she was still asleep or she was totally ignoring him.
Because he had to meet up with the hands and issue the day’s instructions, he put her on hold and went out to tend to the ranch. Elizabeth was never far from his mind, and the first spare moment he had he came back to the house. He found her in the kitchen making another pot of coffee.
“Good morning.”
She merely responded in kind, but didn’t turn from her task.
Next he ventured, “Elizabeth, will you go with me to order the cake today?”
Her hand froze. “I don’t think that will be necessary.”
“You could explain what Carol wants much better than I can.”
She cast him a look over her shoulder. “But—”
He gave her the brightest smile he could muster. “Great. We’ll go in an hour.” Then he walked out of the kitchen, whistling to himself.
Elizabeth had fed and changed Jenny by the time Jack came back in an hour later. How had she gotten herself roped into going with him?
It was for Carol, she told herself.
“Are you ready?” Jack asked as he stepped out of the washroom. “Where’s Jenny?”
“The kids are with Tom in his room. Brady’s watching TV.”
“Then let’s go.” He went to help her with her coat, but she took it from him and put it on herself.
She was quiet on the ride, not initiating any conversation and offering only limited responses to his attempts.
“The cake lady doesn’t live too far away,” Jack said after he pulled away from the house.
“Good.”
“Are you busy today?” he asked.
“No more than usual.” Her reply was polite but clipped, and she kept her gaze straight ahead.
“I wanted to thank you for coming with me.”
“I did it for Carol, not you.”
Finally Jack took the hint, and they rode the rest of the way in silence.
A few minutes later Jack pulled into the driveway of a charming farmhouse. He led her around back and opened the door into the kitchen. “Edith?” he called, since no one was in sight.
They both heard a faint “Coming!”
She could’ve sworn Jack chuckled beside her as they stood there waiting for the baker to arrive.
When she saw the small figure enter the kitchen she knew why.
The cake lady was seventy, if she was a day.
Elizabeth shot Jack a look and he bared his white teeth in a huge smile as he laughed.
“Jack!” The old woman threw her arms around him, her tiny frame dwarfed by his large one.
“Hi, Edith. How are you doing?”
“I’m fine. What can I do for you?”
“Tom’s getting married this Friday. I know it’s short notice, but we were hoping you could manage to make a wedding cake for him.”
She looked at Elizabeth for the first time. “Who’s this? Is she the bride?”
Elizabeth had to stifle a laugh. “No! I mean, no, I’m not the bride. It’s Carol.”
“Oh, good.” Edith gave her an assessing once-over. “So who are you?”
“I’m Tom’s daughter-in-law.”
“Reggie’s wife?” Edith asked in horror.
“Reggie’s widow.”
“Oh, poor Tom.” Then she turned back to Jack and her demeanor changed. “So he’s finally going to marry Carol? That’s good. How many people?”
“We figure a couple of hundred,” Jack said.
“What style cake do you want?”
Jack looked at Elizabeth. “That’s your job.”
Elizabeth described it, and was a bit concerned when Edith didn’t write anything down.
“Got it. I’ll have it ready Friday by noon.”
Jack thanked her. “We would’ve given you more time, but he didn’t ask her until last night.”
“A couple of romantics, eh?”
“Yeah, I guess they didn’t want to waste any time,” Jack said with a grin.
“I don’t blame them. They’re not getting any younger.” She gave Jack a smile, and Elizabeth swore she saw the woman bat her eyelashes at him.
Jack stepped back, a fearful look on his face. “I…I’ll see you Friday.”
He got out of the farmhouse before Edith could kiss him goodbye. Elizabeth could only laugh as she followed.
When they got to the truck, he shot her a look. “I don’t think it’s funny. Sometimes that woman scares me.”
She tried to stop laughing. “I’m sorry.” When she sobered, she said, “I’m also sorry for thinking you were dating Edith.”
“Thank you.”
She shrugged. “It’s none of my business anyway.”
“What do you mean?”
“It means that I have no right to be concerned about who you date. You’re a single man with no ties. You can date whomever you want.”
Jack nodded at her comment, apparently in agreement. But the thought struck her as untrue.
It did bother her who Jack dated. But why?
Because she was jealous.
Because she cared about him.
Because, she realized with a gasp, she was falling for him.
When they arrived back at the ranch, Jack went straight to Tom. They had important business to discuss.
Elizabeth followed him and immediately went to Brady, who was sitting on the floor, playing cards with Tom. “Brady, is everything all right?”
“Sure, Mommy. Jenny’s asleep and we’re playing cards.”
“I didn’t know you knew how to play.”
“Grandpa taught
