SHIFT EXCHANGE

Chapter 1

Kara Brandt coated her hands in flour and started to pat the large mound of dough into a thick circle on the pastry board. Using a sharp knife, she cut wedges from the disk and moved them to an awaiting cookie sheet. Once all the wedges were moved and place in the oven, Kara leaned back against the counter to wait and continue to remind herself that she was not going to think about Gavin.

Despite her efforts his face flashed across her thoughts followed by a twinge of guilt.

He was a handsome man. She remembered how sad his sky blue eyes had looked that morning as she'd told him she didn't feel the same way he did. He'd looked so wounded as he'd risen from bended knee and snapped closed the black velvet box in his hands. She'd wanted to comfort him in some way, but knew that was no longer her right. Letting go meant letting go. So Kara had simply stood in silence, tears running down her face, as he'd stalked out of her home and out of her life.

What had followed could only be described as a baking frenzy. It was the only way she knew to distract herself from the guilt and unhappiness that threatened to overtake her.

The old farmhouse kitchen she'd inherited from her Aunt Lucille was overly warm so Kara opened one of the wooden French doors that opened out onto the wrap around wooden porch. Crisp cold air and the smell of woodsmoke rushed in to mix with the heady scents of vanilla and cinnamon. Kara inhaled deeply, she loved autumn.

The guests who were due in this afternoon would have a wide array of goodies to munch on during their stay. It was a good thing she'd prepared their rooms before Gavin had stopped by she mused as she began the cleanup phase of her meltdown.

Kara shook her head in amazement, still unable to understand how the day had gone downhill so quickly. It had started well enough. She'd gotten up and started preparing the bed and breakfast to receive visitors for the weekend. Somewhere between her third cup of coffee and finishing up with making beds Gavin had called and asked to come over to talk. She'd been ahead of schedule so agreed to pause her morning for him.

As soon as her eyes had landed on her boyfriend for the last year her stomach knotted up. In contrast to her own comfortable, housework attire of yoga pants and an old ratty t-shirt, he'd been way overdressed in a charcoal gray suit. Something was up.

They'd worked their way through an uncomfortable silence while eating fresh, pumpkin scones and drinking coffee before he'd abruptly dropped to one knee before her. He'd blotted his strong thick hands on his thighs before retrieving the little black box from his pocket and fixing those clear blue eyes on her face.

Kara's heart thumped slow and painfully in her chest as the air became difficult to draw in. Every cell in her body screamed in panic. What was he doing? He couldn't be doing THAT could he?

As if in slow motion he flipped the lid of the box back to reveal a white gold diamond ring.

"Kara Leanne Brandt would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" His deep, slow speech was even more enunciated than normal as he struggled to overcome his nerves.

She stared long and hard into those gorgeous blue orbs, studied the lines of his familiar face and gripped the rough calluses of his fingers as her heart searched for the words she knew would change everything.

The light began to fade from his glistening eyes as the seconds ticked by. Finally, she knew she just had to dive.

"Gavin, I love you," He began to shake his head. So she leaned in closer and gripped his hand tighter. "I do! Just not how I should love you to become your wife."

His face crumpled before her, and her heart collapsed along with it. She struggled to find the words to staunch the wound.

"You deserve better. You deserve a woman who is crazy, passionately in love with you. As much as I love you, it isn't like that." She dropped his hands and stared down at her own. They'd sat in ackward silence for several moments more before he'd stood up and walked out.