And that just made her even madder.
Charlotte parked the van and stared at the vintage barn that had become the city’s most popular wedding venue, where Adam and Brittany would be saying their vows in just a few short hours. Julie climbed out of the passenger side. “Ready, Boss?”
Not even a little.
She got out of the van.
Julie pulled the rolling cart out of the back. Hopefully they’d be able to get everything inside the reception area of the barn without pushing over too many bumps. At least the ground looked relatively level between the van and the door.
Charlotte helped load the boxes with the white chocolate wedding cake onto the cart, then checked to make sure she had the assembly tiers and piping bags for touch-ups.
This had potential to go down in history as the fastest wedding cake assembly ever. She had intentionally left Zoe with a different babysitter this afternoon, so Julie could help Charlotte get in and out of the venue in warp speed. Julie had come and picked her up a block from Melissa’s house last night. Her friend had commiserated properly, but one thing she’d said kept rolling around in Charlotte’s head.
People say things they don’t mean when they’re scared.
Maybe that was true. But at the same time, she wasn’t ready to talk to Will, evidenced by her ignoring his dozen phone calls and half dozen texts after she’d left Melissa’s. Of course he had been scared and stressed. Nothing about his behavior last night at Melissa’s lined up with the Will she knew. He’d been on edge, agitated—and obviously fighting some kind of demon that had nothing to do with her. But her cracked heart couldn’t take the risk again.
Because what if he had meant it? What if she was truly that disposable? He hadn’t made any effort outside of a few phone calls and text messages. If he wanted to fight for her, wouldn’t he have come over? Shown up, the way he did that day in the bakery? Maybe he’d just been calling to tell her the break-up news officially.
And that was one phone call she could do without.
She pushed the cart through the grass toward the barn, head down, eyes averted as Julie trotted beside her, opening the front door, holding back the red balloons tied to the entrance, and shuffling chairs out of her way. The barn had been decorated with stacked hay bales, mason jars tied with red ribbons, and tiny sparkling Christmas lights draped beam to beam. The vast space was set up for both wedding and reception, but the wedding party was nowhere to be seen. No doubt they were busy behind the scenes—taking pictures, touching up makeup, and panicking over last-minute details.
Funny how she knew so much about something she’d never experienced.
Charlotte located the cake table, decorated with lace and flowers and sprinkled with black and red beads, and began unpacking the cake stand. As soon as this thing was set up, she’d be back in the van, hightailing it back home. To Zoe. To their predictable life.
Which might be a little boring, but at least it didn’t hurt.
“I’ll go find Brittany and tell her we’re here.” Julie hurried out the side door across the barn, pausing to straighten the white runner she’d wrinkled on her way. The wooden door banged shut behind her.
Charlotte kept focused on the task at hand, trying to ignore the musty smell of hay that somehow managed to seem romantic. She just wanted to be done with this cake. Wanted to go home and forget the last couple weeks had ever happened. She’d been content before Will had started frequenting The Dough Knot. Content before he’d upset her life and her heart with his charm and laughter and hazel eyes. Eyes that could look right into her and see the truth, tell the truth.
He had meant what he’d said in the bakery, when he passed her eye test.
Her heart ached and her hands shook as she began setting the pillars into the stand. Why couldn’t he keep meaning it?
She’d never be able to make another snickerdoodle again.
She fastened the next pillar, looking on her cart for the last one. This was why she’d wanted safe. This up and down, back and forth—it was too much. She needed someone she could depend on. Needed stability.
Which this cake stand was also going to need if she couldn’t find the last pillar. Had she or Julie forgotten to pack it?
“Don’t forget this one.”
An outstretched hand—a male hand—offered the missing pillar.
Will.
She took a step back, refusing to look at him. She plucked the pillar from his hand and finished stabilizing the last tier. If only it were so simple to stabilize her heart. “What are you doing here?”
She could hear the smile in his voice. “I’m in the wedding, remember?”
Oh, she remembered. That’s why she was trying to leave so quickly.