Sweet as Candy - Karla Doyle Page 0,64
a bug. A really stupid, slow-moving bug.
She laughed for the first time in days, sinking into Jake’s embrace when he hauled her into his arms and onto his lap. Placing her palm over his heart, she sighed at its strong, steady rhythm.
“Anything else on your mind?” he asked, stroking her hair. “Or was that it?”
“Isn’t that enough?”
“Just want to make sure you have all your arguments on the table before I wipe it clean.”
She pulled back enough to meet his gaze. “That’s my point. You shouldn’t have to clean up my messy life.”
“Any kind of cleaning is easier when extra hands are involved. You have mine, if you want them.”
“I do.” The words rolled off her tongue far too comfortably. Her heart was officially on the slab.
“See how easy that was?” He grinned when her bottom lip dropped. “Okay, so ‘easy’ might be pushing it.”
“You think?”
“I think great teamwork happens with practice, so you should agree to some practice with me.”
“I don’t think practice is currently a realistic idea, with Macy wide awake until who-knows-when and you working the night shift.”
Jake’s eyebrows rose. “That’s not the kind of practice I meant.”
“It wasn’t?”
“Nope. But I like that your mind went there.” He grinned as she swatted at him. “Seriously, hold those thoughts. Then text them to me later, while I’m at work.”
“Won’t that be a distraction?”
“Definitely.” He gave her a quick kiss, casting a glance at the stairwell before and after. “Now that I have that to look forward to, let’s talk about the other kind of teamwork practice.”
“Okay…”
“Remember that time we had the blow-out argument about money, then agreed not to let money be an issue between us, and we ended up having a great day?”
“Yes,” she said, narrowing her eyes at him.
“Let’s skip the fight and go straight to the everything-worked-out part. I want to help with money, since you took a week off to be with Macy.”
“No.” She scooted off his lap and the couch, pacing the living room as her mind raced. “Absolutely not.”
“Hey.” He caught her hand in one of her laps past the couch. “It’s no big deal. Just a few bucks to help fill in the gap this one time. Hell, you can even pay me back once you get back to work, if you feel like you need to.”
Thinking their breakup was imminent, she hadn’t come up with a plan to tell him her decision about Lucky’s. Now would be logical. It just didn’t feel like the right time.
“I’m not taking your money ever again. Not here or anywhere.” Hint dropped.
“Candace—”
“No.” She shook her head. “I have everything covered. I need you to accept my answer on this and skip to the everything-worked-out part.”
The wheels were turning behind his intent eyes. Probably doing that thing where he finds a workaround to do what he wanted without breaking his word.
“Jake, please.”
Straight-faced, he sighed. “Okay. But the offer stands.”
“And I appreciate it.” Stepping into the space between his knees, she stroked his face and threaded her fingers through his hair, smiling when he closed his eyes and sighed from relaxation instead of defeat. “There is something you can do for me.”
His eyes popped open. “Name it.”
“Tell me the itinerary for our date on Saturday.”
“You still want to go?” Genuine excitement animated his features when she nodded. “I wasn’t sure you would, because of Macy. I figured we’d stay in and watch a movie, keep it lowkey.”
“Macy is better and your sister will be here with her. I want to go out and be fancy-dancy with you.”
He rose and scooped her off her feet, hugging her as if she’d told him they won the lottery.
Only it was her that’d won the lottery. Her and Macy. She bit her lip to prevent spilling the beans now. Saturday night would be the perfect time to tell him her decision about Lucky’s. A magical night to mark the beginning of the next chapter of her life, and theirs.
Chapter 14
Candace
“You look pretty, Mommy. Like a princess.”
Candace bent at the waist to kiss Macy’s sweet little face. “Thank you, baby girl.”
“She’s right, you look absolutely stunning,” Megan said, turning from her lookout position at the front window. “That gown fits as if it were made for you. Did you have it altered?”
Candace shook her head. “Just meant to be, I guess.” The dress and her relationship with its giver. “Though maybe I should have had the hemline changed.” She swooshed the trailing red fabric to one side. “I hope nobody steps