Page 9 of Cut The Cake

As much a jumbled mess as the rest of her, her thoughts swirled. Sure, the man had plowed into her, but he’d done everything he could to make things right. And what had he gotten for his troubles? Ruined cupcakes and a waspish retort. Honestly, what had gotten into her? It wasn’t like her to be so rude. Certainly not to someone she’d barely met, no matter what the circumstances. Besides, she shared at least a little bit of the blame. If she’d been watching where she was going instead of dreaming about a horse-drawn carriage ride she’d never take, they could have avoided the collision altogether.

A long, shuddery sigh worked its way through her chest. She really was as sorry as she could be about the stranger’s ruined cupcakes. She probably ought to offer to replace them.

No time like the present.

With a last check to make sure she’d wiped the last of the icing from her face, she squared her shoulders. She needed to make things right.

Outside the ladies’ room, her stomach shimmied at the thought of staring into that intense pair of gray-blue eyes again. She sucked in a breath of air for strength. The move nearly proved her undoing when tantalizing smells filled her nose. Her stomach rumbled again, this time issuing an earnest reminder that far too many hours had passed since the flight attendant had pressed a tiny bag of chips into her hand. Promising herself she’d eat soon, she searched the bakery for the stranger so she could apologize and move on.

The cozy seating area, where framed paintings of pink and white flowers hung above striped wainscoting on fawn-colored walls, sat empty. No one waited in the larger, upholstered chairs clustered around low tasting tables or stood in front of the display cases on the other side of the room, either.

Ignoring a twinge of disappointment, Jenny told herself it was just as well that the man hadn’t stuck around. Tall, ruggedly handsome strangers with sharply chiseled jaws definitely weren’t on her agenda. She had a wedding to plan.

But thinking of Kay’s wedding reminded her why she’d come to the bakery in the first place. She headed for the cash register. Before she reached it, the bell over the door jingled merrily. A burst of traffic noise filled the storefront. The sound quickly died as the door swung shut behind a willowy young woman carrying a broom and dustpan.

Warmth flooded Jenny’s face and spread down her neck when she spotted the I Do Cakes logo on the girl’s apron. “I’m so, so sorry for the mess outside.” She shook her head, embarrassed.

A mix of compassion and concern swirled onto the young woman’s heart-shaped face. “Don’t even think about it,” she said with a welcome smile. She walked as she spoke, crossing the room to a set of swinging doors behind the counter. “I’ll be just a sec,” she promised and ducked out of sight.

For the next minute or so, muffled sounds echoed through the empty bakery. By the time a trash can lid clanged, Jenny had spotted several large baskets filled with cellophane-wrapped muffins near the display case. She was sorting through a mouthwatering selection of flavors when the clerk returned to the front of the store.

“There, that’s all taken care of,” the girl said, brushing one last crumb from her apron on her way to the sales counter. “Welcome to I Do Cakes. I’m Denise. Can I get you anything? A cup of coffee? Tea? Mr. Bell said you can take your pick.” With a wave of her hand, she indicated the mammoth glass-fronted cases that stretched out on either side of the checkout counter.

“Mr. Bell.” Jenny nodded, glad to have a name to put with the stranger’s face. “I’m Jenny Longley. When you see him again, please tell him he doesn’t owe me a thing. I was just as much at fault as he was. Were you able to refill his order? I want to pay for it, if I can.” If she couldn’t apologize, at least she could do that much. Reaching for her wallet, she eyed the smattering of cookies and sweet rolls on display.

“That’s so nice of you, but it’s already taken care of. Now, what can I get you?”

Jenny shifted uneasily. Marybeth’s recommendation had been enough to separate I Do Cakes from the other bakeries in town. A single taste of rich buttercream icing had finalized her decision—this was the baker she wanted to hire. “I was actually on my way here to order my wedding cake before this happened.” Grinning, she brushed one hand over her stained clothes.

“Thank goodness no one was hurt.” Denise nodded. A moment later, her eyes widened as the importance of Jenny’s announcement sank in. “You’re getting married? Congratulations. You must be so excited.” She held out her hand expectantly. “Let me see the ring.”

A sudden guilt ran through Jenny like one of Southern California’s flash floods after a heavy rainstorm. She hated pretending to be a real bride when she wasn’t even dating someone, much less engaged. But she’d given Kay her word, and it was too late to back out now. Gritting her teeth, she plastered a smile over her misgivings and flashed the dazzling piece of jewelry borrowed from the studio’s costume department. She held her breath as Denise bent over her fingers. Her cousin had worn the flashy rock in a blockbuster hit and had insisted only a jeweler with a loupe could tell the difference between it and the real thing. Still, she knew she’d breathe easier once the ring passed its first test.

“Whew,” Denise whistled softly. “That’s gorgeous. Your fiancé must be a bazillionaire or something.”

“Not really.” Jenny slipped her fingers from Denise’s grasp. Maybe she should have insisted on a smaller stone, one that wouldn’t raise questions she’d rather not answer. Hoping to distract the clerk, she sighed. “But Bob’s simply wonderful. He didn’t even bat an eye when I insisted on a Heart’s Landing wedding. I’ve always wanted to get married here.”

As if by magic, an order pad and pen appeared in Denise’s hands. “Jenny Longley,” she scribbled in one blank. “And Bob?”

“Bob Chase.” Wait. That’s not right, is it?

When Denise dutifully recorded the name, Jenny fought the urge to give herself a swift kick. Tom was such a simple name. Too simple to remember, apparently. She should have insisted on calling her fake fiancé something that would stick in her head. Malcolm or Heathcliff. Those were names no one ever forgot.

A gentle throat clearing broke the silence that had filled the bakery. “So where’s the wedding? What’s your headcount? When can we schedule a taste-testing?”

Jenny gave her head a little shake. “The veranda of the Captain’s Cottage. Only fifty guests—an intimate gathering of our immediate families and our closest friends,” she recited. One corner of her mouth lifted. Did Denise have an immediate opening? “How about now?”

“Hmmm.” The clerk tapped the pen on her pad. “We’d need at least twenty-four hours’ notice. Could you come back on Wednesday at, say, two o’clock?”

It would have to do.

At her nod, Denise pulled a glossy flyer from under the counter. “These are our basic prices and a list of our most popular flavors. You’d need to discuss any special requests with the owner.” She leaned closer. “Everything here is wonderful, but what’s your favorite? I’ll make sure we have it for you.”

Her mouth watering, Jenny ran one finger down a long list of options. The single lick of buttercream icing had been so good, she’d be happy to have it slathered over a plain white cake. But this wasn’t her wedding, any more than she was a real bride. Dutifully, she recited Kay’s preference for a cake to match her color scheme. “Pink champagne, definitely. Let’s try the pecan praline, too,” she added, recalling a dessert they’d swooned over when Kay had been on location in New Orleans.

“Excellent choices.” Denise nodded her approval. “I like a girl who isn’t afraid to ask for something more than the standard almond flavor. You should try our chocolate, too. It’s so rich, you’ll swear your mouth died and went to heaven.”

“I could go for that.” She swallowed, wishing she had some right now to fill her empty stomach.

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