Page 58 of Playing for Keeps
Justin burst through the door, startling Caroline with his quick entrance. She rested a tablet on one arm and held her other hand to her chest.
“You scared me.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to.” He was at her side in an instant. There were pink circles around her eyes that matched the tip of her nose, and black smears spread out in a wing at the edges of her eyes.
As soon as he spread his arms out, she fell into him. The sobs broke free immediately, shaking her body as he rubbed her back.
“I’m sorry. This has just been a bad day. I’m really fine.”
“It’s okay to not be fine.” Who could have donethis to her? Caroline gave her best to everyone, and she was always kind.
“The espresso machine broke, and the technician can’t get here until this evening. I dropped a bowl of cake batter on the floor this morning. The whole thing was wasted, and I had a huge mess to clean up. Then there was an awful post in Rumor on the Ridge.”
“I know. I’m here, and I’ll help however I can. Jordan is working on getting the post removed.”
Caroline lifted her head. “I gave those cupcakes to that woman this morning, but they didn’t look like that when she took them.”
“I believe you. It looked like she did the smearing herself.”
“But why?” Caroline wailed. “They were beautiful!”
“Everything you make is beautiful,” Justin said, brushing a thumb over her wet cheek. “Do you think Skye and the Burrows could handle things here for the rest of the day? Do you want to go home and rest?”
“No.” She wiped at her eyes and sniffed. “I can’t just quit when things get tough.”
Justin’s lungs constricted. Caroline was so strong that she wouldn’t back down from the things she loved. It was a swift and painful reminder that he’d given up on their relationship the first time they’d been held to the fire.
Now, he could see his mistakes for what they were—he’d taken the easy way out. He’d taken away her choice and cost them over a decade together.
Not this time. This time, he would fight for her. He would fight beside her the way they were supposed to.
“My shift is almost over. I’ll be back in an hour with lunch. After we eat, I’ll help you with this.” He waved a hand at the stock room that was overflowing with boxes of supplies.
“You don’t have to do that.”
Justin took her small hands and clasped them in his, holding them against his chest. “I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”
23
CAROLINE
Caroline rested her head back against the seat in Justin’s truck. Between the darkness and the quiet, her eyes thought it was bedtime.
Justin reached over and threaded his fingers with Caroline’s. “Do you ever compete in the competition?”
She chuckled. The cookie decorating competition was a town favorite every Christmas. Teams of two were given royal icing and shortbread cookies to decorate however they wanted. It was an event that funded the kids’ meal program every year. “No. I don’t think that’s fair since I decorate cookies for a living. I just donate the cookies and icing.”
Caroline’s phone rang, and she pulled it out of her pocket. “Hey, Mom. Everything okay?”
“Yes, but were you able to bring the extra icing? We’ve had a bunch of last-minute entries.”
“I have it with me. Justin and I will be there in about two minutes.”
“Okay, sweetie. See you soon. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
“They still haven’t heard from Chuck yet?” Justin asked.
