Unforgettable
Page 46

I want to devote every waking minute to this emergency, but I made Alicia a promise, so that afternoon, I set up a cake tasting on the back porch, complete with iced tea, finger sandwiches, and a table full of delicious options for her to try. I figure getting into the wedding spirit might help distract me from impending doom, so I go all out: picking fresh roses and getting Nana’s lacy tablecloths out of storage to decorate the old wrought iron tables.
By the time she arrives, I’ve transformed the porch into a sugar-dusted, rose-trimmed wonderland. “Noelle?” I hear her calling, as I set down the final china plate.
“Out here!”
Alicia steps outside and gasps. “Oh my God, this looks amazing!” She looks around at the decorations and food and claps her hands together with excitement. “I can’t believe it, you didn’t have to do all this!”
I smile. “I wanted to!”
My spirits rise, seeing the smile on her face. Just because I’m facing total ruin, it doesn’t mean that her big day should suffer. She’s taking a chance, trusting the cake to me, so every part of the planning should be special too.
“Come, sit!” I show her to the table. “I went kind of overboard baking, so we have a lot to get through.”
“What a shame.,” Alicia grins, her eyes sparkling. “I guess I’ll just have to rise to the occasion. I invited a couple of friends over,” she adds, taking a seat. “Is that OK? I figured I could use some extra opinions.”
“That’s great,” I reply. “Like I said, I may have gone a little overboard.”
“A little?” Another voice comes, and then Juliet steps out onto the porch. She hugs me, smiling. “I saw the kitchen, it looks like you’re catering a royal wedding!”
“OK, now my mouth is watering.” Alicia laughs. “I can’t wait to taste them!”
“Then let me go get the first samples.” I head inside to grab the platter and some extra plates. When I get back, Brit has joined Juliet and Alicia, and is popping the cork of a bottle of champagne.
“Cheers!” she laughs, as the bubbly foam spills out of the top. “Here’s to picking the perfect cake!”
“But we need to be methodical,” Alicia says, a smile playing on her lips. “Test every kind thoroughly, and make an informed choice.”
“Absolutely,” Juliet laughs, then turns to me. “What are you doing hovering like a waitress, Noelle?” She pats the seat beside her. “Come, sit down and have a drink.”
I pause. When my older sister was getting married, the cake baker waited on her like a VIP, running around to cater to her every whim. I was ready to do the same here, but Alicia pours me a glass of champagne and waves me over, so I set down the display platter and join them at the table.
“These look incredible,” Alicia beams, gazing at the spread. “What kind are they?”
“So first we have vanilla cake, with raspberry filling and a white chocolate frosting,” I start, pointing to the pale cake with tiny pink petals. I baked everything in miniature, and frosted and decorated them too, so she could get the full effect. “Then there’s a chocolate cake, with salted caramel buttercream filling, and chocolate ganache. And then this one is my Nana’s recipe: a lavender cake with lemon curd, and a fresh lavender frosting.”
The other women let out sighs of happiness. “Can we do this every week?” Brit asks, taking a gulp of champagne.
I laugh. “Pace yourselves. There’s another five flavors after this to go.”
I cut slices for everyone, and then watch them dig in. Alicia closes her eyes in bliss, and Juliet moans in happiness. “You are a genius,” she says, swallowing. “This is insanely good!”
I feel a warm glow of pride. I love the process of baking from start to finish, but there’s nothing like seeing the look on people’s faces when they’re enjoying something I’ve created from scratch.
“This chocolate should be illegal,” Brit says with her mouth full. “Seriously. If you asked me to pick between this and sex, I would have a big problem picking.”
“Sounds like Hunter would be the one with the problem,” Juliet smirks, and Brit tosses a candy rose petal at her. Juliet ducks, laughing, then turns to me with a knowing look. “Speaking of romance…” She trails off expectantly.
“Ooh, I heard something was in the air.” Alicia beams. “How’s it going with Ash?”
My good mood crashes down again.
“It isn’t,” I answer, then quickly change the subject. “Did you try some of the lavender? I know it’s unexpected, but the flavor is so subtle. And the pale purple could work great with your colors.”
“Not so fast.” Alicia looks confused. “What happened?”
“I thought it was going so well!” Juliet exclaims.
I pause, reluctant. Alicia is his future-sister-in-law, Brit’s brother is with Ash’s sister… Suddenly, all this small-town connection seems too much. I don’t want to say anything against him; that’s never been my style.
“It’s fine,” I say instead. “It just didn’t work out.”
Juliet frowns. “But you were so happy the other day.”
“It turns out we’re just not a good match.” I try to keep it vague, even with the hurt still aching in my chest. “He’s focused on his business right now. It’s OK!” I lie again, seeing their concerned expressions. “Some things just aren’t meant to be.”