Page 1 of Cut The Cake

Chapter One

The tires of the delivery van brushed the curb at the corner of Bridal Carriage Way and Procession Avenue.

“Easy does it,” Nick Bell coached his young assistant. He cast a quick glance over his shoulder. The momentary jump in his heart rate subsided when four tiers of the palest pink confection barely wobbled. “We have plenty of time—two hours till the reception. Trust me when I say neither of us wants to answer to the bride, or the rest of Heart’s Landing, if anything happens to this cake.”

“You got it, boss.” Though sweat beaded on his upper lip, Jimmy Connor nodded dutifully from behind the wheel. The young man slowed the van to a crawl.

Turning to peer out the windshield, Nick traced the hedge-lined drive that curved toward one of the most photographed sites in the state. The rays of the setting sun reflected off the white masonry of the Captain’s Cottage, giving the turn-of-the-century home a golden aura. With its wide verandas and stately architecture, the manor stood as an elegant reminder of simpler times. No wonder brides from across the country chose this spot to exchange their vows.

The slight tension between his shoulder blades eased while the tires rolled past the meticulously maintained “cottage” that would have been called a mansion if it had been built anywhere but on the coast of Rhode Island. Situated not much more than a stone’s throw south of Newport, where the uber-rich had once summered on sprawling estates with names like The Breakers and Rosecliff, the house Captain Thaddeus Heart built might have faded into obscurity if his granddaughter hadn’t married into the Rockefeller clan. When she’d glided down the circular staircase of the family’s summer home in a wedding that had turned the socialites of the day all misty-eyed, brides across the country had declared Heart’s Landing the place to get married.

It had been ever since.

“Turn there.” Nick pointed to a discreet sign directing deliveries around to the rear of the three-story cottage and away from the arched openings of the wide veranda, the porte cochere that protected arriving and departing guests, and the tall mullioned windows flanked by towering black shutters.

He forced himself to relax. He didn’t need to second-guess his assistant. Though Jimmy was freckle-faced and barely sported enough peach fuzz to require shaving on a daily basis, the young driver had been born and raised in Heart’s Landing. He, along with the good citizens for miles around, knew the importance of getting each detail right in a town that had staked its reputation on providing “a perfect wedding for every bride.” From Forget Me Knot Flowers on Bridal Carriage Way to the Perfectly Flawless Day Spa on Honeymoon Avenue, from Tux or Tails to the Dress For A Day bridal salon, businesses in town catered to every whim of brides, grooms, and their guests. They were so good at what they did, in fact, that the village had been repeatedly named one of America’s most sought-after wedding destinations by none other than Weddings Today.

A standing Nick and Jimmy would do their best to uphold.

This time, when Jimmy took the fork onto the pathway that looped around the Captain’s Cottage, the van’s precious cargo barely shimmied. Nick lowered his window. In the distance, the green ocean glistened. The sound of breakers crashing against the rocky shore rose above the crunching sound the tires made on the pavement. In the cooler temperatures of a late afternoon, the heady scent of blooming azaleas mingled with the air’s salty tang. The flowers were direct descendants of the original stock Captain Thaddeus Heart had brought from Japan for his wife’s twenty-fifth birthday. Rumor had it the plants had survived the long voyage carefully wrapped in burlap bags and stowed in the captain’s own quarters, where his cabin boy had been tasked with keeping the roots damp with precious fresh water. Now, the flowers dotted the grounds of the family home. Though Nick always enjoyed his visits here, he especially liked making deliveries in late spring, when clumps of brilliant buds colored the landscape and perfumed the air.

The van rolled to a stop. Behind the house that had been passed down from one generation of Hearts to another for well over a century, panel trucks and other vehicles crowded a wide asphalt apron. Through his open window, Nick waved to Mildred Morrey, the owner of Forget Me Knot Flowers. The spry senior citizen hurried past, her ready smile and silvery hair barely visible behind an immense spray of roses the exact same shade of pale pink as the buttercream frosting Nick had spread over each cake tier. Next came Roy Rolland. Lugging a tri-pod and an oversized shoulder bag, the videographer gave Jimmy a jaunty wave before darting across the road in front of them. Closer to the house, a bevy of assistants and staff toted items ranging from trays of crystal wine goblets to photos of the lucky couple up a wide incline and through the double doors at the back of the house.

“Is it always like this? Where are we supposed to park? There’s no room left.” Jimmy’s jaw hung open.

“Yeah. We’ll wait here a minute.” Turning away from the blur of activity, Nick felt a smile tug at one corner of his mouth. When he’d caught his first glimpse behind the scenes of the Cottage in full wedding-prep mode, his reaction had been much like Jimmy’s. It hadn’t taken long before he’d figured out the system beneath all the bustling about. In the distance, the few who didn’t mind a bit of a walk hefted bins from the trunks of cars parked on the far side of the lot. Those with heavier or more fragile loads patiently waited their turn for a spot closer to the back entrance. Nick ran his fingers along the crease on one leg of his crisp white pants while, with a tip of his cap, the driver of a truck bearing the Food Fit For A Queen logo pulled away from the house.

“Okay, now it’s our turn.” He pointed to the open parking spot. “Think you can back us in there?”

“Sure.” Despite Jimmy’s confident tone, his fingers on the steering wheel tightened until the tips turned white. Cautiously, he eased the van into the place.

Nick raised his window. So far, so good. “Once we get the cake and our equipment inside, I want you to come back out and move the van so the next in line can use the space. Got it?” He nodded to the delivery truck from a local winery idling on the driveway behind them.

“Yes, sir.” Jimmy shifted the gears into Park and set the brake.

Moments later, Nick held his breath while he and Jimmy gently guided the cake onto a rolling cart. The duffel bag he’d packed to the brim with the tools of his trade, along with tubs of icing and marzipan, came next. He tucked it onto a shelf beneath a pleated white skirt. After straightening the edges of a decorative pink bow, he added the box containing a dozen cupcakes to the rest of the gear. He smiled down at the miniature copies of the wedding cake, his surprise gift for the bride and groom.

Always give them more than they ask for, his dad had coached. It was a tradition Nick intended to pass along to the next generation, if he was ever lucky enough to have a son or a daughter of his own.

A quick scan of the cargo area satisfied him that they’d left nothing behind. He signaled Jimmy. Moving in tandem, they slowly rolled the cake up the ramp.

“Okay, come straight back after you park the van,” he told his assistant once they’d reached the airy rear foyer.

The boy’s shoulders slumped, and no wonder. A big wedding reception like this one required a cast of hundreds. With so much motion and color and noise in play, Jimmy probably wanted to explore a little. There’d be time enough for that once they’d done their job. Nick threw the young helper an encouraging smile. “You can take a break after we get things set up in the ballroom.”

As for himself, he wasn’t budging. Someone had to stand guard over their masterpiece from the moment it left the delivery van until every guest had received a slice. In the ten years since he’d inherited the bakery from his dad, the founder of I Do Cakes, Nick had broken that rule only once. It was a mistake he wasn’t likely to make again. Though he’d only stepped away for a minute to take an important phone call, sixty seconds had been long enough for a young ring bearer to make a mad dash through the kitchen, helping himself to a handful of icing along the way. Only the grace of God and a half-dozen strategically placed wooden dowels had held that cake upright instead of letting it cascade onto the floor. Nick had counted his blessings and repaired the damage. Still, it had been a close call, one he never wanted to repeat. From then on, either he or his assistant watched over their treasure like a mama hen hovered over a single chick.

“I’ll wait here until Alicia calls for us,” Nick said to Jimmy’s retreating back. He stole a glance down the long hallway filled with people who, in one way or another, would ensure the reception went off without a hitch. When he didn’t spot Alicia Thorn’s matronly figure moving through the crowd, he propped one shoulder against the wall and settled in to wait.

Somewhere behind him, a wheel squeaked. Nick quickly stepped into the space between his cart and an overloaded one that lumbered the last few inches up the ramp and into the foyer. Behind a monstrous pile of boxy frames and sheeting, he spotted JoJo Moss’s sparkling green eyes and chestnut hair. Wearing an impish grin, the girl reached out a finger as if to steal a taste of icing.

“You stay away from my cake, JoJo, or I’ll tell Aunt Doris on you.” Nick tempered the warning with a smile. His cousin took weddings as seriously as everyone else in town. She wouldn’t damage the cake any more than she’d risk upsetting her mother. “Need some help?”

“Nah. I got it. Sally’s already inside.” Both hands back on the cart’s push bar, JoJo moved forward. “Stop by when we get everything set up, and we’ll take a picture together.”

“If I have a chance. We’re cutting this one a little close.” He tapped his watch.

“Oh, you always say that.” Looking at the cake, JoJo whistled softly. “Nick, I think you’ve outdone yourself this time.” She licked her lips. “Chocolate?” she asked, her voice full of hope.

---