“Stop making sense! It’s just easier to stay mad than to take a chance on...” Caring again and being wrong about him. Her emotions hadn’t been rock-solid when it came to Sean. She’d fallen for Jack and only when she’d found out he was Sean did she even have a clue he wasn’t who she’d thought he was. What did that say about her?
“Being fooled again. I know. I remember when a certain Campbell came to me and offered to buy me a condo,” Mrs. B said.
Paisley looked over at the woman who had become a good friend in the last ten years. Mrs. B had been one of her father’s last victims before he’d been arrested and convicted of fraud. He’d bilked her out of her home by having her sign a second mortgage and all of her savings. Her father had defaulted on the loan, of course. Paisley had been horrified when she’d learned that her father had used that money to pay for her college tuition. He’d lied to her and told her he’d turned over a new leaf and gotten a real job... She still felt so much guilt over that.
She was still coming to peace with her part in her father’s actions. But she’d used her own credit to buy this condo for Mrs. B. She had done what her conscience had demanded to make reparations.
“I’m glad you trusted me.”
“It didn’t take me long to realize that you were as sincere as your father was false. You have a good heart, Paisley. I think that man must have something you respond to.”
“Sex appeal,” Delaney said as she came over to them and hugged Mrs. B.
Her friend wasn’t wrong. Paisley remembered the first time she’d met him in line at Hestia’s Hearth and Madison had taken his order. Madison was a friend but also a client. She’d felt something electric go through her just because of the timbre of his voice.
“It’s hard to tell from here. He’s certainly no Robert Redford.”
Paisley started laughing and Delaney and Mrs. B joined in. Sean looked over at them and smiled, and deep in her soul she acknowledged she was already starting to forgive him. Mrs. B was right—there was something about this man that resonated with her. And despite what Delaney had said, Paisley hoped it was more than sex.
Ithadto be, she told herself. She needed it to be for her sake and the sake of her unborn child. But when she looked up a few minutes later, Sean was gone. She tried not to take it as a sign but it was hard not to.
Despite Paisley’s help, they were running out of time to bake and frost the cookies needed. Sean took a look around, realizing that he had a chance to help her, in a way that had nothing to do with promoting his movie. He refused to let himself dwell on the fact that he probably should have just found a way to stay in Chi-Town that didn’t involve work. He left the room to text a chef friend and tell him what they needed. Remy got back to him quickly and hooked him up with a local celebrity chef who could bring over cookies.
He texted the location and then turned as the door behind him opened.
“Hey, I thought you left,” Paisley said as she came out. He saw the worry and the disappointment clearly on her gorgeous face.
“Nah, wouldn’t let my best girl down when she needed me.”
She gave him a skeptical look.
“Just called in a favor. We should have more cookies than you need here in about an hour.”
“What?How?”
“I’ve been in touch with Chef Dom Mallon—he’s the head chef of the restaurant where I took you for dinner...the other night.”
“The night when the jig was up?”
“Yeah, that one,” he said with a sheepish grin. “He’s got his kitchen baking and frosting cookies, and they’ll be here in about an hour and a half. That means Mrs. B and Candace can get ready for their sing-along. Candace has arthritis, by the way, so frosting wasn’t easy for her.”
“Uh, thank you. Let me tell the ladies. I think the last batch of cookies in the oven may have been burned.”
He nodded. “Yeah, I could tell everyone was starting to panic.”
“Wait here.”
He did as she asked but took a moment to reach out to Olive’s fiancé, Dante, whom he’d met several times for margaritas with the women. He asked the other man to send over some of his Merry Christmas Satan brew for the adults. Dante texted back that he’d be there.
Dude, wish you’d leveled with us.
Me too. Sorry I didn’t.
It’s cool with me but the girls are pissed.
Believe me, I know. Hopefully this will help.
It might. See ya later.