Baker’s Law (16 page)

Callie gave a slight nod and her smile returned. “Why don’t you come to the shower?
Marlie will be there already. It’ll be fun.”

“I don’t know.”

“Better yet, come tonight, too. We’re having a last-minute co-ed pre-wedding party
in the club’s banquet hall.” Callie tucked her purse strap on her shoulder.

Marissa could already see the apoplexy shooting through Bunny if she showed up to
either. That might be worth it, but what if she ran into Jax? A pang of longing and
sadness knocked into her. She’d told him they couldn’t be anything to each other and
she meant it. Hill’s protection depended on it. If she saw Jax again her resolve might
break.

“You’ll have a blast and you’ll probably know most of the people there.” Callie gave
a cute little finger wave, then joined her girlfriends. As they left the shop, she
called over her shoulder, “Think about it.”

“Think about turning home,” Marissa mumbled to herself as she drove back up the country
club’s drive for the third time in a week. Somehow, Callie, with her sweet smile and
overly polite manners, had shorted out Marissa’s common sense and had her returning
to the club for an “impromptu” pre-wedding party. Not the engagement party—that had
happened months before. Not the bachelorette party or shower—those were single-sex
parties. No, this was a bride and groom and their guests get-together.

She’d slipped out of work a little early, trusting Hill to close up. The sales had
been on the low side and there was no need for a bank-run so she’d decided to give
him a chance to prove his merit—and she could use the break. She took the time to
run home to shower and change. She could hardly show up at the club in her work clothes—again.
She’d been saving a little black slip dress for a special occasion. A few months back,
Marlie had talked her into going to the mall. After three department stores and the
fourth dress shop, Marissa had decided to try a few things on, if nothing else than
to stem her boredom.

When she’d slipped on the black dress, it’d fit her perfectly, like a second skin.
Marissa had all but shook as she handed over her credit card to the sales girl before
she could change her mind. She was so glad that she had as she pulled into the parking
lot of the clubhouse. She deserved to pamper herself now and again.

She also deserved to get out of her shop. She made a vow to get out more, to do…things.

When Jax’s face popped into her mind, she pushed it aside. She’d asked him to back
off. And even though it’d only been a day, she’d half-expected to hear from him at
some point. He seemed to always be around. Always in her face. But so far he’d respected
her stupid request.

All the more reason for her to get out and meet people.

“Yes, it is,” she said aloud in the SUV. It was one of the reasons she decided to
go to the party. Not to meet people at this particular party so much as to prove that
she could get out there. If Jax was there, so be it, though in the back of her mind
there was a perverse wish to see him, if only briefly and from afar.

Marissa pulled up in front of the clubhouse. A young man in a red vest tried to open
her door before she’d even put it in park, but the door was still locked. He flinched
and she dragged him a few feet.

“Sorry,” Marissa mouthed. She put the vehicle in park and unlocked the door. “Sorry,
sorry.” She apologized several times as she got out.

“It’s okay, ma’am.” Timmy—his name tag read
Timmy
—held the door for her.

Marissa pulled up short.
Ma’am?
Gaw, when did she become
ma’am?
The door started to close and Marissa grabbed for it. “Wait.” The door closed on
her hand. “Mother…”

“Oh geez.” Timmy turned beet-red and jumped back out of the SUV. His apologies surpassed
hers in intensity and frequency. He cursed and worried he’d get fired, though under
his breath.

“It’s my fault. Really.” Marissa tucked her hand behind her when he reached for it.
“I’m fine. I forgot something.” She opened the back passenger door and pulled out
the stacked boxes of cupcakes. Her hand throbbed as she shut the door.

Timmy apologized again, his shade of red slightly less E.R.-worthy. “It’s fine. I’m
fine. Go on.” She pasted on an over-bright smile and motioned him on with her head.

Once Timmy pulled her SUV away she headed into the clubhouse. She was nearly an hour
late. For a brief moment, she considered calling Timmy back and sending her regards
in with the cupcakes. But she wasn’t a coward.

Marissa squared her shoulders and followed the laughter and music to the large banquet
room off to the left of the clubhouse.

A disco ball rotated in the center of the room as flashing lights strobed from the
corners. Women were dressed in hot pants and tube tops while some of the men sported
white suits with wide lapels and their shirts opened to their stomach.

Marissa snorted before she could help herself.

She spotted a table with food and hurried over to unload her wares. A couple of people
meandered over and got cupcakes before she’d even gotten them all out of the boxes.

“Marissa!”

Marissa turned to find Callie bouncing over to her—bouncing was the only way she could
describe the jiggle and dance Callie did, wearing tight black hot pants and epically
high platform shoes. “What’s this?”

“I brought some cupcakes.”

“You didn’t have to.”

“I know.” Marissa shrugged.

“You look nice.”

“I’m a little underdressed, I think.” A young woman bopped by with an afro and a barely-there
dress.

Callie waved her hand. “I only threw a themed party so Mother wouldn’t show up.” She
winked. “Not everyone’s dressed up.” She pointed out several ladies wearing perfectly
respectable slinky—modern—dresses.

On the other side of the room, Marissa spotted Wes in a business suit. He looked like
he’d just gotten off work. She did, also, recognize many faces as Callie had said.
One she hadn’t seen, however. Jax was nowhere. Not that she cared. And if a little
bubble of disappointment rolled through her stomach again, she’d tell herself it was
indigestion or something.

“Thank you for bringing the cupcakes, but you’re not here as a caterer. Mingle, relax.
Have some champagne.” Callie waved over a waiter with a tray full of champagne glasses.
She scooped up a glass and handed it to Marissa. “Oh, Katie’s here. Drink. Mingle.
Go.” She gave Marissa one of her megawatt smiles and bounced off to greet her newest
arrival.

Marissa kept her smile in place until Callie had crossed out of her line of sight.
As soon as Callie was far enough away, the smile slipped and a grimace took its place.
Her hand throbbed.

She downed the champagne and made her way to the back of the room, toward the kitchen.

She hesitated for just a moment before she pushed through the door. As a teen working
at the club, she’d been restricted from some areas. The kitchen and the dining area
were the two biggest. Not that that had stopped her. She’d always sneaked into the
main kitchen and sat and talked with Georgia Hines.

When she pushed through the door, Georgia was the last person she expected to see—she’d
been ancient back when Marissa was sixteen. It was a wonder that in a town the size
of Oak Hollow she’d never run into the woman.

“Georgia?” Marissa hurried over to the older woman wearing her typical white chef’s
garb from head to toe. Her mane of silver hair was pulled back under a navy-blue bandanna.
The only difference in all the years since Marissa had seen her was a few more lines
on her face and the bright pink rubber clogs on her feet—in the past they’d always
been thick-soled sneakers. For a brief moment, when the older woman turned around,
Marissa worried Georgia might not remember her.

“Marissa? My lovely Marissa, as I live and breathe…” Georgia’s attempt at Southern
charm with her Boston accent never ceased to garner a smile. “How have you been, doll?
I ran into your dad a couple of months back. He was bragging on you girls like crazy.”
She spoke for several minutes, peppering Marissa with questions and recitation of
the tales her daddy had shared, not giving Marissa a chance to respond. “What’s wrong,
cat got your tongue?”

Marissa laughed and swept the woman into a hug. “I have missed you.”

“If you didn’t stay such a stranger… What brings you here tonight?”

“Callie.”

Georgia nodded. “That little girl has never met a stranger and every soul is her friend.
Come sit and talk to me if you have a minute.” She walked back over to her cook station,
dragging a stool along with her.

When Marissa sat, Georgia handed her an itty-bitty burger. “Try one of these.”

Marissa bit into the miniature burger and gave a quick little groan of appreciation.
Even if it hadn’t been all day since she’d eaten, the burger would have been a perfect
anecdote for what ailed her. “This is wonderful.”

“Can you believe it’s vegan, gluten-free and all that frou-frou?”

“Really?” Marissa popped the rest of the burger in her mouth.

Georgia gave a quick smile. “It’s all the rage with the club members.” She arranged
several more mini-burgers on the platter and called one of the waiters over to take
it out. “So what made you come peeking in here to see me?”

At the question, Marissa’s hand started to throb. “I was hoping to get an ice bucket
or something.” She held it out. A dark blue bruise already covering her knuckles went
almost all the way to her wrist. The swelling wasn’t as bad as the pain might have
let on. “Had a little accident.”

“Oh dear.” Georgia bustled around the kitchen and grabbed a small ice bucket and filled
it. She brought it over to Marissa. “Lemme see.”

When Marissa lifted her hand, Georgia carefully wrapped a dish towel around it before
she told Marissa to dunk it into the ice.

“Care to explain?”

“It was my fault.”

At Georgia’s expression—one that said, that’s what all women say—Marissa held up her
other hand. “I stuck my hand in the car door as the valet shut it.” She shook her
head and rolled her eyes at her own stupidity. “I was off in my own thoughts not paying
attention.”

“It wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with the new chief of police would it?”

Marissa’s eyes widened. “How…”

“Hon, people talk. People around here like nothing more than to talk.” Georgia leaned
her hip against the stainless-steel countertop. “I caught a glimpse of him a while
back. He’s grown into quite a looker.” She waggled her eyebrows then scrunched up
her nose. “Even though he’s got to be close to forty, makes me feel like a dirty old
lady saying so.” She chortled. “Your daddy didn’t mention Mr. Jackson.”

“He doesn’t know… That is to say, it’s new… It’s nothing. Nothing’s going on between
us.”

“If you say so. I wouldn’t turn him away.” Georgia waggled her eyebrows again. “He
looks like he could make you forget your name, address, maybe even how to breathe.”

Marissa’s pulse raced at the memory of Jax’s kiss. The feel of his hands on her. Her
face heated and she ducked to keep Georgia from seeing, though the sharp-eyed chef
didn’t miss much. “I brought some of my cupcakes. Would you like me to go get one
for you?” She started to pull her hand from the ice.

“You sit yourself still.” She pushed away from the counter. “I’ll go grab one. Which
do you recommend?”

“Knowing your sweet tooth, I’d say the double fudge.”

Georgia patted her hips. “Sounds like heaven. Be right back.”

Marissa was left alone in the kitchen as the waitstaff had filled up trays, then went
out as well. The hum of the appliances and the echo of silence off all the stainless
steel had always calmed her nerves. It wasn’t until she’d opened her own shop, had
her own kitchen that she realized it. Her pop psychology told her it stemmed from
the two women who’d been like mothers to her. Mrs. Humphries in her home kitchen as
well as the one at the Bistro and later Georgia and her kindness. It was no wonder
she herself had gone into baking.

“There you are. I wondered where you’d gotten off to.” Callie pushed through the door.
“What happened?” Her eyes widened at Marissa’s hand submerged in the bucket of ice.

“My own clumsiness. It’s no big deal.” She removed her hand, let the rag fall into
the bucket then wrapped a dry towel around it. She frowned. “Why were you looking
for me?” Marissa couldn’t figure out this girl—woman. She had a hard time with the
fact that Callie was a grown woman, not the young girl who’d had the entire club as
her playground. Why was she going out of her way to be nice, to seek her out? Before
she could help herself, she asked just that question aloud.

“I, um…” Callie’s normal poise fell in increments. Her smile wavered, her lower lip
quivered even. She wrung her hands together in front of her. “Jax told me not to say
anything. But I feel so horrible—”

“What does Jax have to do with anything?”

“—it’s been eating me for years.”

“Years?” Marissa stood up from the stool. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Someone cleared their throat. Marissa turned to find Jax standing in the doorway just
as Callie blurted out, “I’m the reason you got fired.”

Jax slapped his hand to his forehead. He’d told his sister it was a bad idea to say
anything. And if the look on Marissa’s face was any indication, he’d been spot on
the money.

Marissa’s eyes narrowed. Her lips thinned out and she barely moved her mouth as she
asked, “I beg your pardon?”

“It’s my fault you got fired.” Callie’s hands fluttered around as if she didn’t know
what to do with them. “I threw a stupid red dress my mother made me wear into one
of the washers. I grabbed a fresh stack of towels and tossed them in, too. I know
it was stupid and childish. I was mad at my mother and I
hated
that dress.”

When Marissa did nothing but stare, Callie kept talking. “I don’t even know how the
washer was turned on. When I left it wasn’t going.” She pinched her lips together
for a moment. “I never meant for you to get into trouble.”