Bella handed him a bowl of bright pink icing and a knife shaped object that made icing cookies a breeze, apparently. Before long, Jake forgot the surroundings, the photographer, and found himself enjoying the experience.
Chapter Thirteen
“You’re amazing.” Bella gave Jason a grateful smile as she scrolled through the photos he’d taken that day.
“That’s why you pay me so much money.” He walked over and poured himself a coffee. “So, this guy, your hunky fireman, is it serious?” Jason came back, leaned against the prep counter where his laptop sat.
Yes! “I’m not sure. He’s amazing and we’re good together but I have commitments. You know that. Plus, he has Cory. Great kid and I love him to death already but he’s settled here in school.”
Commitments, she couldn’t just brush off. It wasn’t her style and certainly not since it’d taken her so long to achieve her dream. All those early years of slogging it out in burger joints after school, working weekends for caterers and anyone else that would let her near their kitchen had been tough but worth it in the end. She’d accomplished her dream and it was all churning around in her mind. Making a decision wasn’t something she could do in an instant. Not with so much riding on it.
“Listen to me, Bella. You know I wouldn’t say something unless I honestly believed it, right?”
She nodded. He was a man of few words but what he did say always made sense.
“I don’t know anyone that works harder than you do and, sure, I get the reason why. I’m a workaholic the same as you are but sometimes you have to stand back and take a good look at what you have, what you want, and where you’re going to end up.” He sipped his coffee, waited for his words to sink in. “I’ve never seen you react to anyone like you do to Jake. Heck, if I didn’t know the truth, I’d have thought that boy was yours. You all seem to click, fit in with each other. It’s a lovely thing to see.”
“Yeah, I feel like it’s meant to be but…”
“That’s where you need to stop yourself. It’s not about the ‘but’, it’s about the how. That’s what you have to focus on. How can you make it work, how can you all have what you want?”
“I’m committed for another season. The books I can do anywhere so long as you’re prepared to travel to do the photo shoots.”
“And I am, you know that. You and I can make that part work. You have to find the one thing that would make it work between you, Russell, and the studio. Last thing you need is the company suing your butt for breach of contract. That would take the shine off any romance. And, honestly, after all the hard work you’ve done to get this far, I doubt you want to throw away your career.”
“That’s what scares me. I can’t lose everything I’ve worked so hard for. I didn’t slave in those back alley cafes just to give it up now. There has to be a way I can have a relationship as well.” She sighed, dropped her head to her hands. “I don’t know what to do, Jason.”
“Scroll down a bit further. Something there might give you the incentive to try harder.” He looked over her shoulder as she did what he suggested.
A series of photos of the three of them icing Cory’s cookies. Bella hit on a picture, bringing it up to fill the screen. Jake with pink icing on his cheek, her trying to wipe it off. The look in his eyes was one of total adoration. Her belly flipped, hormones sat up and sang a full serenade.
“That guy is totally in love with you, even if he doesn’t know it yet.” He patted her on the shoulder. “Looks like something you wouldn’t want to lose.”
She looked at the picture again, noticed the goofy smile on her face. In the background, Cory watched them, a satisfied grin lighting his eyes.
Everything was giving her the green light. So why did it feel as though she was the one holding back?
“You’re right. I need to come up with something. I just don’t know what yet.” She started cleaning the kitchen, packing the stew she’d promised Jake into containers. Once she was done here, it was home for a shower and then Bella planned to walk down to their house.
The door burst open and Mari rushed in, eyes huge and troubled. “Where’s Cory?”
“Uh, he left half an hour or so ago. Why?”
“Jake’s been hurt. I don’t know how bad but I heard he got called out to an empty house someone set on fire. A wall collapsed.”
Her heart almost stopped beating. “No.” She tore off her apron. “Where is he?”
“Ben took him to the local doctor’s office. It’s down past the library. Do you want me to take you?”
Bella looked at her hands. They shook too much for her to drive. “Please.”
*
Jake winced as the doctor injected around the wound area with the anesthetic. “Stop being such a baby, Jake.”
“That stuff stings. Be better off having stitches without it.” He felt like a wimp complaining but couldn’t help it.
He was lucky. When the beam fell and Ben yelled a warning, Jake couldn’t get out of the way in time. Just went to show, he could never take anything for granted. Especially in his job.
Dr. David Morrison shook his head. “Sorry, not going to even go there. It’s a pretty nasty gash. Too big to glue, otherwise I would have.” He handed the nurse the syringe. “I’m guessing about six or seven stitches in that manly forehead of yours.”
“Great.” He relaxed now that the doctor had finished with the needle.
“Lucky it didn’t knock your head off from
