Page 11 of Cut The Cake

“Yeah, I think she might be.” Denise colored slightly.

“Well, what do you know about that.”

Though the town’s business owners prided themselves on turning every wedding into a special occasion, every once in a while, an extraordinary bride crossed their path. If anyone asked, Nick would be hard-pressed to put his finger on what set these particular women apart from the others. While they’d dreamed of having their wedding here for years, it took more than that to make a true Heart’s Landing Bride. More than just the look that came into their eyes when they described their venue. Or the breathy way they talked about their floral arrangements. Or the hitch in their voices when they described the cake they wanted—whether it was a towering confection for three hundred, or a modest, but just as tasty, dessert for immediate family.

Whatever it was, whenever one of these extra-special brides walked into any of the shops on Bridal Carriage Way, shopkeepers rolled out the proverbial red carpet. From one end of Procession Avenue to the other, store owners greeted her by name. They vied for the privilege of filling her requests. Openings appeared in calendars that had been crammed full of appointments. Seamstresses found extra time in their schedules for alterations. Doors that otherwise might have been closed swung wide. All of which resulted in weddings that were just a tad more wonderful than the rest.

Nick rubbed his hands together. “When’s the wedding?” Most brides placed their order six months, or even a year, ahead of time. He hoped it was the former. A wedding during their slow season would give him plenty of time to create a special cake for a special bride.

Denise’s face clouded. “I forgot to ask.” She brightened almost immediately. “But you can. She’s in the dining room.”

When Denise motioned toward the small seating area where bridal parties often gathered over coffee and sweet rolls to discuss plans for the day or week ahead, Nick straightened. “She’s here?”

“Right around the corner. I served her a cupcake and coffee. On the house, like you said.”

“Well, I guess I’d better find out the date for this wedding you’ve roped me into.” He scowled, certain Denise knew he was only joking.

But he did owe someone an apology and, pushing away from the wall, he rounded the corner, intent on delivering it. Halfway to Jenny’s table, his footsteps slowed.

She sat, her face angled down, scrolling through messages on her phone. The hair she’d captured in a ponytail curled over one shoulder was thick and dark. An empty plate rested on the table before her. The fork atop it had been licked so clean it shone.

Nick squinted in disbelief. No bride ever ate a cupcake in one sitting. Not one of his, anyway. Most of his customers were so busy starving themselves to fit into their wedding gowns that they swore off sweets altogether.

This Jenny was clearly different from all the others. But was she a true Heart’s Landing Bride?

He moved closer just as she glanced away from her cell phone. Recognition broke across her face. Sunshine flooded her features.

“So, hey there. We meet again. I wanted to say—” he began.

“I’m so sorry—” she interrupted.

“—about earlier.”

A tender warmth spread through his chest as Jenny finished the thought with him. He grinned. “Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, what’s this I hear about a wedding cake?”

Her eyes went round. “You’re Nick? The baker Nick? The owner of I Do Cakes?”

He held up his hands in mock surrender. “Guilty as charged.”

“Oh, if I’d known I’d—”

“Have ordered your cake from someplace else?”

“Well, no.” She absently licked her lips. “Marybeth—do you know Marybeth at the Union Street B&B?”

He nodded. The bed-and-breakfast had been in the Williams family for several generations.

“She told me you were the best. I thought she might have been exaggerating just a little, but this cupcake, that icing.” Jenny pointed to her empty plate. “No wonder you’re busy. I was beyond thrilled when Denise said you could fit me in for a tasting.”

“We make exceptions for certain people.”

“Like people you mow down?”

“Not exactly.” He chuckled, glad to know the day’s events hadn’t doused Jenny’s feisty spirit. “Denise vouched for you, and that’s good enough for me. When’s the big day?”

Faint lines around her eyes tightened. “In four weeks? On June thirtieth? At three in the afternoon?”

The tentative answers weren’t what he’d expect to hear from a true Heart’s Landing Bride. Determined not to leap to a hasty decision, he gave her one more chance. “Tell me about the ceremony.”

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