Page 86 of Blue Hawaiian
He told himself to let it go. Even if their fling had ended a day early, they’d both gotten what they wanted—a fun, tropical affair with great sex and no strings. It wasn’t as though they planned to continue seeing each other after the wedding.
Then why did he feel so conflicted?
Because, deep down inside, he wanted more.
Not going to happen. Your life’s complicated enough as it is.
As Jess had instructed, he pulled up behind the bakery, next to a row of employee parking spaces. Since the place didn’t open to the public until eight, Gabi had asked one of the morning bakers to allow them into the back of the kitchen.
He nudged Jess. “Wake up, Sleeping Beauty.”
“Huh?” She blinked and rubbed her eyes. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to drift off, but I barely slept last night. Thanks for driving us here.”
“No problem. Let’s go see what we’re dealing with.” He got out of the car, with Jess following behind. When they knocked on the door, a burly man with a shaved head answered. Given his muscular physique and the full slate of tattoos on his arms, he resembled a wrestler more than a baker.
“Morning,” he said. “Are you two my bride and groom?”
In sync, Connor and Jess looked at each other and burst out laughing. “Hell, no,” she said. “We’re lowly members of the wedding party, dispatched on behalf of the couple. We’re here to figure out a quick fix for the dessert situation.”
“Come on in. The name’s Kai. I’m one of the morning bakers.”
As they walked inside, the aroma of baked goods made Connor’s mouth water. His stomach growled, reminding him he hadn’t eaten since last night’s dinner. He might have to pick up a few donuts, since the wedding brunch was still hours away.
Kai led them to the bakery’s storage area, which housed a couple of large standing refrigerators with glass panels. He pointed to the closest one. “We’ve been having trouble with the compressor on this unit, but we put off getting it fixed. Bad move on our part. This morning when we opened it, we discovered everything inside it was warm, including the mini cheesecakes your bride ordered. We had to toss them.”
Jess chewed on her lip. “Good call. We can’t have anyone getting food poisoning at Gabi’s wedding.”
“We can offer you a full refund, but I’m guessing your bride wants a substitution. How about a tower of donuts? We’ve done those for other brunch weddings, and they’ve been a hit. Kids love them.”
Connor thought it sounded like an easy solution. “Perfect. What’s not to love about a tower of donuts?”
Jess gave him a fierce glare. “Be serious. Gabi would never forgive me if I went with something so basic.”
He scowled right back. “You have a better idea?”
“How about a cupcake tower?” Kai asked. “These days, a lot of brides prefer them over cake, since it allows them to choose multiple flavors.”
Connor held back, waiting for Jess’s reaction. This time, she bestowed a full-wattage smile on the baker. “That could work. Especially if you have a few tropical flavors, like the ones Gabi picked for her cheesecakes.”
Kai pulled a binder from an overhead shelf. He opened it and passed it to Jess. “Here. These are the flavors we’ve baked today. We only have a few cupcake orders to fill this morning, so we can set aside enough for your wedding.”
Jess motioned for Connor to join her. “Come help me choose.”
He raised his eyebrows. “You sure you want my input?”
She rolled her eyes playfully. “Of course. You like dessert as much as I do. And for the record, there’s nothingwrongwith a donut tower. But it wouldn’t be a good look for Gabi.”
“Fair enough.” He peeked over her shoulder and found it hard to resist her enthusiasm as she squealed over the cupcake choices: pineapple coconut, mango vanilla, key lime, red velvet, chocolate mousse, and salted caramel.
She took out her phone and snapped a few pictures. “I’ll check in with Gabi.” A minute later, she gave him a thumbs-up. “Yes.She’s fully on board. And she’ll contact the catering staff at the resort to ask if they’ll arrange the cupcakes in a couple of towers, decorated with tropical flowers.” She smiled at Kai. “I’ll have the exact numbers for you in a minute.”
“Sure…” Kai’s enthusiasm seemed muted. “But before we go any further, remind me what time the wedding’s taking place?”
“It’s at eleven,” Jess said. “But I’d rather take the cupcakes with me than have you deliver them later. The bride’s kind of…anxious about everything going perfectly.” She glanced at Connor. “Is that all right with you?”
He nodded. Knowing Gabi, she wouldn’t relax until Jess confirmed she’d hand-delivered the cupcakes herself.
“There’s just one problem,” Kai said. “We haven’t finished frosting them.”
