Bella took his hand and pulled him over to the pile, sank to her knees on the carpet and waited while he did the same. “These are the ones of this afternoon. Aren’t they amazing?” She pushed a pile toward him, tucked her feet under her butt, and watched his face as he flipped through them. She could tell when he came across the photo of the two of them, goo-ing over the twin with the chubby cheeks. They looked like the perfect happy family.
“He’s adorable.” The tired lines faded from Jake’s forehead when he smiled.
“Isn’t he just? And I was hoping you wouldn’t mind if I used it. Makes the book look family orientated and that’s exactly the style I want to go for.”
He glanced over the photo at her. “Really? I know you mentioned it before but I wasn’t sure you’d still go through with it, especially after the big night. I thought your style would stay more the glitz and glamour, like your show, once you’d had a chance to rethink it.”
“No.” She smiled. “I wanted to change track with this book and that’s why I told you about it before. I haven’t changed my mind, Jake. I want to make it more accessible to the everyday housewife. Recipes that families can make together using fresh ingredients. Forget the fuss. Plain food, simply cooked but out of this world flavor. And it also ties in with what you pointed out about my achievements. I’ve ticked all the boxes. Now it’s time to loosen up.”
“And you think this photo will do that?” He looked unconvinced.
“That and the others I’ve tagged.” She shuffled around to lean against him and point out her favorites. “See, this one has Cory’s hand in it, cutting up the vegetables. You can tell it’s a teenager helping out and that sets a family tone. I meant what I said. I wasn’t joking, Jake.” She waited while he worked his way through them, coming to a stop where she wiped pink icing from his chin with her finger. Obviously taken the day they’d decorated Cory’s cookies, but not one he’d seen until now. He picked up the one of the two of them with the baby again and looked between them.
“What do you think?” Bella held her breath. She wanted to use the photo from the barbeque for the inside of the cover. Even her editor had tagged it as mega potential for a family cookbook. They looked like a couple desperately in love.
“I don’t know. It’s kinda personal. A bit, you know, romantic. Not sure I want the world to see that. They’d probably think it was our kid.” He blushed and she slid her arm around his waist, rested her head on his shoulder.
“Maybe.” She smiled. “What is it that concerns you the most? The romantic look or the fact that we can see your face?” Bella giggled. “And the whole world won’t see it, only the ones that buy the book.”
“What about the guys at the station?” A hint of a smile twitched at the corner of his lips.
Bella grabbed a pile of photos from the floor, found one that showed the firemen hovering over the grill, hunger plainly etched on their faces. “If you let me use the one of you, I promise to put this one in too, that way they can’t give you a hard time. Deal?”
“Does it really mean that much to you?”
Bella didn’t have to give it any thought. “Yeah, it does. It’s where I want my book to head, Jake. I don’t want to be seen as the flashy celebrity cook anymore. I want grass roots cooking, exciting meals that anyone can make and that’s why I want to include photos of you and Cory, as well as the locals who’ve welcomed me to Cherry Lake, the food producers here who’ve supplied all the food I’ve cooked in these photos. It’s going to be an amazing book if I can do it the way I want to. And it could lead to something better and give me the freedom to live where I want.”
“Deal.”
*
Why did he think she’d go back to doing what she did best? After the way the red carpet event had turned into the production of the century for Cherry Lake locals, he was sure Bella would stick to what she knew, forget the idea she’d run past him and he wouldn’t blame her if she did. She was a star for goodness’ sake. How could he forget that? And niggling in the back of his mind was the recurring thought that he wouldn’t be able to make her happy.
“You’re overthinking things again.” Bella wiped her fingers over the lines between his eyes. She was right, he was churning things over in his mind. Even though she’d made noises about staying here with him, any moment he expected the bomb to drop and find out she was going back to the bright lights of the city.
“Sorry. My mind keeps racing ahead. I can’t help it. Always plan for the best but expect the worst.”
Bella snuggled into him. “That’s no way to live. You need to lighten up, Jake.”
He laughed, her words reminiscent of something he’d said to her. “Look who’s talking.”
“I’m doing my best, okay? I have things in the works, plans I can’t tell you about yet about my contract just in case I jinx myself and it all goes pear-shaped. I don’t want the two of us in the doldrums over it.” She rolled over and rested her head in his lap. “I’ll share when I can, promise.”
Jake stroked her hair, wound a strand of the dark curls around his finger. “So long as you promise if it’s bad news, do it quick. None of this dragging things out. We agreed in the beginning that if it didn’t work, we’d walk away with no regrets.”
She tipped her head back.
