Ha! Took the cake!
Hannah slipped her arm through mine, and we stared at our reflections in the mirror. “It’s going to be your turn next.”
“Nah.” I shook my head.
“Yep. And you’re going to be the most beautiful bride ever.”
“Doubtful. Have you seen yourself?” I pointed to her reflection in the mirror.
“Yes.” She swished this way and that, showing off the couture gown. “Don’t you think Gabi did a great job with this? She’s amazing.”
I gave Gabi an admiring smile. “Amazing doesn’t begin to describe it. She just performed a miracle with my dress too. I don’t know how much you heard, but she’s a whiz with a needle and thread.”
“I heard a little.” She gave me a wink. “All I have to say is, it’s a perfect fit now.”
“Yes.” I stared at my reflection and realized just how much smaller my waist looked now that the dress had been taken in.
“My sisters think you’re gorgeous, by the way,” Hannah said.
“Really?” I smiled as I thought about that. Not that it really mattered what others thought. But it didn’t exactly hurt either. “Hey, where are they?”
She rolled her eyes. “I have a sneaking suspicion they’re doing something to Drew’s SUV. I’m nervous just thinking about it.”
“Ah yes. I believe I heard a little something-something about that.” I wouldn’t tell her how much forethought had been involved. She would find out for herself. Soon.
Right now, we had a wedding to get to.
“You ready for this?” I asked.
“Been ready for months.” She released an “ah, love!” sigh, and we both giggled. Minutes later, her sisters returned, alongside Bella, who gave us our final instructions.
“Okay, the guests are here. Drew and the groomsmen are ready to make their entrance. And you . . .” She gazed at Hannah with a smile. “You are going to be the prettiest bride to ever walk the aisle at Club Wed.”
“Oh, I’ll bet you say that to all your brides.” Hannah waved her hand as if dismissing the idea.
Bella nodded. “I do. But they buy it every time.” She turned to face the rest of us. “Ready, ladies?”
I was, actually. Ready to stand before the crowd and honor my BFF. Ready to see Armando’s eyes when he caught a glimpse of me in this dress for the first time. Ready to have my photo taken in that goofy photo booth with the man who made my heart sing. Ready to dance the night away afterward. And ready to have a little sliver of Italian cream cake to celebrate it all.
22
Let Them Eat Cake
Never trust a skinny cook.
Anonymous
Hannah’s wedding day came off without a hitch. Well, except for that one part where my dad accidentally botched up the groom’s middle name in front of 250 guests, but everyone got a big laugh out of it. Surely the whole thing would make for a good story later.
Armando gushed over my maid of honor dress—and the girl in it. At least three or four times he sought me out to whisper flattering words in my ear. Not that I had time to absorb them, what with the Italian cream cake being such a big hit. I’d never received so many compliments for something I’d baked, with the exception of my sticky buns.
Thinking of sticky buns reminded me of Aunt Rosa’s suggestion. As I made my way home from the wedding on Saturday afternoon, I thought through the possibilities. Should I really host a special fund-raiser featuring the sugary delights? If so, I would need to put together a plan—in particular, a date—soon.
With that in mind, I decided to give Aunt Willy a call to fill her in, but I faced the same dilemma I’d faced over the past couple of days. She didn’t answer.
When I saw my mother in church the next day, I asked if she had heard anything.
“Not a word, Scarlet.” Mama’s brow wrinkled. “Your father says he’s going to drive up to her condo this evening. He’s really getting worried. Would you like to go with us?”
“Yes.” I released a slow breath, my concerns growing. “This is really scary.”
“It is. But I’m sure she’s fine. Maybe she just wants to be left alone.”
“Maybe.” Still, none of this made sense. “Were you able to reach Genevive?” Auntie’s assistant would surely know how to locate her.
“No.” Tiny creases appeared between Mama’s eyes. “She didn’t answer, but I doubt your father left a message. You know how he feels about answering machines.”
“Right. Well, I’m going to try to call her before church starts.”
I slipped away to the room behind the choir loft and made the call. Thank goodness Genevive answered the phone on the third ring.
“Oh, thank God, Scarlet. It’s you,” she said after I offered a quick hello. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you for a couple of days now to make sure your aunt is with you.”
I felt my heart skip a beat. “No. That’s why I’m calling. I was hoping you knew where she was.”
A long pause followed on the other end of the line. “Oh, Scarlet . . . I haven’t seen her for three days now. I’ve been so concerned.”
“Same here. And my parents haven’t heard from her either.”
“I don’t know what to think,” Genevive said. “I’ve been trying not to worry, but what else can I do? Your aunt has never done anything like this before, so I can only imagine that something has happened to her.”
“Maybe she was going on some kind of trip,” I said. “Maybe a conference of some sort?”
“No, I have her itinerary right here in front of me. She’s not scheduled to go anywhere for another two weeks.” The concern in Genevive’s voice was evident. “I’m just so confused. All this time I’ve tried not to fret. I figured she was with her family. You know? She loves you guys.”
She . . . she does?
“I don’t know what to think,” Genevive said. “Except maybe I should start calling the hospitals, just to make sure. Nothing else makes sense.”
“What about her car?” I asked.
“What about it?”
“Maybe you should check with the police to make sure it hasn’t been stolen or something.” Visions of Aunt Willy tied up in a bad guy’s basement stirred my imagination and my fears. Of course, we didn’t have basements in Texas, but that was beside the point. What if someone had harmed her in some way?
A lump rose in my throat, and I fought to speak above it. “I love her, Genevive. I’ll do anything to know she’s okay.”
“I know. Me too.”
We ended the call just as the opening song began. I made my way into the sanctuary and took a seat on the second pew beside Armando, who looked happy to see me. It felt really good to share the church service with him, especially with his hand wrapped around mine, but I couldn’t stop thinking about Aunt Willy.
I thought about her all the way through my father’s message on love. I thought about her as we drove past the bakery on our way to Parma John’s for lunch. I thought about her when my phone rang around two o’clock, just as we were leaving the restaurant. Ironically, it was Hannah, thanking me for all of my help with the wedding. Go figure. The girl was getting on a cruise ship to head off on her honeymoon and stopped to call me?
“Go enjoy your honeymoon, girl,” I admonished. “Have the time of your life.”
“Oh, I already have.” She giggled. “Let’s just say that Mama didn’t even tell me the half of it.”
Eew! I put a stop to that conversation at once, especially when Armando tried to figure out what we were talking about.
Hannah headed off to her honeymoon, and Armando and I headed off to his car. I’d just climbed inside when Bella came rushing toward us. She spoke through the open window. “Scarlet, I have news.”
“News?”
“Yes.” Her brow creased in obvious concern. “I know you’re not going to believe it, but there’s been a sighting.”
“A sighting?”
She leaned into the window and whispered, “
Your aunt Willy.”
Relief flooded over me. “You found her?”
“Well, D.J. did. He drove up to Splendora this morning to pick up the kids from his parents’ place, and . . . well . . . you’re not going to believe it.”
“Try me.”
“He stopped off at his uncle Donny’s truck stop to fill up his truck, and there was your aunt.”
“Wait.” My breath caught in my throat. “My aunt was in Splendora, Texas?”
“Not just in Splendora,” Bella said, “but at Donny’s gas station.”
“It’s not just a gas station,” I said from memory. “It’s a full-service rest stop for families, complete with food and the cleanest restrooms in the state.”
“Somehow I doubt that’s why she drove up there.” Bella laughed. “Though they did appear to be talking about some sort of business transaction when D.J. walked in. Still, he said they were very . . . what’s the word he used? Chummy.”
“Chummy? My aunt and D.J.’s uncle?” The very idea gave me the giggles. Before long my giggles turned to full-blown laughter.
“And get this,” Bella said. “D.J. said she was standing behind the counter. Even waited on a customer for Donny when he got busy doing something else.”
“No way.” My heart did a strange little twist at this news. Was Auntie in need of medication, perhaps?
Armando remained silent, but I could see laugh lines forming around his eyes.
“Honestly? Aunt Willy and Uncle Donny?” Was such a thing even possible?
I could hardly wait to call Mama and tell her. When I ended the conversation with Bella, I did just that. She seemed stunned, but she added her chuckles to mine. The whole thing seemed so out of character for Aunt Willy, and yet delightful too.
Armando and I sat in the car and talked through the Aunt Willy thing for several minutes.
“It’s nuts,” I said. “She’s with a man?”
“What’s so nuts about that?” He offered a little shrug.
“She’s a self-proclaimed man hater, that’s what. She especially can’t stand guys who are macho or chauvinistic.”
“And Donny comes across that way to you?”
“Not me. She . . .” How could I explain the whole shirtless, golf-cart guy thing to Armando? He would never get it. “She just said something to me once about thinking he was a good old boy.”
“Nothing wrong with good old boys.”
“Right. Except that she perceives them to be anti-women-in-business-for-themselves.”
“Kind of weird. She’s opposed to men who don’t like their women to be in business for themselves, and she’s the polar opposite—all business. Wouldn’t you say?”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s just my perception from the few times I’ve been around her. She seems to be all about business.” He gazed at me. “Can I ask a personal question?”
“Of course.” I gave his hand a squeeze.
“Does your aunt ever call you just to talk?”
I released a breath, wishing I didn’t have to answer. “No. She calls to make sure I locked up the bakery or to double-check my orders. But she’s never once just called to say, ‘Hey, how are you?’ or even tell me happy birthday. The woman is definitely all about the bottom line, trust me. About how well we’re doing financially and all that.”
“So this whole Uncle Donny thing is truly—”
“Bizarre. So bizarre, in fact, that I have to think the only reason she’s up there is to do business with him.” That really bothered me. Did she not trust me enough to know that I would give him the bakery goods I’d promised? “Anyway, she’s never married, so she doesn’t have a family of her own. And I never thought about it before, but you’re right. She never calls to say, ‘Hey, how are you?’ or ‘Why don’t we spend the day together? Go fishing?’”
Armando snapped his fingers. “Hey, speaking of fishing, I still want to plan a fishing trip with Devon. Maybe we could take your whole family and include Devon in the mix. How would that be?” He chuckled. “Can you imagine your aunt Wilhelmina with a fishing pole in her hand, relaxing on the pier?”
I closed my eyes and tried to envision it. “Nope. First of all, we couldn’t get her to sit that long. Second, if she so much as saw a fish, she would scream and toss it our way.”
“I’m not so sure. I still think we should include her.”
I bit back the laugh that threatened to erupt as I thought about Willy with a fishing pole in hand. Then again, she spent a lot of time fishing already, didn’t she? Yes, she was always fishing for a piece of my pie. So far I’d given her my pride, my talent, and my angst.
My attention shifted back to Armando. Maybe he was right. Maybe once we got this fund-raiser behind us—once my sticky buns were all sold out and we’d pocketed enough money to send a team to Nicaragua—we could hit the pier and fill our nets.
Right now we had bigger fish to fry. A talent show awaited my attention. One with a saw played by a fella who obviously had the hots for Auntie. I had a feeling he wouldn’t be singing “You Picked a Fine Time to Leave Me, Lucille” any longer. No doubt his tune had changed to something a little more romantic.
I leaned toward Armando and laid my head on his shoulder, realizing my tune had changed too. No longer filled with insecurities and fears, my heart now sang a crazy Elvis tune, complete with my own hunka hunka burning love.
23
Save Room for Dessert
In the buffet of life, friends are the dessert.
Author unknown
With Aunt Willy safely located, I turned my attention to the one thing that still demanded my attention this week—the Nicaragua fund-raiser. In spite of my exhaustion, in spite of my lack of sleep and physical strain, I needed to focus on the talent show. On Saturday night we would all gather in the sanctuary at the church with hopefully hundreds of audience members. The decision was made to push the sticky buns extravaganza off another week or so. We needed to get this talent show behind us.
I spent the week finalizing our list. By the time Friday afternoon arrived, I felt sure we were in good shape. Armando had the lights and sound in perfect running order and had even created a fun light show for the teen portions. I could kiss the boy. Actually, I did kiss the boy. Not just once but twice.
Not in front of Kenny, though. He seemed more distant than usual, and I felt sure he knew about my feelings for Armando, but we didn’t discuss it. After the show I would bare my soul. Right now I needed to stay focused so that we could get through this. Too many things were riding on it.
Armando and I arrived at the church at 5:30 on Saturday afternoon and were surprised to see the trio from Splendora already there.
Jolene rushed our way, a frightened look in her eyes. “Scarlet, I’m glad you’re here. We have a problem.”
My heart quickened as I realized something had gone wrong. “What happened?”
“Twila’s lost her voice.”
“No.” I looked at Twila, who leaned against the Cadillac, dressed in a glittery top and black skirt. She nodded, then pointed to her throat and mouthed the words, “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay,” I said. “I’m sure we’ll think of something.”
“No idea what,” Bonnie Sue said. “I mean, she’s got no voice at all. Which puts us in a real jam. We’ve got three songs planned and now we can’t do them.”
Armando looked concerned at this news. No doubt. After all, the Splendora sisters were our money act. We’d even put an ad in the paper.
“What are we going to do?” Bonnie Sue paced the parking lot. “There are reporters coming and everything.”
Twila shrugged and mouthed another woeful “I’m sorry.” I felt really bad for her but didn’t know what to do, short of praying for a miracle.
“I have the perfect idea.” Jolene snapped her fingers. “If Twila can’t sing, you’ll have to go on in her place, Scarlet.”
“W-what?” I took a couple of giant steps backwards.
“I don’t sing.”
“That’s it.” Armando looked thrilled by this news. “It’s perfect.”
“No!” I put my hands up in the air. “I . . . I can’t.”
“Of course you can,” Jolene said. “Remember? We heard you awhile back, singing your heart out when you thought no one was listening.”
“That’s different,” I argued. “I haven’t sung in front of anyone since . . .”
“Since her aunt Willy said she was tone-deaf when she was in the third grade.” My father’s voice rang out from behind me. “But Willy was wrong then, and she’s wrong now. The old gal is hard of hearing and doesn’t know an angel singing when she hears it.” He drew near and took my hand. “Scarlet, what she did to you broke my heart then, and it breaks my heart now. You’ve always had a beautiful voice. I only wish you could see that.”
“You’re my dad. You’re supposed to say things like that.”
“I’m not related to you,” Jolene said. “And I concur.”
“Me too,” Bonnie Sue agreed.
“But I have it on good authority that Aunt Willy is going to be here tonight to hear Uncle Donny play his saw, and she’s going to hear me.”
“Perfect.” My father clasped his hands together. “Then this is the ideal way to show her just how wrong she’s been.”
“But on such short notice?” I glanced at my watch and cringed. How could I learn the harmonies of three Gershwin tunes in such a short time and still direct the show?
“You go with the ladies to practice.” Armando placed his hand on my arm. “Your dad and I will make sure everyone gets settled in for a run-through in the sanctuary.”
“You sure?”
He nodded and gazed intently into my eyes. “Trust me.”
“Oh, I do.” No need to prove yourself, sweet boy. You’ve more than accomplished that of late.
I tagged along on Bonnie Sue’s and Jolene’s heels into the choir rehearsal room, where Twila took her place at the piano and pounded out my part. I did okay on “Someone to Watch Over Me” but struggled a little on the other two songs. Before long, however, I managed to get them down. Mostly. I still cringed, wondering what Auntie would say when she heard me singing in public.
The Icing on the Cake Page 22
