Page 37 of Whisking It All

She selected a final jar of giardiniera and paid for her bounty, and Jamie took up the bag before she could, as he’d done with every other bag before.

“I can carry my own bags, you know,” she said.

“I know,” he said, though he made no move to let her do so.

They’d fallen into a comfortable rhythm, like she’d been a part of the town all along, like she belonged there. Because she does, Jamie thought. This is her hometown. Not yours.

At the end of the row of tents, they came to a food truck. Lindsay, a petite woman with long wavy brown hair, was setting out an A-frame sign with a chalkboard menu as they approached. For a moment he thought of the taco truck they’d visited that first night, of the taste of mango and lime on her lips…

“Jamie! To what do I owe the pleasure?” Lindsay asked, clapping chalk dust off her hands.

“’Morning, Linds. Have you met Tessa?” Jamie asked, his hand once again landing on the small of Tessa’s back, like some magnetic pull kept bringing them back together.

Lindsay squinted as she stared at Tessa, like she was trying to place her and couldn’t quite do it. Suddenly her eyes flew wide and her gaze darted between Jamie and Tessa. “TJ?” Jamie gave a slight nod and Lindsay squealed, stepping forward and taking Tessa’s face in her hands. “TJ Cordeiro! Will you look at you!”

With a delighted squeak, Lindsay pulled Tessa into a hug. Tessa shot a confused look at Jamie, who shrugged and bit back a laugh.

Lindsay continued speaking into Tessa’s hair, rocking her back and forth as she did. “I haven’t seen you since you were just a little girl. And now you’re all grown up!” She pulled back, keeping her hands on Tessa’s shoulders. “Let me get a look at you.”

“I’m sorry,” Tessa said, shooting another questioning look Jamie’s way. “Who are you?”

“No need to be sorry, sweetheart. We haven’t seen each other in years. I just can’t get over how grown you are!”

“This is Lindsay Bradford. She owns this food truck,” Jamie offered.

“Your mother was my best friend from kindergarten all the way until—well, until you were a very little girl,” Lindsay said with a sad smile.

Shit. I didn’t know that, Jamie thought, wondering if he’d made a mistake in bringing Tessa there.

“How is Steph? Is she here?” Lindsay asked, glancing behind Tessa like her mother might materialize.

Jamie saw the question hit Tessa, saw the way her eyes shuttered and her stance stiffened. Before he could interject, she answered. “No. She passed away a few years ago.”

Such a simple statement of fact, but Jamie recognized the lingering grief that fluttered around the edges. Maybe only someone who’d also lost a parent could see it.

“Oh, sweetheart, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know,” Lindsay said.

“It’s fine,” Tessa replied tightly.

If Lindsay noticed the way Tessa’s jaw tensed, she didn’t show it. But Jamie noticed, his hand curling at his side as he fought the urge to touch her again. To rub soothing circles on her back and knead the knots from her shoulders until that grief had receded again, like a wave receding from the shore. It would be back—it would always come back—but if he could help her find a reprieve... He lifted his hand to touch her, but something in the sharpness of her gaze held him back.

“Did your mother ever tell you about the time she and I went sledding on that hill behind St. Anthony’s and she was too scared to even try the inner tubes? Swore they went too fast.” Lindsay smiled, lost in her own memories. “So where have you been all these years? Rumor has it you’ve come from Vegas?”

Tessa swallowed and recited her history like it was a list of facts in a textbook and not her own story. “We were in Phoenix for a while with my mom’s first husband, and when he didn’t work out, we spent some time in South Carolina. Mom met Lou, her second husband, and we moved with him to Vegas. And when Lou left, mom met Richard. They moved to Colorado and I stayed behind.” She smiled, but Jamie could see the way her own lips fought the unnatural movement.

“My, you have been busy,” Lindsay said, her own fake smile plastered on her face. “I guess when Steph said she wanted to be anywhere but here, she really meant anywhere.”

Tessa tensed, the lines of her face becoming sharp as Lindsay’s comment sent Tessa’s hackles up. Jamie’s hand settled on Tessa’s back again, unable to resist the pull to touch her, to soothe her. She leaned into the gentle pressure and he stroked his thumb over the thin fabric of her t-shirt.

“Tessa and I are co-chairing the food and wine festival,” Jamie said, steering the conversation away from the ghosts of Tessa’s past.

“So I heard! Any way I can help, anything you need, you just holler,” Lindsay said, resuming her pre-opening routine.

“I’m glad to hear you say that, Linds. This morning we’re in the market for some inspiration,” Jamie said.

“Inspiration?” Lindsay shot him an amused look. “That’s a tall order for a Saturday morning.”

“We’re hoping to nail down the brunch menu. And if anyone knows what to serve with mimosas, it’s you,” Jamie said. He turned to Tessa, dropping his voice to a faux-whisper. “Lindsay is a genius with a quiche.”

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