Perfect Contradiction (9 page)

“I keep thinkin’ I need to wear a sign or somethin’ to announce I’m carrying this precious cargo around every day,” I said sweetly. “Thank you so much for making me feel better about my tiny baby bump,” I added in for good measure. By then, Jill looked like she was ready to blow a gasket. I took a step back, ready to make my exit and let my face cool off before the main church service started.

“Why, Jen, look at you!” came a sweet voice from behind us all. I twirled around in mortification. Mrs. Wright, the pastor’s wife and Hunter’s mother, stood there. She must have been in one of the stalls. She had to have heard everything. I could feel a blush working its way up my neck and across my cheekbones. Jill Mason grinned like she was the cat who ate the canary—smug and self-satisfied.

“Mrs. Wright…” I began.

“How did I not know you were expectin’ a little blessing?” she asked with a bright smile as she washed her hands.

I tried to find words, but they just wouldn’t come out.

She dried her hands off quickly and came over to me. “May I?” she asked.

I nodded, unable to even think straight. She placed a hand on my stomach and smiled at everyone in the ladies room.

“Babies are such a joy in a woman’s life, don’t y’all agree?” she asked, her voice dripping honey. All the women smiled and nodded. The baby decided just at that moment to bump into Mrs. Wright’s hand. She smiled even wider and rubbed her hand lightly over my stomach.

“That’s right, sweetie, Mrs. Wright is here to spoil you rotten to the core,” she cooed at my stomach. The baby rewarded her with another small kick and Mrs. Wright laughed, encouraging them to feel the baby moving all about in there. By the time we walked out of the ladies room, Jill had slunk off somewhere and I had been promised by a couple of women that they’d go through their old baby stuff and bring by all the things they had for me to see if I wanted any of it. Mrs. Wright never left my side, gushing over my “cute little baby bump” and the “precious little angel” I was expecting to everyone as we made our way back to our seats. Mrs. Wright had a way with people. They loved her, they looked up to her, and a lot of them wouldn’t have dared disrespect her enough to say anything against me or the baby when she was singin’ our praises. At least, not to her face.

“Jennifer Collins, you’re lucky I don’t tan your hide for not letting me know you’re expectin’,” she whispered fiercely as we took our seats on the pew.

I swallowed and nodded. “Yes, ma’am,” I murmured. “I’m sorry… I just didn’t know how to tell everyone. I wasn’t ashamed… just overwhelmed and confused,” I answered.

“All this time, you’ve been working all hours of the day at your new inn and all that baking you’ve been doin’…”
Uh-oh… she wasn’t happy
. “I could’ve been helping you.”

“I’ve been doing okay,” I said softly.

She snorted. “You’ve been doin’ better than okay… I know you’ve been running out of baked good halfway through the day and havin’ to bake a whole second batch just to keep up with demand. I know you’ve been gettin’ requests for catering jobs as far out as Dent County.”

My mouth popped open in a little
O
. “How did you…?” Beth. Of course, Beth had told her how well I’d been doing… and how much work I’d been puttin’ in. Truth was, I was exhausted. Between the baking, the catering orders, and the inn itself, I was wearing myself thin.

“The point is, young lady, you’ve got a lot on your plate. You need some help whether you want to admit it or not. That baby will be here sooner than you think. And just imagine trying to do all you’ve been doing lately when you’re as big as a house and can’t even bend over to pick up something you’ve dropped.” Mrs. Wright harrumphed when she saw the look on my face.

She patted my knee and smiled. “Don’t worry. We’ll talk after church,” she said.

Pastor Wright walked up to the podium just then, asking us all to stand and join him in song. Mrs. Wright handed me a hymnal and carried on like any other Sunday morning.

“So, what do you think?” I asked, eyeing the girl as she glanced around the tiny room. We’d already toured the house and the kitchen. We were sitting at the small table in the bakery talking. I fingered the application she’d filled out. She smiled shyly.

“Are you sure you want me?” she asked. “Outside of babysitting and cleaning my own house, I don’t have a lot of experience. I mean, I’m not tryin’ to talk you out of hiring me or anything, but I don’t want to disappoint you either, Miss Collins,” she said.

I smiled at her. If I had any doubts at all, she’d just have obliterated them. Out of the handful of applicants that answered the part-time ad job I’d placed, Rachael was by far the best choice. She was shy and didn’t have a whole lot of self-confidence, but she was sweet, well-mannered, and I could tell we’d get along just fine. Plus, she did have babysitting experience, and I’d already told her that would eventually come in handy.

“I’m sure, Rachael,” I said with a small smile. “And please, call me Jen.”

Rachael smiled, took the hand I offered, and shook it.

“So, after school each day?” I asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” she answered. “I’ll be here just as quick as I can each day and whenever you need me on weekends, I’ll be available,” she offered with a grin. I smiled and stood. She followed me over to the counter where I put a jumbo chocolate chip muffin in a bag and handed it to her. She looked surprised.

“There’s a lot of perks to working here,” I said with a grin and a wink.

“Thank you,” she said again. “I’ll be here tomorrow then?”

I nodded. “Can’t wait,” I said honestly. She slung her messenger bag across her back and left with a small wave over her shoulder as she pushed through the swingin’ door. I heard her tell someone where they could find “the owner” just before the front door squeaked shut.
I need to get those hinges oiled
, I thought, adding it to my mental to-do list. I had a lot of things to get done. Christmas was right around the corner. I was gearing up for several different holiday catering gigs, and I hadn’t even had time to put up a tree in the front room of the inn.

“You need the hinges on your front door oiled,” a deep, masculine voice said.

“I was just thinking that…” I murmured without looking up from my notebook. I was scribbling as fast as I could. I had just thought of a new recipe and wanted to write down what I’d thought before I forgot. “I’ll be with you in just one sec, hun,” I said to the male voice in the room.

“Take your time, ma’am,” he said, his deep voice hinting at a grin.

I finished writing down the inspiration I’d had for a brand-new dump cake, snapping my notebook shut and slipping it into the pocket of my apron before turning a smile up to my guest.

“I’m sorry about that….” I started. The rest of my words stuck in my throat. A pair of the sexiest eyes I’d ever seen stared twinkling back at me. Blue eyes, the color of a crystal-clear sky set in a tan face with tiny laugh lines at the corner of full lips. The man’s hair was a bit shaggier than I was normally attracted to, but the dark brown waves looked… right on him. He held a black cowboy hat in his hand. I looked him up and down. A cowboy through and through it seemed. Tight fittin’ Levis, a button-up shirt you couldn’t find anywhere but in a western store, and a well-worn pair of black boots.
Yee-haw
!

“Can I help you?” I finally blurted out. His smile was slow, sensuous, and just a little crooked.
Oh my
.

“I’m hopin’ you can,” he said, his deep voice thrumming through the entire room. “I was told you might have a room available.”

I nodded and quickly looked away. What was wrong with me? Danged extra hormones flowing through my body. “I do. Would you like to take a look to see if it’s to your likin’?” I asked, meeting his gaze once again. I moved out from behind the case, and his eyes traveled over me from head to foot. A blush had begun. I looked like a house in my maternity jean skirt and plaid, long-sleeved blouse.

“I’m sure if it’s even half as charmin’ as everything else I’ve seen up to this point, it’ll do me just fine,” he said with a wicked gleam in his eye.

I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I was blushing bright red by then. I decided to blame it on the pregnancy. “Just the same, I’d like to take you up real quick like. I don’t want you to be disappointed.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, following me out of the room.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name,” I said as we stepped onto the second floor.

“Jackson Sharp,” he said as I opened the door that led into my biggest guest room. Jackson was a big man, and I figured he’d need all the room he could get. He walked into the room and looked around.

“This is the largest room I have,” I explained as he walked over to touch the homemade blue quilt on the bed. He glanced over at the small shelf and picked up a picture there.

“This room would suit me well,” he murmured. “Plenty of room and very homey,” he said, setting the picture down. “Family?” he asked, referring to the black-and-white photograph he’d been looking at.

I walked over and picked it up gently. It was a picture of a woman smiling and kneading dough on a floured tabletop. It was an old picture, but not that old. I just loved it in black and white.

“That was my mother,” I said softly. She looked so happy in the picture, so carefree and peaceful. No one would’ve known how much she had gone through. She was my hero.

“I see where you got your beautiful smile,” Jackson said from beside me, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I laughed lightly. “Why, thank you, Mr. Sharp,” I said with a wink. “She was a beautiful woman inside and out.” I put a hand on my stomach as I walked to the door with a smile on my face.

“When is the little one due?” he asked casually.

“March,” I answered over my shoulder. “Not too much longer now.” Jackson smiled and followed me out into the hallway. He sure did take up a lot of room. I glanced over at the bassinet I’d pulled out into the hallway an hour ago, meaning to get someone to carry it down for me. I’d forgotten all about it. I didn’t have anyone else staying in the inn that week. Jackson Sharp would be the only one.

“I’m sorry about that; the inn is usually pretty clutter free. I meant to drag that downstairs to work on this weekend,” I said with a frown.

“You’re not going to lift that yourself though, are you?” he asked with a frown. “Your husband will do it surely,” he said.

I stiffened and looked away from his searching and concerned gaze. “I’m not married, Mr. Sharp,” I said shortly.

The poor man shuffled next to me, moving his hat from one hand to the other.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you. I’m a big idiot and tend to stick my very large, booted foot down my throat on occasion,” he said gruffly. “Please accept my apology.”

I waved my hand in his direction. “Don’t worry about it at all. I’m just a little touchy lately,” I offered up weakly. “I know you didn’t mean anything. Would you like to book the room then?” I asked with a smile. Jackson grinned and stuck a hand out. I put my much smaller one in his and shook it.

“I’d love the room,” he said.

“Good,” I said with a release of breath. “I’ve got homemade chili for dinner and some cobbler for dessert tonight. Sound good?” I asked from the second stair down. I turned back and found Jackson with his arms full of the baby’s bassinet.

“Sounds delicious, ma’am,” he said with a grin.

“Mr. Sharp…”

He shook his head. “It weighs nothin’ and I won’t rest easy thinking you’ll be lifting it down these stairs, so might as well not argue.” His eyes never left mine. There was no argument to be made there.

“Alrighty then, but you can stop calling me ma’am and start calling me Jen,” I said in a huff as I kept moving down the stairs. “And you be sure to knock your boots off before you enter the house,” I threw in for good measure.

“Yes ma’… will do, Jen,” he said. “I’d appreciate it if you’d call me Jackson as well,” he countered.

I nodded my agreement. “That only seems fair,” I said. Jackson took the bassinet out to the back porch for me and then paid for his room. I got him a key and a fresh set of towels for his room.

“Dinner will be at six. I didn’t make anything fancy seeing as how the inn is mostly empty this week, but if you need anything, feel free to ask or leave me a note downstairs. I’m usually here, though, so I doubt you’ll have a hard time findin’ me if ya need anything.”

“Thank you, Jen. I’ll see you at dinner,” he said before heading out of the bakery with a smile playing on his lips.

I used a bill on the counter to fan my face. It must have been a little warm in the house.