You Belong With Me (4 page)

              Jane clapped her hands together. “It’s going down in history as the day we all started our new life. As business owners and bakers,” she said with a satisfied grin on her face.

              Layla smiled back. “Bakers. I wonder how good a social worker, an artist and an accountant are going to be at baking,” she asked as a small gust of wind swept down the street and sent her blond hair flying.

              Kit motioned to the restaurant across the street and they all three crossed, talking and grinning.

* * *

              As the women crossed the street, the man and his daughter paused in front of the door to The Iron Skillet. He was tall, raw-boned and too thin, but still muscular in his jeans and white t-shirt. His hard blue eyes watched the three women silently as the wind blew across the street. The brunette was beautiful in a fresh, innocent way that made him nostalgic for his youth. The red head made him want to smile as she flipped her hair flirtatiously when she caught sight of him. But the blond made his breath catch for some reason. If he could have seen his face the moment their eyes met, he would have seen an arrested expression that would have surprised him.

              Michael Bender was not a man to be caught off guard by serious blue eyes and a few freckles. He politely held the door open for the women as his four year old daughter Stella watched them in fascination. He glanced down at Stella and smiled in understanding. These three women would make anyone stop and stare.

              He smiled politely at the brunette and the redhead, but when the blond walked through; she glanced at him and immediately dismissed him, barely glancing at him. His eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he followed them in. He and his daughter stood back in the shadows, waiting for the women to be seated first. Courtney, the new hostess was going extra slow today. He shoved his hands in his pockets and tried not to stare at the blond. A second later he realized something was missing and looked down. Stella had wandered off. He groaned silently in frustration and scanned the room quickly. He stopped immediately when he saw Stella had walked up to the blond woman and was tugging on her hand. He moved forward a few steps but then stopped, wanting to see how it played out. Why would Stella, so shy of people, feel the need to talk to this woman? And how would such a cold woman respond, he wondered curiously.

              The blond woman looked down at his daughter and her face broke out into a wide, open smile that made his heart ache a little.
So she wasn’t cold after all
. She knelt down in front of Stella, to be on her level and took her little girl’s hand in hers. “Hi there sweet heart. You have the most beautiful green eyes I’ve ever seen,” she said, her own eyes gleaming warmly at the girl.

              Stella smiled back, as captivated as he was. “You’re pretty,” she said so softly that the woman had to bend down closer. “You look like Iron man’s pepper.”

              The woman frowned in confusion as the brunette leaned over and spoke. “Pepper Pots, you know? Gwyneth Paltrow.”

              The blond woman grinned and nodded her head. He smiled as he saw the resemblance between the movie star and the woman. His daughter was brilliant.

              The other two women paying close attention grinned, the brunette laughing quietly. “I don’t know if our egos will survive this,” the red head said with a look at the other woman.

              The brunette sighed theatrically and held her hand over her heart. “Sidelined by a social worker. Must we always stand in Layla’s shadow?”

              The blond woman looked over her shoulder at the other two women and stuck her tongue out playfully before turning her complete attention back to Stella.

              “That is absolutely the nicest compliment I’ve ever received. But honey, you’re ten times prettier than me. What’s your name?”

              Stella looked down, blushing now. “Stella,” she said so softly that the woman had to strain to hear.

              The woman smiled down at the girl. “That’s a beautiful name Stella. My name is Layla. I’m very pleased to meet you. Are you lost? Where’s your mommy?” she asked, glancing around the restaurant for anyone searching for a lost child.

              The question made his heart hurt and his smile fade. Stella looked up at the woman and frowned. “My mommy’s far away. But I have a daddy. He’s right there,” she said turning and pointing at him.

              He sighed and stepped forward out of the shadows. He had just wanted a quiet lunch with his daughter. He wasn’t in the mood for stilted conversation but he walked toward the three women with a polite smile on his face.

              “Hi, I’m Stella’s father, Michael Bender. I hope she’s not interrupting your conversation. She’s usually pretty shy with strangers,” he said, glancing down at his daughter curiously.

              Stella smiled up at him, her face glowing the same way it did when they were on walks and she found a pretty rock or a leaf she thought was interesting. And now, she’d found a beautiful woman. He shook his head with a grin at his daughter and looked up to see the blond looking at him, all trace of her smile gone.

              “She’s not interrupting anything. My sisters and I were happy to meet her. She’s a beautiful little girl. You’re very lucky,” she said sincerely.

              Michael nodded, acknowledging the truth of the statement and the compliment. “I am lucky. Stella is the best thing that ever happened to me,” he said simply.

              “My name is Kit Kendall,” the red head said, pushing forward and holding out her hand.

              Michael raised his eyebrow at her flirtatious smile and grasped her warm hand in his briefly. “Nice to meet you. If you’re new in town and need a home or a condo, I own Bender Real Estate down the street.”

              The brunette girl smiled curiously at him. “I’m Jane Kendall. We just moved in today and we’re celebrating our new business. You might have known our grandmother, Belinda Kendall.”

              Michael blinked in surprise. “As a matter of fact, I did know Belinda. I used to stop by Belinda’s every now and then. This is actually a coincidence running into you all. I have an offer on the bakery I wanted to present to the new owners. Maybe sometime later today or tomorrow I can bring it by?” he asked, wondering at the cold looks he was now getting.

              The blond sister, who hadn’t bothered to introduce herself, stepped forward as if she were blocking him from her sisters. “Please don’t bother. We’re not interested in selling. We’re staying and we’re going to re-open the bakery in a couple weeks,” she said in a cold voice meant to close the subject.

              Michael reached down and clasped his daughter’s hand in his before speaking. “Well, it’s a very generous offer. I’ll drop it off anyways and you can think about it,” he said looking at her curiously. She was an interesting woman. She looked like everyone’s dream of fresh American beauty but she was so prickly and cold he would have thought she was heartless except for the way she’d bent down and practically glowed when talking to his daughter. She was a puzzle.

              The woman had the audacity to glare at him and he couldn’t help grinning. She blinked in surprise and bit her lip, stepping back as if she were unsure of herself all of a sudden. Kit, the red head, looked back and forth between him and the blond and stepped forward.

              “Please don’t mind Layla, she’s just very protective of us. Why don’t you drop the offer off at the bakery later today?”

             
Layla
, Michael thought. That was her name. He studied Layla’s shuttered face and nodded. “I’ll plan on it. Enjoy your lunch ladies. It was nice to meet you,” he added as his daughter pulled away from him and stepped toward Layla.

              “Can I come too?” she asked, looking pleadingly up at the beautiful woman.

              Layla looked down into Stella’s eyes and her face did that thing where the cold melted and her face came alive with kindness and sweetness. Michael felt that catching feeling in his chest again and tried to look away. But he couldn’t.

              “Stella, you’re welcome to come see me anytime. And if you come with your dad later I’ll make you a special treat. Just for you. How does that sound?” she said, her eyes glowing softly as she reached out and brushed Stella’s soft, baby fine brown hair out of her eyes.

              Stella clapped her hands and looked back at him happily. “Daddy, can I come? Layla is going to make me a treat,” she said delightedly.

              Michael glanced at Layla wanting to say no but when he saw Layla’s cold eyes he paused. She was expecting him to say no. Michael tilted his head as he realized something. Layla didn’t like and didn’t trust men. She must have been burned and been burned badly.
Not his problem
. He relaxed and looked back at Stella who was looking up at him with pleading blue eyes.

              “Of course you can come and have a treat. How kind of Layla to offer,” he said smoothly.

              Courtney finally noticed she had people to seat and whisked the three women away to a back booth as Stella waved at the women vigorously. All three women laughed and waved back.

              Courtney then sat him and his daughter on the opposite side of the restaurant and he had to admit he was grateful. Being captivated by a snotty blond was something he wasn’t interested in becoming. Now, or ever.

Chapter 4 – The Offer

              The women were seated in a back corner booth and left with menus. Layla opened hers and perused the lunch entrée’s.

              “Jane, did you sense that delicious tension between our dearest older sister and our yummy real estate agent?” Kit said in a teasing voice that had Layla immediately lowering the menu and frowning.

              Jane laughed and nodded her head as she took a sour dough roll from the bread basket and reached for the butter. “Who could miss it? He’s so gorgeous,” she said on a sigh as she leaned over trying to catch a glimpse of the man and his daughter. “So tall and serious.
Mm mmm
,” she said in a way that had Layla’s mouth falling open.

              Kit grinned and nodded. “I know. And those cheek bones and those wide shoulders. I wanted to give him my number, but it looks like he’s already been snagged by our Layla’s bewitching blue eyes.”

              Jane and Kit grinned as Layla’s mouth snapped shut and she rolled her eyes. She would not play these silly games with her sisters. “Honestly, you two are acting so juvenile. And there was no
snagging
going on at all,” she said grumpily as she covered her face with her menu as delighted laughter erupted around the table.

              “Kit, did you see the way he grinned at her when she put on her Miss Frosty Pants act? It was like he saw right though her.
To her soul
,” Jane added with a sigh.

              Layla gritted her teeth and refused to rise to the bait. Her sisters loved to tease. She stared unseeingly at the menu though as a flash of Michael Bender’s face appeared in her mind. When he had grinned at her, it was as if she’d felt a powerful pull. His gorgeous face had turned from serious and austere into playful, intelligent and sweet. The impact had been mind-blowing. She blinked a couple times and forced her mind back to the menu.
No way
. No thank you.

              “I think I’ll have the salmon. What about you guys?” she asked breezily, lowering her menu and smiling coolly at Kit and Jane.

              Jane looked at her in disappointment as if she had refused to play. Kit just rolled her eyes and glanced down at her menu. “Ignore her Jane. She’s turned into Ice Princess. It’ll take more than a gorgeous real estate agent to thaw her frozen heart,” she said.

              Layla frowned at Kit and shook her head. “My heart is not frozen. Geeze you guys are melodramatic.”

              Jane studied her sister, frowning in concern. “Oh wow Layla. I think Kit’s right. This last year was so brutal you had to put your heart away, didn’t you? I’m sorry sis. But maybe it’s time to let your heart out to play again?” she asked softly, her warm brown eyes troubled and concerned.

              Layla swallowed uncomfortably. She did not need to be psychoanalyzed by an accountant and an artist. “
Okay
, change of subject. What do you think about this offer he’s bringing by later?”

              Kit and Jane immediately took the bait and jumped on the new subject with razor sharp teeth, shredding and tearing it apart ferociously. Layla hid her grin and took a sip from her water glass. The consensus? Not in this lifetime.

              A cute waiter named Peter took their orders and hurried away. Layla smiled at her sisters, enjoying the rare pleasure of being with both of them at the same time.

              “So Jane, speaking of hearts and men and all that, . . . you haven’t mentioned anyone special. Have you been dating much?” Layla asked, looking at Jane closely. Jane had the most romantic heart of all of them and Layla worried that some jerk would come by and carelessly smash something so priceless to pieces.