Cupcakes and Cowboys (Sunset Plains Romance Book 1) (6 page)

“Cassidy needs my help, and I’m going to give it.”

A bitter taste filled Cassidy’s mouth at the fact that this
actor
was offering to help. Had Drew told him to give her a hard time? Jase had been nominated for an Oscar, after all, even if he hadn’t won—his shock yesterday when she brought up her ex could’ve been feigned. She couldn’t trust him.

Mason gave Cassidy a
want me to make him leave?
glance. “I can send your mom into town when I get back. Let her know you need help.”

“I’m staying.” Jase folded his own arms, mimicking Mason’s stance. “It’s my choice what I do while at the ranch, and today I’m choosing to help Cassidy.”

If she kept protesting, she’d come off as a jerk. Jase hadn’t done anything to earn her ire—not really. She should give him the benefit of a doubt. “Okay then. Thank you.” She tried to sound grateful, but the words came out more grudging.

Mason nodded slowly, his jaw set, eyes unreadable. “I’ll get going then.” He tipped his hat and left, leaving an oppressive silence in his wake.

Now what? Cassidy shifted from foot to foot. “You didn’t have to stay and help.”

“I know, but I wanted to.” Jase shoved his hands in his pockets. “I didn’t know about Drew. I’m sorry if my presence has brought up bad memories.”

The air flew from her lungs, like she’d been thrown from a horse. “What?”

“Drew. I didn’t know he was your ex-fiancé. Mason let it slip. He thought I knew.”

“Oh.” She reached up, fingering the end of her braid. “Yeah, you seemed confused when I mentioned him yesterday.”

“He lied in those interviews. I can’t stand Drew. He’s a self-serving parasite.”

The corner of her mouth twitched with reluctant respect for Jase. “Really?”

He moved forward, and the spark between them ignited. “Absolutely. I hope I never have to work with him again.”

His cheeks dimpled in a genuine smile, and she had the ridiculous urge to smile back. She wanted to believe him.

But actors were experts in lying.

“I . . . I should’ve guessed as much. I know better than to rely on anything Drew claims.”

“I’m not like him, and I don’t want to fight with you while I’m here. Can we start over?”

She twisted her hair around one finger. That morning, she’d been determined to ignore Jase. But here he was, offering an olive branch she very much wanted to take.

I can be cordial to him,
Cassidy thought.
No reason he should be punished for Drew’s bad behavior.

“Starting over sounds nice. Thank you. And thanks for helping me today.”

“Of course.” He took off his cowboy hat and set it on a table, his gaze traveling around the shop. “You’ve got a great business here. Did you do this all yourself?”

Pride flowed through her, and she nodded. “Most of it.”

“How long ago did you open?”

His easy questions surprised her as much as her easy answers. “Four months. Valentine’s Day weekend was the grand opening.”

“Wow, that’s recent.”

“I didn’t put my plans into action until after.” She didn’t need to define what
after
meant—she could see in his eyes he understood.

“He was an idiot,” he whispered, stepping closer. She tipped her head back to see his face. “I would never have given all this up for L.A.”

She did take a step back then, busying herself with cramming a few more red velvet cupcakes into the display case. Cordial was one thing. Allowing herself to develop a crush was another. “You don’t enjoy life in California?”

“I’ve never really had anything to compare it to. But Oklahoma seems like a nice change of pace.”

Cassidy snorted—she couldn’t help herself. “You would pick life as a rancher over being a movie star?”

“I don’t know. My mother is a Hollywood icon—has been since before I was born. I fell into this life. Now I’m not sure if it’s the one I want to keep.”

Cassidy cleared her throat and wiped her hands on her apron. “Well. Thank you for helping me today, anyway. I need to clean out the fridge and freezer in the back. Can you keep an eye on things up here and come get me if a customer shows up?”

“Sure thing. I’ll watch this store like nobody’s watched it before.” He winked. “I’m good for more than taking off my shirt on the big screen.”

Cassidy’s stomach trembled, and she quickly disappeared into the back. Jase was proving to be nothing like she’d expected.

What was he doing? Jase shook his head at his own stupidity. Had he seriously given up a day of learning about ranch life in favor of babysitting a cupcake shop? He must be losing his mind.

But Cassidy needed him. And he couldn’t look into those worried gray eyes, see the stress lines creasing her forehead, and not help.

Jase kept an eye on the front of the store while Cassidy took care of things in the back and dealt with the electrician. Jase tried to make himself useful, but the shop was spotlessly clean and tidy. Eventually, he gave up trying to look busy and sank into one of the armchairs at the front of the store. He spent thirty minutes on his phone researching ranching terms, then found himself on a property website, looking at acreage for sale around Sunset Plains.

What am I doing?
He clicked on a five-acre plot of land not far from Star Ranch. Yes, Oklahoma was a lot more peaceful and idyllic than he’d expected it to be. But just because it felt nice to escape California for a while didn’t mean he was ready to give it all up.

He flipped through the pictures of the land. A small house sat on the property, but looked run-down and dilapidated. The photos couldn’t hide how chipped and faded the blue 1950s cabinets looked. The garish pink tile in the bathroom made him cringe, and the flooring consisted mainly of plywood, like someone had ripped out the carpet and never bothered to replace it. But Jase could tear that house down and build a new one to suit his needs and preferences.

He flipped to the next picture, which showcased a small stream meandering through tall grasses. He closed his eyes and imagined lying on a blanket, the warm summer sun caressing his skin as a horse drank his fill from the water. A woman snuggled close against his side, laughing at something he said. Blonde hair tumbled from the braid slung over one shoulder and tickled his face.

His eyes flew open. What was wrong with him? He barely knew Cassidy.

The bell on the front door jingled. Jase quickly shoved his phone back in his pocket and rose. A middle-aged woman, her gray-streaked hair pulled back in a severe bun, let the door swing shut behind her. She paused when she saw Jase, and he watched her eyes light with recognition. “Oh my gosh!” She let out a girlish giggle and rushed forward, holding out her hand. “Are you Jase Larson? I
love
all your movies.”

Jase blinked, trying to slip into his movie star persona. He should’ve anticipated that customers might recognize him, but he’d been caught off guard. “I’m so glad you enjoyed them.”

“What on earth are you doing in Sunset Plains, Oklahoma?”

“Researching a role, actually.” Jase flashed her a smile. “I’m out at the Erickson ranch, but I’d appreciate it if you kept that quiet.”

“Don’t worry, I know how to keep a secret.” She winked, then fumbled in her purse for a piece of paper. “Can I have your autograph?”

“Of course.” Jase took the receipt she pulled from her purse and signed it. “Now, what can I help you with today?”

Cassidy’s cowboy boots alerted Jase to her presence, making a soft click against the laminate flooring with each step. “Mrs. Collins? I thought I heard your voice.”

Mrs. Collins clutched the signed receipt in her hand. “I heard about the sale and rushed right over. What happened, dear?”

Cassidy explained about the power outage, but Jase paid more attention to the way she lit up when talking about the bakery than the words coming out of her mouth. She looked so content here, even with the unexpected stress of the power outage.

“I hope Anabeth isn’t too upset with me,” Cassidy said, the tension in her voice bringing Jase back to earth. “I wish I could help her out with the wedding cake.”

Mrs. Collins patted Cassidy’s hand, her lips curved upward in an understanding smile. “Anabeth will get over it. I know it’s hard for you.”

Cassidy blinked, and Jase caught the sparkle of tears. “Let me get you your cupcakes and cookies.” She walked behind the counter and pulled out a bakery box.

“The real question is how you got Jase Larson to work for you,” Mrs. Collins said, a twinkle in her eye.

“Cassidy needed help, so I’m providing it.” Jase shrugged. Why were people always so shocked when celebrities acted like normal people?

“Jase is staying at the ranch for a few months to prepare for an upcoming movie. He was nice enough to help me out today.”

“One month,” Jase corrected her.

Cassidy raised an eyebrow.

“The production timeline has been moved up. I’m only staying for a month.”

“Oh.” Did he detect a note of disappointment in her voice?

“A whole month. Maybe I’ll see you again, Jase Larson. Anabeth would love to meet you, I’m sure.” Mrs. Collins took her credit card back from Cassidy and grabbed the pastry box. “Have a good day, you two.”

As soon as the door shut, Cassidy turned to Jase. “I thought you were staying four months?”

“Me too. But my mother—the producer—called last night, and everything’s changed.”

“Oh.” He heard the unspoken question in her voice, but suspected she was too polite to ask.

“She doesn’t approve of method acting and thinks I’m wasting my time ‘shoveling manure.’” He made air quotes with his fingers and rolled his eyes. “We start shooting in four weeks.”

Cassidy frowned, a crease forming in her brow. “Now I feel even worse taking you away for a day.”

He wanted to pull her into his arms and assure her he didn’t mind. “Don’t be. I want to help.”

“Well, thank you.”

Jase was starting to recognize Cassidy’s tells, and playing with her braid when she was uncomfortable was one of them. Time to change the subject. “So, who’s Anabeth?”

“A girl I went to high school with. She asked me to make her wedding cake, but I turned her down.”

Jase looked around at the empty bakery. Business didn’t exactly seem to be booming, and only four months in, surely Cassidy still experienced cash flow issues. “Why?”

“I don’t do wedding cakes.” And with that, she disappeared into the back of the bakery.

Jase cursed under his breath. Did Drew have any idea how much damage he’d done?

Things picked up after that, and Cassidy spent the next few hours at the front of the shop, helping customers. Word got out that Jase was in town, and he signed autographs and posed for pictures. But mostly he watched Cassidy. She knew everyone, and everyone knew and loved her. Her face glowed with pride as she rung up each customer, handing over the little box of cupcakes or cookies. The electrician fixed the breakers, restoring power, but the fridge and freezer didn’t turn back on. By the time the repairman left at around three-thirty, Cassidy’s brow was lined with worry.

“Everything okay?” Jase asked.

Cassidy’s slumped shoulders were answer enough. “The lightning fried both the fridge and freezer. He said it’d cost more to repair them than they’re worth.” Her lips pursed into a tight line. “I need to call the insurance company and see if new appliances are covered. Excuse me.”

When Cassidy came back an hour later, she was smiling. “Insurance will cover it,” she said. “I just have to take pictures and send the repairman’s report to them. I’ll have to pay the deductible, and maybe the difference in cost since I bought those used and they aren’t worth a ton, but it’s not as bad as I thought it would be.”

Jase wanted to hug her, but instead he stuck his hands in his pockets. “That’s great.”

Cassidy nodded, the relief coming off her in waves.

At six o’clock, she locked the door and flipped the sign to closed. “Phew,” she said, sinking into a chair. “That’s been the busiest day since opening week, I think.” She nudged his foot with hers. “I suppose I can thank you for that. Mrs. Collins must’ve spread the word. She owns the pharmacy a few doors down.”