Page 67 of Coming Home

“Not yet,” Carter told them. “The waiting is hard. Hopefully, we’ll hear something soon. If it doesn’t work out, it’s not meant to be in the cards at this point, and we’ll pursue it down the road.”

“I told him that the vlog is really fulfilling that role,” Tenley said. “Carter has already got fantastic feedback through it. I try and monitor the comments once a day and pass along suggestions from people.”

“Some of them have even given us ideas for dishes we should try,” Carter said. “I’m open to suggestions from any and everyone. Are you gearing up for your busy season, Ainsley?”

“It is right around the corner. June will be here before we know it. I did get an order for a wedding cake today.”

“Oh, who’s getting married?” Tenley wondered. “Anyone we know?”

“No, it’s a guy new to the area. Anthony Abbott. He’s living temporarily in Crescent Cove with his fiancée’s family. She teaches ESL in Japan and will be returning to Oregon late next week. They’re getting married a week from this Saturday, and Anthony wanted me to do a small cake for the wedding he’s throwing together. Since the fiancée has been living in Japan and Anthony’s visited her often, I thought to incorporate cherry blossoms into the cake since Japan is famous for them.”

Jackson listened as his new wife described the cake she had designed for her new client. Pride swelled within him, knowing how talented and creative she was.

“We better call it a night,” Tenley said. “I don’t want you or Ainsley to start yawning on us.”

He laughed. “My late nights in L.A. are a thing of the past. I’m still training with Gage three days a week. We were meeting at five but backed it up to four-thirty. I’m actually getting up at three with Ainsley now and drinking a protein shake while I skim the overnight news and my e-mails. I guess it’s like being married to a morning TV show anchor with the hours we keep. We’re in bed between eight and nine every night, and I’ve grown to like it quite a bit. I feel I’m more productive. That, and not having to fight the sprawl of L.A. traffic. It was reason enough to move back to the Cove.”

He took Ainsley’s hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it tenderly. “That—and this woman.”

They left their friends’ house and returned to Boo’s, where Jackson slowly undressed Ainsley, kissing every inch of bared flesh. He made love to her, savoring her scent and the feel of his skin against hers. He turned her so that her back was to his chest, and he wrapped himself around her as a human blanket.

“Mmm,” she said sleepily. “This... you feel... heavenly. I wonder if we made a baby just now.”

He kissed her nape. “I hope so. Go to sleep, babe,” he urged.

Almost immediately, Jackson heard Ainsley’s soft, even breathing, knowing she had dropped off to sleep. He thought about a few of the items on his to-do list for tomorrow.

Then something tugged at him. Something he couldn’t put a finger on. He mentally walked through his day and couldn’t figure out what troubled him. He decided to shrug it off. If it were something important, it would come to him.

Jackson buried his face in Ainsley’s hair and drifted off to sleep.

CHAPTER 24

Ainsley was icing pastries when she caught the tang of Jackson’s cologne. Seconds later, his arms went around her from behind, and he nuzzled her neck.

“Good morning again,” he said huskily, turning her so she faced him and giving her a kiss.

He was leaving this morning to fly down to L.A. and meet the moving van at his storage facility. They had talked about what furniture he had which they could place in their new home this coming Monday. Pete’s crew—in part, thanks to Carter’s work on their house—had finished ahead of schedule, and they would do a final walk-through tomorrow afternoon once the bakery closed. Jackson had already arranged with Rylie to bring a few pieces to her shop for consignment.

She looked up and saw Willow standing in the doorway and said, “Thank you again for agreeing to drive Jackson into Portland for his flight.”

“Not a problem,” her sister-in-law said. “It’s nice to spend some time with my big brother. Besides, I don’t have a set schedule, so it’s easier for me to get away for a couple of hours. I don’t mind going into Portland because I’m stopping by an art supply store for new paints and canvases after I drop him at the airport. It was perfect timing.”

“You still will pick me up when I get in tonight?” Jackson asked her. “I’m scheduled to land a little before six.”

Ainsley nodded. “Yes, I’m going to go into Portland a little early to do my usual Monday stock-up run. That way, we’ll have that entire day devoted to moving into our new house. Since Antiques and Mystiques is closed on Mondays, Rylie has promised to be there to help out in any way she can.”

“You can always call on me, too,” Willow added. “That’s the beauty of working for myself.”

Jackson looked around. “Is that my box?”

“It is,” she told him.

“Ooh, are we taking goodies for the road?” Willow asked, rubbing her hands in glee.

“No, this is for my old partner and the office staff in L.A. I told Bill I would drop by to say hi once I handled everything with the movers and was headed back to LAX for my flight home. I wanted to show off my wife’s talents.”

He scooped up the box.

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