Tart (3 page)

Patrick gave him a sly smile and an elbow nudge. “Don’t think so. She sure is a pretty one. All that pale hair and those big blue eyes. She’s like a soap ad from the old days.” Patrick chuckled. “Tart is always busy. She’s built it up from nothing. That diner her parents ran did all right, but I never much got the feeling they did it for love of it. You walk into Tart and you know someone who loves the place is running it. And she makes a mean cherry turnover. So really if you get sweet on her, that’s a win for me.”

Gideon did love his granddad’s sense of humor. Such a wily old guy. “One of these days you’ll have to tell me how it is you’ve survived all these years being so shy with your opinions.”

“Good to have you around, boy. Your father and your aunt never did indulge me the way your grandmother did. And you do too. Man’s got something right when his grandson will laugh at his bad jokes.”

Gideon agreed. It was good to
be
around. It fit. He wished his parents had come back to help, but his dad was an engineer, not a farmer. And his mother loved Patrick but she had a life in Oakland. They had offered to move Patrick down there and it had been a genuine offer. His aunt had done the same. But his grandfather belonged here on this land he’d raised children on, the land he and his wife had made into something special.

Speaking of special, Jules had come back into his thoughts. “When I first met her she couldn’t have been more than five or so. Still has the freckles, I see. Even in middle school she was a tall, gangly girl. But the woman she’s turned into is amazing. Funny how that works with women.” Gideon snorted a laugh. “Can’t imagine why she hasn’t been claimed by someone.”

“Jules is the kind of woman who can’t be claimed by anyone but the man she thinks is worthy. Everything else is a game. She’s smart that way.” Patrick pulled another turnover from the box and Gideon considered mentioning it was his third but decided against it.

Patrick peered up at Gideon. “Question is, are
you
ready to date again?”

“I’ve been divorced three years. It’s not like I haven’t dated since. I’ve been over Alana a long time.” Probably even before the ink had been dry on the divorce decree. Though it certainly hadn’t been any fun to see her with other men. Sadly that had been a fact of life until he’d finally just sold his half of the Bar M to his ex-brother-in-law and gotten the hell out of Wyoming.

The longer he’d been away from Alana, the more he understood his own behavior. The more he knew he’d made the right choice to get away. It had all brought him back here anyway.

Three years of making a new start. It was long overdue. But it had all led him to that very moment and he couldn’t help but think it was exactly what he should have been doing.

•   •   •

When Jules arrived back at Tart it was to find Daisy in the kitchen giving orders to a carpenter as he stretched to finish installing shelving on one of the far walls.

“Hey you.” Daisy smiled quick and easy as Jules put the flat down on her worktable. “How’d it go?”

“Really well. Patrick was pleased to do it. Oh and hey, did you know Gideon was there? He’s going to help Patrick run the place.”

“The grandson, right? He’s blond like you? He and Cal were tight? I have vague memories of having a crush on him when I was eleven or twelve.”

“Join the club.” Jules had a vivid memory of the two of them, Cal with his dark hair and olive skin, head back, laughing uproariously at something Gideon had said. They’d been cute teenage boys back in the day. “Yes. He and Cal used to run around a lot.”

“Is he still cute?”

Jules put her hands on her hips. “Girl, you have a hot man already. Don’t be greedy.”

“Ha! Levi is
more
than enough for one woman to handle. But I have several single friends who are all awesome and gorgeous so it helps to know when a new, cute, single dude comes into the mix. Or even for that one gorgeous single friend who also likes boys as well as girls.”

Jules tried very hard not to frown. If Cal and Gideon got together, it would suck. Mainly because she was tired of watching Cal date everyone but her over the years. But also because they were both so hot it would suck to know they were together and she wasn’t gettin’ any of it.

“I really do think you should just make a move on Cal. God, you just frowned at the mere
mention
of him dating. You two should be together.”

But they weren’t. And it was Cal’s choice. “It’s not up to me.” She muttered this as the carpenter used the drill to get the last screws and brackets in. “It’s stupid to even imagine there’s going to be anything between us. He kissed me once, back when I was fifteen. And apparently it was so horrible he never tried it again. It’s worse when he dates men because while I can work the being-a-woman thing pretty well when I put my mind to it, I can’t be a dude. I don’t have what he needs.”

Now it was Daisy’s turn to frown, and of course she looked just as adorable as she did when she smiled. “Just because he likes it doesn’t mean he
needs
it. He needs someone who will love him for him, who will understand how close he is to his family, how important all his charity work is to him. So far I’ve seen him parade around with men and women who don’t seem to get it. And it makes me wonder, Jules.”

Jules braced herself, knowing Daisy would call it like she saw it. “Wonder what?”

“If he chooses people he’ll never end up with permanently because there’s one person he’s wanted all along but is too shy to just finally make that move and grab your ass and take you to bed and give it to you the way he so clearly wants to.”

Jules laughed and hugged Daisy. “You know I love you, right? Thank God you’re here today. But I’ve been amenable to being jumped for years now and he’s never made a move. We have a great, close friendship. I have to be happy with it and move on. So Gideon is totally cute and I think I may need to put some of my attention his way. One look at the way he moves, sort of slow and lanky, and you know he’d make a girl all boneless and sweaty between the sheets.”

“Always one of my favorite qualities in a man. And it’s been a while, if I recall and you know I do, since you’ve had a man in your bed. So tick tock, time’s a running. Grab this Gideon while the getting’s good.”

They laughed and Jules began to sketch out tomorrow’s menu. But Jules thought Daisy’s advice was pretty darned good and planned to give it a go. Getting some Gideon sounded like just the thing.

2

J
ust two days later, Jules looked up from wiping her counters down to find Gideon Carter standing in the doorway.

He strolled in as her mouth dried up. He had a way of moving, slow and sensual, his long strides eating up the space between them.

He was like an ad from a magazine, though instead of a cowboy hat, he wore a black wool watch cap and when he pulled it off to stick it in the pocket of his jacket, his hair still managed to look awesomely sexy. But tousled. Like sex tousled. And an image flashed through her brain. Gideon below her, spread out on her bed, naked and sweaty, grinning up at her, that hair of his in disarray around his face.

She swallowed hard and fought the flush at that image. “You really do that cowboy thing justice. Just sayin’. What can I get you?”

He bent a little to look in the cases and she had to stifle her hum of satisfaction at the slice of bare skin that showed at his waist as he did.

“Did I get here too late? I notice you’re closing soon.”

“I’m closing up now, but you’re more than welcome to stay. How about a latte? Are you hungry?” Being alone with him was far better than dealing with customers any day of the week anyway.

He smiled, slow and sexy, and it sent a shiver through her. “You mean I get you all to myself?”

She couldn’t help but smile in response. Relief too that he seemed as interested in her as she was in him. “Why yes, is that all right with you?”

“More than all right. Yes on the latte and how about one of those bacon cheddar scones? Please and thank you. That should hit the spot.”

Who’d have thought manners could be an aphrodisiac? Damn. If he pulled his hat out and held it in his hands nervously and . . . okay, it was really necessary to stop making up fuck fantasies about him right at that moment. She could go home that night and remember the aw-shucks-ma’am thing when she was alone. Mmmm.

“Nice choice. Go sit and I’ll bring it out when I finish.” It would enable her to check out his butt too. Win/win.

He pushed a ten across the counter.

“No. Consider it my treat in honor of our new business deal.”

He nodded and put the ten in the tip jar anyway before ambling off to a nearby table where he stretched long-as-sin legs and she noticed the boots. Good gracious, when did this cowboy fetish start? Didn’t matter ’cause she sure had one now.

She turned to make his latte and took it over a few minutes later. “Hang on, I’m going to lock the front doors or we’ll get stragglers.” She flipped the closed sign and locked up.

He stood and held a chair out. “Sit with me, Juliet. That is if you have the time. I know sometimes it’s busier cleaning up than anything else.”

Flattered and surprised, she sat. “I have a few minutes. I’m already done with everything but the espresso machine. Mary often likes to have some when she comes in so I leave it for her.”

He bit into the scone and nodded. “Mary is . . . ?”

“Mary Whaley. You remember the Whaleys, right?”

“Ah yes, Cal’s little sister?”

Jules nodded. “Yes, that’s her. She and I share this space. She has a catering business. She has a party tonight so I know she’ll be turning up within the next hour or so.”

He nodded. “Nice.” He nodded again, toward his plate. “I like this. I was expecting . . . I don’t know what. But it’s better than I imagined. Did you go to school to learn to cook like this?”

As if he even needed to bother with flattery.

“My grandmother liked to bake. My first real memory of her was that she made me a lemon tart for a tea party. You know, like with dolls?” She smiled at the memory. “So then I asked her to let me help and that was the beginning really. She taught me how to make different kinds of pastry dough. Pastry cream. How to make a lattice-top pie. All that sort of thing. I just love to bake. It’s sort of my art, as my friend Daisy says. It makes me happy. So sometimes I take a class here and there. To learn something new. But most of it is from my grandmother and mother.”

He ate and she tried not to stare at his mouth. But he had a really nice mouth.

“I like that. This wasn’t always a bakery though, right?”

“No. My parents ran this place as a diner. So I worked here. I cooked a lot. Waitressed. Learned how to keep books.”

Gideon nodded; his focus on her was so intense she had to swallow back a nervous giggle. It’d been a long time since she’d been so giddy and tingly over a man. It felt good.

“Why’d you change this place from a diner to a bakery?”

She cocked her head. “That’s a very long story.”

And right as she began to suggest she tell him over dinner, Mary let herself in the doors, her arms full of supplies. Jules and Gideon both jumped up to help.

“Thank you.” Mary grinned to Jules and then noticed Gideon. “Gideon Carter, I’d recognize you anywhere.”

He smiled, bowing his head slightly. “You still have those curls.”

Mary laughed as they brought the supplies into the kitchen. “I’ve tried everything to get rid of them at some point or other for years. I gave up and let them have their way. What brings you here to Tart today?”

Gideon looked to Jules and then back at Mary. “Jules here does. Man’d have to be a fool to resist something sweet with some coffee and that face to look at.”

His gaze moved back to Jules and once he’d caught her attention, his mouth slowly curved up into a smile so naughty her nipples got hard.

By the time Jules had remembered anyone else existed, Mary was staring at her with one brow raised and a smile. Oh man, she’d never hear the end of it now.

“Gideon moved back to help Patrick run the farm.”

Mary turned that pretty smile back to Gideon. “Really? That’s great news. We were just talking last week about how we were worried about him out there on his own. I’m glad you’re back.”

He grinned. “Me too. He’d be tickled to know the ladies in town were talking about him.”

Jules laughed then. “He’s a big flirt.”

They stood speaking for a few minutes more until Mary started to bustle around. “Don’t mind me. I’m just going to get started. My staff are going to meet me at the party so that’s one less thing to worry over.” Mary got her things put away and an apron on after washing her hands.

Gideon took a step back from the counter and raised his hand in farewell. “It was really good to see you again, Mary. Please tell Cal I said hey. I need to head out to grab some lunch or a drink with him. I’ve got his number.”

“He’ll be happy to hear that.” Mary made sure Gideon didn’t catch the arch look she sent Jules’s way.

Gideon put a hand at the small of Jules’s back and guided her back out to the dining room. “I should get going. I promised Granddad I’d grab some groceries before I head back. He said he’d cook if I did. That’s not a bad deal.”

“Not at all. Grocery shopping is far more worth it when someone else does the cooking.” She walked him to the door but when she moved to flip the latch to unlock it he took her hand and kissed her knuckles.

Again she noted the sheer size of his hand as he held hers. And then the warmth of his lips against her skin. It was impossible not to shiver with delight.

He straightened but kept her hand a moment longer. “I’m going to be back here to have some coffee and maybe something sweet. That all right with you?”

She felt the heat of her blush but tried not to think about it. Instead she let herself enjoy the butterflies in her belly at his sweet kiss.

“Yes. I’d like that.”

He stepped back and she opened the door. “Good afternoon, Juliet. I’ll see you soon.”

“Say hi to Patrick for me.”