Page 37 of A Lot Like Christmas (Blue Moon Bay 2)

He kissed her quickly. “Okay, but we’re both going to need to find some courage between now and Saturday,” he said, winking at her as he escaped through the back door.

Jessica fought to calm her thundering heartrate as she went to unlock the front door a few seconds later. “Hi, Lia! Welcome home!” Too much. Over the top. Even she heard the forced enthusiasm that sounded more like anxiety in her voice.

Lia accepted her one-armed hug but gave her an odd look. “Hey, I thought you opened at eight?”

“Yeah, usually…but today I had deliveries around town. I assume you’re here to go over any last-minute changes or additions to the early Christmas dessert menu?” An early Christmas Jessica would be attending as her brother’s date. She wiped her sweaty palms on her apron, pushing all thoughts of Mitch from her mind.

Right now, she had to focus on Lia. Inappropriate thoughts about her brother or replaying their fantastic kiss or suffocating from the nervousness of them coming out as a couple to their family would have to wait.

“Yes!” Lia said, setting up her laptop on the counter. Her gaze landed on the open cake design binder on the counter and she raised an eyebrow seeing the three-tier cascade cake. “Still planning that dream wedding, huh? Is there a new man in your life I should know about?”

She hadn’t meant to leave the book open to that page. Of course, Lia would recognize the cake as the one Jessica had always described as her own perfect wedding day masterpiece. She closed the book and ignored Lia’s question. “Was there something you wanted to show me?” she asked, nodding toward the laptop.

Lia’s attention returned to her mission. “I found some ‘unique and trendy’ desserts online that I was hoping we could try.”

Tried and true favorites were apparently not an option. “Is your mom okay with this?” As much as Jessica wanted Lia to be happy—especially now—Ally Jameson was particular about her holiday desserts.

“Trust me. It will be fine. She’s already pouting about the fact that we chose Malcolm’s family to have, quote-unquote, ‘real’ Christmas with.”

Jessica could definitely see the appeal of a holiday at a vineyard, and she could appreciate Lia’s tough predicament of having to juggle two families who didn’t live in the same place, but Jessica also felt a little sad for Ally. Christmas was the woman’s absolute favorite time of year. By October, she was wearing Christmas sweaters and live-tweeting Hallmark holiday movies. Lia knew how important the season was to her mom. But the two had never really been close, so maybe it was just another slight.

Lia’s phone chimed and she checked it, groaning before setting it aside.

“Everything okay?”

“Mitch. He’s shopping and was wondering about the dress code for early Christmas.”

Jessica hoped her flushed cheeks at the mention of him could be blamed on the heat from three ovens going in the kitchen at once. “How are things between you two?”

“Oh, fine, I guess. We’re just not close like other siblings.” She reached for a cherry tart from the basket on the counter and popped it into her mouth. The full tart.

“Those aren’t vegan, Lia.” Ally’s order consisted of specific directions to include vegan choices for her daughter. Did Lia know her mom was considerate like that? Would it matter?

“Neither am I,” she said as she swallowed.

Jessica repressed a sigh.

She hesitated, then cleared her throat. “What is it about Mitch that bothers you so much?” After spending so much time with him, she still couldn’t see Lia’s disdain for him. He was smart and funny and considerate and kind…and his lips were absolutely the most delicious thing in her kitchen.

“It’s that he acts so altruistic,” Lia said, “but he’s totally afraid of commitment. Temporary relationships, he can handle. That’s why he likes to travel so much. Real, long-term, meaningful relationships, he sucks at.”

Jessica swallowed hard. That assessment seemed harsh, but Mitch had admitted himself that he got bored in one place for too long. Did that extend to his feelings toward people, too? Was that why he was still single? There had to be plenty of other doctors, volunteers, women he met overseas who fell for him. Yet, he said his last real relationship was just after college, but even that one had only lasted a year.

“He’s never going to settle down, so I guess it doesn’t matter that we’re not close. When he’s traveling, I never hear from him. He calls between trips just to check in.” She sounded less annoyed now and slightly sad as she said it.

Would that be their future correspondence once he left? Quick calls and messages and a few stolen days together whenever he was between trips? Would she even get that much? Maybe things would be over between them when he left.

“Hey, earth to Jess,” Lia said, waving a hand in front of her dazed expression.

She blinked. “Sorry, what?”

“I asked what you thought about a lemon sorbet, to kinda cleanse the palate before dessert.”

“I’m a bakery, not an ice-cream shop, Lia,” she said, unable to hide a note of irritation in her voice. The things she’d said about Mitch had her on edge.

Was Lia right? Was Mitch unable to commit? Did she care? Was their connection strong enough over the last week for her to even be thinking about what happened when he left town again?

Unfortunately, she knew how she felt. She needed to know where Mitch stood.

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