Page 4 of Falling for You
“Happy to help. Is there anything I can clean up?”
CeCe shook her head and carried her pot to the dishwasher. “I’ve got it. You go out and be young and carefree.”
Her words felt heavy to Evan, like she couldn’t handle their normal banter. CeCe loved to remind him how he was younger, but he wouldn’t let it go. She wasn’t that much older than him, and, frankly, he didn’t care either way. Age didn’t matter; it was the person who mattered.
“Well, this young and carefree guy is going home to nap and read a book. I have a feeling you’re living it up more than I am.” He meant to tease her, but CeCe only looked sad.
With a sigh, she turned on the dishwasher and reclined on the counter. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared down at the tiled floor. “Yeah, I guess.”
Evan stepped closer and kept his voice even. “CeCe, if you need something, you know I’m here. Right?”
She kept quiet, following the grout lines on the floor with her eyes. She was a million miles away, and Evan wanted to pull her close and comfort her. Something was clearly wrong.
“Sure.” CeCe offered a small smile before turning and continuing with the dishes.
Evan decided not to push things. He wished her a good night and stepped out into the chilly winter air.
The wedding invitation burned a hole through his pocket as he hopped into his beat-up SUV. He wanted to be optimistic, to RSVP for two and tell Max to save CeCe’s invite for someone else. Having taken CeCe to the Christmas Jubilee Ball, he knew they would have a great time together. They’d laughed, danced, and eaten way too much. It was the best date of Evan’s life. The trouble was, CeCe needed to admit that she had fun in the first place.
Evan turned the car on and waited for his K-pop tunes to blast through the speakers. Pulling out onto Main Street, he lost himself in the cheery pop music. Deep in his soul, he knew CeCe was the woman for him. He just needed to be patient and find a way for her to see it too.
CHAPTER 2
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When CeCe got backto her place, she texted her friend Natalie. The candy samples were ready and CeCe needed a little girl time. She invited Natalie over for a drink, since girl time was more fun with sugar and booze. CeCe poured herself a shot of whiskey and plopped down on the couch, her feet kicked out on the coffee table. Beside her sat the whiskey bottle and the crumpled article she’d taken from the kitchen’s trash. Max, bless his heart, thought that throwing the article away would save her from herself. But she wasn’t beyond a little dumpster diving if the situation warranted it.And her piece-of-crap ex coming swooping into her life certainly warranted it.
Slugging back the whiskey, CeCe coughed at the burn before facing her past head-on. With trembling fingers, she smoothed the paper and read the article. Fortunately, it only had one picture of Eric’s smug face on it, but even that was too much. Since she left Chicago, she had been very good about avoiding any reference to Eric or his growing restaurant empire. She wasn’t on social media and hadn’t stayed in touch with most of the Chicago crew.
The article showed that her past was about to intersect with her present, and right before Max and Ginny’s wedding. The competition was open to any restaurant or pop-up with a food truck, and the list of prizes was enough to make her mouth water. The publicity alone from participating would entice diners from outside Buckeye Falls, and she couldn’t argue with that much free marketing.
As CeCe finished the article, there was a knock at the door. Natalie didn’t wait for CeCe to open it, letting herself in and joining CeCe on the couch. Not so long ago, familiar gestures like this would have caused her to bristle, but now she treasured having someone this close. Natalie was a friend CeCe didn’t see coming, busting into her life with as much grace as a runaway freight train.
“What’s up?” Natalie asked as she kicked her boots off. She was still dressed for work, her fair hair pulled into an artful bun, her designer outfit costing more than CeCe’s monthly mortgage payment.
“Candy is ready. Let me show you what I’ve got.” CeCe stood and stretched before walking over to where the boxes of candy waited for Natalie’s approval. “I have butterscotch, orange cream, and caramel.” She pointed at each confection as Natalie drooled.
