Page 19 of One-of-a-Kind Bride

“Promise?”

“I promise, Jules.”

Chapter Four

Cake tasting wasdefinitely all it was cracked up to be. Taylor’s tummy was happy as she bit into exotic cake flavors like vanilla with mango filling, rosemary lemon and pineapple guava. All of them tasted light and refreshing and delicious. But Taylor was and always would be a holdout for chocolate.

“I’m loving the vanilla mango. I think it’s a possible maybe,” Julie said, putting her fork down. “What do you think?”

This was the third cake they’d tasted that was a possiblemaybe. Julie was really struggling with this decision.

Taylor wouldn’t disagree with her. “It’s really good.”

“Just good?”

Taylor glanced at the baker, who was watching her from behind the counter. “Deliciously good,” she said with more enthusiasm. Who wanted to hurt the baker’s feelings?

“But you’re not sure?” Julie blinked, seeming unusually uncertain.

“I don’t have to be sure. You do,” she encouraged her as gently as she could. “It’s your wedding.”

The bakery door opened and Miguel walked in just in time to save the day.

Julie’s face lit up. “Miguel. I’m so glad you’re here.”

Before the door closed, Coop walked into the bakery just behind him and Taylor made eye contact with him. She glanced away quickly. She didn’t like lighting up inside seeing him again. No, that was for sweethearts like Miguel and Julie.

“Hi, hon.” Miguel bent to give Julie a quick kiss. “Hey, Taylor. You girls making any progress?”

“Not much. They’re all so good, it’s hard to choose.”

“That’s why I brought reinforcements. I ran into Coop and invited him to come along.”

“Hi,” Coop said, all swagger and good looks. “Hope it’s okay I’m here.”

He looked at Julie first, then swiveled his head to give Taylor a quick glance. He wore a pair of jeans and a blue plaid shirt, a cowboy hat on his head, looking casual and healthy and, well, handsome. She supposed it was inevitable to be running into him often since he was a friend of Miguel and Julie’s and he lived just half a mile down the street.

“Sure, it’s okay. The more the merrier,” Julie said. “I do need a bit of help, I’m having trouble deciding. Why don’t you guys try some of these?” She pushed the plates toward them.

Miguel and Coop sat down, Coop removing his hat, and both took a minute to taste everything.

Miguel began nodding his head. “I like them all.”

“Yeah, me too,” Coop said. “I wouldn’t refuse a one of them.”

“But no standouts?”

Before they could answer, the baker came over and laid out two more choices. “Here you go,” she said. “Some classic flavors for you to try. This one is white cake with a lemon chiffon center and this one is raspberry chocolate.”

Both looked tantalizing. Taylor immediately dug in and crossed forks with Coop as they went in for the raspberry chocolate. Their eyes met as their utensils clinked.

“You were always a sucker for chocolate,” he said.

“Me? I wasn’t the one who’d mooch everyone’s candy bars when they weren’t looking. I remember one time at the movies when you broke off a big piece of my Hershey bar without even asking. Before I could say a word, you’d gobbled it down and then gave me a big Cheshire cat smile.”

“I didn’t gobble. Boys don’t gobble.” He shrugged, looking a little remorseful, then took a big bite of cake and swallowed it down. “And I did feel a little guilty about that.”

“Ah-ha! Now you’re sorry. Goodness, you had a sweet tooth back then.” Taylor laid into her cake too. She had to be fast. With Coop around, she wouldn’t get a second bite.

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