Sprinkled with Love

“So who is our winner?” Mrs. Monroe scanned the crowd but no one raised their hand. “Come on. Don’t be shy. I know someone here won. Check your numbers again.” She read off the lucky number again.

Still, no one raised their hand.

And then Mrs. Monroe said, “I think I have an idea.” She turned to face the bachelors. “Gentlemen, I know you’re all busy, but if any of you bought raffle tickets, you need to check them now.”

A few men reached into their pockets and pulled out a strip of tickets. Jillian smiled, knowing one of them had won and wondering which one. But when Avery set aside the spatula and reached into his pocket, the smile faded from her face.

Please don’t let it be him.

Her pulse raced. Everyone who was anyone in town was here tonight, including her mother. If he were to win the honeymoon suite, everyone would once again think they were a couple. That at last they had worked things out and they were going to have a happily-ever-after.

But it wasn’t the case. It didn’t matter that when he stared at her, her stomach dipped. And when she was close to him, she couldn’t resist inhaling his manly scent. And that at night, her dreams were filled with him. Because in the end, he’d told her in no uncertain terms that he didn’t want another family. They had no chance for anything more than what they had now—an awkward friendship.

“What was the number again?” Avery asked.

Jillian’s heart sank. She should leave, but her feet were unwilling to move. It was like watching a looming accident and not being able to turn away.

Mrs. Monroe repeated the number and with every digit Avery nodded his head.

“That’s it,” he said, looking pleased that he had the winning ticket.

“Wonderful!” Mrs. Monroe beamed as she rushed over and verified that it was indeed the winning ticket. “Congratulations. I bet Jillian is excited too.”

Oh no! At last jarred from her stupor, she turned and slipped out a side door. She started walking down the long hallway, away from everyone. There was no way she was going to stick around for this.

How could Avery have done this? Didn’t he realize what people were going to say? Anger and embarrassment burned inside her. She headed straight for the back exit. Lucky for her, it was unlocked to let the vendors and suppliers come and go. The cold air felt good against her heated skin.

She wanted to keep going, but she couldn’t. She had to return to the stall unless she found someone to fill in for her.

She reached for her phone and started texting Suzanna:

Jillian: Something came up. Have to leave. Can you watch over the stall?

Suzanna: Are you feeling all right?

Obviously Suzanna had missed the thing with the winning ticket. And then she recalled that they’d sold so many bands that Suzanna had run back to the car to get more.

Jillian: I just got a sudden headache.

It wasn’t far from the truth. Not far at all. Right now her temples pulsed and her stomach churned. She’d be better once she got home. Hopefully by tomorrow the rumors and innuendos would die down. Jillian knew that was as likely to happen as the sun not rising tomorrow.

Suzanna: I’ve got it. Go home. I’ll see you tomorrow.

Jillian got the t and h of her thank-you message typed when she heard her name being called. She glanced up to see Avery charging toward her.

“Hey, where are you going?” he asked, as though he hadn’t realized what he’d done.

“I’m leaving.” She finished typing the rest of her message to Suzanna before slipping the phone in her pocket.

“You don’t have to do that.”

“Yes, I do. Didn’t you see all of those people? Their gazes were going from you to me and back again.”

“So what? You know they get excited about the slightest thing.”

The slightest thing? Is that what he thought about her feelings? That they were a slight thing? Or was he totally oblivious to everything?

Just in case he really didn’t understand what was at stake here, she intended to tell him. “This isn’t some little bit of gossip. They think that you and I are finally a couple.”