Falling Sweetly (Starling Falls #2) by Aidan Willows

meeting.
    Their whirlwind courtship was such a romantic story, and after thirty years, they were still as passionately in love as they were on the day they had married.
    However, Addie had mentioned the one thing Debbie wanted that had been missing during their impromptu ceremony was a wedding cake. I’d hoped that the one I’d made would be the wedding cake she had dreamed about but never had.
    I was busy arranging more sugar flowers on the cake when I felt someone walk up behind me and stand silently beside the table.
    I looked over to see Nate Jameson, holding several packages of hotdogs and hamburgers, watching me work mutely.
    The stoic eldest Jameson brother had always made me especially nervous. He never spoke much, and his piercing green eyes always seemed so intense. His dark brown hair was cut short in a no-nonsense style and the heavy stubble on his jaw only added to his gruffness.
    “Hi?” I said, looking at him.
    “Hey,” Nate said with a curt nod.
    I stared at him not quite sure what to say.
    “How are you?” Nate asked, the question sounding forced.
    “Fine, thanks.”
    There was a silence between us as Nate looked around the yard. “Nice day.”
    My brow furrowed, as I realised the conversation was probably the longest, and strangest, interaction I’d ever had with Nate Jameson. “Yes, it’s a lovely day.”
    Nate nodded at the cake. “Looks good.”
    “Thanks.”
    There was another brief pause before he asked abruptly, “You talked to Jake yet?”
    “No. Why?” I muttered.
    He sighed heavily and threw a reproachful stare my way, before rolling his eyes and muttering something under his breath.
    “Go talk to Jake, Niki,” his deep, gruff voice said gently, before he walked away to man the barbeque.
    I blinked in surprise at the unexpected interaction and command from the eldest Jameson, who looked as if he was having his teeth pulled, rather than at a party.
    No, thank you. Speaking to Jake sounds about as appealing as eating a live worm.
    “Holy crap, Niki! You’ve outdone yourself. That cake is amazing,” a familiar voice called, and I turned to see a mussed looking Liya and a smug looking Caleb walking out of the house into the garden holding hands.
    “Thanks,” I told my sister, before turning to Caleb. “Won’t Debbie and Jeremy be suspicious when they come home and see their friend’s and family’s cars parked near the house?”
    “Addie made everyone park down the street or on the next street over. No one would argue with her when she’s in organiser beast mode,” Caleb said, placing an arm around Liya’s shoulders.
    “Where the hell did you guys disappear to?” an annoyed Addie asked, as she and Josh walked across the grass carrying plastic cups and plates. “How does ‘we’re going to get more balloons and ice’ wind up taking you over an hour?”
    “There were a lot of balloons to blow?” Caleb replied with a shrug.
    “So where are they?” Addie asked, tapping a foot.
    “The ice… melted? And the balloons, they… popped?” Liya said unconvincingly.
    Josh snorted, “Oh, I think something was blown and it probably popped, but it wasn’t a balloon.”
    “Shut up, Josh!” Addie, Liya and Caleb all said at the same time.
    “Genius is never appreciated in its time,” Josh sniffed, before strolling away towards Nate.
    “Don’t you dare start eating yet, Joshua!” Addie called after him, and then gasped when she looked down at her phone. “They’re here! Everyone hide,” she said loudly to the large group of people.
    “Hide where, Princess? It’s a flat open space,” Caleb questioned, gesturing towards the garden.
    Addie grimaced when she realised he was right. “Oh shit. I didn’t think about that. Okay, everyone just gather around the steps and yell surprise at the same time when the back door opens. Where the hell is Jake?” she yelled as she looked around.
    “I’m here. Calm down, Addie,” an unusually sullen looking Jake said as he came