Page 65 of Coming Home

She offered him a seat and then went to a desk, typing in a few commands. The printer soon began to whir.

“You said you recently got married yourself. So, did you live here before your marriage?” Once again, he knew enough to fill in the spaces with conversation in order to keep someone at ease.

“Yes, I did. All the stores on the square have second levels. A couple of people live in them or rent out the apartment. Some use the extra space as storage. My cousin, who owns Antiques and Mystiques on the square, uses hers as an office. I decided to do the same. I liked it because it’s quiet. No one living on either side.”

Again, another nugget that let him know this would be the room where he would enjoy bending Ainsley to his will.

“Where did you and your husband move?” he asked, think it a natural question. “Somewhere nearby? Becky and I love the water. With her having family in Crescent Cove, Maple Cove might be a nice alternative. You know—being close—but not too close.” He chuckled.

“We are renovating a house we bought just a few blocks from the square. It should be ready in a couple of weeks. Until it’s ready, we’ve moved in with my husband’s sister and her husband. We’ll be staying with Willow and Dylan until we get the go-ahead from our contractor to move into our house. I can tell you the Cove is a wonderful place to live. Salty Point is nice, as well.”

“I work from home, so it doesn’t really matter where we live. She’s a little burned out from teaching, though, and will probably take a break.” He smiled. “Who knows? We might go ahead and start a family. We’ve been dating forever. Six years.”

Ainsley smiled softly. “Jackson and I want to do exactly the same thing.”

She placed a hand against her belly, and Anthony wondered if she might already be pregnant and didn’t even realize it yet.

He signed all the papers she put before him and asked, “Do you mind if I put down a cash deposit?”

“Cash works for me,” she said with a smile. “The rest of your balance is due the day before the wedding. The cake will be finished by then. Your contract calls for us to deliver it to your venue.”

“Oh, I could pick it up. You don’t have to go to that kind of trouble.”

She shook her head. “I’m a bit possessive about the wedding cakes I bake. I want to make certain they are delivered to the site without a problem.”

“I like the fact that you are meticulous,” he said. “I, myself, am the same.” He smiled. “It has been a pleasure meeting you, Ainsley. I look forward to seeing how our cake will come to life.”

Anthony also looked forward to the private time he would spend with this woman.

CHAPTER 23

Jackson closed the file he was reviewing. It still amazed him how quickly and easily he had settled into life in the Cove after having been gone fifteen years. He knew many of the people who lived here and was getting to know others who had come after he left for California as he took on Clancy’s former clients, making them his own.

He glanced at his watch and saw it was almost five o’clock. He and Ainsley were supposed to have dinner with Carter and Tenley tonight at five-thirty. After living all those years in L.A., to be able to leave work, claim Ainsley, and drive to the Clarks’ and be seated at their table ready to eat in half an hour was nothing short of miraculous. He hadn’t realized how stressful life in L.A. was, and he couldn’t be happier to be back in his hometown, practicing law, with the woman he loved by his side.

He didn’t know what gossip in the Cove had been regarding their whirlwind romance and marriage, and frankly, he didn’t care. Jackson had never been happier in his life. He only wished he would have thought to come home years sooner. Of course, Ainsley wouldn’t have been here then. She would have been working in Portland or Seattle or attending pastry school in Paris. He supposed the fates had aligned and brought him back to take over Clancy’s practice at the perfect time.

Closing the file, he left it on the desk and rose. His eyes fell to one of Willow’s paintings hanging on his office wall. He had commissioned it from her, willing to pay whatever her going price was. His sister had insisted upon making the painting a gift to him. The scene portrayed was the view standing at the bottom of the steps at Boo’s place, looking out at the Pacific Ocean. He still remembered the moment he stood there with Ainsley and the picnic they had shared on the beach. It was the day he declared his love for her. He would say that was the best day of his life, but every day with Ainsley proved to be better than the one before.

Jackson locked the office and went to his car, driving the short distance to Boo’s house. He and Ainsley had decided to move in with Willow and Dylan a few days ago. Ainsley’s apartment above the bakery simply didn’t have room for the two of them. At six-three, he barely fit into the shower. The lack of closets and storage space had also proved to be a major problem.

Instead, he had helped her convert the apartment into her office during her two days off, bringing over a desk from the house they’d purchased, as well as a few tables, lamps, and two comfortable chairs. The pitiful excuse for a sofa was long gone. With office space above the bakery now, she could use it not only to keep her records and plan orders but also meet there with clients for consultations. Rylie had helped arrange everything and had even printed out several enlarged photos of cakes and other sweets she had created and framed the photographs, placing them on the walls.

They would live with his sister and brother-in-law until the construction had been completed at their house. He entered Boo’s and found it to be quiet. Dylan would be home from work soon, barring any emergencies, and he supposed Willow was working upstairs in her studio. Jackson went to his childhood bedroom and found Ainsley sitting on the bed, slipping into a pair of boots.

He went to her and framed her face with his hands, bending and giving her a slow, sizzling kiss. After he broke it, she grinned at him.

“Are you trying to keep me from making it to dinner on time?” she teased.

“It’s a thought,” he said, kissing her once more. “But I don’t want to disappoint Carter and Tenley.”

She slipped on her other boot and stood. “Ready if you are.”

“I don’t need to change. Sports shirt and slacks should be fine.” He sighed. “Casual Friday is every day in the Cove.”

They went downstairs to his car and drove the short distance to the Clarks’ home.

Carter answered the door, a dish towel draped over his shoulder. “Tenley’s on the phone with Sloane. She’ll join us shortly.”

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