Project Love (Cascade Brides Series) (15 page)

“
Uh, do you mean like donate?”

“
Actually, while some items will be donated, some
things will be purchased for the auction.”

“
Huh,” she said, her eyes narrowed. “Will I have
to go to your church or anything like that?”

“
It'd be great if you could be present at the
auction,” Daniel said, apparently using his newfound PR charm to
ease Holly's concerns. “But it's not required. Then again, having
an artist in their midst can up the bidding.”

Wow, work it, Daniel
.
Charity fought a stab of cynicism...and if she were honest, jealousy.

Holly got up from the chair, and grabbed her mug and
plate. “I'll think about it,” she said, uncertainty crossing her
features.

“
Let me know in a week or so,” he said with a smile.
“And we'll pay fair market value. No discounts required.”

With a nod, Holly shuffled back to her room.

When they were alone, Daniel took a sip of his tea.

Charity swallowed back dread. “I hadn't heard anything
about purchasing items for the auction.”

His light brown eyes regarded her over the rim of his
cup. “I plan to purchase them from Holly myself then donate them to
the auction.”

“
Why?”

“
I thought it might be a way to draw her out a
little.”

She set her oven mitt on the counter. “What's it like
to be perfect?”

Daniel frowned and lowered his cup. “What's that
supposed to mean?”

Charity's shoulders sagged. “Just...tell me what you
think of the scones.”

With a small sigh, he picked up a buttered portion and
took a bite. “Oh...wow.”

A small wave of pleasure washed over her. “Is that a
good thing?”

“
Very good
.”
He took another bite, then another until he finished the entire
scone. After chasing it with a long drink of tea, he sent her a
blissful smile. “As good—no, wait—
better
than anything I had in England.”

“
Thank you.”

Daniel took another scone from the pan. “I like those
sugar crystals on top.”

“
I think they add a
little extra sparkle,” Charity said, then inwardly groaned.
Why
are we still talking about scones?

“
Speaking of sparkle, do you know cupcakes are called
fairy cakes in England?”

“
Your knowledge of sparkles and fairies could be
concerning,” she said, retreating to cowardly humor.

He smiled. “The lady in the...manly tea room told me.
Anyway, I think you need to be making scones for Rose City Java.”

“
I already told you I don't have any place to bake.
Can't do it here and the coffee shop doesn't have a kitchen or the
right equipment.”

“
Maybe Jessie could speak to the bakery you use.”

She shrugged, knowing the conversation was a
diversionary tactic. “I might mention it.”

Daniel started in on his second scone as if he, too,
were trying to avoid the obvious. She waited until he finished his
tea. Clasping her hands together, she said, “Why do you want to
draw out my roommate?”

As he lowered his mug with a click onto the counter, he
seemed to consider her question. “Why wouldn't you want that?

She held his gaze. “Maybe it's how I like it. Maybe I
don't want a friend. What if I just want someone to split the rent
with and nothing more?”

Daniel dabbed his mouth with a paper napkin. “It seems
like a good opportunity to reach out to someone within your sphere.”

“
Like I said, what if I don't want to reach out?”

“
Charity, what's this really about?” He wadded up
the napkin.

Her heart thudded dully in her chest as her mouth went
dry. And yet better to do this now rather than later when their
emotions were too entangled. “I don't think this is going to work.”

The light in his eyes dimmed slightly. “'This'?”

“
Us.”

He crossed his arms over his chest as his expression
flattened. “You came to that conclusion all by yourself?”

“
Daniel—”

“
By design, there are
two or more components to 'us'. In this case there are
two
.
You and me. You have made your feelings known. I have not.”

Charity blinked at the
mini-speech—and the realization that she'd never seen Daniel upset
before. And he
was
upset if his flushed cheeks and glittering eyes meant anything.

“
What I think is that you're afraid for a reason
unknown to myself at this time. It's a normal and natural phase of
the relationship building process.”

“
Normal and natural,”
she said in disbelief. How could he be so
bloodless
about this?

“
For that reason, we simply need to talk through what
it is that's bothering you.”

His logical approach irked her to no end. Her mind
floundered for a response. Even though she hadn't thought this
conversation through all the way, she assumed Daniel would be the
gentleman and excuse himself from her life. It was what she wanted,
right? “Look, I'm not good with the one-on-one stuff.”

“
'One-on-one'. Do you mean you and me? Because I think
we do very well together.”

His intimate look made her think of his kisses. Her face
heated. “I mean...me and Holly. Me and Jessie.” She pulled in a
shuddering breath. “Me and Evelyn.”

He frowned. “I don't understand.”

“
Daniel, I don't want to go and hold old ladies'
hands. I don't want to be bosom buddies with my roommate or
co-workers.”

“
What about me?”

She lowered her gaze. “The issue is that I can't be
like you...in that way. I can't live up to your ideals.”

“
Why not? My ideals aren't somewhere in the
stratosphere. It sounds like some sort of excuse.”

Charity lifted her chin. “Why are you making this
hard? I want to break up.” There, she'd said it. Her heart pounded
so hard she felt faint.

“
You haven't answered my question,” he said grimly.
“Why can't you live up to my so-called ideals—which is, by the
way, merely an attempt to live out a Christian lifestyle?”

She put a hand to her lips to stop an outburst. Then
again anger might push back the heat behind her eyes.

He lowered his voice. “I said you could set the pace.
If things are going too fast, we can slow it down.”

“
Fast or slow, it won't matter,” she said firmly,
gripping the edges of the counter.

His face flushed. “Does this have something to do with
your sisters?”

“
What?”
Where
did that question come from?

“
Has your estrangement from them made you afraid to
trust? Or is it something else?”

“
My estrangement is on purpose, Daniel. I don't want
to talk to them. I don't want them in my life.”

“
Just like you don't want me.”

She had to look away so he wouldn't see the truth in her
eyes.

“
Are you saying if one of your sisters called out of
the blue, you'd refuse to speak to them?”

Moisture prickled
behind her lids. “They
have
called,
Daniel. And I delete the numbers.”

Shock registered on his face. “I didn't expect that,”
he said quietly. After a long moment, he leaned forward. “What did
they do to you to hurt you so?”

Fury simmered just below the surface. Charity preferred
it to the feeling of heartbreak. “Let me ask you this. Do you
forgive Anthony for his treatment of you?”

The question made him pause. Daniel touched the handle
of his mug. “Sometimes.” He looked up. “And sometimes, no. But
I never stop taking it to the Lord.”

The contrition in his eyes made it difficult to focus on
her anger. “Well, I'm just not ready to forgive my sisters for
making me feel like a pathetic burden, like just a waste of space.
Which means I don't want to reconcile with them, and I don't want to
reach out to people. I just want to make my way in life and prove I
can do...whatever I end up doing.”

“
Prove to whom?”

“
Myself,” she said through clenched teeth.

Daniel got to his feet, his height suddenly
intimidating. “So the happy-go-lucky personality at the coffee shop
is just a front?” He shook his head. “You know, I suspected that
all along.”

Lifting her chin so she could meet his gaze, she said,
“I'm trying to be honest here. ”

“
I'm sorry my company is distasteful to you.”

She grimaced. “That's not it. I...I just just don't
want you to be disappointed in me.”

His eyes darkened. “Too late, Charity.”

She held onto the counter for support as Daniel turned
and walked out the door. Breathing hard, she ruthlessly held back her
tears. He'd been offended, true. But that was a lot better than being
heartbroken.

Because she should know.

***

The week refused to pass with any semblance of speed.
Charity's face ached from her faux smiles and her lonely tip jar only
confirmed the truth. The moment her fifteen minute break started, she
went outside, needing the moist air to cool her over-heated cheeks.
She leaned her head back against the back door and closed her eyes.

A week without Daniel
was a punishment she wasn't sure she could bear. And yet she'd
brought it on herself.
For his own good
,
she reminded herself.
For one moment I acted in an
unselfish capacity and cut him loose before I could do more damage
.
But the knowledge didn't help when her eyes continued to stray toward
the doors at the time he usually came in. It was a cold comfort when
she saw him on television and he looked relaxed and confident as he
discussed the latest issues with the city contract.

By this point he was probably relieved he'd made such a
narrow escape. He deserved a woman who wouldn't disappoint him like
she had. Charity swallowed hard as she remembered his words. And the
woman he found would be tall, statuesque, and stunning. Not small,
sickly, and prone to self-imposed martyrdom. She would be educated
and have glittering social skills that would grease the rails of his
upwardly mobile career. Not someone indifferent to higher education.
Not someone who broke up with the perfect guy.

Charity pulled in a deep breath, forcing her mind away
from her failures. Suddenly the door behind her moved. She jumped
away as it swung outward.

Jessie poked his head outside. “Coming back in any
time soon?”

“
I was just on my break,” she said, surreptitiously
sniffing back a wayward tear.

“
Your break ended five minutes ago.”

Charity pulled her phone from her pocket and checked the
time. “Oh, gosh! I'm sorry.” Returning her phone, she entered the
building and grabbed her apron from the rack.

“
I guess relationship problems make some people lose
track of time.”

She shook her head. “Don't go there, Jessie.”

“
What?” he asked in apparent innocence. “Tabor
hasn't been in all week. You're moping around, scaring off the
customers...obviously there's trouble in paradise.”

“
Oh, please,” she said, yanking the ties behind her
back.

“
I'm serious! Not even pumpkin muffins can win the day
with you looking like you've been sucking on lemons.”

“
What?” she said, outraged. “I do not look like
that!”

“
Close enough.”

“
That's Grade A baloney.”

He smiled suddenly. “Anger might work. Heck, I'll even
take sarcasm. Anything but the moping thing.”

Sending him a dark look, she headed to the counter. A
woman approached, her smile slipping when she saw her. The toddler in
her arms burst into tears.

Oh, great
.

“
Uh, oh, someone's upset,” Charity said, hoping to
jostle the little tyke from her crying jag. “Would a free cookie
help?”

The mother brightened at the word 'free' and even the
little girl somehow sensed sugar was in the offing.

Charity grabbed a piece of wax paper and pulled two
cookies from the case. She handed one to the woman and the other to
the toddler.

Despite the freebie, mother and child turned and headed
out the door without ordering a thing.

Charity glanced over at her boss, who leaned against the
back counter, arms crossed, shaking his head.

I must be losing my touch
.

***

Daniel looked over his
paperwork with unseeing eyes. It didn't help that he had a thumper of
a headache. He rubbed his face and focused on his surroundings. Sleek
green, black, and chrome décor met his tired gaze in the hipster
coffee shop where he'd taken refuge. Patrons with gelled hair, clunky
eye-wear, and sleeve tatts pecked away at iMacs and iPads, making him
feel like some aging holdover from the 1950s. The place was actually
closer to work, but the ambiance felt less homey, so he'd sought
another shop.
Which is how I met Charity
.