Page 22 of Love Unwrapped
“This year’s Above and Beyond, Volunteer of the Year Award goes to a new-timer here in Sacramento.”
Andi wrinkled her brow, confused. A plate of food was placed in front of her, and she nodded to the server, trying to remember what her grandmother had said about the ceremony.
“Well, it’s someone who has long roots in our community but left us to travel the world. He came back home when he needed a little tender loving care himself. A decorated war hero…”
Oh no, her grandmother hadn’t… Andi jerked her head one direction, searching the room, ignoring everything else her grandmother said. When she didn’t see Blake that direction, she searched the other way. The air left Andi’s lungs in a whoosh. Blake sat with her at the table, three chairs away. Their gazes locked, and Andi forgot to breathe. Everything faded, nothing more than this beautiful man, dressed in a crisp black suit and tie, staring intently at her. Her heart melted at the concern she saw on his face.
“Blake Mangold of Manly Cakes, please come accept your award.” The audience clapped, and Blake only shook his head. Instead of rising, heading toward the stage, he left his seat, rounding the table toward her.
“What’re you doing?” Andi asked, breathy and unsure, lifting her face to maintain eye contact as he came forward.
“I’ve called you all week. I came to your office.”
Andi was acutely aware of everyone in their vicinity staring at them. She also heard her grandmother’s snickering from the stage, but all she saw was Blake bending at the knee directly in front of her, lowering to her eye level.
“What happened, Andi? We were so good together.” His words were muttered so sweetly. The gesture of kneeling before her had Andi reaching forward, encouraging Blake to his feet. He misunderstood her request, taking both her hands in his. When they touched, her world shifted. Their chemistry had always been off the charts. A warmth spread, her anxiety instantly slipping away. His touch made everything right in her world for the first time this week.
“Give me a chance to fix things.”
With as fast as her mind raced, words failed her. She could only stare as she clasped his hand, never wanting to let go again. So conflicted. How could she think this man was duping her, but how could she trust that he wasn’t?
“Blake, they’re waiting on you to accept the award,” someone said from beside them.
“If you promise to stay, I’ll believe you,” he said, making no move to rise. Andi nodded, not letting go of his hand, afraid her self-doubt would return and ruin everything again. Her grandmother’s words rang in her head, “The best of life happens in the unexpected moments. Be open to them, dear. Don’t let other people, especially those no longer in your life, dictate your actions. You deserve happiness.” Was that what she was doing? Letting other people dictate her own actions?
“Blake, come get your award, hon,” Gram’s said into the microphone, humor in her voice. “She’ll wait for you. I promise.” Blake looked unsure of her grandmother’s declaration, his questioning gaze turned relieved when Andi nodded.
“I’ll be here.” He was slow to rise, his gaze staying focused on her.
When he finally did go, she saw a squaring of his broad shoulders before he turned away, only looking back over his shoulder toward her a dozen times before he stood at the podium, taking the well-deserved plaque. Blake nodded at Grams, but his gaze stayed fixed on Andi, who hadn’t looked away from him since she’d spotted him at their table.
~~~
Good heaven above, Blake didn’t think the ceremony and banquet would ever end. It had been two hours since he’d walked onto that stage. He’d shaken so many hands, performed interviews with the local newspapers, of all things, and small-talked until his throat hurt. His grin no doubt looked fake at this point, because his facial muscles had cramped into a perma-smile an hour ago. He’d never been gladder for wolfing down the two dinner rolls before Babs had started the presentation. He’d not had a second to himself.
Andi hadn’t gotten involved in conversations or mingling, but she’d stayed true to her word. She hadn’t disappeared. He’d kept his eye on her all night to make sure she didn’t try to escape before he had chance to talk to her. On the one hand, he’d known this woman for what amounted to three days. It was stupid to care so much about someone within that time frame. On the other hand, he’d known her his whole life. And their connection, whether through their antagonistic banter as teenagers or the passion they’d had when kissing last week, couldn’t be denied. He wouldn’t ignore that and walk away.
He’d been forced to leave everything he’d known when he was eighteen, and he’d had short-term relationships and passionate temporary flings, but nothing compared to the soul-deep connection he felt just in her presence. It was like time and space didn’t matter, their connection crossed planes of existence and drew them together on some inexorable trajectory.
He scoffed to himself at his ridiculously poetic thoughts. Babs made her way through the crowd. When she stepped up to him, she handed him a water bottle and held his arm, pulling him down so she could speak in his ear. “Why don’t you call this a wrap and head on over to your girl?”
Blake glanced at Andi and met her eyes once again, as he had every few minutes all evening long. “She’s not mine.” He squeezed Babs’s hand where it still lay on his forearm. “But I’m working on it.”
Babs patted his cheek and looked over her shoulder toward her granddaughter for a moment before focusing back on him. “Hmm… I think you’ve been each other’s for a lifetime. Just a matter of admitting it, I’d say.” She tweaked his cheek and turned toward the waiting crowd of community members wanting to chat with him.
“Ladies and gentlemen, the reception is over and it’s time to get to the party portion of the evening. Please follow the Christmas lights down the hall to the dance room. We’ve got a live local band playing holiday favorites, even taking requests if you’ve got ’em. So go dance your booties off and let the man be. Or stop by his bakery to say hello and buy a pastry.” Babs’s eyes twinkled as she shooed all the remaining guests toward the party room.
He twisted off the cap on the water bottle and took a long drink, quenching his parched throat. By the time he’d guzzled half the bottle and set it on a nearby table, the crowd had dwindled enough for him to have a clear path to Andi.
She straightened where she stood by the wall, looking more nervous the closer he got to her. He furrowed his brow. He didn’t want her to be nervous around him. He wanted the open communication they’d had last week before whatever had happened to make her rebuild her fortress walls. He stopped a foot from her, and she met his gaze but didn’t say anything.
“We should talk.” He held out his hand and waited to see what she’d do.
She placed her hand in his and gave a resigned nod.
Babs came over to them after ushering the remaining crowd out of the banquet area. “You two, also.” She fluttered her hands, shooing them in the same direction as the other guests.
“Wait. We need to talk.” He tried to reason with Babs but she was having none of it.
