Page 12 of Cut The Cake

“We’re holding it in the Captain’s Cottage. The roses will be in bloom then. They surround the veranda, climb the trellises, you know?” As if she were standing on the porch surrounded by flowers, a faraway look filled her eyes. Her features relaxed. The taut expression on her face melted. “I’ve heard that the scent is absolutely heavenly.”

There it is.

The dreamy expression on Jenny’s face was exactly what he’d hoped to see. It made her stand out from the other brides who flooded Heart’s Landing during the wedding season.

He nodded. It didn’t matter that her wedding was only four weeks away, that she’d already cost him a dozen cupcakes, or that his schedule was so full he’d have to skip a few nights’ sleep in order to fill her order. He didn’t have a choice. He had to do whatever it took to give this bride the wedding of her dreams. “Have you had a chance to get your bearings yet? I’m free for the next hour or two if you’d like the nickel tour of our little town.” He held his breath, not sure why it mattered but suddenly quite certain he wanted to be the one to introduce her to a few key shop owners.

Across the table, Jenny’s eyes narrowed. “I appreciate the offer, but—”

“Look, it’s no trouble.” A sudden anxiousness rippled through him. Would she turn him down? “We only have a little while before most of the stores close for the day. You can meet some of the owners and get a feel for which ones are best suited to help with your wedding plans. Besides …” He glanced pointedly at the blue and green streaks on her jacket. “You owe me.”

“Hey!” Jenny’s eyebrows slammed together. She brushed a hand over her stained jacket. “I think you’ve got that backward.”

“The chance to make it up to you, I mean,” Nick finished, his voice light and teasing.

“Well, there is that.” Grinning, she rubbed at a smudge of blue icing. “Is there time for me to run to the bed-and-breakfast and change into something a little less, um, colorful, first?”

“No problem.” Nick nodded. What he had in mind wouldn’t take long. They wouldn’t need to stop at every store on Bridal Carriage Way. Once he introduced Jenny to one or two of the shopkeepers, word of a true Heart’s Landing Bride would spread throughout town faster than an eager groom could say, “I do!”

Chapter Five

After she returned from a quick trip to the bed-and-breakfast, Jenny was pleasantly surprised when Nick insisted on holding the door for her as they left I Do Cakes. She’d thought chivalry was dead. On L.A.’s crowded streets, niceties like letting the lady go first were often sacrificed in the name of efficiency. Apparently, though, the good manners her grade-school teachers had drilled into her hadn’t died or faded into nonexistence. They had simply moved to Heart’s Landing. She gave the tall baker a grateful smile as she preceded him onto the sidewalk. Her smile deepened when Nick stepped up beside her.

“What do you think about all this?” Guiding them away from the bakery, his expansive wave took in most of the downtown area.

“From the moment I saw a photograph of the Captain’s Cottage in a bridal magazine, I’ve known this was where I wanted to get married. Just being here is a dream come true.” True, some things were a little different from what she’d expected. For one thing, she never thought she’d be planning Kay’s wedding instead of her own.

Leafy trees along the curb dappled the sidewalks with pools of shadow and light. On a warm spring day, the shade was an unexpected bonus. She inclined her head toward a couple dressed in period costume who entered the restaurant across the street. “There’s something I never expected to see.”

“That’s Jason Heart and his cousin, Evelyn. Their ancestors founded the town.”

“Do they usually dress like that for dinner?” Her gaze dropped from Jason’s feathered hat to the white silk stockings and pointed shoes he wore beneath knee-length breeches. Beside him, Evelyn drew a shawl around her shoulders with one hand while, with the other, she lifted the wide skirts that fell from her dress’s pinched waist.

“Nah.” Nick’s chuckle warmed the space between them. “Jason and Evelyn are talented musicians. Singers. They’re in big demand for weddings and receptions. They’re probably headed to one tonight.”

As the duo disappeared into the restaurant, Jenny bit her lower lip. In keeping with Kay’s insistence on a wedding with a minimum of fuss, she hadn’t really considered lining up entertainment. She liked the idea of adding a touch of regional history to the reception, though. She’d make a point of suggesting it the next time she spoke with her cousin.

“Here we are.”

Nick’s voice broke into her train of thought. The first few bars of Time After Time chimed when Jenny stepped into Something Old, Something New. She’d barely taken in the glass-front jewelry cases and a rack of vintage gowns before a mousy sneeze erupted from the back of the shop. A second later, a sturdy-looking blonde emerged from the rear of the store.

“Oh, hi, Nick.” The woman swiped her nose with a tissue. “Sorry. My allergies are acting up again. Must be the dust.” She gestured toward the curtained-off area. “It’s worth it, though. Wait till you see what I picked up today. You won’t believe it.”

“Sure. Before that, Paula, let me introduce you to Jenny Longley. She’s new in town and needs our help with her wedding later this month.” Nick swiveled as he spoke. “Jenny, this is Paula, the owner of Something Old, Something New.”

“Nice to meet you. I’d shake your hand, but …” Paula pressed a tissue against her nose and sniffed. “You’d think someone with allergies would choose a different profession, wouldn’t you? But I love what I do, so I just deal.” Without waiting for an answer, she beckoned them to follow. “Come on in the back. I can’t wait to show you what I have.”

Given Paula’s excitement, Jenny rubbed her hands together. Had the shop owner stumbled onto a cache of pirate gold? A piece of long-lost artwork? She ducked behind the curtain, eager to see what the fuss was about. Lumps of gray rock covered in loose soil and lichen weren’t at all what she’d expected. Her brow furrowed as questions filled her thoughts.

“Isn’t it fantastic?” Tears escaped Paula’s eyelids and ran down her cheeks. Blotting them, she beamed up at Nick.

“Is that what I think it is?”

At Nick’s reverent tone, Jenny had to restrain the urge to scratch her head. What was so special about rocks? Especially ones that looked like they’d just come from someone’s backyard? Paula must have noticed her doubtful expression. The shop owner turned toward her.

“In your travels about town, you’ll see heart-shaped stones mounted on some of the buildings. They date back to the 1800s and Captain Thaddeus Heart. We know there were thirteen or more originally. Today, there are only a half-dozen. Everyone assumed the missing hearts were gone forever, but last week, a gardener up at the Captain’s Cottage discovered this one buried under an azalea bush. I was lucky enough to snap it up.”

Jenny gave the chunks on the table a second chance. If she squinted just right and someone shoved them together, she could see how the pieces might form a heart. An unexpected excitement rushed through her. It took a second before she recognized it as the same feeling that had enveloped her on her drive down from Providence.

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