Fudgeballs And Other Sweets Page 14

  “Dave.” She felt her courage draining. “I hate to see my expansion plans go down the drain, but there’s no place on the island for me to relocate.”

  “I told you, if it’s money—”

  She held her hand up. “No. I won’t accept charity.” The last thing she would do was take money from him.

  He sat the glass down, then pulled the pizza out of the oven and set it on the counter. Their hands brushed. “You could make me a partner, a silent backer.”

  That made her laugh. A partner? That wasn’t what she wanted. She’d built Fudgeballs from scratch. She didn’t need a partner. She wanted him for reasons entirely different. “Don’t be silly. You didn’t get where you are in the business world by doing charity work for misguided fudge makers.”

  “You aren’t misguided. Believing what Hank Linstrom told you wasn’t your fault.” He put slices of pizza on plates. “I can move.”

  His voice was so low, so casual, she didn’t catch what he said. “What?”

  “I said I’ll move. You stay on the island.”

  She shook her head. “I couldn’t in clear conscience let you do that. You own the building. Your business is just as thriving as mine—”

  “But you’ve lived here longer. This is your home.”

  “You love it here, too. You’ve said as much. Now you have Megan, and this is a wonderful place to bring up a child. No pollution, no—”

  “No you.”

  “Dave.” She was afraid to look at him, afraid she might cry. “Don’t make this any harder than it is.”

  Megan burst into the room, squealing as Princess and Jake chased her. “Princess likes me, Jenny!”

  Jenny put her arm around the child’s shoulders and squeezed her close. “Who wouldn’t?” Jenny felt a rush of warmth as Megan hugged her waist.

  “You smell good,” the little girl said.

  Jenny kissed the top of her head. “Come with me. I’ll make you smell good, too.”

  She took Megan into her bedroom and spritzed Chanel behind each of her ears. The girl beamed and held her hair off her neck.

  “Here,” Jenny said, “let me put it in a ponytail. Then your daddy can smell your perfume.”

  Megan fiddled with Jenny’s makeup on the dresser while her hair was being tied with a bow. “Can I put some lipstick on?”

  “Why not?” Jenny said. “Need help?”

  Megan handed the tube to her. As she applied gloss to the child’s lips, shivers ran down her arms. It would be so easy to fall in love with Dave’s daughter—as much in love as she was with him.

  Megan pressed her lips together and studied her image in the mirror. “Do I look beautiful?”

  “Absolutely.” Jenny straightened. “Let’s go show you off to your daddy.”

  “Yeah. I love my daddy.”

  Yeah, Jenny thought. So do I.

  A WEEK LATER, Jenny closed a box, then taped it shut. Straightening, she supported the small of her back. Moving would be a lot easier if her heart was in it. The cramped business space she’d rented in Mackinac City could only be considered downsizing. Without the island trade, business would fall off. It would be months, years before she could think about expanding. Winter was coming, and with the island isolated from the mainland during bad weather, she would be forced to give up her cottage and move across the lake.

  Sitting on the box, she looked around her. The shop was starting to look empty. It wasn’t only business that bothered her. Dave was on her mind constantly. She couldn’t accuse him of betrayal, though she wanted to. She was as guilty as he was for the misunderstanding. She laughed. Their farcical circumstances gave new meaning to the phrase lack of communication.

  Tears welled in her eyes when she thought of all that might have been. Megan had taken to her instantly, and she to Megan. Why couldn’t she bury her pride, accept Dave’s offer to stay on the island, see where the relationship would go from here?

  She blew her nose. Life stinks.

  “We’re down to the last crate.” Mrs. Wilcox emerged from the back room. “And there’s just a few small boxes left.”

  “I’ll have to get more tomorrow.” Jenny got up, wiping her eyes. “You can quit for the day, Mrs. Wilcox. I’m tired. I want to go home.”

  Mrs. Wilcox put her hands on her ample hips. “You sure, dearie? The mister said he didn’t mind if I stayed late.”

  “There’s no need.” The season was winding down. The Labor Day Bridge Walk, which drew over a hundred thousand people, had come and gone. Fewer tourists were visiting the shop now that school had started.

  A chilly rain started to fall as Jenny locked up for the night. She refused to look toward the kite shop.

  She’d avoided Dave lately. A clean break was the only sensible one. She noticed Jake wasn’t tied to the tree. Dave must have taken him inside because of the rain.

  Princess had seemed listless this morning, so she had left her home, leaving the doggy door unlatched so she could come and go if necessary.

  As she pedaled home, tears mingled with raindrops, blinding her at times. Images of Dave’s smile, Megan with eyes so like her father’s, visions of the three of them as a family unit, the sound of Dave’s laughter, the touch of his hand, the feel of his kiss, the whisper of his needy voice when they made love…

  She slipped her key in the lock and opened the door to the cottage. A rush of damp air greeted her. “Princess? I’m home.” She moved through the dark cottage, switching on lights while searching for matches, hoping a cheery fire would chase away the blues.

  Passing the bedroom, she paused, listening to faint mewlings on the opposite side of the door. Nudging the door open wider, her jaw dropped when she saw Jake and Princess in Dory’s cradle surrounded by three tiny, squirming forms.

  She broke into a grin, moving swiftly to the bedside. “Why, Jake, you rascal.” She picked up the smallest puppy, stroking its damp fur, still damp from birthing. The newborns couldn’t be more than a few hours old. She glanced at Jake. “How did you get in here?”

  Jake sat up, panting. The puppy trapdoor, human. Sorry to intrude, but my woman needed me. We used the Lamaze method.

  “Princess.” Jenny gently patted the tired mother. “I never dreamed—you were putting on weight!”

  The babies mewled and scrambled over each other, rooting for their dinner. One looked exactly like Jake, jutted jaw and pug-faced, while the other two strongly favored their mother.

  Jenny set the boy in the crib, then examined the two squirming white ones. Two girls and a boy. She beamed with pride. She was a grandmother!

  Hugging one of the females to her breast, she dropped to her knees, overcome with emotion. She was bawling over puppies, for gosh sake! She wanted babies of her own—with Dave. Memories rushed back, memories of picnics and ferry rides in his arms. No matter how many times she told herself they were ill-suited for each other, her heart told her they were made for each other.

  Why was she being so pigheaded? Why didn’t she just admit she loved him and make her life a whole lot easier? Her misgivings melted like ice cream on a hot sidewalk. What the heck. You only lived—and truly loved—once.

  She reached for the phone. She was tired of fighting feelings that no longer made any sense. There would be problems to overcome, but together, she and Dave could do it.

  “Dave?” She bit her lip. She’d gone too long without hearing his voice.

  “I was wondering of you’d ever get around to calling.”

  “Don’t say anything. Just…” She bit back tears. “Just come over, will you?”

  “Give me ten minutes to close the store and pick up Megan from the sitter.”

  She hung up, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes. She was going to feel pretty foolish if he didn’t share her sentiments.

  Seven and a half minutes later, his knock shook the door. When she opened it, Megan and Dave were standing in front of her. She walked into his arms, catching Megan around the waist to form a family circle. />
  Holding each other, they rocked back and forth. The smell of his after-shave washed over her, flooding her with sensual memories.

  “Jenny?”

  “Shhh,” she whispered. “We were both wrong.”

  “I’d do anything to—”

  “It doesn’t matter. I should have told you what I was planning to do.”

  His mouth found hers with a long, hungry kiss. They had been apart too long, much too long to be separated from love.

  Jake barked, demanding attention.

  Lifting his head, Dave frowned. “Was that Jake? He slipped out of his collar again. I figured he was in the pound.”

  “Jake?” Megan broke away, skipping toward the barking sound. “Jake! Where are you, boy?”

  Taking Dave by the hand, Jenny pulled him inside. “I think your dog has something he needs to get off his chest.”

  “What’s he doing here?”

  Jenny pulled him along the hallway, pausing before the doorway to the guest room. Behind the door a lot of mewling and barking was going on.

  Megan pressed closer. “What’s that sound?”

  Dave’s brows knitted in the middle of his forehead. “Sounds like a kennel in there.”

  Jenny pushed the door open, then stood back to allow Dave’s and Megan’s entrance. His eyes followed the noisy sounds emulating from the cradle, a smile gradually spreading across his features. The puppies were crying, their eager mouths searching for their mother.

  As Dave approached, Jake sat up straighter, wagging his tail.

  Dave’s gaze focused on the squirming puppies, and he shook his head. “Well, I’ll be damned, Jake. What have you done?”

  “Look, Daddy!” Megan bounced up and down. “Jake’s got puppies!”

  Princess lifted her head, her gentle eyes sweeping her children. Nudging the runt closer with her nose, she settled him at her teats.

  Megan’s little hands gently moved the babies closer to their source of milk.

  Jenny approached from behind, slipping her hand into Dave’s. They watched the newborns, awed and inspired by the familial sight. “I figure this makes us grandparents,” she whispered.

  Dave laughed, pulling her tightly to him. His embrace said that for the moment it was enough to be in each other’s arms.

  “I’ve really missed you,” he whispered.

  She was so choked with emotion, all she could do was kiss him. She poured her feelings into the response. There was so much she wanted to say, so very much.

  Setting her away slightly, he gazed into her eyes. The love he saw shining in the depths was strong and unmistakable. “I want to make a bargain with you.”

  Her fingers lightly brushed a lock of hair from his forehead. He had such beautiful, expressive eyes. “I’m listening.”

  “I’ve spent the last two days drawing up plans. If I can get clearance, I’m adding a second story to the building.”

  She tensed, willing to forgive him, but the eviction still smarted, no matter how nice he was about it.

  “Don’t tense up on me.” Pulling her closer, he whispered, “Aren’t you going to ask why?”

  She met his firm, even gaze. “I don’t need to. You’re expanding the store.”

  His gaze softened. “Yes and no. I’m taking over the upstairs, and I thought if I asked real nice—” he kissed the tip of her nose “—you might agree to keep Fudgeballs downstairs. If you’re agreeable, I’d like to franchise Fudgeballs—make it a big part of Rockfield. Between kites and fudge, we should be able to make ends meet, don’t you think?”

  Her pulse jumped. He was asking her to stay on, to keep Fudgeballs on the island, to go on with her expansion? She started to tremble, and he took both her hands, bringing them to his chest.

  She searched for her voice. “That sounds more like a compromise. What’s the bargain?”

  “The bargain is, marry me and you won’t have to pay monthly rent.”

  Her jaw dropped, and he gently tapped it closed. “Of course, I’ll be getting the better deal. You’ll be momma to Megan, and love slave and domestic goddess to me—”

  She giggled at his baloney.

  “I want you as my partner, Jenny. My life’s partner. I need you. I love you.”

  “Me, too, Jenny. And I like candy,” Megan said, hugging Jenny around the waist.

  His features sobered as he threaded his fingers through Jenny’s. “The bargain is mine. I want to start over with you, no lies, no misunderstandings, just total, complete surrender of love.”

  “Oh, Dave.” The answer was so simple. “Yes, yes, a thousand, thousand times yes.”

  He captured her mouth in a kiss that made all rational thought escape. There would be time to say how much she loved him. She would grow to love his daughter. Even time to accept Jake, a natural addition to the family now that he and Princess had three extra mouths to feed.

  There would be time for that, and more, but not now. She snuggled closer, surrendering to all he offered.

  “BEAUREGARDE? Never!” Jake snorted. “No pup of mine is going to be named Beauregarde.”

  “That is a perfectly acceptable French name.”

  “Why, he’d be the laughingstock of the neighborhood. There wouldn’t be a dog on the island that wouldn’t pick a fight with him.” He kicked at the grass with his hind foot. “What’s wrong with Butch? Or Jake Junior?”

  “Beauregarde,” Princess insisted.

  “Hey, I never squawked at the girls’ names—Fifi and Mimi—but I’m naming my boy.”

  “Now, don’t make a fuss. We’re naming our boy Beauregarde.” Princess snuggled close and wiggled her hindquarters against him.

  “Jake Junior.”

  “Beauregarde.”

  She wiggled again, and his amorous side betrayed him. “Hoo, boy.” He licked the top of her head. She pressed closer, and he put his front leg over her.

  She let out a long breath. “I love you, Monsieur.”

  Women! He smacked his chops. “Aw…shucks. I love you, too, Frenchie. Could we at least just call the little feller Beau?”

  ISBN : 978-1-4592-7448-8

  FUDGEBALLS AND OTHER SWEETS

  Copyright ® 1998 by Lori Copeland

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario. Canada M3B 3K9.

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