Sweet Magnolias 03 - Feels Like Family by Sherryl Woods

Author:Sherryl Woods
Language: fr
Format: mobi
Tags: Contemporary
Publisher: HQN
Published: 2010-07-28T22:00:00+00:00

13

T he sheet of fondant was ready to be draped over the top layer of the three-tiered wedding cake when Erik turned to Tess, who’d been watching him intently.

“You do it,” he said.

Her brown eyes widened in dismay. “I can’t,” she said, though she was clearly tempted.

“Of course you can. How many times have you practiced this?”

She shook her head and backed up a step. “But that was practice. This is the real thing. What if I ruin it?”

“You won’t,” he said confidently. “But if you do, it’s not the end of the world. We’ll do it over. Come on, Tess. You’ve practiced enough. You have to do it for real sometime.”

Just as she was about to drape the smooth sheet of icing over the cake, the door to the kitchen burst open and Helen breezed in. Startled, Tess dropped the icing on the floor, then looked at him with a chagrined expression.

“I’m sorry,” she said, gesturing toward the mess. “I told you I couldn’t do it.”

Erik sighed, regarding Helen with exasperation. “Did it ever occur to you to knock before charging in here at this hour?”

“No more than it occurred to you to ask me for a key to my house that time,” she retorted. She dangled a key from her finger. “My key to Sullivan’s. I’ve had it since Dana Sue opened.”

He shook his head. “Why didn’t I know that?”

“Because it’s not your restaurant?” she suggested sweetly.

“Whatever,” he muttered and bent down to help Tess, who was mopping up the remains of the fondant.

When he stood up, Helen was regarding him with a hint of uncertainty. “Is this really a bad time?”

He bit back a grin. “What do you think? You just scared poor Tess half to death and came close to ruining Jane Downing’s wedding cake.”

“Jane Downing is being married for the fourth time,” Helen said. “I’d say this marriage is as doomed as her cake. Not a big deal.” She turned to Tess. “I’m sorry for scaring you, though. I’m Helen Decatur, a friend of Dana Sue’s and, despite his snide attitude, a friend of Erik’s as well.”

“Helen is the attorney I told you about, Tess,” Erik added. “She said she’d help you with Diego’s situation.”

“Would you?” Tess asked as if not quite daring to hope.

“Absolutely. I would have been by to talk to you much sooner, but I had Karen’s kids and, to be honest, I was a little overwhelmed.”

Tess gave her a shy smile. “Children are a lot of work.”

“They are, indeed,” Helen said. “Why don’t we let Erik finish up that cake and you can tell me what’s happened with your husband?”

“Good idea,” Erik said, relieved to have time to remind himself why he should not be attracted to Helen and why he should not act on his very powerful desire to kiss her. He’d resolved not to act on his feelings until and unless she came to him and made it clear she was interested in a no-strings relationship. When she’d walked

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