Page 40 of His Pickle Her Jam

I mean, I wasn’t sure I would win.

I hoped so.

I wanted to win.

I knew I had a good product. Plus, I was already running a moderately successful online mail order business. And I truly believed I could make Jan’s Jellies & Jams bigger and better with a real brick and mortar home base.

Buck had been nothing but supportive, but would that change if I won and he lost? I had to wonder.

“Is Sonny in the bar?” I asked Delani, pushing away all my negative thoughts.

“Nope, here he comes,” she said, and nodded at her man who was already jogging down the street to meet her.

“Hello, ladies,” he greeted us.

“Hey, Sonny. Bye Del. Thanks for your help.”

“No problem, Jan. Have fun with Bucky,” she said and winked.

“Alright, I’ll see you two later.”

I rolled my eyes at their mushy little display. They acted like they hadn’t seen each other in years when really, he'd walked her over to the store just a few hours earlier.

Snort.

There was a time when I would have been a little jelly over it, but not now that I had a man of my own.

Tingles raced down my spine. I could hardly wait to see him. I waved goodbye and got into my little hatchback.

Buck hadn’t exactly invited me over, and I was a little nervous. But I wanted to surprise him with the cookies, and really, I just wanted to be with him.

Excitement bubbled inside my veins, and I started my car, his address already loaded into my GPS.

It was easy to forget he had money when I was around him. Buck was just so easy-going and down to earth. But as I turned into his driveway some twenty minutes later, I was once again wowed by the sheer size of his house.

I got out of the car, tray of cookies in hand, and walked down the cobblestone path to his front door. I rang the bell and stood there. Anticipation flooded my system. I was practically panting.

The lock turned, the doorknob creaked, and I smiled brightly.

But that smile faltered, and the plastic wrap covered tray of cookies slipped from my hand as I came face to face with my worst nightmare.

“Can I help you—shit!” A woman clad only in panties and cropped t-shirt rubbed her head, her hair wildly disheveled from sleep or other activities, shouted and jumped back as the dish cracked and cookies flew everywhere.

I was too stunned and hurt to reply at first. But then I heard Buck yell, and my humiliation was complete.

“Who is it, Mel?”

I blinked at the half-naked woman and my chest hurt. She looked familiar.

Oh my fuck.

It was the woman from the wedding.

His date.

And now I knew her name.

Mel.

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