Page 39 of The Alpha and the Baker
I was really,really, trying to keep my hopes in check, but the thought that I might have another event to cater for had me chomping at the bit. I wasn’t delusional—I didn’t think it would be another six-hundred-dollar blessing—but I was at the point where anything was a good day. No, scratch that, agreatday.
“Yes, but one moment. I don’t think it would be wise to try to plan anything on an empty stomach. I’d like one of those sun-dried tomato twist rolls there. I’d love it if you’d heat it up for me, if that’s not too much trouble. And then I’ll take the pumpernickel roll to go, as well as that beautiful sourdough. The one in the center, please, with the three scores,” Polly said.
“Right away,” I said, practically beaming. Man, if there was a hazard that came with the McCallisters, it was that they sure did make my cheeks hurt from all the grinning I did around them.
Penny tapped her finger against the chin. “And I’ll do that jalapeno pretzel, take the focaccia to go, and another sourdough. But I’d like the longer one, please. Makes better sandwiches. Oh, and I don’t need my pretzel heated up, but if you have some of that dipping cheese, I wouldn’t mind if that was a little warm.”
“I hear you on that,” I said. “I love making melts with the longer loaf. And I do have dipping cheese that can go with this. Give me just one moment, and I’ll heat that up for you. I do assume you guys want to eat these here before discussing what you need for your baby shower?”
“Notourbaby shower, just one that we’re planning,” Polly corrected.
“I think she knows that,” Penny shot right back while I busied myself. “We’re not exactly spring chickens to be having a new one, are we?”
Yeah, I wasn’t going to touch that with a twenty-foot pole, but thankfully, I didn’t have to, because the two began to banter back and forth.
“Penny, get with the times. Women are having babies later and later. For all we know, she thinks we’re having a baby together.”
“What? She knows we ain’t like that!” The woman’s eyes went wide, and Penny whirled to me. “Not that there would be anything wrong if we were. But my husband of fifteen years would be mighty upset that I left him for my half cousin. Besides,” she shot Polly a teasingly haughty look, “I’m way out of her league.”
“Like hell you are! I’ve got more hair than stars in the sky and birthin’ hips that don’t quit. You need to come back to Earth, girlie.”
“And you need to get your eyes checked. Redheads arein.”
“I can dye my hair. You can’t dye that face!”
If it was a serious conversation, it might have been a bit alarming, but I could tell the two were having great fun. It was nice to have the banter as I went about getting their order ready. Although I liked the quiet just fine, there was something special about having the shop so full of noise and life. I knew if my mother was there, she’d be eavesdropping in the corner, absolutely tickled to death.
Eventually, I got them settled at one of my tables with their snacks and some tea, and they chatted quite a while. I didn’t mind, however, as it gave me time to finish cleaning up and then fully close the shop, so it was just the three of us.
“Those were just lovely,” Penny said, dabbing at the corners of her mouth with her napkin. Another thing I’d always likedabout midwestern country folk; they had a lot of sensibilities and habits of Southerners, but were a bit more relaxed about certain things. At least, that was the impression I’d gotten with my limited exposure to Southern ladies. “Now, about the baby shower. This is their first baby, and they’ve been trying for around three years, so we really wanna make this special.”
“Yes, you see, we McCallisters are a fertile bunch”—Not exactly surprising news considering the sheer number of people I’d seen at their family reunion, but still kind of out-of-the-box to hear a country soccer mom say so blatantly—“so they thought it might not happen for them.”
“Their names are Wisdom and Charity. Crazy matchup with those names, right? They really have a storybook romance…”
And that was how I spent another twenty minutes being regaled with the lovely backstory of the parents-to-be. Maybe another time I’d be annoyed, but honestly, I was having too much of a good time enjoying the company to be bothered.
If I didn’t think about it too hard, it was almost like I was with two aunts of my own and gabbing about a cousin without a care in the world. It wasn’t like me, but I was almost disappointed when the conversation turned back to business. However, that vanished entirely once I started mentally calculating the price tag for the whole party.
While it was no six-hundred-dollar emergency-cake order, they decided on a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting, two dozen dark chocolate cupcakes with a strawberry jam filling and a chocolate ganache frosting, three dozen cake pops—half cookies and cream, the other half strawberry—both dipped in white chocolate, but the latter half having that chocolate dyed pink. Certainly nothing to sneeze at.
As I printed out the contract, a knock sounded at the door. Confused, I left my computer to go to the front of the shop, only to see Penny letting a young girl in.
“Is this your daughter?” I asked, noticing the red hair and similarities in facial structure.
“Sure is,” Penny answered before returning her attention to the young girl. “What are you doing here, sweetie pie? I thought you, Declan, and Katarina were all going to the bookstore.”
“They were out of manga,” the young girl said matter-of-factly before looking at me. “You’re the cake lady!”
I didn’t know why, but for some reason that startled a laugh out of me. “Yeah, I guess you could call me that.”
“Saoirse, mind your manners. This is Felicia, and she’s going to help us with Wisdom and Charity’s baby shower.”
“You are?”
Maybe I was completely off base, but the young girl almost sounded disappointed about it. “Yeah, that’s the plan. We were just about to finalize things.”
“Oh…”
