Hershey's Choice Page 3

  Mrs. Jerome was Cara’s mother.

  “Let’s see if I understand your little story correctly. You met a man you know nothing about, and you suspect he’s a stalker. Yet, here you are in his house alone.” She waved a finger. “A sensible girl wouldn’t put herself in a dangerous situation.”

  Mrs. Jerome’s tone stung.

  Hershey walked in front of Britt and sat, resting his back against her legs. He created a barrier between her and Mrs. Jerome.

  How could he possibly know Britt needed protection from the dragon lady? Regardless of how he knew, she was beyond thankful. Britt inhaled a deep breath, rubbing her moist palm on her hip. “I joked about the stalking. Ryan is a nice guy.”

  “Well, he must be. He rummaged through a filthy garbage can to retrieve your coat. He then claims to have had it cleaned. He’s very thoughtful.” Sarcasm rolled easily from Mrs. Jerome’s tongue. “And you just happened to meet again today?”

  She shrugged. “He said our meeting was coincidence.”

  “You believed him?” Mrs. Jerome shook her head. “Tsk, tsk. I thought you to be smarter.”

  Ouch! “I know his actions might appear shady.”

  “Apparently you don’t, because if you did, you wouldn’t be here. A strange man you know absolutely nothing about invites you into his home. Did you even think to consider he might be lying? Your fluke meeting could have been planned all along. Maybe he’s been following and watching you for some time, waiting for the chance to pounce.” She took a step backward, clutching the strap of her purse. “My friend told me stories about the comings-and-goings here. Men drinking and gambling, and plenty of scantily clad women. Lots of parties and other things happen here that my ears should not have been privy to.”

  Britt’s hands shook. She believed Ryan to be a good person, and he meant her no harm. Yet, Mrs. Jerome’s story of the house’s activity matched the interior. Had Britt been lured here purposely? Did Ryan use Hershey as a decoy?

  Mrs. Jerome walked down the pathway, glancing over her shoulder. “Are you coming, dear?”

  The woman’s term of endearment frightened Britt more than being placed in a situation having the potential to end badly.

  “I can’t leave here knowing harm may come.” Mrs. Jerome waved a hand toward the street. “You must leave before it’s too late.”

  She walked back to the front door, her heels clicking on the pathway. She grabbed Britt’s arm and yanked her from Hershey’s protective stance.

  Britt stumbled on the step but quickly recovered her footing. Frowning, she gripped the strap of her purse to steady her shaky hands.

  The dragon lady dragged Britt to the street, opened Britt’s car door, and shoved her inside. “I’m sure he lied about your coat. No garment is worth your virtue, or your life. You must go before he returns.”

  Britt turned to the house where Hershey stood in the doorway barking. Her pulse raced. Was Ryan the creepy guy Mrs. Jerome accused him to be? Was his name actually Ryan? Britt didn’t know what to think. She pressed her fingers to her throbbing temple.

  The encounter today with Ryan and Hershey had been a surprise but could have been by chance. Seeing Mrs. Jerome baffled Britt, as did the woman’s concern for her welfare.

  “Go!” Mrs. Jerome walked across the street to her car and opened the door. “I’m right behind you.”

  As much as Britt wanted to believe Ryan, she couldn’t ignore the warning signs. Disregarding her suspicions in the past had resulted in disaster. She gripped the steering wheel, shifted the gear to Drive, drove away, and never looked back.

  ****

  Ryan finally found Britt’s coat in his brother’s bedroom closet. How the garment bag went from the closet in the spare room on the main floor to upstairs, Ryan didn’t have a clue. He’d been happy to see Britt trusted him enough to enter the house, hopefully removing her initial thoughts of him as a stalker.

  Something about Britt piqued his interest. Yesterday, she had been snooty and a little crazy, but today, she looked more in her element. While Ryan thought her to be extremely appealing in the short skirt and heels, he really liked today’s cute jogging outfit. Classy and sophisticated, she could pull off casual and chic, too.

  He had resisted the urge to remove her ball cap in order to better see her beautiful face. Britt made Ryan’s heart stutter, which hadn’t happened in quite a while. He wanted to ask her out for coffee and get to know her better. Even Hershey liked Britt. His calm composure had to be a positive sign.

  A loud barking sounded from downstairs. Hershey was clearly upset. Maybe Ryan spoke too soon about his dog’s affection toward Britt. He ran from the room and descended the stairs two at a time, fearing he’d see Britt standing on the dining room table to elude the dog’s lifted back leg. “Hershey, stop barking.”

  Ryan recognized the demanding tone. Please let me be wrong. He paused on the main floor. No such luck. “Mom, what are you doing here?” He walked past his mother and to the front door. Damn. Britt’s car was gone.

  “Is that any way to greet your mother?” Grace covered her ears. “Can you please stop him?”

  Hershey held a steady stare at Ryan’s mother.

  “Hershey.” Ryan held out his palm and slowly raised his hand to his shoulder.

  The Labrador immediately stopped barking and came to sit in front of Ryan.

  “Good boy.” He patted his dog’s head then grabbed one of Hershey’s rubber chew toys. “Want to go outside?”

  Hershey ran to the back door.

  Before opening the screen door, Ryan glanced at the fence’s gate to make sure it was locked. He then opened the door and threw the toy.

  The dog darted across the lawn.

  He sighed, walking back to the living room. “What a pleasure to see you, Mom.”

  “Much better.” She kissed Ryan’s cheek. “Hershey is in a foul mood today.”

  His dog had been in a great mood, especially since seeing Britt in the park. He liked Ryan’s mother. She was one of the few women Hershey tolerated, so if his bark had been directed at her, she must have done something to upset him. “What did you do?”

  “I beg your pardon?” She shrugged out of her suit jacket, folded it over the sofa by her purse, and then gathered the dirty dishes from the coffee table. “This place is a disaster.”

  “You can blame Dylan for the mess. Your youngest son is a slob.” Ryan thought for a moment. No, she wouldn’t have. Would she? “Where’s Britt?”

  “Who?” Grace’s eyebrow rose.

  “Britt, the woman who was here.”

  She waved a hand. “I have no idea who you are talking about.”

  Oh, yes you do. “She was standing by the door with Hershey.” He followed his mother to the dining room and turned her to face him, resting his hands on her shoulders. “You know who I’m referring to.”

  “Oh, the little girl in the blue jogging suit?”

  Ryan ignored his mother’s ridicule. “That’s the one.”

  “She’s gone.” With quick movements, she placed the poker chips in a box and closed the lid.

  “You said something, didn’t you?” His mother had to be the reason for Britt’s sudden departure.

  “You like her.”

  “What?” He did, but his mother didn’t need to know.

  “Why else would you rummage through a disgusting trashcan to retrieve a coat?” Grace put the poker chip box on a shelf and dumped the ashtrays filled with cigar butts in a wastepaper basket. “I hope you scrubbed your hands afterward.”

  So, his mother had spoken to Britt. He fisted his fingers together. “I wanted to apologize. I should have been holding Hershey’s leash tight. He got loose and charged the bench where Britt was sitting, causing coffee to spill over her coat.”

  “She is not the one.” Grace shrugged. “Even Hershey thinks so.”

  “Hershey likes her.”

  “He does?” His mother turned.

  “He hasn’t peed on her. That’s a good
sign. He actually seems drawn to Britt. She’s a bit quirky, and we’ve just met, but I’m thinking of asking her out.”

  “No, no, no.” She dropped the wastepaper basket. “I forbid you to ever see that woman again.”

  What? He frowned. Why did his mother dislike Britt? “I’m thirty-one, not ten, Mom. You can’t forbid me to do anything.”

  Grace turned on the sink tap to wash her hands. “I can, by removing the problem.”

  Ryan still heard his mother’s muttered comment over the running water. “What did you say to Britt?” He leaned forward and shut off the tap.

  “We barely spoke. She loitered on the doorstep. I asked why she was here, and she talked about trash and a coat. Then she blubbered on and on. I didn’t pay much attention until she accused you of stalking.” She dried her hands on the dish towel. “I am your mother, and I won’t stand idle while someone accuses my son of such lies. She ran before I could tell her to leave. That girl has serious issues.” His mother tapped his arm. “I prefer you avoid her.”

  Dare he believe his mother? Grace Jerome was known for meddling in her children’s lives. More than once. But she hadn’t met Britt before and didn’t have a reason to dislike her.

  Ryan ran a hand through his hair. The garment bag holding Britt’s coat lay on the back of the sofa. He had lost the chance of getting to know Britt, unless he bumped into her again. Ryan smiled. Which could very well happen because he had luck and Hershey on his side.

  ****

  The next morning, Britt licked the cinnamon from her fingers. “Delicious.” She sipped the last bit of milk from the straw then placed her cup on the empty plate.

  “Do you think they’ll make a good addition to the menu?”

  Her best friend, Nathan Miller, was owner and head-baker of Miller’s Bakery, after his father died of a sudden heart attack over a year ago. Since graduating from culinary school, he had been working with his father. So buying the bakery from his mother allowed him to secure his mother’s future financially and continue his father’s dream, as well as his own. Miller’s Bakery was the most popular bakery in town, specializing in cakes, pastries, cup cakes, cookies, and a new breakfast menu consisting of Danishes and turnovers.

  Britt had arrived an hour before the bakery opened, sat at one of the eight round tables, and was treated to a fresh-from-the-oven cinnamon Danish—a bonus to being the owner’s best friend. The flaky and buttery pastry melted in her mouth, winning first place with her taste buds. “You have a winner there. If the mouth-watering scent doesn’t tempt your customers, the samples will.” She rested her elbows on the table and placed her chin in the palm of her hands. “I appreciate your attempt to soften my mood with your scrumptious food, even if my waistline might not agree.” She sighed. “What is wrong with me, Nathan? Maybe I should have my head examined.” Britt glanced up, hoping to hear words of encouragement.

  Nathan placed trays of cream puffs and rainbow cookies in the glass display case. “Nothing’s wrong. The dragon lady messed with your head and you let her.” He laughed.

  “Not funny. She scares me. I swear if this wedding isn’t perfect, she’ll hire someone to terminate me. If I disappear for more than a day, be sure to give the police her name.”

  “Noted.” He wrote an invisible air note with his fingers.

  “You’re not taking me seriously.” She slapped a hand on the table.

  He wiped his hands on a towel, pulled out a chair, and sat beside her. “Come on, Britt. You’re overreacting. This Ryan guy sounds like a pretty good character. I’d probably fish through a trashcan for a good-looking lady’s coat, too, especially if getting my hands a little dirty gave me the opportunity to see her again.”

  Britt sat straight. “So you don’t think he was stalking me?”

  “Because he went to the same park? Naw. Shooby Park is a favorite spot for dog walkers.” He raised an eyebrow. “I might start jogging. I hear Shooby is the place to meet women.”

  “Jerk.” She jabbed a punch at his arm. “I know Mrs. Jerome hates me, but enough to scare the bejeebers out of me?”

  “She could have been telling the truth.”

  Britt’s eyes widened.

  “You said Ryan looks about thirty. What thirty-year-old guy doesn’t have a few parties, and what’s a party without women. The dragon lady’s friend could be a nosey neighbor who twists the truth to make a story sound worse.” Nathan tapped her hand. “I say trust your instincts. They’ve never failed you before.”

  She rolled her eyes. “No, but those gut feelings have led me to being single and disliking men.” Too bad those instincts weren’t active when assessing men prior to dating.

  “Ouch.”

  “You and Kevin are the exception. I meant, low-life cheating men. The ones who don’t tell their girlfriend they already have a girlfriend.” Britt didn’t want to talk about her past disastrous relationships. “My initial thought of Ryan was similar to a stalker. You’re saying I should stick with that reflection?”

  Nathan leaned back in his chair. “You said he’s attractive, in an arrogant kind of way. You thought he followed you, but then quickly dismissed that thought because you were swayed by his charming smile and dreamy blue eyes. Technically, your initial instinct pegged him as a nice guy.”

  “I did not say dreamy blue eyes.” Well, maybe she had. Britt couldn’t remember her exact words. Last night, Nathan came to her rescue with a six-pack of beer, but she opted for the bottle of Merlot sitting in the fridge. The four glasses of wine may have clouded her memory. The run-in with Mrs. Jerome had Britt befuddled. The woman made her dislike for Britt very clear, so the dragon lady’s concern for her welfare was puzzling. As if Britt didn’t have enough jamming her thoughts, she couldn’t remove the image of Ryan’s smiling face.

  “You totally did,” Nathan said with a curt nod. “Mr. Arrogant monopolized the whole conversation last night. Had I known the topic of the evening’s focus, I would have brought more beer and put on one of those mushy chick movies you like to watch.”

  Britt leaned against the back of her chair. “Hey, I’ve listened to my share of girl woes.”

  “True.” He nodded. “You’ve been out of the dating scene far too long. One guy catches your eye and you go all teenagery. You’re twenty-nine. Time to find Mr. Right and start making babies.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Now you sound like my father.” Britt didn’t want a Mr. in her life. Readying for a new career was top priority.

  “I know how you feel about happy-ever-afters. But you haven’t found the right guy. Either find this Ryan guy and ask him out, or accept Dylan’s offer.”

  “Dylan?” She widened her eyes. Never gonna happen! “Are you nuts? He’s an incorrigible flirt, and the dragon lady’s son. Can you imagine her reaction?” A shiver ran down Britt’s spine. “Me dating her son. I’d go missing for sure.”

  Nathan chuckled. “Kevin says Dylan asks about you all the time. He’s smitten.”

  “Speaking of Kevin, have you started the cake?” She dismissed any consideration of dating Dylan. Britt knew his type. Cute with the body of an athlete, but still in life-is-a-party mode and not ready to settle down.

  “I’m making the cake today and decorating Friday.” He pointed to the five cake tiers on the counter. “Kevin is a fit of nerves. You are coming to the bachelor party this evening?”

  Kevin Peters was the third musketeer to their trio. He and Nathan were the siblings she never had and the best protectors a girl could wish for. Kevin had hired both Britt and Nathan for his upcoming nuptials to Cara Jerome. Nathan was in charge of the five-tiered, red velvet wedding cake. Britt provided input on the wedding theme, but she’d left the design in Nathan’s capable hands.

  As the bells above the door jingled, two of his staff walked in.

  Nathan stood and greeted Phyllis, an older woman who had worked at the bakery with Nathan’s father, and her niece, Ellen.

  “Hi, Britt,” they jointly said.

 
; Phyllis returned from the back room and reached for the skull-blazing printed apron hanging on the wall hook behind the counter. Not the attire expected for a woman in her late fifties, yet very fitting for the feisty baker. “Man problems?” Phyllis wrapped a crossbones flydanna around her single-braided graying hair and tied a knot at the back.

  “No.” Unwilling to share, Britt avoided the wise woman’s eyes.

  Phyllis picked up the dishes from the table. “Honey, any woman who has your prime figure doesn’t snack on cinnamon Danish so early in the morning. Unless she’s having man problems.”

  Britt turned to Nathan. “How does she always know?”

  He held out a hand, palm up. “Don’t ask me. I stopped questioning Phyllis’ sixth-sense a long time ago.”

  “Smart boy, this one.” Phyllis hip-bumped Nathan. “Need to find him a good woman. There’s one out there for him, and a good man for you, too. Keep your eyes open. He could be right around the corner.”

  “I’d better go.” Britt abruptly stood, wobbling the chair on its back legs. “I have to meet Cara for a last dress fitting before I meet the guys at the tuxedo store.”

  “Bachelor party tonight?” Nathan escorted her to the door.

  No. “I don’t think I should.” Please, don’t make me go.

  “You have to. You’re Kevin’s other besty. If you don’t show, he’ll be disappointed.”

  Britt sighed. She would be the only woman in attendance at the bachelor party of men. Knowing Kevin’s coworkers helped a little. At least, she wouldn’t be mistaken for the stripper.

  “Kevin and I want you there. I scheduled the bachelor party on a Monday night to avoid any heavy drinking or scantily-clad women. A few drinks and a steak dinner at the Harbor View Restaurant.”

  She hadn’t been to the Inn’s new restaurant. They’d received rave reviews on their food and the awesome view overlooking the harbor from King’s Pier. Britt really wanted to check out the restaurant. Besides, Nathan wouldn’t let her leave the bakery until she agreed. “Okay.” She pulled open the door. “I’ll see you later for your tux fitting.” Britt waved to Phyllis.