by Aven Ellis
“This is awful!” he says, then he turns to me. I’m taken aback when I see a wounded look in his jade eyes. “How could you tell me it was good, Josephine?”
I cringe. He’s wounded by my white lie.
“Cade, I’m sorry, I didn’t want to hurt your feelings. I know you worked so hard on it,” I say.
“So when you don’t like something, you’re going to lie instead of telling me the truth?” Cade accuses.
What? Where is this coming from?
“Are you?” he snaps, the wounded expression growing into one of anger.
“Um, let’s take Leia for a walk,” Jude suggests, quickly taking Sierra’s hand and leading her out of the apartment.
“Cade, I think you’re overreacting,” I say, confused by his weird reaction.
“To a lie? No, I’m not. I won’t tolerate lying,” Cade snaps.
“It was a little white lie,” I emphasize. “I didn’t do it to be malicious. I said it because you worked so hard on it. You wanted me to enjoy it so much, and I wanted to give that to you. But it’s a cake, Cade. I lied about a cake. I don’t understand your reaction.”
To my shock, Cade picks his phone and keys up off the kitchen table.
“I won’t tolerate you lying about your feelings,” he says angrily. “I won’t. What else have you lied about? What else, Josephine?”
Then he storms out the door before I can answer him.
Now my fuse is lit.
I run out after him, angrily grab him by the arm, and make him stop. My promise to keep my thoughts to myself flies out the window.
“You know what? I won’t tolerate this from you,” I yell angrily as a look of shock appears on his face. “This isn’t about cake, Cade. You obviously have some deep-rooted issue about lying. And you’re putting it on me. I’ve never lied to you. A lie about a freaking bite of cake isn’t a lie that will damage a relationship unless you’re determined to let it. I’m insulted, to be honest. Pissed off. And if you think I’ll put up with it, you’re wrong.”
Then I turn around and storm back into my apartment, slamming the door behind me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
I’m so mad at him.
I angrily rip open a package of yeast and dump it into a bowl of warm water. I just fought with Cade, and he didn’t follow me back to the apartment. Now I need to do something constructive. Eating a cheesecake was option number one, a la The Golden Girls, but since I don’t have one, I’m going to bake bread.
And punch the hell out of the dough.
As I begin to stir the yeast into the water, there’s a knock at the door.
I know it’s Cade.
I put down the spoon and rub my hands on my apron. I open it, and Cade stands before me, a worried expression etched on his face.
“May I talk to you?” he asks softly.
I don’t say anything. I step aside, he enters, and I close the door behind him. Cade turns to face me, and I fold my arms over my chest in a defiant manner. Cade winces in response.
“You have every right to be mad at me,” he says. “I was a total asshole to you a few minutes ago.”
I don’t soften. Cade rakes a hand through his dark hair, and I can tell he’s anxious about what he has to say.
“You were right, Josephine. It wasn’t about the cake. I didn’t even realize it until you called me out on it,” he admits. He lifts his eyes to meet mine. “It’s because of what happened with Cassidy.”
My heart plummets to my stomach, forming a huge knot. My anger gives way to fear, and I drop my arms to my sides. I dig deep and force myself to ask a question I don’t know if I want the answer to.
“What happened with Cassidy?”
Cade reaches for my hand, and I give it to him. He leads me over to the sofa and sits down, and I sit next to him. His hand remains wrapped around mine, his thumb moving over the top of my hand.
“She wasn’t honest about her feelings,” he admits slowly. “Cassidy said things she didn’t mean. Little things at first. The little things eventually became bigger. And I was blindsided when she dumped me.”
Suddenly, I see it. In his mind, my little white lie could be one of many I’m telling him. The start of the end.
If he only knew I loved him, I think, hesitating. Maybe I should tell him. Tell him he’s my everything, and he doesn’t have to worry about me ever dumping him.
Because I see us as forever.
“Josephine, I’m stupid. I know we’re at the beginning here. We’re still getting to know each other. I shouldn’t have let my mind get ahead like that.”
I bite back the words as a chill rushes over me.
Cade is still hesitant about us. He still wants to go slowly.
I can’t share my feelings now, I can’t.
Unless I want to lose him.
“But I’m crazy about you,” he admits, taking my hand and squeezing it and interrupting my tortured thoughts. “All I want is for you to be honest about how you feel.”
I lift my hand to his face, and he closes his eyes as if relief is sweeping over him from my touch. Cade opens them and stares intently at me. I try to let go of my doubts when I see the look in his jade eyes. I can see how much he cares. He isn’t ready to tell me he loves me yet, but I hope with all my heart that someday he will.
“I understand your reaction now,” I say softly. “But I promise you, I’m not Cassidy.”
Because I want forever with you.
“I know,” Cade says, running his hand through my hair. “And I’m grateful for that. I want you. Just you.”
He presses his forehead to mine, and I close my eyes, relieved that our fight is over.
“Forgive me?”
“Yes.”
Cade lifts his head and drops a sweet kiss on my forehead.
I sit back and look at him.
“Cade?”
“Yeah?”
“Your cake was awful.”
He grins at me. “It was shit.”
“Did the recipe call for oil or butter?”
I see a light bulb go off in his head.
“Oh, hell, I have melted butter in the microwave,” Cade says, groaning. “I forgot to dump it in.”
Oh, my sweet, dear, kitchen-impaired boyfriend, I love you so.
“That’s why it tasted like sawdust.”
Cade’s expression turns to one of complete embarrassment. “Oh.”
“Oh, indeed,” I say, smiling at him. “But I don’t care about that. You were sweet to bake a cake for me. I adore you for it.”
“Yeah?” Cade says, lifting an eyebrow at me.
I slide my hand to the back of his head, running my fingers through his hair.
“Yes,” I say.
“So I should try it again?”
“No.”
We both laugh.
“Not without my intense supervision, anyway,” I add.
“Your kind of supervision is the kind I like,” Cade says sexily.
His lips find mine in a slow, sweet kiss, and I know exactly where I am with Cade. He’s crazy about me, and the fear of losing what we have caused him to overreact.
Cade still needs time.
And I’m more than willing to give it to him.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Skye watches as I arrange cupcakes on white rectangular plates. It’s Monday night, and everyone is gathering at our apartment for a little cupcake tasting party. Skye flew in from Los Angeles this afternoon, and I was given permission to leave work early so I could take her to dinner. After all, she’s a client.
But in reality, she’s my new friend.
“I can’t get over how beautiful these are,” she declares, her blue eyes dancing in delight. “You’re an artist. Baking is your canvas. You’re so gifted.”
“Thank you,” I say happily.
“It’s taking all my willpower not to grab one and dip my finger in the pink Funfetti frosting,” Skye says. “But I’ll refrain until the guests show up.”
> “I know, the urge is strong with Funfetti,” I tease. “But your willpower is holding up nicely.”
Skye laughs and I do, too.
“What kind of feedback are you looking for, JoJo?”
“Well, if you were another tester, we’d talk about the crumb, the moistness, the sweetness of the frostings, if the flavor combinations work, stuff like that. But with you and the boys, the main question is: do you like it?”
Skye winces. “Portraying myself as a cupcake baker was the worst career advice I ever received,” she admits quietly, regret clear on her face.
“Okay, so you aren’t a baker,” I say. “But you love cupcakes. And you will bake them with my help. What if your angle was that you want to learn more about the baking process? You can show how you change as you learn new things. Then you can share your experiences on your blog as a regular feature. That way you are being honest with your audience, which I know is important to you.”
To my surprise, Skye’s eyes fill with tears.
“You know what? I never thought I’d say this, but I’m glad I did that show if for no other reason than it gave me you as a friend. That was worth every awful thing I’ve gone through to have a genuine friend like you in my life.”
“Okay, don’t make me cry,” I say, fighting back happy tears. I give her a quick hug. “And I’m glad I found you, too.”
Skye steps back from me and nods. “I feel like I’m starting over. I’m so grateful you will be a part of this new chapter of my life.”
The door lock turns, and I know it’s Sierra with Jude, Cade, and Maxime. They went out for dinner while I got everything ready with Skye.
“We’re ready for cupcakes,” Sierra declares, grinning as she steps through the door.
“Good, they’re ready to be tasted,” I say, smiling at them. Cade grins at me, and I get a tingle of delight in my stomach at the sight of my boyfriend.
Jude and Cade walk in behind Sierra, followed by Maxime. Maxime stops the second he sees Skye, a look of complete shock passing over his face.
Did Jude and Cade not tell him she was on TV? Surely they did. And if Maxime hung out with them, he knows they are both obsessed with Is It Love? They even Tweet back and forth about it whenever it’s on. I don’t know how Maxime could have avoided seeing Skye from last season.
“Skye, I’d like for you to meet Maxime,” I say, leading her over to him. “Maxime Laurent, this is Skye Reeve.”
“I know you,” Maxime says, his eyes riveted on Skye’s face.
Skye blushes furiously. “I know, from the show, right?”
“No,” Maxime says slowly. “You were in a café. In Brussels.”
What?
“You were sitting out on the terrace,” Maxime says with conviction, as if he is replaying a movie in his head. “A garden terrace. You had a coffee, and your hands were wrapped around it as if you were cold. And you were crying.”
Skye gasps in shock. “But . . . how . . .”
“I was sitting at the table next to you.”
Oh, my God.
“I was in Brussels after the show aired,” Skye admits, her eyes searching Maxime’s face as if trying to place him there. “I took a self-imposed exile in Europe for a month. I did have coffee on a terrace there, I remember. It was a beautiful afternoon.”
“You braided and unbraided your hair over and over, like a distraction,” Maxime says softly. “And you never drank your coffee. You stayed until they closed.”
“How do you even remember all of that?” Skye asks, incredulous.
“Because I couldn’t forget.”
Ohhhhhhhhhh!
Skye’s eyes widen in surprise. It’s dead quiet in the apartment. We’re all too stunned by this strange coincidence to speak.
And shocked by Maxime’s obvious interest in Skye from the moment he saw her.
“Let me rephrase that,” Maxime says. “You looked very sad. Your eyes were haunted. I’ll never forget that.”
Oh. So much for my romantic scenario.
Skye winces, and I can tell the embarrassment and pain over Is It Love? is flooding her memory again.
“I’m sorry. I’m making this awkward for you,” Maxime says, tugging at his leather necklace, and I can tell he’s uncomfortable.
“It’s okay. It was an awkward time in my life, to say the least,” Skye admits, averting her eyes to the floor. But as if she can’t resist staring at Maxime, she returns her gaze to his face. “You were there that whole time? Watching me?”
“I couldn’t help it,” Maxime says softly. “I wish I could have done something for you. To see you smile. But I didn’t want to upset you further. So I stayed in my world. And you stayed in yours. Until now.”
Skye’s eyes widen in response. Maxime’s eyes never leave her face.
I can’t believe what is happening in front of me. Two people, strangers in a Brussels café on the other side of the Atlantic ocean, are brought together again by fate in Denver. The fact that Maxime never forgot her, the woman with the broken heart, means something.
I know it does.
“I can’t believe this,” Skye says, shaking her head. “What are the odds? What are the odds that we’d be sitting next to each other one day in Brussels and meet here, in Denver, months later? Out of all the cafes in the world, we pick the same one. And now we’re here. Because of cupcakes.”
“You know why? Because cupcakes bring people together,” Jude declares.
I can’t help but laugh. I love Jude.
“I totally should have gone on a cupcake show instead of a reality dating show,” Skye quips.
“You were on a TV dating show?” Maxime asks, a surprised expression passing over his face.
“Dude, we told you over a million times to watch it,” Jude says. “Now you see why. Skye was one of the finalists.”
“That’s why I was crying,” Skye admits. “I had my heart broken on that show.”
“But now she’s here, doing a magazine feature, and we’re going to make sure these cupcakes are perfect for her,” I say, changing the subject.
“Now you’re talking,” Cade says, following my lead. He wanders over to the kitchen countertop, where I have the tasting plates set up. “And thanks to your baking skills, I’ll be at the optional skate tomorrow burning this off.”
Maxime and Skye are still staring at each other in shock, but I decide to go ahead and talk cupcakes.
“Okay, if everyone can take a plate,” I instruct, passing them out, “I’ll tell you what is in front of you.”
“I feel like a judge on a baking show,” Jude says.
I laugh. “I know, right? Oh, Sierra, your plate is obviously the one without the brownie batter cupcake.”
“Bless you,” Sierra teases.
After everyone has a plate and a fork, I do my little presentation.
“Today you have three cupcakes to sample,” I say. “First, we have the Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice. It’s a cinnamon spice cake filled with snickerdoodle cookie dough and topped with brown sugar Italian buttercream. Next, we have Chocolate Brownie Bliss, which is a chocolate cupcake made with Callebaut cacao powder. It has a lush brownie batter filling and is topped with dark chocolate whipped ganache, also made with Callebaut chocolate.”
I see Maxime’s eyes light up as Callebaut is a famous Belgian chocolate company.
“You know your chocolate,” Maxime says.
“I do,” I say, smiling at him. “Lastly, we have the Sweetheart Cupcake, which is a vanilla and cherry Funfetti cupcake topped with cherry buttercream and adorned with a conversation heart. I hope you enjoy.”
“These look beautiful, sweetheart,” Cade says, cutting into the Sugar and Spice cupcake. “She’s so talented,” he tells Maxime.
Warmth radiates through my cheeks from Cade’s compliment.
I hold my breath as everyone begins to eat.
“Please be honest,” I implore. “If something isn’t working, I need to know. These are the ref
ined recipes, and Tiffany will taste them tomorrow one more time for final approval.”
“Mmm,” Jude sighs after taking a bite. “This is brilliant.”
“Oh,” Skye moans, “I’m in love with the Funfetti cupcake. It’s delicious and so fun. It’s perfect. This is me. In a cupcake.”
I glance at Maxime, who still hasn’t taken his eyes off Skye.
“I agree with Jude,” Sierra says after trying the cinnamon spice one and interrupting my thoughts. “The cinnamon one is my favorite. You balanced the spices nicely. And it has a great crumb.”
I grin. Sierra and I can speak in the foodie language that the others can’t.
“Thank you,” I say, nodding.
“I like the cherry confetti one the best,” Cade says, polishing it off. “I love anything with cherries in it.”
I smile to myself. I’ve been working on a holiday pound cake recipe for Cade for Christmas, and knowing how much he loves cherries, I’m developing a cherry vanilla one just for him. I’m keeping that a surprise for later, though.
“The chocolate one is my favorite,” Maxime says. “The center—how did you get it to stay a batter?”
“Bakers have secrets. That’s one of mine.”
“Josephine can be very operative-like in her work,” Cade says, winking at me as he makes a sly reference to our briefcase banter.
We continue to eat and talk, and it turns out to be a fun evening. I notice Skye stealing little glances at Maxime throughout the night, too, and I can’t help but hope something will eventually happen between them.
“I should get going,” Maxime says finally. “I have to drive back to Boulder.”
“Will you be at optional skate tomorrow?” Cade asks.
“Yeah, I’ll be there,” Maxime says, sliding off his barstool seat. “Jupe, you skating?”
“I have to after all these cupcakes,” Jude groans.
“Sorry,” I apologize. “I won’t ask you to taste my next project.”
“Oh, I’m not saying that,” Jude says, grinning.
“No, you need to say that,” Cade insists. “She’s cooking with bugs for the next project. Unless you fancy a cupcake with mealworms, then you can have at it, Jupe.”
