Page 2 of Falling for You
Evan draped a coat over her shoulders and ushered her toward a bench, her feet faltering along the way. She leaned on him until they were seated. “Here,” he said, taking her shaking hands in his. He squeezed them and she felt the strength of his grip, of his presence. “What can I get you? You look terrible.”
CeCe chuckled, giving him the reaction he’d hoped for. “You always know what to say to make a girl feel special.” His hand raised to her face and gently swiped a dusting of flour from her nose. Ordinarily, she would tell Evan to keep his distance. It was a poorly kept secret that the guy had a little crush, but she didn’t have the energy now. “I’ll be fine. I’m just a little tired.” The lie sounded lame to her own ears, and she fought from rolling her eyes.
“Why don’t you go home and rest? I know what to do with the bread, and Max will be here before lunch. We’ve got this.”
CeCe hadn’t taken a day off work in a year, and only then because she got food poisoning at the community center potluck. A word to the wise, never trust Mrs. Sander’s chicken surprise casserole. Apparently, the surprise was E. coli.
Taking a deep breath, CeCe got to her feet. “I’m fine, I swear. Why don’t you help Helen with the coffee maker? You know she always adds too many grounds.”
Evan didn’t move at first, staring as she struggled to compose herself. She would not cry in front of him; she wouldn’t. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tried to picture something happy, something light. Like a perfectly whipped meringue in a pavlova. But it was no use; she felt vulnerable, right down to her core. The sensation made her skin prickle.
“Are you sure you shouldn’t go home? CeCe, you work yourself to the bone for this place. The last thing Max wants is for you to faint on the job.” Bless Evan for his blind optimism. He took her at her word that she was simply tired, and it tugged at her heartstrings.
“If you help Helen with the coffee, then I’ll be on my game. Seriously, Evan. I’ll be right in.” Her voice hitched at the end, a sure sign she was about to snap.
Judging from the pat to her arm, he either didn’t notice or he trusted her. She’d wager it was trust. He approached the world with an openness and eagerness that CeCe didn’t share. If she was a bulldog, then Evan was a golden retriever. Over the years, CeCe wore her gruffness like a badge of honor. It kept her focused, and more importantly kept her heart protected. Maybe she was a grump, but she bet Evan was just a more positive, sweet person. Too sweet, like the cinnamon rolls she’d just frosted.
Of all the things CeCe worried about in life, and there was a laundry list, seeing her ex again was at the bottom of the list. Eric ran in a different circle, and when she left Chicago, she knew he’d never follow. Living in Buckeye Falls had felt safe and comfortable. She had her life at the diner and had quickly become a member of the community. She helped cater events and was BFFs with the mayor’s wife. CeCe truly was a part of Buckeye Falls. But now her little town had betrayed her, inviting her enemy across state lines.
She knew she needed to get herself together and read the article. She needed to know what brought Eric to Ohio and how long he was planning to stay. Standing and stretching, CeCe felt the coat over her shoulders. It was Evan’s coat, oversized and smelling faintly of cedar and too much spice, like his cheap body spray. Sniffing the collar, she tried to ignore what the scent did to her insides. She also ignored that he always knew what she needed.
Evan was a nice guy, that’s all. And besides, right now, CeCe had bigger fish to fry.
*
“Here’s the Denver omeletfor Mrs. Sanders,” Evan announced to Helen, who plucked the plate from his hand. “Remind her I left the ham out,” he said.
Helen muttered, “Then it’s hardly a Denver omelet.”
Evan couldn’t disagree. He’d learned so much since he met Max and CeCe.
When he started, he was fresh off a hellish year interning with his father’s company. That gap year proved Evan wasn’t made for the corporate machine, and he began second-guessing his degree. Despite liking the process of creating websites, his diploma felt like a useless piece of paper. His father had pushed for Evan to follow in his footsteps, but managing a division at the largest tech company in Columbus felt as awkward as a Denver omelet without ham. Standing in a hot kitchen with egg yolk on his pants and bacon grease burns on his forearms, Evan knew his father would die if he saw his son like this. But damn it, he was happy.
When he left home, Evan told his parents he needed to find his own way. So he drove far enough away to feel himself relax. Not knowing what he wanted to do, he had stopped at the diner for lunch and to clear his head. Helen had been griping about being short-staffed to a high schooler who could barely carry a bus bin. Evan looked around the space; it was loud, hot, crowded, and smelled like a cross between sausage and cinnamon. He’d been hooked.
Inquiring about the vacancy, Evan had been introduced to Max, who was warm and friendly, offering Evan a job as soon as the ink dried on his application. It had felt like home from the first time he clocked in, and Evan couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.
Naturally, there were other factors keeping Evan in Buckeye Falls, and one of them was standing behind him rolling out dinner rolls. He’d fallen for CeCe as soon as Max introduced them. From her messy blonde hair to her surly attitude and hilarious wit, he was a goner. The only problem being that CeCe saw him as a kid, someone to boss around.
Their dynamic was changing, and he wasn’t deterred, or at least not yet.
“Hey, gang,” Max greeted from the doorway. His dark hair was mussed, and he wasn’t wearing a coat. As he strode toward the group, Evan saw that his socks didn’t match. He looked happy and disheveled. He looked like a man in love.
“Morning.” Evan waved over his shoulder with a spatula. “Helen’s out with the orders, but if you have the grill, I can help.”
Max gave him a thumbs-up and headed toward his apron. He threw it over his head and stopped when he saw CeCe, who hadn’t looked up from her work. “Hey. I’m sorry to leave you guys hanging this morning. I’ll be better about being on time.” He waited for her to respond, but CeCe didn’t move.
Evan motioned for Max to join him in the dining room, and the pair walked out of the kitchen. Helen had stashed the newspaper by the register, and Evan retrieved it to show Max. “Here,” he said as he waited for Max to read the headline.
“What’s this?” Max frowned down at the paper.
“I don’t know what’s up with CeCe, but it has something to do with this.” Evan stabbed at the headline with his index finger, smudging the ink with his greasy finger.
Immediately, Max blanched. “Eric Watson is coming to central Ohio?” Max scanned the article, his hands tensing on the paper as he read.
Still not sure what the issue was, Evan summarized the article. “Yeah, sounds like he’s doing a Midwestern food truck competition. It’s over a long weekend, just before your wedding. Sounds like the winner gets prize money and an item added to Watson’s menus in Chicago.” Max didn’t react, just kept staring, so Evan continued. “I think we should enter; getting endorsed by Eric Watson would put this place on the map. Plus, you always said you wanted to get a food truck for when fair season starts.”
Max’s expression hardened, and he shook his head. “We’re not joining the competition,” he said firmly. “I’m going to help CeCe. Can you help Helen?”
