Page 28 of A Lot Like Christmas (Blue Moon Bay 2)

Frankie leaned forward. “Listen, Jess…I understand. You’re twenty-nine years old, you have a successful business, and your family is here, but you want more. I don’t fault you for that. You have to decide what’s right foryou.”

Her aunt could always read her, and Jessica had confided her deep fear of dying alone to the woman on more than one occasion. “Thanks, Aunt Frankie. But is Mrs. Barnett right? Could they squeeze you both out as well?”

Frankie shrugged. “Who knows? But you can’t let that determine what you need to do.”

“Thank you for being so supportive.” Her aunt had always been there for her. Jessica had confided secrets to Frankie before she’d told anyone else, even her own mother.

“Hey, was that my beautiful daughter-in-law-to-be I saw in here a few minutes ago?” she asked.

Jessica nodded. “She stopped by on her break.”

“Does that mean we have a cake design?” Frankie looked like she was holding her breath.

She hated to burst her aunt’s bubble. “Not yet.”

“Is she okay? We haven’t seen much of her lately. They usually come by every second Sunday for brunch, but the last few times, it’s just been Trent.”

Whitney was definitely acting out of character. Jessica was a loyal friend and she wanted to give Whitney whatever support she needed, but it was impossible when no one knew what was going on with her these days. She’d always been career-focused, but the last six months, it seemed like the only thing, besides looking after her mother, that she cared about at all. Even their monthly girls’ night out had stopped, and Whitney hadn’t attended their Wednesday morning yoga session in almost a year.

Jessica was prepared to lose some of her friend’s time to married life and children in the near future…but losing her to something unknown made her anxious more than anything else. Before Sarah had moved back from L.A., Jessica had felt like they were slowly losing her, and she had a similar gut instinct about Whitney now.

But soon enough,shemight be the one leaving.

“I know work has been busy for her,” Jessica said. “I’ll talk to her.”

Her aunt Frankie looked relieved. “You two are so close. I’m sure if anything was wrong, she’d tell you.”

Jessica wasn’t so sure anymore, but she nodded reassuringly.

“Just let her know, I’m here for her. I know it must be hard thinking about wedding plans when her mom can’t be there to help. It breaks my heart and I know I’m second best, but I’d like to be involved in the plans. Three other boys off and married bridezillas, each one worse than the other, and I got no say in anything. And who knows if Kara will decide to get married.” She shook her head.

Jessica touched her aunt’s hand. “I promise you, if I ever get married, you’re head of the planning committee.” There was no one else she’d want helping her. She was closer to her aunt than anyone. She’d always longed to be part of her aunt’s family, envious of the connections between her cousins that despite being there all the time, she didn’t feel she had.

Aunt Frankie laughed. “Sweetheart, there’s nothing left to plan. You’ve had every detail of yours figured out since you were five years old and Shawn Thompson asked you to marry him at recess.”

Jessica smiled. It was true about the wedding plans—she had a binder filled with dress sample fabrics from her aunt’s shop, and she’d designed a one-of-a-kind cake for her own special day—but she’d forgotten about Shawn Thompson and the kindergarten proposal. If only she had as many guys into her at twenty-nine as she had at age five. “What happened to him anyway?”

Aunt Frankie grimaced. “Last I heard? Jail for armed robbery.”

“Guess I dodged a bullet there.”

Hearing her own store’s bell chime next door, Frankie stood. “Well let me know if Whitney needs anything, and just give me a heads up when you decide what you plan to do about this”—she held up the letter—“okay, darlin’?”

“I promise I will.”

As her aunt left the bakery, Jessica retrieved her own offer letter from Not Just Desserts from the drawer under the register and shook her head. Something about the underhanded way they’d approached the two neighboring businesses without waiting for her answer first made her stomach turn.

Did she really get to decide the fate of her business, or would they find a way to force her out if her answer was no?

…

Jessica locked her front door and then hurried down the stone path to her driveway, where Mitch was waiting, at five fifty-five later that evening. Once again, he stood by the passenger side door, ready to open it for her, and her chest swelled upon seeing him. Not just because he looked amazing in a pair of faded jeans and gray hoodie under a worn leather jacket, but because he was always doing these nice, sweet gestures—opening doors, picking up the tab despite her protests, and being considerate of her time.

She’d been a little surprised when he’d texted her that day asking what the plan was for that evening, but he’d obviously meant it when he said he was tagging along to her extra-curriculars. And so far, he seemed to be enjoying himself. Though one week of this was a lot different than a lifetime. She refused to get her hopes up that Blue Moon Bay could ever be enough for him. He was a nomad by nature and enjoyed that kind of life.

“Okay, this is the sexiest shirt ever,” he said, hugging her quickly, then pulling back to eye her black, form-fitted, long sleeve, V-neck T-shirt with the words “I’m a Blue Ball Buster” on the front.

She laughed, then blushed slightly. “It’s an axe-throwing term. The bullseye has two blue balls…”

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