Page 59 of Chase Our Forever

I look at my feet, trying not to react to Pippa’s obvious attempt to goad me for information. She’s been hounding me about spilling if there’s something going on between me and Dean since the pumpkin festival. If only she knew about what happened between us two weeks ago. I haven’t told a soul about what happened between me and Dean, even though there have been chances. I could’ve told Pippa, Lexi, or even Marigold who I’ve learned everyone really calls Mare that I’ve been able to get to know in the last two weeks in Clara’s and my daily trips to Wake and Bake.

I pick at a nonexistent piece of lint in an attempt to avoid Pippa’s knowing stare. I’ve never had friends I’ve had to keep secrets from. Because of that, I think I’m a terrible liar and probably have the world’s worst poker face.

“Is the cake ready for us?” I ask, returning my gaze to Pippa’s when I feel like my face is maybe a little less red than it was.

Pippa thankfully lets me change the subject. “Yes. And it’s ready to be decorated.” Her eyes move to Clara. “Will you help me decorate it?”

Clara jumps up and down as she claps her small hands together. “Yes!” She twirls in the dress she was insistent on wearing this morning, letting out a gleeful laugh when the skirt of the dress lifts with the spinning.

“She’s adorable,” Camden notes. He looks over to his fiancée with a smirk. “I can’t wait to have five babies with you.”

Pippa rolls her eyes at him like that comment is something he says in passing all the time. She places her hand on his chest and gives it a playful pat. “You’re a little ahead of yourself there, babe. First, we have to finish wedding planning. Second, I have to get my honeymoon in Paris. Then you can talk about getting me pregnant with all the babies.”

He leans down and kisses her, not caring about an audience. “I can’t wait,” he mutters against her lips.

“Ew!” Clara calls, looking at me as if she can’t believe Pippa and Camden are kissing right now. She sticks her tongue out dramatically like it’s the most disgusting thing in the world.

All I can think is how close she was to catching me and her father doing something much worse. We’ve been nothing but professional since…kind of. There are still lingering stares and touches that make me want more again, but we’ve both held back.

I was scared Dean would pull away after what happened between us, but instead, I feel like I’ve learned so much about him in the last two weeks. He’s continued to let me in despite us slipping and giving in to the attraction. The only problem is the more I learn about Dean, the more I want him.

I thought I’d leave Florida and find a new place to live and never once talk about my past. But the more he opens up to me, the more I want to open up to him and maybe share about the life I left behind.

A loud laugh from Clara pulls me from my thoughts. I find Pippa leading her to the back room as Camden leans down and whispers something to Clara that makes her continue to break out in a fit of laughter.

I smile at the interaction. It’s sweet to see firsthand how much everyone in this town loves Clara. Dean’s mentionedmultiple times how he couldn’t have survived his wife’s death if it weren’t for this community, and it’s touching to see even three years later how much they all still step in.

Pippa leads us to the back kitchen. The first time she took me back here, I was shocked by just how good it smelled. There’s always something baking in the oven that makes my mouth water.

“I’m going to go take some calls at home.” Camden kisses Pippa on the cheek, tells us goodbye, and is off. Pippa watches him go with so much love in her eyes. I can’t help but wonder what it feels like to find your person the way they have.

Clara pushes a chair close to the island and crawls up on it so she’s tall enough to help. She bounces up and down on the chair with excitement to finally decorate the cake she’s been asking about all morning.

Pippa grabs a tall box from a back counter and walks it to the island. “I went ahead and did the crumb coat for the cake. That way, it was ready for us to decorate when you got here.”

I smile, having no idea what a crumb coat means. “Thank you. And thank you for offering to make the cake and letting us help decorate it. I love to cook, but baking isn’t my thing.”

Pippa sets the box down and reveals the cake before dismissively waving her hand in the air. “Are you kidding? I’m honored you asked me to help.” She reaches across the island and gives my wrist a gentle squeeze. “I think it’s really thoughtful of you to do this in the first place.”

I let out a hesitant breath of air. I have no idea if Dean will like this or not. It could go either way, but one thing he’s been vocal about is wanting to celebrate Selena’s life more instead of focusing on her death. Celebrating her birthday today I hope is a step toward that. And everyone needs a birthday cake for their birthday.

“I hope Dean thinks the same,” I admit to Pippa. Clara’s already busy looking at the different bags of icing Pippa’s prepared to decide what she wants to use.

“He will.” Pippa seems confident, which makes me a little less nervous. She’s known Dean through all the ups and downs, and if she thinks he’ll appreciate the gesture, then I’m just going to trust her.

“What color of icing should we do?” I ask Clara, resting my elbows against the island. Pippa’s gone a little overboard preparing colors for us.

Clara stares at the cake with her little lips pursed. Her eyes meet mine, and there’s a little bit of panic in them. “I don’t know my mama’s favorite color.”

My heart breaks a little at the distraught look in her eyes. I reach out and rub my hand over her hair to comfort her. “I bet your favorite color and her favorite color are the same.”

Clara’s eyes light up as a little gasp falls from her lips. “Really?”

Both Pippa and I nod. “Yes.”

Clara picks up a light pink bag of icing. “I want this one,” she announces proudly. You’d never know that only moments ago, she was so sad at not knowing her mother’s favorite color.

“Pink’s my favorite color, too,” Pippa tells her. She twists the top of the bag and squeezes it until icing comes out of the tip. “So what we’re going to do is put this pink down first. You’ll squeeze real tight and put it all over. Then we’ll spread it. Sound good?”

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