Semi-Sweet On You: Hot Cakes Series

by Nicholas, Erin

  “Very good,” she said, nodding and setting her fork down. “But—”

  Everyone froze. Piper actually groaned.

  “You shouldn’t let other people tell you how to express yourself,” she told Max. “I would have expected more from you. Something bolder. Something with more… flavor. Cinnamon and cayenne,” she said. “Or maybe raspberry and dark chocolate.”

  Max lifted a brow. “Because I’m gay?”

  Didi looked surprised. “You’re gay?”

  “I am.”

  “Huh.” She seemed to think about that. “No, I meant because you’re a big, bold personality,” she said. She studied him for a moment. “But if you wanted to put rainbow chips in something I suppose that would—”

  “Grandma!”

  Finally Whitney arrived in front of the stage.

  Didi looked down at her. “What?”

  “That’s… enough.” Whitney’s cheeks were bright pink.

  “I’m being supportive,” Didi said. “If Max wants to express his sexuality—”

  “He is a baker. Not everything has to be about his sexuality,” Whitney said. She cast an apologetic look at Max. “I’m sorry.”

  Max shrugged one big shoulder. “It’s okay, Whit. This is how people learn.”

  Whitney visibly sighed. “Grandma, let’s just focus on the baking.”

  Didi put her hands on her hips. “Listen up,” she said. “Talking is how people learn. So I’m going to teach you something about baking. Baking because it matters to you is when it’s the best. If you’re making caramel crunch bars because they are your favorite, or because they were what your favorite uncle always brought on road trips, or because they were what your mom tucked into your lunch box, then that’s one thing. But if you’re doing it because other people told you to, they are going to lack something. If you want to make something with rainbow chips because it makes you happy because rainbows are beautiful representations of gay love and you want to help people see that in their everyday life, then that’s wonderful. Or if you want to make a dark chocolate raspberry cake because, dammit, people might need something more than chocolate and vanilla and strawberry cake with vanilla icing!”

  Everyone, including Whitney, was completely quiet, staring at Didi.

  “Buttered Up bakery does better baked goods,” Didi said. “They are made from scratch and are made with care and love. But Hot Cakes are a part of everyday life and little moments that people don’t even think about until later. They are just the cake that your dad pulled out when you were out fishing or the cakes that your mom put out on the little plates in your tea set when you had picnics in your backyard. Until one day you’ve outgrown those fishing trips and picnics, or your dad or mom is gone, and then you’ll pull out one of those cakes and suddenly it means something. So Hot Cakes have the potential to be important too and that’s something you better keep in mind as you’re going forward adding to the list of cakes we… I mean you… offer.”

  Didi sniffed, lifted her chin, and then started for the steps on the end of the stage opposite of where she’d ascended.

  After a stunned moment, Whitney seemed to shake herself and hurried after her to help Didi down the wooden steps.

  Didi paused at the top and looked back. “And the caramel crunch bars win,” she said. Then she looked at Cam. “I’ll meet you beside the Roadster. I’m actually in the mood for pie.”

  Then she descended the steps regally.

  Piper turned wide eyes to Cam. “Um, wow.”

  “Yeah,” Cam agreed. But he was already covering his pan of bars with the aluminum foil provided.

  “So…” Piper said, clearly expecting Cam to fill in some blanks.

  But he had no idea how to do that. Didi Lancaster was a force and it seemed that giving up Hot Cakes wasn’t something she was blasé about. He had to admit, the idea of spending a little time talking with the woman was intriguing. He’d never had a one-on-one conversation with her and she surely had some interesting stories.

  Dax finally turned to the crowd. “Well, that’s that. The new Hot Cakes snack cake will be a caramel crunch bar!”

  The crowd applauded on cue.

  “Thank you all so much for joining us for this important event,” Dax went on. “We hope that you had some fun and that you know how much it means to us to be a part of the Appleby community,” he said. “We hope to be here for many, many years to come.”

  More applause.

  “Be looking out for the name announcement for the new snack cake and our big kick-off event for that!” Dax said. “You all, of course, will be the first to get a taste!”

  Cam lifted a brow. They hadn’t talked about next steps. But now it looked like they’d be having a kick-off event. Well, okay, then.

  But Cam was going to put his foot down about having alpacas at that event.

  7

  “I promise that I tried to talk her out of it.”

  “Why’d you do that?” Cam asked Whitney as he helped Didi into the passenger seat of Dax’s Roadster.

  “Because this is crazy,” Whitney said. She was standing by the front bumper of the car, watching them with a very worried expression.

  Cam shut the door and turned to his ex-girlfriend. “Crazy because she’s your grandma? Crazy because she was my grandma’s nemesis? Crazy because she’s paying five thousand dollars for a conversation she could have had just by asking me?”

  Whitney studied him for a moment, then said, “Yes.”

  He chuckled and walked toward her, stopping right in front of her. “Maybe those are all the best reasons for us to have this conversation,” he said.

  Whitney frowned. “What do you mean?”

  He shrugged. “I think I need to explain to her that she could have just asked to talk if she wanted to. I’m sick of this feud, Whit. I think everyone is. Zoe and Aiden have started the healing process and I can do my part.”

  The wrinkle between her eyebrows got deeper. “Because you think Appleby needs it to be over?”

  “Because I need you to be over it,” he told her honestly.

  She looked surprised. “You do?”

  “You’re going to be a lot more amenable to the idea of us dating if you know that our families don’t hate each other and that we don’t have to sneak around this time and that the town isn’t whispering about us.”

  Her eyes were wide. “I told you I’m not going to date you.”

  “You did. And I’m working on convincing you otherwise. One way to do that is to remove as many barriers as possible. Like the fifty-two year feud between our families.”

  “That’s not why I said no,” she told him.

  He didn’t even think twice about lifting a hand to Whitney’s face. He smoothed the pad of his thumb over the crease above her nose. “Then you have nothing to worry about with me taking your grandma out for dessert.”

  Whitney’s breath caught as he touched her, and she stared at him even after he slid his hand down her cheek and then dropped it.

  “The business is more important to me than a relationship,” she said. It was clear she was warning him. “If I have to choose, I choose Hot Cakes. Why would you set yourself up to be hurt again by that?”

  He gave her a slow smile. “Because you don’t have to choose.”

  She swallowed hard. But it was clear from the look in her eyes that she didn’t believe that.

  Well, he’d have to deal with that later. Because he had another woman waiting in the car for a date with him at the moment.

  “I’ll have her home by curfew,” he said, stepping back and grinning. He pulled the keys from his pocket and started to turn away.

  He was startled to feel Whitney’s hand on his arm. “Cam.”

  He looked back. “Yeah?”

  “She’s…” Whitney pressed her lips together and glanced at her grandmother through the windshield. She smiled affectionately, then looked up at him. “Her memory is not great. And she sometimes loses track of what’s goi
ng on. She might get a little lost while you talk.”

  He nodded. “Okay.”

  She wet her lips. “Really?”

  “It’s going to be fine. We’ll talk for a little bit, we’ll have some pie, and I’ll bring her home.”

  “Okay.” She still looked unsure. “Call me if you need anything. If anything gets… weird.”

  He smiled. “There are things I need from you, Whit, and I’m going to take you up on that offer to call you. But it won’t be about your grandma.”

  She looked startled, and with that promise hanging between them, he took the chance to get in the car and start the engine. He was not going to let Whitney believe anything was settled between them, and the more she had to think and wonder about the things he said, the better. He wanted to be on her mind.

  Cam looked over at Didi rather than watching Whitney watch them with that slightly dazed, slightly worried look on her face.

  “So you need some pie, huh?” he asked.

  Didi gave him a big smile. “Thank you for loving my granddaughter.”

  Okay, so speaking of startled…

  Cam tipped his head. “You think I love her?”

  “You’ve always loved her,” Didi said with a nod, looking at Whitney through the windshield. “Even when that made things really hard on you.”

  Cam thought about what Whitney had said about Didi getting lost on details. “You knew about us being together?”

  They’d done their damnedest to keep their relationship from their families. He knew that Zoe had known about them. She’d caught them up in Cam’s bedroom once and another time in the basement. But Zoe had kept the secret. So had Aiden. But Cam wasn’t sure who had known about them on Whitney’s side. He’d always figured no one. She’d had a couple of girlfriends in high school, but he knew they hadn’t been people she trusted implicitly. He’d always thought it was really sad she didn’t have people she knew had her back no matter what.

  He knew for a fact that her dad and brother hadn’t known about them because they’d never confronted him. And they would have.

  So to think that Didi had known made him curious.

  “I knew that she was in love for a long time before I figured out who it was,” Didi said.

  “How?”

  “You gonna take me somewhere there’s pie or not?” she asked.

  Cam laughed and nodded. Right. They had a whole hour “date” ahead of them. “Sure. Of course. I know just the place.” He put the car into drive and headed for Buttered Up.

  And, yes, Whitney stood in the parking lot and watched them drive away. He gave her a little wave.

  She didn’t return it.

  Okay, well, he’d just bring her grandma home safe and sound and she’d see everything was fine.

  They pulled up in front of Buttered Up a few minutes later. Everything in Appleby was only a few minutes away from everything else. He helped Didi out of the car and into the bakery.

  Zoe and Josie were expecting them and apparently there were several other people in town who were curious enough about this date to show up to witness it themselves. The bakery was full. Every one of the little round white tables that dotted his sister’s bakery had people at it, except one. They’d left one open. The one right in the center of the room.

  He shook his head but escorted Didi to the table that was clearly for them, smiling and nodding at people as they went. What else was he going to do?

  Zoe was behind the counter and she gave him a look that said well, this is weird, but it was Josie that came out to wait on them.

  “Hi,” she greeted. “How are you?”

  “In desperate need of pie,” Didi told her. “I would like peach, with the cinnamon whipped topping, and a cup of coffee with cream on the side.”

  Josie looked at her. “Cinnamon whipped topping?”

  It was an extra thing that only those “in the know” were aware of. His grandmother had always added cinnamon to her whipped cream topping for peach and apple pies. Those were the only things she put it on and she’d only done it at home. Not in the bakery.

  Cam leaned in. “Did you have cinnamon whipped topping with my grandma?”

  Didi looked like that was an extremely stupid question. “Well, of course.”

  “They don’t do that here,” Cam said. “That was something she only did at home when she made pies.”

  “Well, that’s ridiculous,” Didi said. “Tell her to do it now. I’ve been looking forward to having that topping on my pie again ever since Dean died.”

  Dean, her husband, had passed away about a year ago. Cam blinked at her. “Why haven’t you come in before this?”

  “I’ve been very busy with the funeral preparations,” Didi said.

  Cam nodded. “I suppose so. When was the funeral again?”

  He knew when it had been. He’d thought about coming home for it. For Whitney. But his friends had talked him out of it.

  But it had killed him to know that Whitney might be sad and hurting. He’d finally sent flowers. To her directly. With only, I wish I could meet you at the bridge on the card. She would know it was from him. Meet me at the bridge was the note he’d slip into her locker or leave on the dash of her car.

  “Last week,” Didi answered. “It was lovely.”

  She thought Dean’s funeral had been just last week? Cam glanced at Josie, who just lifted a brow. She was clearly letting him take the lead here. “Do you think… the kitchen… could make something special?” he asked.

  Josie was the kitchen here. Along with Zoe, of course, but Josie was the more creative cook of the two.

  “I think we can manage it,” Josie said with a bemused smile.

  “Thanks. I’ll have the same,” Cam told her.

  Josie nodded and moved off.

  “Dean wouldn’t have wanted you having Letty’s whipped topping?” Cam asked Didi. If Didi thought the funeral was just last week, that was something much different from her just getting a date mixed up from a year ago.

  “Oh goodness no,” Didi said. “Dean didn’t like anything having to do with Charlotte.”

  Very few people called his grandmother Charlotte, but it seemed that Didi was one of them. “Did she call you Dorothy?” he asked, very curious about their relationship. He had been at various times over the years, but Letty hadn’t liked talking about Didi so he didn’t know much. He liked the idea of getting more history about them from Didi.

  “She does,” Didi told him, referring to Letty in the present tense. His grandmother had also passed away.

  “Dean didn’t like you to have anything to do with my grandma then?” Cam asked.

  “Oh, no. I couldn’t even make any of her recipes. He knew which ones were hers and he wouldn’t eat anything I’d learned from her.”

  Cam felt his eyes go wide. “Wow. Really. How did he know which ones were hers?”

  Didi smiled at him. “Because she cooked for him all the time when they were dating.”

  Cam stared at her for several seconds. She was a little confused, obviously, thinking Dean had died last week and that Letty was still alive. But this was interesting.

  “They dated?” he asked. “I didn’t know that.”

  In fact, he wondered who did know that. He wasn’t sure his mom and dad even knew that. If they did, it was a well-kept secret. The Lancasters and McCaffreys had hated each other Cam’s entire life. It had always been understood that it was because Didi stole Letty’s recipe for the now famous Butter Sticks that had launched Hot Cakes.

  But damn, there might be even more scandal behind it all.

  “Oh, yes.” Didi leaned back in her chair, folding her hands on her lap. “She turned down his proposal and he never got over it.”

  Cam swallowed hard. “Dean Lancaster proposed to my grandmother?”

  “Of course. She was a catch,” Didi said. “Beautiful, independent, smart, sassy.”

  Yep, that was his grandmother.

  “Why did she say no?”


  “Because Dean was an ass.”

  Again Cam was speechless for a moment. “But… you married him.”

  Didi nodded. “Horrible mistake. Except, of course, I have Whitney because of him.”

  Her granddaughter. Not her two sons, not her three grandsons. Didi only named Whitney.

  And Cam had to agree that Dean had been an ass. Along with their son, Eric, and their grandsons, Whitney’s brothers Wes and Will and her cousin Brent.

  Cam leaned in. Didi seemed in the mood to share and he was going to take advantage. Maybe she was always like this, but in case she wasn’t, he wanted as much of the story as he could get.

  “So tell me what happened,” he said.

  Didi shrugged. “He and Charlotte dated for a few months. He fell in love, she didn’t. He proposed, she said no. He never got over that. Though part of it was his ego and the fact that people didn’t say no to him. After Charlotte and I split up and I was on my own, Dean asked me out. He was very handsome and charming and I was feeling very alone. I said yes. He romanced me and I got pregnant.” Didi lifted a shoulder again. “And that’s that. He took over the business and made me a very rich woman.”

  Cam was happy that Josie delivered the pie and coffee just then. He had to process all of that. There was nothing about the story that was familiar to him at all. Other than that part where she and Letty split up.

  “Let me know what you think of the topping,” Josie told Didi, setting her plate down.

  “Oh, it will be perfect,” Didi said, sitting forward and picking up a fork. She seemed genuinely eager. “Charlotte’s concoctions are always perfect.”

  Again with the present tense reference to his grandmother. Cam and Josie shared another look. He didn’t know much about Alzheimer’s. Letty had been sharp until her very last day when her heart had given out. Should he correct Didi or let her go on thinking Letty was still around?

  That was a good question for Whitney. He could text her.

  Or he could wait and talk to her after he dropped Didi off at home.

  He grinned, picking his fork up as well. That was a great reason to linger at Whitney’s after this date.

  Josie went back to the kitchen and Cam and Didi ate without talking for a few minutes.