Page 55 of Kiss the Bride

Was it any wonder he’d been too restless to fall asleep? Or that when he finally had drifted off in the wee hours of the morning, he’d dreamed of her? He shook his head. The alarm had rung far too early. He gulped another swallow of the strong coffee and studied her over the rim of the cup. She’d pulled her hair off her face and had fastened it with sparkly combs this morning. The green shell she wore under a brown zippered jacket highlighted the green in her eyes.

A slight cough from the woman at the opposite end of the banquette jolted him out of his thoughts. Knowing she’d caught him staring, he gave Evelyn a sheepish smile and lifted his cup in a mock toast. No more woolgathering, he promised himself, just as Nick snapped his fingers. At the baker’s signal, a tuxedoed waiter pushed a cart bearing a wedding cake through the swinging doors that separated the kitchen from the front half of the bakery.

Brianna cooed with pleasure while Daniel grunted his approval of the round tiers covered in a blush buttercream and decorated with fresh flowers. Ryan merely nodded. As they listened to Nick’s description of mouthwatering flavors and fillings, he spared a single glance at Evelyn. To tell the truth, he expected to see her staring at the cake in childlike wonder. But for the second time in two days, the saucy redhead’s reaction completely baffled him. Rather than sitting in rapt attention, she excused herself and hurried out of the room with her phone pressed against her ear.

A frisson of concern passed through him. He tried telling himself the call was none of his business, that she was probably fielding a mundane request from the Cottage’s switchboard, but unease plagued him. Especially when her absence stretched through Nick’s second option—a beautifully decorated sheet cake—and well into the gold-foiled tower that was his third. Without her there to share the tasting, Ryan pushed bites of filling that had lost its flavor around his plate.

The minutes dragged by until she finally returned to the booth. When she slipped into her seat, twin lines between her eyes begged him to rush to her side and do his best to fix her problem, whatever it was. Only pure strength of will kept him in his seat. Well, that and the fact that he’d have to climb over Daniel and Brianna to reach her. He forked up a final bite and mostly gave noncommittal answers to questions from the Wedding-in-a-Week couple until it was time to leave. Biding his time, he smiled and waved until the car carrying Brianna and Daniel disappeared around the corner. When he was certain they’d gone, he slipped one arm around Evelyn’s waist. His concerns mounted when she didn’t resist in the slightest but let him guide her to a table in the bakery’s cafe.

“Okay,” he said when the waitress had brought their coffees. “What’s wrong?”

“Why do you think something’s wrong?” Evelyn emptied half her cup in one gulp.

“You’d never skip a Wedding-in-a-Week event without a good reason. And those frown lines you’re wearing? They tell me there’s a problem. Is it Brianna’s aunt? She’s not worse, is she?”

“No,” she answered, putting his biggest fear to rest. Then Evelyn reached across the table and did the last thing he expected her to do—she wrapped his fingers in hers. For a second, his world stood still while the warmth of her touch spread up his arm and through his chest. “You know me well, Ryan. I like that.”

When he could breathe again, he squeezed her hand. “I like this,” he admitted, aiming a look at their joined hands. When he was just a little tyke, he used to try and shake loose from his mother’s firm grip whenever they crossed the street. To this day, she told anyone who asked that he’d always been independent. Now, holding Evelyn’s hand, for the first time in his life, he didn’t ever want to let go.

“Sheila’s on the mend. She’ll get out of the hospital tomorrow, but you’re right. There is a problem.”

“How can I help?” Keeping his arm right where it was, he straightened.

“I have to go to Newport tomorrow.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “What about Wedding-in-a-Week? Aren’t we supposed to stay with Brianna and Daniel while they choose a dance band?”

She nodded. “And drinks. I spoke to Alicia. Since those activities are being held at the Cottage, she and Jenny were planning to be there anyway. They’ll cover for me.”

“A road trip, huh? I’m sure there’s a good reason.” He didn’t need all the details. Those could wait until later.

“It’s complicated. I’m not even sure I have all the facts straight. I do know a jeweler on Bellview is holding a strand of pearls for Brianna. I need to get them for her.”

“Not quite what I expected.” But a month ago, he could never have imagined he’d be sitting in I Do Cakes holding hands with Evelyn Heart. He sat back, considering. The prospect of hanging out in the Green Room with Alicia, Jenny, Brianna, and Daniel for the better part of a day was nearly as appealing as eating wedding cake that had lost its flavor the moment Evelyn had left the table. “What time do we leave?”

“We?”

Seeing her smile sent another jolt of warmth through him. “Of course, we.” He gave her fingers a light squeeze. “You weren’t thinking of going alone, were you?”

“Well …” Evelyn’s voice told him she had considered that exact thing.

“I’ll drive. We’ll take the truck and make a day of it. If you play your cards right, I might even buy you lunch while we’re there.” The seafood restaurants that lined Newport’s wharf offered some of the best lobster and clams in the country.

“We’ll need to be back in time for the rehearsal dinner,” she cautioned.

“No problem.” After the leaves fell in the fall, he could easily drive to Newport in an hour or so. But at the height of tourist season, they’d need to allow twice that amount of time. “If I pick you up at eight, we can be there by ten when the store opens. That’ll give us plenty of time for lunch and maybe a little sightseeing.” The views of the ocean and Newport mansions were spectacular along the Cliff Walk, but they’d be pressing their luck to try and take the four-hour hike. On the other hand, he could see them strolling along the shore together or exploring the cavern-like tunnels at Fort Adams.

“Can we afford to be away that long?” Though her eyes sparkled, doubt tugged at Evelyn’s lips.

“We’re only talking a few hours. After the week we’ve had, I think we both need a little break.”

“It’d be a shame to drive all the way to Newport and back without at least grabbing lunch.” Evelyn’s lips smoothed. “Eight it is. I’ll meet you out front.” She thumbed through the messages on her phone with one hand. Her face softened. “I’d better go now if I’m going to be ready in the morning.”

He couldn’t resist giving her hand one last squeeze before he relinquished his hold. Tomorrow, he promised himself. They’d get to know each other a little better while they explored the neighboring town.

At the door, she leaned up on tiptoe and brushed her lips against his cheek. “Thanks,” she whispered. And then she was off, her long strides eating up the sidewalk, her hips swaying and her head held high, while he remained rooted to the spot, rubbing a tiny spot on his cheek.

She’d kissed him. He hadn’t seen that coming, but of the many curveballs she’d thrown him today, he liked that one best of all.

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