Cooking Up Trouble (14 page)

T
he bakery was slammed on Saturday. Beautiful weather brought tourists from other towns, and the traffic on the county road buzzed with extra activity. Tessa smiled and chatted to each customer who came and went, but Ian stayed in the back of her thoughts. They were friends, and she didn't want to risk that, but she needed to find a way to pull away from him. She shouldn't have worried. Close to the end of the day, Lily stopped in to ask if Tessa had any frozen coffee cakes for sale.

As usual, Lily couldn't look any cuter. Short-shorts showed off her shapely legs. A deep V-neck displayed her cleavage. A high ponytail bobbed at the back of her head, and make-up rimmed her blue eyes, making them look huge. How did she do it? How did she always look sparkly and feminine?

She grinned at Tessa. “All that damn boyfriend of mine talks about is your bakery, so I thought I'd better come to see it for myself. Ian told me while I'm here, I might as well pick up something for breakfast. I might stay over a couple of days, so I need pastries for Monday and Tuesday, too.”

“I don't have a streusel,” Tessa said, “but I have cinnamon rolls. I'll go dig some out of the freezer for you.”

Grams came to the counter to make small talk while Tessa went to search for the rolls. Tessa heard Grams say, “So, did you like the winery? The owners give tours in the summer.”

Lily answered, “It was all right, sort of quiet, but Ian got out the previous owner's pontoon and took me on a boat ride this morning. The lake's beautiful. I'm trying to talk him into buying jet skis and hiring bands on weekends. Then we could party more.“

“The winery has a band every Friday in the summer,” Tessa heard Grams say.

“But it's jazz, and the locals sit around and visit with each other. Kind of dead. I'm talking about dance music.”

“The bar has dance music.” Grams was being persistent. To her, no place could compare to Mill Pond.

“We've been there. I've met the locals.” Lily let it stand at that.

Grams gave her a look as Tessa hurried to the counter to ring up Lily's order. When Lily gave a cheerful wave and left, Grams huffed out a sigh. “That girl's a spoiled, little snot.”

Tessa shrugged. “She's used to big cities. She likes the night scene. It's going to take her a while to adjust.”

“Not gonna happen.” Grams started for the door. “Well, it's been fun and all, kid, but my bunions need a rest. Don't worry about fixing me supper tomorrow night. Miguel—”

“—is bringing you something.” Tessa smiled. “I never thought you'd ditch me for a guy.”

“Such an innocent,” Grams told her. “But I'll still see you three times a week in the bakery.”

Tessa froze and stared. Was Grams saying that their Sunday nights were a thing of the past? It sure sounded like it. “Wait a minute. Are you talking about
every
Sunday?”

Grams put her hands on her hips. “It's time you found new people to hang out with. It's time we both move on.”

What the hell?
Tessa fussed under her breath as she cleaned and locked up. When she went to check on Kayla, the girl was almost finished, too.

“Sorry I didn't get in to help you,” Kayla said, “but we sold out of everything—twice. I had to put out the money basket to go pick more.”

“It's like that once it gets warm and there are more products to offer.”

Kayla glanced at her watch, but waited politely.

“I'm finished here,” Tessa told her. “I'll see you on Wednesday for baking lessons.”

Kayla grinned and took off. Luther must be at the cabin, waiting for her.

As Tessa trudged to the house, she sighed. She'd always looked forward to seeing Grandma on Sunday nights. Was that a bad thing? How sad was it when your grandma hinted that your social life was pathetic? She'd never felt lonely before, but suddenly, eating suppers, alone, in front of the TV didn't appeal to her.

No worries tonight. Tessa heated up leftovers and took a short break before Ian dropped in. Right away, they got started on making food for the open house. The bean puree was simple, and they finished it in no time. But Ian had called last night and asked if maybe they could have some small, easy desserts, too. Tessa had thought about that herself. Every gathering needed a sweet treat at the end. She decided to make pudding shooters in short, champagne-type glasses.

“What
is
a shooter?” Ian asked.

Tessa placed heavy saucepans on the stove. “I was going to make two different kinds—lemon and chocolate. You put pudding in the bottom of the glass, then whipped cream, then crumbled cookies, then another layer of each. We can make the pudding today and fill the glasses tomorrow.”

He licked his lips, ready to start.

Tessa hated to bring it up, but said, “Why don't you call Lily and see if she'd like to pitch in? I meant to invite her, but forgot.”

“Not her thing. I'm not sure if she's ever touched a stove.” He shrugged. “She promised to give the resort a try, but she wasn't ready for how hard start-up would be. She's not happy I left her tonight, so I decided to give her a special surprise. I invited some of her friends from work to spend the weekend with us, so they'll be here for the open house, too.”

Tessa stared. “I was hoping Lily would get to know the people around here better.” That wouldn't happen if she had friends around her.

Ian squared his shoulders. “I know Mill Pond is an adjustment for her. I'd like to make it as easy as possible.”

Tessa didn't say anything, deciding silence was sometimes the better part of valor.

“Once she plugs in here, she'll feel better about this place.”

Tessa wasn't so sure about that. She wondered if part of Lily wanted Ian to fail, so that he'd move back to New York.

Ian sighed. “Anything worthwhile gives you gray hairs, right? I knew that coming into this. I love this place. I love . . .” He faltered to a halt. “I don't know what I'd do if I had to give up and go back to my old life. Lily wants to settle on the West Coast once we get this place going. I wouldn't even be close to my family.”

Before Tessa could say anything, a small caravan of cars drove past the bungalow.

“Come on. I want you to meet them, and then we can come back and finish up.” Ian waved her to the golf cart he'd driven, and they zipped down the road. He pulled in behind his guests, and amid the honking of horns and laughter, Lily hurried out of the lodge. She was dressed in a designer top that scooped low enough to be revealing with a snug fit to accent her small waistline. Her jeans were skintight. She looked adorable, as usual. When she saw her friends, her face broke into a smile. She ran to Ian and hugged him.

“I should have known you'd make this weekend wonderful. You always do. I love you, babe.” She stood on tiptoe to brush a kiss across his lips, then ran to greet her friends.

Ian grimaced. He turned to Tessa. “After we finish the desserts, I'm treating everyone to drinks at our local bar. There's a band, right?”

“Yup, Chase hires someone every Friday and Saturday.” And this time, Lily wouldn't have to rub shoulders with the
locals
. She could mingle with her buddies.

He grinned, but the sparkle didn't reach his eyes. “This will be a good test run for the resort. Bet it gives me lots of ideas for when I open the doors.” He hesitated. “Tess, thanks again. Thanks for being there for me.”

“We're neighbors.”

“No, we're friends. You're the best. I wish Lily . . .” He let it drop. “Anyway, thanks.”

She forced a smile. Did it look as pathetic as his? “Look, just take me home and drop me off. I can whip out the puddings in no time. You need to knock this out of the park. Have fun with Lily.”

“Right.” He drove her home, sat for a minute to watch her walk inside, then put on his best host face and went to join Lily.

Ian had never called her
Tess
before. They were spending too much time together, getting too close. The attraction pulled too strong. She needed to give herself more space, remove herself from temptation.

I
an walked in the barn at nine a.m. on Sunday. He looked like crap. Okay, not true. Even with bed head and stubble, dressed in old jeans and a rumpled T-shirt, he was gorgeous, maybe even sexier. Tessa had to force her fingers not to reach out and stroke his jaw, but his eyes had dark circles under them, and he hardly had enough energy to move.

Tessa was no ball of energy herself. She grinned at him. “Did you brush your teeth?”

“Had to.” He ran his tongue over them. “My breath smelled like stale beer.”

Lovely. She put the beef tenderloins on the counter to come to room temperature. “You must have had a good time last night.”

He grimaced. “Lily promised we'd leave Chase's at midnight since we had so much work to do today. I should have known better. She and her friends didn't quit dancing till the bar closed at two.”

“Is everything set up at your place? You won't have time to cook and get tables and plates ready.”

He sighed. “Everyone was still asleep when I left, but Lily promised they'd all pitch in and get that part finished for me.”

Another promise. Maybe she'd keep this one. Not Tessa's problem.

They began wrapping shrimp and fresh pineapple in bacon to put on skewers. Next, they seasoned the tenderloins and slid them into a hot oven. They tossed the asparagus on rimmed baking sheets and tore chunks of prosciutto over them before adding sliced almonds. Those went on the bottom oven racks. The kitchen felt muggy, even with the French doors open to let in a breeze off the lake, so Tessa turned on the air conditioning. She could feel her coppery hair grow frizzier every minute, even pulled back in a ponytail. They were mixing the crab spread when they heard the purr of a pontoon engine nearby.

Ian glanced out the windows, and his jaw clenched.

Tessa looked, too, to see what had aggravated him. One of Lily's friends stood at the steering wheel, and Lily stood next to him. She wore a cherry red bikini that was mostly strings with a few triangles of fabric attached. The man's hand was on her ass.

Ian yanked his cell phone out of his pocket. When Lily answered, he said, “What the hell are you doing? Are all of the tables set up with white tablecloths and are all of the dishes and glasses arranged?”

She gave a brief answer, and Ian's expression turned hostile. When he jammed the phone back in his pocket, he said, “Lily told Luther and Kayla what to do. Her friends wanted to see the lake.”

Tessa didn't know what to say. This wasn't the time for Ian to lose his temper. He needed to pull off the open house. She settled on, “We're making great progress. If we keep going, at this rate, we'll have the food ready and you can get back to the lodge earlier than you expected.”

He growled and reached for the small, fancy glasses to start assembling the shooters. She started work on the crostini. They plugged through all of the preparations, loaded the food into the trunk of Ian's car, and then separated to get ready for the party.

Tessa showered and dressed. When she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she did a double take.
Ugh.
Not good. She turned on music, grabbed a curling iron, and set out makeup. She'd be damned if she'd stand next to Lily looking like a pitiful lab specimen.

By the time she walked into Ian's resort, she had a bounce to her step, her hair was pulled up in a loose, casual knot, and she looked as good as she ever had. Ian, as always, had cleaned up to his usual, casual gorgeousness. He smiled when he saw her. “I like your dress.”

“Thanks.” The periwinkle-blue made her copper hair pop. She looked around the lobby. The sign-in desk had been turned into a bar with bottles of wine and beer. A table at the side of the room displayed the food. A table opposite held the desserts. Brochures listing all of the local farmers and specialty items spread across a side table. “It looks good. Classy.”

Ian nodded, obviously happy with the results. “Yeah, no thanks to Lily, we pulled it off. It's exactly what I was hoping for.”

Lily saw her and came to press herself against Ian's side. She wore a sparkly, rose-colored top and a short, white skirt. Very trendy. Her skin glowed. A boat ride will do that for you. “The food's wonderful, perfect for this occasion.”

“Thanks.”

Lily's friends drifted toward them. Lily made quick introductions before saying, “Tessa owns the bakery and produce stand down the road. She dropped out of college to run her grandparents' farm.”

“I've heard about your pies and cakes,” one of the men in the party said. He held up a beef tenderloin slider with southwest aioli. “This is delicious. Who needs accounting when you can cater and run a business?”

“The accounting helps keeps me practical.” Tessa glanced around the room to search out Darinda or some other old friends. Small talk didn't rank high on her list of fun activities.

Lily gave a smug smile. “Tessa's a writer, too. She sells romances.”

“Really?” a woman exclaimed. “How do you think of ideas?”

If Tessa had a nickel for every time someone asked that question . . . but the woman's interest was genuine. She tried to explain. “Once ideas start, they just keep coming. Once you open the flood gates, you get more than you need.”

The woman stared. “Wait a minute. Ian said your last name is Lawrence. You're not T. A. Lawrence, are you? I've bought every one of your books.”

Lily frowned. “Tessa's romances are mostly fantasy. She was engaged once, it didn't work, and she gave up on men.”

Ian stared at her. “Tess is taking a sabbatical.”

“For years and years!” Lily turned to her. “You have different locations for your series, though, don't you? I thought you never left Mill Pond.”

Lily was clearly in a mood. What the hell was her problem? “My family loved to travel. We took trips every summer. These days, I'm invited to quite a few writers' conferences. Harmony—a fellow writer—and I meet up and explore together.”

Lily slanted a glance to her friends. “So you're not the country bumpkin I thought you were.”

“That's
enough
.” Ian glared.

Lily looked up at him, surprised. “But we've hardly gotten to know Tessa better.”

“Lucky her.” Ian nodded across the room to Keavin. “Tess, he's been trying to catch your attention since you walked through the door. I'm sure you'll enjoy his company more than ours.” He motioned Tessa away, and she gladly escaped. When she looked back at Lily later, she was with her group. Ian had left them to make the rounds, greeting his guests.

“The little cat showed her claws,” Darinda whispered in Tessa's ear, coming to stand closer.

Keavin grinned. “Bet Ian hasn't seen that side of her before.”

David came to wrap an arm around Tessa's shoulders. “You rattled her cage, girl, and she showed her true colors.”

But the thought didn't make Tessa happy. Lily had drawn a line in the sand, and Ian would have to decide which side he would stand on. Tessa was one hundred percent sure, he'd choose Lily's.

As much as she enjoyed seeing her friends, she was relieved when four o'clock came and the open house started breaking up. It had been a big success. Everyone talked about the wonderful job Ian had done on the resort. Lily's friends took brochures with them to show to people they knew. The whole event had been an ordeal for Tessa. She drove home, glad it was over.

Even though it was still early, she slipped out of her clothes and into her pajamas. Her feet ached. She was ready to sip a glass of wine and rent a movie. She'd have to lay low for the next couple days. Lily was staying with Ian, and Tessa didn't want to run into her. She jabbed at the remote. She didn't relish the idea of cooking one lonely supper for herself tomorrow.

When she flipped on the TV, an ad for a huge three-day art festival in Columbus flashed visions of tents and food kiosks. Tessa liked art. She'd always meant to buy another painting for her living room, but the idea of wandering from one booth to the next, alone, didn't appeal to her. Darinda always complained that David would rather spend his free time in the den with his buddies, watching a game on TV—whatever the season offered—than attend an art show with her. Tessa picked up her phone and dialed Darinda's number. “I'm going to the art show in Columbus tomorrow. Want to come along?”

There was a pregnant pause. “Is this my friend, Tessa? The homebody who never leaves her property?”

Really. What was this? Pick on Tessa week? “Yup, it's me. I'm on my own tomorrow, and I'm in the mood to have fun. Is school still in session?”

“Friday was our last day. Does this have anything to do with Miss Blonde Bombshell nesting at Lakeview Stables?”

“Maybe.”

“In that case, I'll be there. I'll pick you up at noon.”

“I should drive,” Tessa argued. “It was my idea.”

“Girl, I love you, but there's no way I'm riding in that piece of junk pickup you're so fond of.”

“You just don't know quality when you see it.”

“Yes, I do. That's why I'm driving.”

With her plans made, Tessa hung up with a smile.

She was still smiling when Darinda pulled to the door at noon on Monday.

“This is a great way for me to start my summer vacation!”

They gossiped on the hour-long drive to Columbus, ignoring the scenery they passed. Darinda couldn't find a place to park and had to pay to leave her SUV a distance away from the event. People crowded the streets. They walked five blocks before bursting onto the streets, ready to shop. Tents paraded up and down, offering jewelry, photography, fabrics, and paintings.

Tessa stopped at Randall Scott Hardin's tent to ogle an oil of a Broad Ripple night scene. Both she and Darinda knew that area of Indianapolis, and she was struck by the vivid touches of light and color. She winced at the price tag, but the painting was worth every penny, and soon, she and Darinda were loading it into the back of Darinda's SUV.

A shish kebab kiosk attracted them on the way back.

“We had a late breakfast, but I need something to eat,” Darinda said. “All this shopping makes me hungry.”

They nibbled as they walked down the street, peeking in tents. Darinda nodded toward three, young girls, teetering on stiletto heels and giggling together. “You can only wear shoes that high when you're young. At our age, you get nose bleeds.”

They started people watching as much as shopping. Darinda pointed toward four twenty-something guys wearing jeans with holes in them, long hair, and tight T-shirts. “Bet they belong in a band.”

Tessa smiled when girls turned to swoon over them. “I'm guessing you're right.”

“Wonder what those girls would do if Ian and Brody walked past them. Faint?”

Tessa laughed. “Maybe Ian's in the wrong business. He should play drums.”

They thought up silly scenarios as they visited other tents. Darinda found an outdoor sculpture for her patio, and they lugged it to the car. Then she turned to Tessa. “Enough with the art already. I need a new summer dress, something fun and sexy. And you need . . . a new wardrobe. Let's look at clothes.”

Tessa blinked. “Am I that bad?”

“I've seen you in the same khakis for at least three years. Waste not, want not is great for some things, but hon, those pants have seen better days.”

A vision of Lily sprang into Tessa's mind. She doubted that girl had one practical outfit in her wardrobe. “I want to turn heads.”

“Damn, girl, this is gonna be fun!” Darinda led her to the small boutiques close to downtown.

Tessa quickly learned that khakis weren't going to cut it for weekend frippery. Darinda turned thumbs down for one outfit after another that she chose.

“You can buy basics for church socials,” her friend told her. “But it's time to get a little groovy for when you go out.”

Snug, colorful tops went onto the “to buy” piles, along with flirty skirts and shorts. Two hours later, both women returned to the SUV with bags overflowing.

“I need a drink.” Darinda started toward the outdoor tables at a corner bar. “Just one beer to wet my whistle, and then we can head for home.”

Tessa ordered fried pickles, along with her wine. As they munched, they avoided any topics that hinted at weighty. By the time they turned back for Mill Pond, Darinda sighed. “I can't remember the last time I had so much fun with a girlfriend. We need to do this again.”

“Works for me.”

“I'm holding you to that. Between my kids and your barn and books, we hardly spend any time together. It's time we do girls' days out more often.” Darinda stopped at a red light. She glanced at Tessa, then glanced away. “I know you're not going to like this, and I'll only say it once, then let it drop, but David and I have been talking about you and Ian. And we both think you'd be better for him than Lily. I say, kick that girl to the curb and grab that man for yourself.”

Tessa sighed. “You know I can't do that. Ian's trying to talk Lily into moving in with him. But that's why I came here today. It's time I start thinking about what I want next.”

“You'd be doing Ian a favor if you saved him from Bubbly Blonde.” At Tessa's grimace, Darinda said, “Okay, subject dropped. Let Ian drown in his own misery. But what about you? What are you going to do now?”

The words “doing Ian a favor” stuck in Tessa's mind. That's what Grams said about Sadie, that Sadie had done her a favor by snagging Gary.
Bull pucky.
If Sadie hadn't shown up, she and Gary would still be happy together. She took a deep breath. “We both knew Ian was just a kick in the pants to get me out of my own, little world. It worked. Now I have to move on. Hell, even Grams has found someone new.”