Just then the bell above the door rang out. Jillian stepped inside and stopped. Her gaze settled on him. “Avery, what’s the matter?”
“Why does something have to be the matter?”
“Well, you’re here. In my shop.” And then a range of emotions flitted over her face. “Do you need something for your girlfriend?”
“Not you too. How come everyone in this town thinks I need to hook up with someone to be happy?”
Jillian held up her hand as though to fend off his barrage. “Hey, I didn’t say that. I just don’t understand why you would come here otherwise.”
“I needed to talk to you.” He glanced over his shoulder to find Suzanna hadn’t moved. She was watching them with rapt interest. He turned to Jillian. “Can we go somewhere and talk?”
Jillian didn’t say anything for a moment as though considering his request. “I’m sorry, but I’m working. We’ll have to talk here. Is this about Romeo? Has he come to visit your house again?”
Avery shook his head. “No. Romeo hasn’t returned, but Marshmallow hasn’t been herself. I think she misses him.”
“I didn’t think they got along.”
“I don’t know.” Avery rubbed the back of his neck. “Romeo was pretty persistent and each time he moved, she let him get a little closer. I think there may be something there.”
“Oh boy, wait until my mother hears that her baby boy has a girlfriend.”
“Her baby boy?”
Jillian nodded. “My mother treats that cat like he’s human. And he is spoiled rotten. But you don’t want to hear about any of that. What did you want to talk about?”
Avery shifted his weight to his good leg. “Beth called last night after you left.”
Jil
lian’s beautiful face creased with worry lines. “Is something the matter?”
“That depends on what you mean.” He wasn’t sure how to broach the subject.
“Avery, you’re starting to worry me.”
“Sorry. I promise Beth is healthy and her grades are good.”
“Then what is it?”
“Have you heard about the fundraiser? You know, the one for Harry’s House?”
Jillian nodded.
“It seems Beth and Joanie have put their heads together and decided I would be a good bachelor to enter in this baking competition.”
“Oh.” A small smile tugged at Jillian’s glossy lips.
“This isn’t funny. I know next to nothing about baking. And I prefer to keep it that way. That’s what bakeries are for. But Beth has this idea in her head, and she thinks I can do anything.”
“You do have to admit you bake the best cupcakes.”
“Not you too.” He glanced down at the white floor tiles. He lowered his voice. “I can’t bake.”
“But the cupcakes?”
He kept his voice low, not wanting his admission to become public knowledge. “I take my mother’s recipe to the Copper Mountain bakery. Every year I pay them extra to make the cupcakes that Beth and Jordan have been receiving all their lives.”
Jillian’s mouth gaped. “And they never knew?”