The Brookfield Series Volume One by Lacey Wolfe Page B

liked snow all right, but Wyoming got more snow than she cared for. And yet she was moving back.
    As she got closer and closer to Brookfield, she got more and more nervous. She couldn’t wait to see Mark again. She had longed for him so much in the past few months. She’d done her best not to think about him. To think of anything else. But each night, when she climbed into bed, he was her last thought and, in the morning, he was her first. Hopefully, when she’d run away, she hadn’t completely burned the bridge down.
    The hour flew by, and Julie was coming right up on Brookfield. Any moment now, she would see the sign. Her stomach did flips. It was almost time.
    Welcome to Brookfield, Wyoming. We hope you enjoy your visit.
    And she was officially on Main Street. As she drove the twenty-five-mile-an-hour speed limit through town, she wondered if he would be home. It was mid-afternoon on a Friday. He was either still at work or left early. She was hoping for the latter.
    For good measure, she parked and decided to get an apology gift. A pie. She snickered. It was silly, but men loved food, and it was also a slight kick to Cara. She entered The Cookie Jar, and the bell jingled loudly. A short lady with black, pixie-cut hair greeted her.
    “Welcome to The Cookie Jar. I’m Kayla. What can I get you today?”
    “An apology gift.”
    “I get a lot of those requests.” Kayla tapped her finger on her chin. “Does he like chocolate?”
    How did she know it was a he? “Milk chocolate or white. No dark.”
    “Let me see.” Kayla looked over her baked-goods case. “Pecans?”
    “It’s his favorite.”
    “I have something new. A chocolate-pecan pie. I just made this and tried it out on a few customers who loved it. So I can promise you no one has brought this pie to him yet.”
    Julie squinted. Did Kayla know who this pie was for already? “Sounds great. I think something he hasn’t had yet is a great idea.”
    “Well, give me a minute, and I’ll get it all wrapped up for you.”
    Julie took a seat and felt the baby start to kick her. It had been a while since she’d eaten, and Lila had a sweet tooth already. Julie had never eaten so many chocolate-chip cookies in her life until this baby took over. She was guilty of eating an entire package in one sitting. Her butt was all the proof you needed.
    Oh, geesh, what if she was too fat now for Mark? What if he took one look at her and saw a giant cow? This had never crossed her mind. She definitely wasn’t in any shape to seduce the man. Well, unless he was one of those kinky men who got off on the big belly.
    “Here you go, Ms. Miller.” Kayla brought the pie around the counter and handed it to her. “Can I get you anything else?”
    “A chocolate-chip cookie would be great.”
    Kayla went back behind the counter and returned with a brown bag. Julie asked her how much, and Kayla told her not to worry about it. Next time she was by and had her hands free, she could drop off the payment.
    As Julie left, Kayla called, “Good luck with Mark.” Julie nodded. Luck was something she needed for sure.
    She carefully placed the pie in the front passenger seat and was now set to head to her mom’s house, now known as her home. If Mark didn’t want to be with her, she wouldn’t force him out right away as much as she wanted to. She knew the right thing to do was give him thirty days. She didn’t want to even think about that. When she showed up at the house with the yummy pie, he was going to forgive her and sweep her up inside and make love to her. One can dream.
    As she headed back onto Main Street, on top of the baby kicking from the chocolate-chip cookies, a whole colony of butterflies had moved in, too. She could do this.
    When she pulled into the driveway, she noticed his truck wasn’t there, but a little red sedan was. She thought it was odd, but you never knew. His vehicle could be in the shop, and this could be a loaner. Besides, who else would be here?
    Checking