The Rivals - Dylan Allen Page 0,437

year they had a trio of apple, pecan and cherry pies. They were his father’s favorites and they used to eat a sliver of all three in one bowl for dessert.

Eliza said she still had a relationship with the bakery, and she put herself in charge of getting them.

I threw myself into the rest of the planning. It became a second full time job. But it felt good watching it all come together in the last few weeks.

Today was supposed to have been just final touches. I planned a day of pampering for my mother and I at Blush. Regan came for my one-year-old son, Phoenix, last night and I went to bed dreaming of the well-earned massages I’d booked.

But the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes this morning was a text from Eliza telling me that, not only was she not able to make it tomorrow, she’d “forgotten” to order the pies.

It reeked of sabotage. That she-devil doesn’t know the meaning of the word good faith. But when Hayes heard me curse under my breath and asked what was wrong, I couldn’t bring myself to tell him.

I would explain her absence tomorrow when I had to. But I didn’t want anything to dimmish the excited sparkle that’s been in his eyes all week.

So, I said something about a late filing and needing to run to my office quickly. I knew it would be a waste of time trying to find anyone who could deliver a dozen pies with less than twenty-four hours’ notice.

But, Eliza wouldn’t win and tomorrow has to be just as he remembered it.

So, I and rolled up my sleeves and decided that even thought I’d never done it before, I was going to get these twelve pies made and they’re going to be delicious. I found good recipes online, got my ingredients list together and went to the store.

When I got back, I tried to send my mother to spa without me, but she insisted on staying and now, I’m glad she did.

“Tesoro,” Hayes’ deep voice cuts into my thoughts and I spin on heel, pies and worries forgotten at my first glimpse of him. He’s standing in the doorway wearing a smile that is what I call his “home” smile – it’s completely unguarded and warm as the noon day sun- and it makes me prouder than almost anything ever has to know that I have a role in putting it there.

He took today off from work, and he’s been out in the small greenhouse he built last year. I drag my eyes over him, drinking in the way his t-shirt clings to his sweat drenched chest and how his sweatpants hug his hips. But when my eyes get to his feet, my smile disappears at the sight of grass and clumps of dirt clinging to his shoes. “I just had the floors cleaned.”

“Don’t worry about that.” He drops a kiss on my lips that stifles my protest and grins at me. “Mary Hassan is here.”

Confused, I frown. “She is?”

His smile grows wider. “Yup, and she’s got her daughter, the one that just moved back, with her. They’re waiting in the foyer.”

My head flies in the direction of the door and then back to his face, “Why?”

He squeezes my shoulder and brushes a lock of hair behind my ear. “I called to ask her if she’d stop by to help you this morning.”

“You what?” I step away from him.

He smiles patiently. “I know you didn’t want to tell me that Eliza left you high and dry, but you should have known I’d find out. And that I’d get you help.”

“Hayes,” I moan and cover my hands with my face.

My mother clears her throat. “Why don’t I go get the ladies and it’ll give you two a chance to talk.”

I nod and give her a tight, but grateful smile. “How could you?” I hiss at him as soon as she’s gone.

He frowns lifts one dark brow in consternation. “How could I what?”

“I didn’t ask for your help. I wanted to do this myself.”

He scoffs and grabs my shoulders and stoops so we’re at eye level. “That’s ridiculous, Confidence. That’s the whole point of marriage, isn’t it? We’re a team. It’s my job to guard your flank. Just like you guard mine.”

I stare at him stony-faced, annoyed that he managed to douse my fire before it really got burning. “I’m still mad at you —” I don’t finish the rest of my sentence because