Page 2 of Just Like This
“Palmer can’t offer what I want.”
“And what’s that?”
I shrugged my shoulders. Palmer’s return was permanent, and I knew he’d want to settle into his new career working alongside his father and his new life. But I didn’t want to remain in Gig Harbor for the rest of my life, and Palmer was a small town kind of guy. I wanted someone who could offer me a world beyond this small town by the bay. But if I told her all of that, my honesty might feel like a slap in the face to her. Valerie hadn’t left Gig Harbor, and she probably never would. Her fiancé, Dominic, was stationed at Fort Lewis and was also a Tacoma native. I held my wanderlust in check for both of our sakes.
“Never mind, Val,” I said, with a final swipe of red lipstick. “Let’s just go and have a good time, okay?”
I loaded Val’s car with the cupcakes I had baked at Lucinda’s request. Baking was my religion, my Zen, my everything. I visually inspected each box as I placed them in the car. They all looked amazing with their patriotic colors and decorations. When we arrived at the Graysons’, Lucinda put Valerie and me right to work. It was hard to escape the long looks and knowing winks she sent my way. Or the fact that she just happened to hum the wedding march every time she passed me.
Jesus, take the wheel, I thought to myself as I arranged the cupcakes on a table.
I heard loud voices coming from the front of the house and knew that Palmer and his friends must have finally made their appearance at the party. I set one last cupcake down on a stand and walked over to the doorway where I could get my first glimpse. Instead of seeing Palmer, my eyes were drawn to a tall, handsome stranger with dark hair and a hint of beard covering his cheeks. He was so breathtaking that butterflies sprang to life inside my belly.
“Cami!” I felt like I’d been caught doing something naughty. I turned to face Lucinda, who had more jobs for me to complete.
