When ex-boyfriend Jamie shows up at Baked With Loved with a proposition, Kate is split between protecting her heart and saving her business.
(Extended Summary inside!)
JAMIE TARTT x OC
TED LASSO, SEASON 3
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DAMN THAT ROY KENT. Kate pulled her cardigan tighter around her as a breeze blew by.
It was early. The sun wasn't up yet. Stars still entertained the sky. But she hadn't slept much since Roy's visit yesterday. His words kept replaying in her head, and somehow, before she could screw her head on straight, she wound up in Jamie's neighborhood.
Not to mention, it seemed Roy wasn't the only one pushed to his limits with all this. Evan and Darcy had come to a point where they took what they called 'pining' shifts. Or in other words, when Kate grew too emotional over her feelings for Jamie and began a tangent, not realizing it until she finished.
"For an hour, you talked about his hair. I'm going mad, and I'm a model!"
"It's a very specific color."
"Tell Evan about it. He's on shift next!"
Pining was certainly one way to describe it. Kate felt like she was going to burn on the spot.
She checked her phone again. It was half past four, which means he'd be up already expecting Roy. She took a deep breath. Here goes nothing. But her hand, poised to knock, paused as the front lights went on and the door swung open.
A flurry of emotions showed on Jamie's face, finallt settling at surprise. He donned a hoodie and a pair of sweatshorts, clearly ready to train and most definitely not expecting her.
"Morning," Kate managed before he could say something. Her hand fell to her side before she was fumbling for the basket of pastries she'd brought along with her. She was a baker after all. Apologies and compromise always came with a side of something sweet.
"Good morning," Jamie replied slowly, accepting the basket she all but shoved into his arms.
Kate felt her heart pounding against her chest as he cautiously surveyed her. She realized she hadn't thought this far ahead, and suddenly she felt hot with embarrassment.
"Right, well, this was a mistake. I don't know why I'm here, so I should get going now," she said in a hurry.
She turned on her heel, hoping to make a fast getaway. But Jamie was quick to catch her before she left. His hand encircled her wrist. Kate stilled, pulse thrumming beneath his touch.
He turned her back towards him with a gentle tug, and she averted her eyes. She didn't think she could look at him right now, but his eyes never left her. Not letting go, he set the pastries aside, and with his free hand, he tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.
Kate examined the threads of his clothes and counted the number of stitches as her heart jumped. She could feel the heat of his hand on her face as it trailed down her hair and the stains of warmth his other left on her wrist.
"I'm sorry," Jamie said. "I'm sorry for everything. For cutting you out of my life the first time, and for leaving you waiting again. I am so sorry for it all."
His voice was soft, and Kate stole a glance of him. They'd always been the same height, but Jamie liked to tell everyone he was taller. It was at times like these, when Kate could memorize every inch of his face up close, that she was grateful he wasn't actually taller. She could see the flecks of blue in his eyes and how they crinkled when he smiled.
"Now, this is usually the part where you accept my apology," Jamie teased, bringing her out of her thoughts. "Unless you were only here to drop off breakfast?"
"Well, I was going to apologize first, but you beat me to it," Kate said with a small smile, which Jamie returned. "I've been holding grudges since you came back to me, and that's not fair to you. We're not the same people we were at 21. And I don't want 'nothing' to do with you. Things are too quiet in my life when you're not there. We're . . . friends now, so I'm willing to put in the work if you are."
It was true they were friends now, so regardless of her feelings—one-sided as far as she could see—Kate was willing to bare the hurt of unrequited love if it meant Jamie would stay in her life. Call her pathetic, but she didn't think she could see him walk out again. Plus, she could settle for friendship.
Jamie seemed conflicted but just as quickly, he agreed. "Right, yeah. We're friends, so we'll do as friends do and . . ."
Kate laughed at his sudden awkwardness. "Work through things together?" She finished for him.
Sheepishly, he nodded before reluctantly letting go of her. "So do you want to come in? I think I have coffee."
"You don't drink coffee." She was confused.
He shrugged. "Yeah, but you do."
Her heart fluttered, and she melted in the buttery feeling.
"And—" he glanced at his watch, "judging by the time, I don't think Roy's coming to get me today, so we've got time."
For someone who acted so uninterested and uncaring, Roy sure knew how to get involved. She made a mental note to send him a basket and followed Jamie inside.
"Time?" Kate asked, closing the door behind her.
"Yeah, to catch up," he said, leading her into the kitchen. Jamie put a kettle on and settled the basket on the counter. "Ted's got us doing this thing called 'Total Football.' We're screwed."
And just like that, the two fell back into rhythm.
🍰 ━━━━ END OF CHAPTER NOTE
Today's update is uber short. It was originally supposed to include the next chapter as well, but for narrative and timeline purposes, I thought it'd be best to separate the two. Stay tuned for more!
