by Lucy Kevin
“You’re so sweet.” Picking up their things, they headed out of the kitchen for the parking lot. “But we both know Married in Malibu has so much more to offer than just my cakes. There’s the beach, the security Travis offers, Nate’s technical ingenuity, Kate’s flowers, Margaret’s designs, Liz’s organizational skills—and, best of all, your incredible photos.”
“I’m simply capturing the moment,” he said, although the truth was that her admiration made him feel as if he’d just won a Pulitzer. “It’s everyone at the wedding who helps to create the magic.”
That had always been his philosophy as a photographer—he was there to capture the present moment, rather than to impose himself on the situation or create something that wasn’t already there. To Daniel, the truth was extremely important. Which was just one more reason why Jenn’s ex’s betrayal was so bad. Daniel couldn’t imagine lying like that to someone he loved. Especially when she was such a sweet and trusting person.
They were standing beside their cars by the time she said, “You always make it sound so easy, but we all know how much talent it takes not only to spot just the right moment that people will want to hold on to.”
Jenn obviously noticed how hard he worked to frame those moments so that other people could see how beautiful, how full of wonder their lives truly were. But did she have any idea that from the moment he first met her, he’d seen all the joy hidden inside her shining through, rather than seeing only the quiet, reserved baker she was on the surface?
“I’m glad you were able to come in to take pictures tonight,” Jenn said as they stood together beneath the Malibu moon. “It’s made what would have been a long night a lot more fun.”
“I’m glad too,” Daniel replied, unthinkingly holding her smile until she blushed and looked away. Her keys jangled in her hand as she got into her car and waved good-bye, then drove away.
He hadn’t meant to stare—he simply couldn’t help it. Just the way he couldn’t help falling more deeply for her with every passing second…
Chapter Three
Greta Sanserre was the image of Hollywood perfection as she walked into the Married in Malibu kitchen the following morning. Tall and slender, with coffee-colored skin and a dazzling smile, she looked as if she’d come straight from a fashion shoot.
“Jenn,” Liz said, “I’d like to introduce Greta Sanserre. Greta, this is Jennifer Fairhurst, who designs and bakes our wedding cakes.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” the movie star said, holding out her hand. “Please call me Greta. Liz has been telling me that you can produce any cake combination I have in mind, and I can’t wait to see—and taste—your samples. Although, I must warn you that I can be a little particular about things.”
“It’s lovely to meet you,” Jenn said as she shook the woman’s hand. As a matter of fact, she had heard that Greta Sanserre was a perfectionist. Evidently, the star had not only insisted on reshooting several crucial scenes on her last film, looking for the perfect take, but she’d also demanded that the sets on a period drama be overhauled because the historical details hadn’t met her standards.
As Jenn uncovered her cakes, she silently prayed that Greta would like what she’d created. The other woman looked them over carefully for several seconds.
Finally, she said, “They’re beautiful. Absolutely stunning.”
Flushing slightly from the praise, Jenn cut a slice from the first cake and handed it to Greta on a small plate. The star bit into it, then closed her eyes and made a happy sound. Feeling hopeful, Jenn passed her a piece from another cake, and then another.
“Well,” Greta said once she’d finished with her last taste, “I see why you brought me to the kitchen first, Liz.”
Jenn couldn’t keep from beaming. “I’m so glad you’re pleased.”
“Your wedding cakes are so delicious, Jenn, they’re going to haunt my dreams.” Greta turned back to Liz. “I feel confident with all the other details you’ve already explained to me, so if you have the contract with you, I’ll sign it now.”
While Greta flipped to the last page of the contract, Liz took a bottle of champagne out of the refrigerator. The pop of the cork came just as the star signed her name. When Jenn started this job, she had never expected to find herself sharing champagne with Hollywood royalty.
“I know Christopher is going to love Married in Malibu as much as I do,” Greta said as she happily sipped from her glass.
Maybe it was drinking champagne on an empty stomach that made Jenn’s next words tumble out. “I’m so happy for you and your fiancé. We’re all going to do our best to make everything absolutely wonderful for both of you.”
Greta put a hand on Jenn’s arm and gave her a warm smile. “Thank you. That means a lot. It will be great to have my wedding at a place where I know people really care.”
Liz and Greta left soon afterward to meet with the rest of the staff, and when Liz returned, alone, thirty minutes later, she was ecstatic.
“You did it, Jenn.” Unexpectedly, her boss swept her up in a hug. “You’re amazing. You know that, right?”
Amazing? Her?
When she was married, her baking had been just one of the many sources of arguments between Jenn and her husband. Why are you wasting your time with that? he’d always said. You certainly don’t need the extra calories, and I can’t eat that garbage.
As a personal trainer, he’d flatly refused to eat the things she baked, claiming that they would throw his blood-sugar levels out of balance. She’d ended up giving away the treats she made, first to family and then to friends. Eventually, people had started asking her if they could pay her to bake for their events and celebrations. But even when she began to make money with her hobby, Oliver hadn’t been impressed. He was evangelical in his hatred of sugar, which meant Jenn’s burgeoning business was nothing but shameful for him. Sometimes she felt like she was still shaking off that shame, even after one of the biggest movie stars in the world had just fallen into rapture over her cakes.
Thankfully, Liz didn’t seem to be waiting for Jenn’s response as she said, “Jason’s coming to pick me up for lunch in a few minutes, but I wanted to be sure to tell you how much I appreciate having you here at Married in Malibu.”
Flushed with pleasure at Liz’s compliments, Jenn walked with her to the entrance. Jason Lomax, a bestselling thriller writer, was leaning against his truck in the parking lot, waiting for Liz. When he saw his wife, his entire face lit up. Moments later, he was sweeping her into his arms.
It was wonderful watching them together, how in love they were. Though they’d broken off their engagement a decade before, in the end they loved each other far too much for anything to stand in the way. Married in Malibu had brought them back together, and now that they were husband and wife, the happiness radiating from them was easy to see.
It was exactly the kind of happiness Jenn had once hoped to have herself. But after she’d left Oliver, she’d been so sure that she could never fall for anyone again.
Then again, she’d never counted on meeting Daniel.
Lost in her thoughts, she was heading back toward her kitchen to put everything away when she nearly ran headfirst into Margaret, who was carrying a huge stack of fabric swatches.
As usual, Married in Malibu’s event planner looked far more chic than Jenn ever could. With her blond hair done up in a complicated braid and wearing a designer suit, Margaret was almost a match for the movie star who had just left. The big difference between Margaret and Greta Sanserre, however, was that the movie star never looked as tentative about things as Margaret often did.
“I heard you wowed Ms. Sanserre, Jenn. Great job.”
“Thank you, I’m really pleased with how things went. But didn’t she tell you to call her Greta when she met you?”
“She did, but it seems a bit informal.”
“I’m sure she just wants us to feel comfortable around her.” When Jenn saw that Margaret wasn’t quite convinced, she added, �
��Don’t your friends and family ever call you by a nickname?”
“Not my family, but my friends sometimes call me Meg. You can call me that if you’d like,” she said softly. “And I’d love to hear more about your meeting with Greta. She couldn’t stop talking about your cakes.”
“She really did seem to love them,” Jenn said, pride welling up inside of her again. “She tasted all of the samples, and the next thing I knew, Liz was popping champagne while Greta signed the contract.”
“I’m not surprised at all.” Meg’s pretty face transformed into stunning beauty as she smiled. “You’re the best baker I’ve ever known. And judging by the way everyone at Married in Malibu hangs around your kitchen begging for treats, they all clearly agree with me. Especially Daniel. Liz was joking the other day that he’s made your kitchen his second office.”
“What do you think of Daniel?” Jenn asked the question before she could stop herself. Maybe the champagne hadn’t quite worn off yet. Or maybe it was because she’d been thinking about him constantly since last night—since the first time she’d met him, if she was being perfectly honest with herself.
“He seems very nice,” Meg said. By her reserved standards, that counted as gushing praise. “And I’ve also noticed that he likes to spend time around you, even when you’re not feeding him cupcakes.” A beat later, her co-worker seemed to regret what she’d just said as she added, “Sorry, I know it isn’t any of my business.”
“I’m glad you feel like you can talk openly to me,” Jenn reassured her, “because then I can be as open with you.”
“Of course you can,” Meg said, though she sounded surprised that Jenn would want to speak with her about matters of the heart. Surprised, but also pleased.
“Good,” Jenn said with no small measure of relief, “because I feel like I’ve been bottling up my feelings forever.”
“Feelings for Daniel?”
Jenn nodded. “I like being around him too—I really like it—but at the same time, I wouldn’t want things to end up awkward here at work if things got messy. And I definitely wouldn’t want to confuse his kids by being there one day and gone the next.”
“Well…” Meg said slowly, drawing the word out as if trying to process everything Jenn had just dumped on her in the hallway. “I’ve started to realize that sometimes good things happen when you don’t expect them to. I never dreamed I would be paid to put on dream weddings, and when Liz came to me with the opportunity, I nearly said no because I knew my family wouldn’t approve. But then I realized that sometimes we have to take chances, even if we’re not totally certain how they’ll turn out. And working at Married in Malibu has worked out wonderfully so far.”
“It has been good,” Jenn said. “Amazing, actually. Which is why I couldn’t stand it if I ruined things at work by mixing business with—”
“No,” Meg said, cutting Jenn off in an uncharacteristically firm tone. “That’s not what I was trying to say. Honestly, I think you should keep an open mind about Daniel. He’s a great guy, and the two of you would make a lovely couple.”
“He hasn’t asked me on a date,” Jenn wanted to clarify, “but I am headed over to his house this afternoon to help his daughter bake cupcakes for school.”
“His daughter’s very lucky. I would have loved having someone help me with things like that when I was her age instead of having to figure everything out myself.” As if she suddenly realized she’d given away too much about her past, Meg said, “I should be running back to my office now. Greta wanted to see a few changes to my sample boards for her wedding.”
She was already setting off when Jenn called out, “Meg? Thank you. I really needed to talk things through with a friend today.”
Meg’s smile lit up her face again. “Anytime you need a friend, you know where to find me.”
When Jenn had taken the job at Married in Malibu, she’d hoped to further her baking career. But she’d found far more than that. She’d found new friends who made her laugh. Friends who supported her dreams. Friends who listened when she needed to talk.
And one very special friend who made her heart beat faster every time she thought about him.
Chapter Four
Daniel’s house was in a great, family-friendly neighborhood, with a child’s bright blue bicycle leaning against the side of the garage. Jenn parked her small hatchback behind the family minivan, but before she could retrieve her ingredients from the trunk, Daniel emerged from the house to help her take everything inside.
“Load me up with bags.”
“Thank you.” She smiled at him, and when he smiled back, it felt different than usual. She was still trying to figure out if that was okay, if she could let herself look at Daniel as more than a friend without hurting anyone—including herself.
Just then, Kayla bounded over to take the cupcake trays. “I’m so glad you’re here!”
At nine, she was a couple of inches taller than her seven-year-old brother. She had blond hair that bounced around her shoulders with a life of its own, deep-blue eyes that reminded Jenn of Daniel’s, and a heart-shaped face she must have inherited from her mother. She already had on a floral-printed apron, and it was clear that she couldn’t wait for Jenn to come inside.
“Me too,” Adam said in a slightly shy voice. He had the same blond hair and blue eyes that Kayla did, although his features more closely took after Daniel’s. No doubt about it, all the girls at school were going to have crushes on him when he was older.
“They’ve been excited since they got home from school. Adam has been jumping around, while Kayla’s been getting him to measure things out on the kitchen scales.”
“What kinds of things?” Jenn asked.
“Pretty much anything they could find. Including most of the LEGO blocks in the house.” He smiled at her again, and her heart went topsy-turvy inside her chest. “Congratulations, again, on blowing Greta away with your samples. I knew you would, but I had to leave to pick the kids up before I could find you for a celebratory hug.”
Jenn flushed with warmth. Oliver would never have said anything so sweet, so complimentary. But then, Daniel was about as far from Oliver as it was possible to get, wasn’t he?
“Can we bake now?” Adam asked. “Kayla said we’d have cupcakes.”
“I said we’d bake cupcakes,” his sister corrected him. “They’re for school, remember?”
“Oh,” Adam said, looking a little crestfallen.
Jenn couldn’t leave him looking like that. “Don’t worry, I bought enough ingredients to make extras.”
With a whoop of joy, Adam led the way into the kitchen. Open and connected to the dining area, the kitchen had a marble-topped island, along with four stools and a window that looked out over a green backyard. To Jenn, it felt exactly like the warm family life she’d always dreamed of.
Smiling at the kids as she laid everything out on the counter, she asked, “Who wants to help me weigh the ingredients?”
Both of the kids did, of course, but thankfully they were happy to take turns. Where some big sisters might have bossed around a younger brother, Kayla seemed determined to support Adam by letting him learn on the job. His measurements were all good, until he started to explain something that had happened at school involving a frog and one of his teachers.
“And then Mrs. Simons was running around the room trying to catch it, and it was hopping everywhere!”
Though Jenn hadn’t quite been able to follow the entire story, both kids’ laughter was so infectious that soon she and Daniel were laughing too.
“We’re going to make four different flavors of cupcakes,” Jenn explained. “Vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and carrot.”
“Carrot?” Adam made a face.
“Some people will want healthy ones,” Jenn said, scrunching up her face as she said healthy to make him laugh. “But don’t worry, there will be plenty of chocolate cupcakes to make up for it.”
They started mixing up the flour, eggs, baking soda,
and milk. Jenn showed them how to add ingredients in bit by bit to avoid lumps as they stirred and how to tell if the mixture was the right consistency by watching the way it fell from their spoons.
As she put the cupcake trays into the oven to bake, Jenn silently noted how quickly, and easily, they’d all slipped into their roles this afternoon. Kayla was a fast study who picked up instructions well. When Jenn showed her how to construct a piping bag out of paper, Kayla had managed it perfectly after only two tries. Adam was a lot of help too, but seemed to be mostly interested in baking for the promise of cupcakes afterward. As for Daniel? After the second time he accidentally spilled most of a cup of flour on the floor, he had the sense to start taking pictures instead.
He was clearly devoted to his kids, complimenting Adam on how good he was at adding ingredients, while noting how quickly Kayla mastered constructing a piping bag. And the two of them seemed just as devoted to him.
“Do you really bake for a job?” Kayla asked Jenn.
“I really do. I make all of the wedding cakes at Married in Malibu.”
Daniel’s daughter looked quite impressed. “I didn’t know that making cakes could be a job like how my dad takes pictures.”
“I often have a hard time believing it myself,” Jenn admitted. “Sometimes, it feels like my job’s just a dream and that one day someone is going to force me to be an accountant instead.”
“They can’t really do that, can they?” Adam asked, taking a break from tasting the confectioner’s cream they were preparing. He sounded more than a little worried about it.
“Of course they can’t,” Kayla assured him. “Jenn was just joking. Now, can we put the cream in the middle of the cupcakes? People are going to freak when they bite into these, they’re going to be so good.”
“You’ve got to be careful not to overfill them,” Jenn explained, “or they’ll ooze everywhere.”
“Will they explode?” Adam asked in a hopeful voice.
“Only if you really overdo it,” Jenn said with a laugh.
