to comfort Pepper. She wrung her hands together as she stared out the window at the passing lights.
He wanted to say something—do something—to lessen her worry. “Everything will be all right.”
Her head whipped around and her worried gaze met his. “You don’t know that. I was certain I’d forgotten something when we left. What if it was the stove? What if I started the fire?”
He reached out, taking her hand in his and giving it a squeeze. “If that’s the case, we’ll deal with it.”
“Everything I had—everything I dreamed about—is tied up in the bakery. What will I do? How could I be so stupid?”
“Calm down. You don’t even know if anything happened.”
She left her hand in his. It felt comfortable there, as though they’d been doing it for years. And though it was a small gesture, at least he was able to do something for her.
CHAPTER FOUR
RED LIGHTS FLASHED off the nearby buildings. There were emergency vehicles and people loitering everywhere. A news crew was filming in front of the bakery—or what was left of the bakery.
“This can’t be happening,” Pepper whispered to herself, willing herself to wake up from this nightmare.
“Pepper?” Simon’s voice drew her from her troubled thoughts.
She glanced back out the window. She knew that once she stepped outside the car this horrible scene would become her reality. Her dream had quite literally gone up in smoke.
How had this happened? She’d been so careful, having the place rewired from top to bottom and having a pricey alarm system installed. She’d done everything she could think of, and still it wasn’t enough.
“Pepper, if you’d rather remain here, I can go check on things for you,” Simon said in the gentlest tone.
She gave a resolute shake of her head. This was her nightmare. She should be the one to face the damage. Pepper drew in a deep breath and released an uneven sigh.
She clutched the door handle. All she could see were the flashing red lights. She had no doubt that for a long while she’d be seeing them every time she closed her eyes. She couldn’t stall any longer. She had to go. She would be told what she already knew—her dream had gone up in smoke.
She wasn’t sure how she got from the car and past the police officer who was keeping people back from the scene, to stand in front of her bakery. Black soot trailed up the front of the building. The air was heavy with the foul odor of smoke.
The backs of her eyes stung. All she could do was stand there, struggling to take it all in. Just a couple of hours ago she’d had a home, a business. Her heart splintered into a million pieces. Now she had nothing. Only the clothes on her back.
Her throat tightened. Her knees gave way. And then there was an arm around her waist. Simon pulled her back against him. He held them both up.
“Let me take you back to the car,” he said gently.
She shook her head, not trusting her voice. She didn’t want to go anywhere.
She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when a firefighter stepped up to them. “I was told the owner is here.” The older man’s gaze immediately moved to Simon. “Is that you?”
“Pepper owns the bakery.”
She glanced at the man’s helmet. It said Captain on it. To her, he was the messenger of bad news. “The bakery—is it completely burned?”
“Afraid so.”
In that moment, she was thankful for Simon’s support. This was like losing a member of her family...again. She’d lost her eccentric mother and her conservative grandmother. The bakery was all she had left of either of them. And now she didn’t have it either.
“But there’s some good news,” the fire captain said. “Thanks to the fire alarm, we were able to get here fast enough to save the second story. Granted, there will be smoke damage, but it won’t need the repairs the first floor will need.” The man paused and looked at her as though expecting her to launch endless questions at him. “I’m really sorry, ma’am.”
“How...how soon can I get in there?”
He shook his head. “It’ll be a while. The fire marshal has been requested.”
“The fire marshal?” Simon finally spoke.
The captain nodded. “In cases like this, he’s called in to determine if this was a case of arson.”
“Arson?” Pepper’s eyes widened. “Who would burn down a bakery?”
The captain looked at her, but he didn’t say anything. And then she realized she was now considered a suspect—torching her own place for the insurance money. She was certain it wasn’t a secret that her bakery was struggling now that the chain store had moved in.
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