Beauty from Ashes: Authors & Dancers Against Cancer Anthology

by Vera Quinn

Me: What did you have in mind?

  Shane: The sky’s the limit, only no skydiving or bungee jumping since I’m scared of heights.

  Me: LOL. Really? Well, I have no clue, so how about you surprise me?

  Shane: You can get the time?

  Me: I’ve got an in with the owner.

  Shane: You’ve got jokes, I see. Okay, can you be ready around ten tomorrow morning? We’ll go hiking.

  Me: Yes, I can and I’m sure I’ll enjoy that!

  My mind flashes back to sitting with him and Maisie after the run last weekend. Despite being unsure about ‘dipping my toes’ back into the dating pool, I truly enjoyed being with him and his daughter. Even his parents were there, which was a little disconcerting seeing as we were just getting to know one another. But the time I spent with him solidified the burgeoning feelings I had, and I left that night knowing that I wanted to pursue something with him. Unfortunately, our schedules were crazy this past week, between his shifts and a little drama from his ex the day of the race, so tomorrow is actually the first time we will see one another since then.

  We have, however, been texting almost non-stop, and even though some of the questions are crazy, I find that I’m enjoying getting to know him in this ‘new’ way. The scene she put us through wafts through my thoughts and I cringe. I hate that such a sweet little girl has a mother like she does!

  “What are you doing, Shane?” The strident screech of a woman’s voice completely stops all conversation at the table.

  I watched him close his eyes and take a deep breath as if to stop himself from blurting anything in front of his daughter.

  “We’re eating, Audrey,” he finally replied. While he was answering, I looked at the woman he was married to and found myself less than impressed. She was wearing an outfit better suited for a night on the town, not a simple charity run and barbeque. Even her makeup was a bit over the top and I found myself wondering if that was the type of woman he truly liked. If that’s the case, I’ve got no clue what he sees in me because heels were never my thing, and I prefer a little more skin to be covered when I’m out in public.

  “I can see that! Who’s she?” she asked, pointing her finger at me.

  “Mommy, she’s the cupcake lady,” Maisie replied. I watched Audrey’s eyes narrow as she took in the fact that Shane and I were sitting next to each other. Granted, it’s not like we’re being inappropriate in any way, but her glare had me feeling as if I was doing something wrong.

  “Oh, really?” she drawls out. “How… special. I wouldn’t think you’d drag our daughter around your women, Shane. Didn’t we discuss this previously?” I found myself disliking her the more she spoke and wondered if I made a mistake agreeing to sit and eat with him. I don’t like drama and do what I can to avoid confrontation. My doctor and therapist stressed that keeping calm was important when I was undergoing my treatments and it’s something that I kept doing even after I was given the ‘all clear’ over a year and a half ago.

  I saw Shane take another deep breath as he ruffled Maisie’s curls. “Audrey, now is not the time or the place. It’s my time with Maisie and I’d like to continue enjoying it. You need to leave,” he stated.

  “Since you’re so preoccupied with her, I’ll just take Maisie with me,” she retorted.

  “No, you won’t. You’ll pick her up after school on Monday like the schedule says,” he replied. “Especially since you chose to change it because you were ‘busy’ this weekend. Now, please leave, you’ve caused a scene.” She glared at each of us before turning on her heels and stomping off.

  “Micah, I’m sorry for that,” he said to me.

  “Shane, you’re not responsible for how others choose to behave,” I stated. His smile at my words sent the butterflies in my stomach swarming and I felt my heartbeat accelerate.

  “Earth to Micah! Come in, Micah!” Caydence’s voice pulls me back to the here and now, where we’re elbows deep in creating a wedding cake for Maya Thorn’s wedding. We need to get it frosted and decorated, then delivered, for her nuptials tomorrow. “Where did you go?” she asks as I pick up the next layer and carefully place it where the design indicates.

  “Was thinking about last weekend,” I admit, turning to the bowl of frosting. I quickly slather on the frosting so that Caydence can add the next layer. I think it’s going to be gorgeous once we’re done. Maya wanted something to reflect their love of nature and after pouring over countless pictures on the internet, we found the perfect cake and adapted it to them. It’s a four-layer cake and when you look at it from the front, it looks like a pretty, lacy cake, with flowers tinted the same color as she’s using in her bouquet, flowing down from the top. However, when you look at the other side, you see four different layers. The bottom one is camouflage, since they both like hunting and fishing, the second one has a fish ‘jumping out’ from the side, the third layer has a miniature deer head, and the fourth one has two fishing poles entwined together. It’s taken both of us to create this since it’s so time-consuming. Stepping back as Caydence puts the top layer on, I say, “We’re going hiking tomorrow.”

  “Oh yeah?” she retorts as she starts frosting ‘his’ side. I watch as her tongue pokes out and start giggling. She has done that since we were kids whenever she was focused on something, whether it was writing an English paper or figuring out what to wear to the Friday night football game. “Hey, stop laughing and start frosting your side, woman!” she demands, her giggles growing louder.

  I grab the cream frosting that is going on the ‘pretty’ side and get to work. I’ve made the flowers already but have to pipe the lacy strands down the side and first, I have to make sure everything is smooth.

  Two hours later, we step back to admire what we’ve managed to create for Maya and her fiancé. “I think they’re going to love it,” Cay whispers as I snap pictures to go up on our social media page. “You better be prepared to be busy.”

  “We’re already busy,” I reply, grabbing the utensils we used and put them in the dishwasher. “I’m glad we decided to keep the girls on after the run, otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to take on stuff like this.”

  “You’re definitely making a name for yourself,” she says, before she starts wiping down the counters after pushing the cake into the giant refrigerator we have. She’ll get it boxed and delivered in the morning. I feel a slight twinge of guilt since I’m now taking the day off and go to say something when she looks at me and shakes her head. “Nuh-uh, you need a day off and I’m more than capable of doing the delivery, especially with Trixie here to help.”

  “Are you sure?” We’ve both been working hard ever since we opened, but this past week after people got a taste of what we have available at the run, we’ve had a significant upswing in special orders.

  “Go on, Micah. Me and the girls have this, okay? We had no clue the business would explode like this, but we’ll get a handle on it and come up with a way for us to enjoy the fruits of our labor.”

  “Love you, Cay,” I murmur, my eyes welling up. “You’ve been in my corner since the day we met and there’s no one I’d rather have in my life than you when push comes to shove.”

  “Alright, none of that now, Micah. We have each other’s back. Always have, always will. Now, go home, drink a bottle of wine or something, cuddle up with Rebel and watch one of those sappy movies so you can get ready for your date tomorrow with Mr. Hottie.” I giggle because every time she says something about Shane, she changes it slightly. Not that I disagree because he is a hottie.

  I finish wiping down the counters and give the kitchen a once-over to make sure nothing’s out of place. Confident that everything is ready for the girls tomorrow, I take my apron off and toss it into the hamper. Seeing that it’s full, I pull the bag out and say, “I’ll get these washed up and bring them in on Monday. I’m glad we decided to change the hours and close on Sundays. It gives all of us a break. Not only that but closing at noon on Saturdays seems to be working as well. Do you think we should do
that on Wednesdays too? We could stay until around two and make sure the displays are ready for Thursdays, but it would be another way to give us some much-needed time.”

  “Let’s talk about it on Monday, okay? Now go and remember, I’m going to want a full report about your date tomorrow, you hear me? And if he wants to kiss you, let him!”

  “So damn bossy! Alright, alright, I’m out of here. I’ll drop the deposit off so you don’t have to worry about that. Just lock Saturday’s receipts in the safe when you close tomorrow.”

  “I’ve got this, Micah. Now go!” She shoos me out of the kitchen, only letting me stop by the office to grab my purse. Once outside, I realize I need to run by the grocery store, so I jot down a quick list after I get into my car, then head in the direction of our local grocery store.

  “Rebel McPebble, you’ve grown into a beautiful boy,” I state, petting the orange and white cat currently residing on my lap. I managed to get all of my errands run, pick up something for dinner, and get the laundry started once I got home. Now, we’re curled up on my bed, a movie marathon playing on the Hallmark Channel. He meows, tilting his head back and I giggle. “You’ve been a faithful companion and hell, you stuck with me when Griffin didn’t!” He meows again, bumping his head against my hand. “Okay, okay, I’ll keep petting you. So, what do you think about Shane?” I realize how ridiculous I sound talking to my cat but at this point, I don’t give a flying fuck. The half bottle of wine I’ve drunk is probably the reason. He curls closer to me and starts to purr. “Yeah, that’s how I feel as well.”

  Shane

  I find myself whistling as I head down to the kitchen. While I know we have just started things, I have a good feeling about my future, especially where it concerns Micah. I’m excited about our date tomorrow and can’t wait to see what happens. I probably sound like a sap and I wouldn’t share my thoughts with anyone, but after the hell Audrey put me through, I honestly never thought anyone would climb over the barbed wire fence that surrounds my heart. Having a diminutive baker who always smells good enough to eat has my steps lighter than they’ve been in years. “Someone’s mighty happy,” Jake says as I make my way to the refrigerator. “You manage to get in touch with your girl?” he asks as I pull stuff out for a sandwich.

  “We’re going hiking tomorrow,” I reply. “You want one?” I ask, motioning to the ingredients I’m holding.

  “I could eat,” he states. I chuckle because despite the fact that he eats like a prepubescent teen, he doesn’t gain weight. Granted, he’s a beast and works out a lot, but even I’ve had to adjust my diet to keep from putting on the pounds. I make two sandwiches, not asking him what he wants, because he’ll pretty much eat anything. Once they’re done, I grab a bag of chips and bring them to the table, where a glass of sweet tea waits for me. “Thanks, Shane. So, hiking, huh?” he questions around a mouthful of food.

  “Didn’t your mother tell you it was rude to talk with your mouth full?” I retort.

  He motions for me to start talking as he stands and goes to grab the pickles. Once he’s back at the table and has several on his plate, he says, “I like her for you, man. For you and Maisie, actually. That little girl needs someone like her to mother her.”

  I sigh because after watching how Micah treated Maisie last weekend, I’d be lying if I said that the thought of the three of us, in a house out in the country, hadn’t crossed my mind. “I know, Jake. Hey, speaking of Maisie, I called that attorney.” He looks at me and I can see the question just hanging there. “Yeah, gonna see about getting the custody order changed so that I have primary custody and Audrey gets visitation. Maisie needs stability, especially since she’s now in school, and I know for a fact that Audrey has no set schedule at night. That’s not healthy for a kid not to have one of those; they need proper rest in order to be able to learn.”

  “What will you do on the days you’re here?” he asks.

  “Maisie would stay with my folks, same as she does now,” I reply. They converted my childhood room over to one that was fit for ‘their princess’ as my dad calls her. I still remember how shocked I was to find all my trophies from high school, as well as all the detritus I accumulated boxed up and in their garage.

  “You’ve got a good support system with them,” he states. Since I agree, all I can do is nod. Somehow, through a miracle I’m sure, we manage to finish eating and get the kitchen cleaned up and ready for the probie to cook dinner before our next call comes through.

  Chapter Five

  Micah

  “I don’t know what to wear!” I mutter as I run around my bedroom like the hounds of hell are on my heels. I hear Rebel meow from his perch on my pillow and say, “Don’t you start, buddy. You’re supposed to be on my side. Okay, we’re going hiking. The weather app says it’s going to be in the low sixties temperature-wise, so I can’t go wrong with jeans, a T-shirt, and my boots, right?” Confident of my choices, I head into the bathroom to take a shower and get ready. Once I’m bathed, dried and dressed, I focus on my hair. He didn’t indicate where we were going hiking, but I know that leaving it down is a recipe for disaster. Pulling it into a high ponytail, I grab my moisturizer that has an SPF of fifty and slather up, then put a light coat of mascara on my lashes before grabbing my favorite lip gloss. I’m not much for lipstick as I hate how it tastes and feels, but my mom got me hooked on flavored lip glosses as a teenager, and I haven’t broken the habit yet.

  Hearing the doorbell, I grab my socks and boots and head out to answer the door. “Hey, Shane,” I say as I open the door and see him standing there. “Just have to put these on,” I continue, motioning to what I’m holding.

  “No problem, I’m a few minutes early,” he replies as he walks inside. I see Rebel make a beeline toward him and hold my breath. Griffin wasn’t exactly an animal person, but he tolerated him. Shane crouches down and Rebel winds his way through his legs, purring and head butting him. “Well, aren’t you a handsome fellow?” he asks, petting Rebel’s head. “Maisie would go apeshit if she knew that the cupcake lady had a kitty.”

  “She likes animals?” I ask, quickly lacing up my second boot.

  “I’d have a house full of them if she lived with me all the time,” he admits, picking Rebel up and cuddling him close. Seeing this brawny man holding my boy has more butterflies taking root in my belly.

  “Is that a possibility?” Realizing how intrusive that question is, I say, “Never mind, it’s not really my business.”

  “If what I think we’re starting is happening, and we’ll talk more about that later, then it absolutely is your business, Micah,” he replies, gently putting Rebel on the cat tree that’s in the corner of my living room. “You’ve got a nice place,” he states. “Not too far out from town, but far enough that people aren’t breathing down your neck.”

  “I bought it with the settlement I got from my divorce,” I state. “I had had my eye on it for years and when it came up for sale while I was going through treatment, I knew it was meant to be. Had to do some work on it to get it updated, but my uncle knows a lot of people and of course, the center helped.” They had, in fact, been phenomenal. My mom and Caydence were by my side during my chemo treatments, and my uncle reached out to the center and got the funds needed so that he and his buddies could get the house renovated for me. I chose the flooring while puking my guts up and went through the paint samples as I endured the after-effects of the medicine.

  “Well, it suits you,” he says. “You ready? I thought we could stop and grab some things and have a picnic if you’d like.”

  A picnic? I’ve never been on one as an adult, although my memory brings up times when I was a kid and my parents would take me and my friends on one. “That sounds great. Let me grab my purse and keys and we can hit the road.”

  Despite us only having minimal contact since first meeting one another, there’s no awkwardness between us as we head to a local hiking trail. “There’s a waterfall up here, isn’t there?” I ask.

 
“Yeah, there is. Think you can handle it?” he questions, turning to look at me. I’m about to reply when I see his wink and realize he’s teasing me.

  “I know I can,” I reply. If my past didn’t knock me down and out, there’s no way a damn hike will do it!

  He pulls into the parking area and shuts his truck down. “Wait right there,” he states when I reach for my door. “I’ll get the backpack and then help you out.” Well, that’s not a bad thing, actually, seeing as his truck is one of those that has big tires and he had to help me in. I don’t think he’s overcompensating for anything, though, I think that the big truck he has is reflective of who he is overall.

  As I wait for him to come around, my mind goes back to Caydence’s words from the day before, about how if he tries to kiss me, I should let him do so. I’m trying not to compare anything, but I hope he does because I’ve missed that simple act that can reflect so much. It wasn’t something Griffin enjoyed and despite us being newlyweds, his had gotten almost perfunctory. It’s a new day, Micah, and you’ve got an incredible man interested in you; just relax and be in the moment.

  “Alright, half-pint, let’s get you down from there,” Shane says, interrupting my inner monologue. He reaches up and I give him my hand and he carefully helps me down. “I may need to rethink the vehicle,” he murmurs once both feet are on the ground.

  “Why? It suits you,” I reply. He puts the backpack on, locks up the truck and holds out his hand. When I take it, he laces his fingers with mine and one word resonates.

  Home.

  Shane

  With her hand in mine, I start toward the trail. Before we start, I stop us and pull the backpack off once again. “Hang on, I have some bug spray,” I say, pulling it from the side pocket. “I don’t want anything biting either one of us.” Once I’m sure we’re properly protected, I put the spray back and grab the backpack again. Now situated, I take her hand in mine and once again, lace our fingers together. I’ve never been much for holding hands but having hers in mine makes me realize that somehow, she snuck into my heart.