Susan Carlisle - The Maverick Who Ruled Her Heart

Jordon entered. The interior was arranged very much like his place. The only thing different was that this bungalow had a feminine feel to it. Candles were arranged on the counter, bright throw blankets lay over the furniture and pictures of flowers adorned the walls.

“The coolers are next to the bar in the kitchen. I’ll be there to help in a sec.”

True to her word, she stepped into the room a few minutes later, wearing a tight T-shirt with something sparkling around the scooped neckline that gave him a hint of cleavage and cutoff jeans that showed off her legs to their best advantage. There was something raw and inviting about her. A woman who stood out in a crowd. He could see a touch of the young girl there too that he known so many years before.

Kelsey reached for a handle on one end of a large box cooler and he took the other. Together they carried it out. When they got to the rear of the SUV, they set it down while Jordon opened the doors.

“I’ll take it from here.” He lifted the cooler into the vehicle. “What have you got in this thing? Rocks?”

“Water balloons.”

“Water balloons!”

“I’m in charge of the water-balloon fight.”

“I’m glad I’m not signed up for that.”

“You’re too old,” she quipped.

“How’s that? My hair’s not even gray yet.”

“It’s for the teenagers. That’s how we get them to come to the picnic each year.”

Jordon pushed the cooler further into the SUV. “Makes sense. Is that it?”

She turned toward the house. “Nope. There’s another cooler.”

“Why am I not surprised?”

Together they brought another cooler out to the SUV. “Just how were you planning to get these to the park if I hadn’t come along?”

“Aw, I would have gotten one of the guys at work to help me.”

That he wasn’t shocked to hear. She seemed to always have some guy hanging around. Right now he wasn’t much different but he’d keep his distance, if not in the physical sense the at least on an emotional level.

“Anything else?”

“I just have to get one more small cooler and a couple of bags. And my cake.”

“Was I supposed to bring something?”

“No. Someone suggested we have a cake auction to raise money to help redecorate the children’s wing. I was roped into baking one.”

“I’ll help you with the bags and you can handle the cake.”

Ten minutes later they were in the SUV, headed toward town.

“Do you know where the park is?”

He gave her an incredulous look. “Yes. Remember I used to live here.”

“That’s right. I keep forgetting.”

Something about the way she made that statement made him believe that wasn’t true.

As he drove past her parents’ home he watched out of the corner of his eye to see if she looked. Her focus remained straight ahead. He wanted to ask her if she knew where Chad was, what had happened after he’d left town, but today wasn’t the right time. It would wait.

THE PARKING LOT already had a number of cars in it when they arrived.

Kelsey pointed. “See the white tent over there. If you could back up to it, we can unload easier.”

Jordon did as instructed. Kelsey was out of the SUV and opening the back door before he moved the gearshift into park. A couple of guys he recognized came to help them. After unloading, Kelsey was still busy issuing orders as Jordon moved the SUV to a parking spot out of the way. He was locking up when he saw Kelsey’s cake sitting on the floor of the passenger seat. She must have forgotten it. He picked it up and walked back across the parking lot to where she was helping set up tables.

“Kelsey,” he called, “where do I need to put your cake?”

More than one person stopped what they were doing and looked at her.

A red hue covered her face and by the thrust of her chin she left no doubt she was not pleased with his question.

“Kelsey, you baked a cake?” one woman asked.

“The last one you put salt in instead of sugar,” another commented with a grin.

“I thought you’d just buy one and put your name on it,” the guy helping Kelsey put chairs around a table said with a chuckle.

Kelsey took a proud stance. “Hey, look, I can bake with the best of them I just choose not to on most occasions.” She tossed her head and went back to work.

“I think we need all the cakes we can get for the auction,” another woman offered. “Maybe the fact that the winner of the cake gets to share it with the baker will make Kelsey’s the highest earner.”

“Thank you, Carolyn. You’re a true friend.” Kelsey said, then looked around at the crowd. “Unlike everyone else.” Kelsey put the last chair around the table, stalked over to Jordon and all but snatched the cake out of his hands. “Thanks,” she hissed.

“I didn’t know you were hiding it,” he said, for her ears only. “Sorry.”

“Forget it.”

Jordon had no idea her baking was such a sore point. Where she was concerned, he kept making mistakes. “Can I help with something?”

“We still need to put up the tables for the games.” She pointed toward a woman with a blue ball cap on her head. “Pam over there will tell you what to do.”

Jordon was a little disappointed she was fobbing him off on another person, but he didn’t need to be spending any more time with her than he presently had. He’d had to fight the urge to jump in and defend her baking skills. She wouldn’t have appreciated that and he was even more perplexed by the idea that he thought he should.

The hours flew by as he helped first Pam then Max and finally Roger to get the large burner and pots ready to cook the meal. At around ten, cars began arriving one after another. It was a family event, so kids showed up in all shapes and sizes. As the morning went on he only caught glimpses of Kelsey from a distance but he seemed to search her out every so often as if she was his to watch over. Which she certainly wasn’t.

One time he saw her hugging a petite woman with shoulder-length brown hair. Kelsey smiled at the tall man who had a possessive arm around the woman’s waist. Something about the interaction indicated these people were important to Kelsey. Who were they?

“Hey Jordon, how about helping us with the cooking? We need some muscle,” Roger, who Jordon had learned worked in the lab, asked.

“Sure.” Jordon knew nothing about cooking a low country boil but it was nice to be asked and included. Plus it kept his wandering mind off Kelsey.

At around twelve-thirty he, along with half a dozen people, helped pour buckets of corn, new potatoes, onions and shrimp over newspaper-covered tables. There were plenty of paper towel rolls available and everyone took their places at the picnic tables and dug in. With his job done, he looked for Kelsey. She was sandwiched between Josh and some other guy Jordon hadn’t seen before.

One of the nurses from the E.R. called to him and moved down enough that he could join her table. The food was excellent and the conversation lively. He was glad he’d attended.

Before the first table could finish their meal and leave, the CEO stood and said through a bullhorn, “I’m glad you all could make it today. I’d like to say thanks to the picnic committee headed by Kelsey Davis for this fine event.”

Kelsey had said nothing about being in charge. She’d implied she was only helping.

The CEO continued, “The games are about to begin. Please don’t forget to go by and check out the silent cake auction. As an added bonus you get to share the cake with the cook. And the money goes to a good cause.”

Jordon spent the next half hour making a circle around the area to see what was happening. There was apple bobbing, bingo and three-legged racing through the sand that brought smiles and laughter from everyone. A beach volleyball game was beginning when he walked up.