“We’re a team.” He squeezed her hands. “We’re engaged. This is our whole future.”
Her throat tightened. “Going to France will only make you a better chef. Think of the things you’ll learn. That’s good for our future.”
Andrew looked up at the ceiling. “Visiting Aunt Claire in France is when I realized I wanted to become a chef. I’d never seen such fancy food. Chefs were like celebrities there.”
She’d heard the story a million times, but he always told it with such exuberance that she didn’t mind.
His voice became quieter. “It’s pretty cool to even have been offered the chance, but I don’t—”
“You’d be a fool to turn it down.” She spaced the words evenly. She sucked in a deep breath, and with all the control she could muster said, “I’ll be right here when you get back. It’ll be an even more special Christmas.”
“You really think I should go.”
“I do.” I don’t want you to, but how could I ask you to stay? That would be so selfish. “We can talk on the phone, and text.”
“That training would make a difference in the scholarships I can qualify for here locally.”
“Exactly.”
The next day he accepted the gracious offer from his great-aunt and began making plans.
And in a few weeks she was standing at the Charlotte airport, choking back tears as she hugged him goodbye, hoping the time would fly.
It had been a lonely Fourth of July, her first in several years without Andrew. But she’d sent him pictures of the fireworks, and he’d texted back even though he’d been sleeping. Over the next weeks he shared recipes and techniques with her, and they often baked the same things and compared notes, but the days dragged on.
It had been fun for Kelly to experiment with the new baking methods Andrew was learning, and her own skills were benefitting from it. A good thing, since she was baking more than ever to get through the weeks.
Summer gave way to fall, and thank goodness for Christmas shopping to keep her busy. December finally rolled around, and on the night of Andrew’s certification, she set her alarm at noon to call right after the ceremony.
“Congratulations!” She could hear the excitement in the background.
“Thanks. I’m at the banquet now.”
“I miss you like crazy. I can’t wait to see you. Eight more days. Finally! I can’t believe it. In a way it seems like it’s been forever, but at the same time it feels like yesterday that you left.”
“I’m glad you said that.”
There was a trace of uncertainty in his voice that caught Kelly off guard. “What? You know I miss you. Every single day.”
“I meant the part where it seemed like yesterday.”
Her heart dropped. Then, what she’d feared most came over the line.
“Kelly, I’ve been offered a scholarship. Not for pastries and baking, but for real culinary stuff. With the best chefs around. They presented it to me at graduation tonight.”
“Oh.” It almost took her breath, a verbal sucker punch to the gut. “A scholarship?”
“Full ride. One of the instructors is part of this group of chefs. Francois Dumont. He owns the hottest restaurant in Paris. He was so impressed with me that he sponsored me without telling me.”
“That is—”
“Incredible,” he finished. “Right?”
“Yes.” She forced enthusiasm into her voice. “When do you have to decide?”
“Kelly, come to Paris. We’ll get married on June fourth just like we’d planned. Only here instead of in Bailey’s Fork. We can save money to help fly our parents over for the wedding. You’re going to love it here. The cafes. The food. The bakeries,” he rattled on with the enthusiasm of a mariachi band. “You could land a job in a bakery here in a hot second. It’s amazing. We’ll be so happy.”
His words came like missiles, ripping gaping holes in the life she’d dreamed of. She went numb. For the first time in her life, she was truly speechless. He has to be kidding.
“I have it all figured out,” he went on. “We’ll stay in the carriage house here at Aunt Claire’s until we get on our feet. I already checked with her. She’s fine with it.”
Not only was he serious, he had their lives all planned out, and this didn’t look anything like what they’d talked about. She’d never in her wildest dreams entertained leaving Bailey’s Fork.
“Stop!” She couldn’t listen to it another second. “Andrew, I’m not fine with it. I’m not moving. That was never the plan,” she said quickly over her pounding heart. A tear slipped down her cheek.
“But I miss you.” There was surprise in his tone.
“I miss you too. It’s an amazing opportunity for you, but we’re going in different directions. I’ve waited over six months for you. I’ve been patient. But this is twice you’ve pushed aside our plans.”
“I know, but this—”
“Is not for me,” she said. She wouldn’t keep him from chasing his own dream, but hers wasn’t to work for someone else in a country four thousand miles away from her family. The knot in her chest was so tight she couldn’t utter another word.
She wasn’t even sure how long she’d been standing there next to the cafe phone when Mom came up and placed a gentle hand on her arm. “What’s wrong, honey?”
Kelly gave a choked, desperate laugh, but that didn’t fool her heart. Her spirits sank lower. “He’s not coming back.” Reality swirled around her. She’d had her life planned out—a good life—but now every single thing about that future seemed to be falling away.
“Andrew?”
She turned and looked into her mother’s eyes, and the tears fell. She flung out her hands in despair. No way could she utter those words again.
“Oh, Kelly. I’m so sorry.” Mom held her close. “Honey, things happen for a reason. You’re going to have to trust me on this. I know you’re hurt now and you feel like you’ll never love another—”
“I won’t,” Kelly said, because if there was one thing she was completely certain of, it was that
