Of course. Why hadn’t she thought of that? Picture perfect, the green against a blanket of white frost or light snow, her pink cottage in the background. “Yes, you’re right. It’s beautiful.”
He nibbled the cookie, gave her a winning smile. “How about a cherry orchard? The trees will start dripping flowers in a month or so if you can wait that long. If not, they look spectacular anyway. When are you planning on having the shoot done?”
“There’s no hurry and I wouldn’t be able to do it all at once anyway. I need to stagger it out over weeks or even months, which is why I thought I could do it while I was here. I have to prepare every meal for every single photo and I can’t do that in a hurry. It takes time and care to set up each plate I create so it comes across how I want it to.” She pushed the cookies toward him. “Jason, my photographer, likes to stay for a few days at a time and we shoot nonstop when he’s in the zone. It’s quite chaotic but I love it.”
“That’s a heap of cooking.” He sipped his coffee, his gaze on her.
“Yeah, it is but, as I said, it’s my life.” She gave him a secretive smile. “Guess what?”
“What?”
“Mari’s planning on a Valentine’s Day dinner to outdo the Christmas tree auction. She’s putting a notice in the paper tomorrow.”
*
A heaving wave of discontent welled in Jake’s stomach. “And you’re going to do the food? As well as cook for the restaurant?”
She nodded.
“Aren’t you supposed to be taking it a bit easy while you’re here? There’s only a couple of weeks until Valentine’s Day.”
This girl didn’t stop. She was constantly on the go. He wondered where she got her energy from. She ought to bottle it because he’d be the first to buy a case.
“I can do it. All I need is someone to help with the prep and it’ll be so much fun. I’m going to ask my kitchen and waitstaff from the show to come down and help out. You should book a table. It’ll be a great night the way Mari is organizing everything, promise.”
“I don’t have anyone I’d like to take so it’d be a waste of a ticket.”
“Not anyone? Don’t you have a friend you could bring, doesn’t have to be a female. Just someone you don’t mind spending an evening with.”
He stared at her, a frown line between his eyes. “I could ask you but you’re probably too busy.”
“You’re the sweetest thing saying that. And you’re right but it’d be nice if you could be there. I could pop in and out of the kitchen between service and once the last main’s served, I can join you. The desserts will all be preprepared if Mari approves my menu.”
“You want me to sit out there by myself until you have the time to sit with me? That’s going to make me look pathetic and lonely.” Hurt filled her eyes and he mentally kicked himself. Surely he could share a table with someone. “But if you’re sure that’s what you want, I’ll do it. Only because you have me by the taste buds, mind you. I wouldn’t do this for anyone else. Guess I can ask Ben if he’ll come with his wife. If I know Sally, she’ll already be onto it.”
She launched herself into his arms, her hands wrapped around his neck. Jake felt the heat of her against him. He wondered if he should kiss her. The friends deal seemed to have moved somewhere along the line and he wasn’t upset about it. At the risk of overthinking things, Jake let his heart make the decision for him. Her lips were soft under his, the smell of perfume and sugar mixing with the taste of coffee on his tongue. Before he got carried away or upset her, he stepped back. Things were moving way too fast.
“What time will you be finished in here?”
Bella stepped around the counter, fiddled with her bowl of cookie dough and Jake wondered if they’d been a bit impulsive. “Not long now.”
“How about I pick you up and take you out for dinner tonight? You’ve cooked enough meals for us the last week. I think the least I can do is repay you. What do you say?”
“I think that’s a great idea but I can think of something even better. I have green tea smoked chicken in the refrigerator and some delicious warm salads I’ve been trying out. How about I pack them into a basket and we go for a picnic somewhere quiet? Just the two of us? I don’t care that it’s cold out. A picnic is always fun in any weather.”
“I like how you think, Bella Moore. It just so happens I know the perfect spot. Pick you up at six and wear something warm. It’s breezy out today.”
“Yes, sir.”
“See you later.”
Jake walked out with a spring in his step as he thought about where he would take her. It’d been ages since he’d been up to the Christmas tree farm and checked out his fishing cabin. Now was the perfect opportunity to go and make sure everything was alright. He hurried home to deal with family duties before it was time to take her out.
When Jake picked Bella up later that evening, she had a basket packed with food as promised. He hoped she wouldn’t be disappointed in his choice of picnic spot. He’d bet it wasn’t anything she’d imagine but he had the idea it was better that way than trying to compete with her city lifestyle.
He was glad she’d taken his advice and wore warm clothing. Her trademark jeans, a thick, white cable sweater that hugged her body and a scarf wrapped around her neck and the cutest beanie he’d seen forever. It would be cold out at the cabin but worth it for the solitude and the alone time with her away from
