She stepped up to the front door and flipped the sign to Closed. He couldn’t help but notice her craning her neck to gaze up and down the walk, as though checking to see if anyone had spotted him in her shop. As far as he could tell, his ball cap and dark sunglasses had kept his identity under wraps.
“There’s something important I need to tell you.”
She shook her head. “How about we just go back to pretending we don’t know each other? Life was so much easier back then.”
He wished he could rewind time. “It’s too late for that.”
She didn’t say anything as she moved past him and kept going toward the back of the bakery. What he didn’t understand was her hostility. If he’d dumped her, he’d get it. But she’d been the one to end things. Sure, he’d been getting ready to do it, but she’d beaten him to the punch.
He followed her because he still hadn’t told her the reason for his visit. She led him to a small office. The room had vacant white walls, which surprised him after getting to know Pepper’s lively personality and her penchant for decorating. A solitary desk in the room was buried beneath a mountain of paperwork. She grabbed a small quilted backpack with a red-and-white pattern, as well as a digital notebook.
When she turned to the door, she practically ran into him. She glanced up as though she’d gotten lost in her thoughts and had forgotten him. His ego was taking hits left and right. He still wasn’t sure why she was so steamed with him.
She glanced at her wristwatch. “If you came here to talk about the past, don’t. It was a stupid mistake. It won’t happen again.”
If he’d had any doubt about her sincerity, he had his answer. She wanted nothing to do with him. That was a first for him. She certainly was different than everyone else in his life.
And this was why he’d been drawn to Pepper in the first place. She wasn’t a pushover. She wasn’t out to see what he could do for her. She was her own woman, who took life on her own terms.
She placed her things on the counter. After washing her hands, she set to work. Pepper continued to move about the kitchen as though he weren’t even standing there.
“Why are you so mad at me?” He stood at the edge of the large kitchen with all its gleaming stainless surfaces. “As I recall, you’re the one that dumped me.”
Her cheeks filled with color. “I didn’t dump you.”
She added sugar into a saucepan and placed it on the gas stove. She kept her back to him as she adjusted the temperature. He was in absolutely no mood to be ignored.
“I’m pretty sure you did.” His bruised ego could attest to it. “So why all of the hostility?”
She spun around. Her gaze clashed with his. “I’m not hostile.”
He arched a disbelieving brow and waited for her to explain herself. He didn’t mind taking the heat when he deserved it. But in this case, he didn’t do anything wrong. Thoughts of nipping the relationship in the bud didn’t count. Pepper might be good at figuring out people, but even she wasn’t a mind reader.
She sighed. “You’re right. I’m taking my frustrations out on you.” She paused as though choosing her words carefully. “I... I’m sorry.” Her gaze met his briefly, but she turned away before he could read her thoughts. “Things at the bakery haven’t been going well.” She took the saucepan and stirred as the sugar began melting. “But you didn’t come here to hear about my troubles.”
At last, she was beginning to sound like the Pepper he’d gotten to know and trust. “Would you believe I missed your cherry turnovers so much I couldn’t stay away?”
She tilted the pan, letting the melted sugar roll across the bottom. She didn’t say anything, concentrating on what she was doing.
And that was why what he had to say next was that much harder. He wasn’t so sure he wanted to have this conversation while she was distracted, but she wasn’t leaving him much choice. She took a spoon with a long round handle and began to drizzle the caramel onto it. All the while, she turned the handle so the caramel would make a corkscrew shape.
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