“I hope so,” Grant replied, “because if she doesn’t, she won’t be a part of Andre’s life. I won’t have him grow up watching his grandmother get drunk.” When he’d returned home during college, the mother he’d once known, who was always home after school, who came to every sporting event and cooked a slew of food when his friends came over, was gone. She’d been replaced by a sullen and withdrawn woman. Often, he would walk in during the middle of the day to find her three sheets to the wind.
“I completely understand.” His father nodded in agreement. “You’re very protective of Andre.”
“I have a lot of time to make up for. And not just to him, to Shari. I feel like we wasted so much time apart when we could have been a family from the start.”
“Don’t beat yourself up too much, son,” his father said. “You’re doing all you can now. Have you told Shari how you feel?”
Grant looked at him in confusion. “What do you mean?”
“Have you told her that you’re in love with her?”
Love. The four-letter word he’d been avoiding saying out loud. He hadn’t really ever said it to anyone, not even to Dina. The word scared him. He was more a man of action and showing Shari how he felt about her rather than tell her. Although he knew she was independent, he wanted her to know that he would take care of her always. “No, I haven’t.”
“Why the heck not? What are you waiting for?” his father inquired. “People need to hear you say you love them. Maybe if I had said it more to your mother, she wouldn’t be in the place she’s in now. And if I’d said it to you, you wouldn’t have felt the need to disappear out of our lives.”
Regret resonated in his father’s voice and caused tears to form in Grant’s eyes. “Say it now, Dad.”
“I love you, Grant. I always have and I always will. You’re my boy.” With one arm, he reached over and pulled Grant into a hug.
Grant couldn’t remember the last time his father had hugged him, but he was glad he had now. If a man as proud as his father could admit he’d made mistakes, maybe it was time Grant did the same. It was time to tell Shari that she was the love of his life. That all the women before her had merely been placeholders for her. And there was no better time than the present. The last face-off with Dina was sure to cause Shari anxiety, and whether Lillian’s won or lost, knowing that Grant was beside her, loved her, would be the icing on the cake for Shari.
Grant rose to his feet. “Dad, I have to go. Would you and Mom be willing to watch Andre? You can meet Shari and me back at the hotel.” Grant checked his watch. “Say 8:00 p.m.? It’s a long day of filming.”
“You would leave him with us?” his father asked, surprised by his son’s faith in him.
Grant nodded. “I trust you. And I have someplace I need to be and that’s with the woman I love.” There, he’d said the words.
“Go get her, son.”
Chapter 13
Shari was nervous. The judges had been divided on Round 2 on who’d made the best cake featuring Iron Man for the third movie’s premiere. All three judges had been complimentary about Lillian’s Iron Man cake creation in which they’d had to use crispy rice bars for the bulk and height of the superhero and air brushing to get the desired color, but they had eventually chosen Brown Sugar Bakery as the final winner. The judges felt Brown Sugar Bakery did a slightly better job. Shari tried not to let it get her down and reminded herself that it wouldn’t be much of a show if Lillian’s swept all of the challenges. Of course they had to let Dina win. Or at least that’s what she told herself.
Since the country was the United States, in the third and final challenge, the show tasked the bakers with paying homage to men and women in uniform by making a custom cake and display that represented America for a military gala later that day.
“Since we’re asking you to create a masterpiece in four hours,” the host said, “we’ll give you a craftsman to help with the display and some helpers in the kitchen.” He pointed to six women standing nearby on the set.
Shari looked at Drake, Malik and Monica sitting in the audience and blurted out, “I don’t need any helpers. I have my family. Can they assist us?”
The host raised a brow and looked at the producers. They’d clearly never had a contestant try to change the rules. The producer was shrugging his shoulders, so the host turned to Dina. “Does Brown Sugar Bakery have a problem with Lillian’s using their own bakers?”
“Perhaps they think they need the help,” Dina said pointedly, looking directly at Shari. “I’m confident that I’ll be fine with your bakers. Why don’t you come over?” She motioned the women over to her table.
“Well, then.” The host turned to Shari’s family sitting in the audience. “Drayson family, c’mon up.”
Drake, Malik and Monica eagerly left their seats in the audience to come on the set and don aprons.
“Great idea!” Drake whispered to Shari. “Call in reinforcements when you need help.”
Shari was surprised by Drake’s off-handed compliment. She didn’t know if he meant she couldn’t handle the task or that he was happy to be included, but she chose the latter. “Thanks. Now huddle up, team.” She motioned her family forward.
The producer seemed to love the Drayson family camaraderie and had several cameras focused solely on them. Shari noticed Dina glaring at her and shrugged her shoulders before returning to the group.
It was a daunting task, but together, the Drayson clan came up with a display that would incorporate the five arms of the military, and the cake would be decorated in red, blue and white fondant and vanilla buttercream. They would top the cake with American flags, stars, dog tags and medals made of fondant. Doing each fondant piece individually would be time consuming, but Shari was sure the cake and display would be a winner.
Malik, Carter and Drake would focus on crafting the delicate pieces of fondant into works of art while Shari, Belinda and Monica would make the cake batter for the enormous four-foot tiered cake.
They barely had time to finish the batter before the host was calling a break. The Drayson team left the set for a fifteen-minute break.
“So how do you think you’re doing?” Grandma Lillian asked when they came to the audience seating area. She looked at Shari since she was running lead.
“Good, good,” Shari said confidently. “It’ll be tough, but we’ll do it. Won’t we?” She looked at her cousins for affirmation.
“Yes, you will,” Grant said from behind her grandmother.
Shari’s heart turned over in her chest. What was he doing here without Andre?
Grant saw the concerned look on Shari’s face. “Don’t worry. Andre’s with my parents. I thought you could use some moral support.”
Her mouth spread into a wide grin. “Thank you. It’s a dead heat right now, but I’m positive Lillian’s will take it home.”
“Glad to hear it. Well, I’ll just be here in the background if you need me,” Grant said, joining her parents.
The buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the break and they returned to the set. Over the next hour, Shari and her family worked as a unit, prepping and putting the cakes in the convection oven. When the next break was called, Shari was happy with their progress. That’s until she saw Dina leaving the set and walking over to Grant in the audience.
All color drained from Shari’s face. What was Dina up to now? She was finally in a good place with Grant and didn’t want any drama.
* * *
The producer watched Shari on set and walked over to the director. “The action is happening off set.” He inclined his head to Dina who was walking up the stairs toward Grant. “And look at the wife.” He glanced at Shari, staring daggers at Dina from across the room. “Get it all on film.”
“Are you sure this is the direction you want to go? It’s invasion of the contesta
nts’ privacy,” the director pleaded. “They didn’t sign up to have their personal life on television. They signed up for a baking competition.”
The producer waved him off. “Just do as I say, okay?”
* * *
Grant sighed when he saw Dina climbing the steps. He was not ready for another go-round with his ex-wife. He wanted to keep the peace today for Shari’s sake.
“May I have a word?” Dina asked.
Grant looked at the stage and saw how upset Shari was. This was bad timing. Shari needed to be focused on the competition not on his conversation with Dina. “Now is not a good time.”
“This won’t take long.”
“Fine.” Grant sighed. He wasn’t oblivious to the curious stares Shari’s family was giving him as he walked down the steps and away from the set. He did notice however that a cameraman was holding a camera nearby, but why would they film him? He wasn’t even part of the competition, so Grant ignored him.
“Before I leave here today I just want to reiterate to you that I had no idea Shari was pregnant when we graduated. If you believe nothing else, believe that,” Dina said.
“You don’t have to explain anything at this point, Dina.”
“I know, but I just need you to know that I’m not the kind of person to keep a parent from their child.” Dina spoke with quiet, but desperate, firmness.
“You’re just the type to keep your best friend from the man she wanted,” Shari said from behind her.
Dina spun around and rolled her eyes upward. “Not this again. Listen, Shari. It’s not my fault you had a cheap one-night stand with Grant and you weren’t woman enough to step up to him at the time. But you need to stop blaming me for your troubles. I repeat, I did not know you were pregnant.”
“Cheap?” Shari said, her voice becoming louder. “Maybe you should look in the mirror. You were the one that went after my leftovers.”
“Ladies, ladies.” Grant tried to step in between the two women, but Dina pushed him out of the way and stepped directly in front of Shari.
“Your leftovers?” Dina laughed shrilly, throwing her head back. “You didn’t even know what to do with Grant. I’m the one that became his wife first. You’re never going to be anything other than second best!”
“You witch!” Shari lurched after Dina, but Grant grabbed her by the waist with her legs kicking and flailing to prevent her from attacking Dina.
“Back at you!” Dina continued her rant. “If Grant hadn’t found out about Andre you’d be a dried-up spinster. Why? Because you’ve always been your family’s walk-off mat. You’ve been so busy trying to fit into their image of how you should be, you don’t even know yourself.”
The entire Drayson family had rushed out of their seats when Dina went after Shari. They came to stand behind her now in a united front against Dina.
“We got your back.” Shari was surprised to hear Drake whisper.
Tears started rolling down Shari’s cheeks. Dina’s words were cutting her like a knife. But this time she fought back, wiping away her tears. “You were the one who was nothing more than an orphan in college.”
Dina cringed at Shari’s words as if she’d been physically punched, and clutched her stomach.
“My family took you in. We treated you as part of our family. I brought you into Lillian’s. Without us and the training we gave, where would you be? But instead of showing us some appreciation, you bit off the hand that fed you. And you think you’re better than me? I don’t think so. Look who I’ve got!” Shari motioned to her family behind her. “I’ve got my family and the man I love.” Then she noticed that the camera was rolling and that You Take the Cake had been filming their entire interlude.
Dear Lord, what had she done? Had she really just told the world and Grant that she loved him?
Dina broke into tears. “You’re right. You have everything, Shari. You have a family who loves you, a career that’s in your blood and thanks to the Drayson family wealth, more money that you know what do with. You’ve never had to worry a day in your life.”
“And you were jealous of me, weren’t you?” Shari asked. “So you lied to Grant about me and Thomas so you could have him for yourself. For once in your life, admit the truth, Dina.”
“Fine. I was jealous,” Dina admitted with a stiff upper lip. “And when I saw you and Grant together, it was one more thing that you had that I didn’t. The one thing I could count on was being popular and beautiful and sexy.”
“You had something else, Dina,” Shari said, coming forward. “You had me.”
“And now I don’t,” Dina replied bitterly, stepping backward. “And now you’ve taken something from me this time. You have my ex-husband. Does that make you feel good, Shari?”
Shari stared at Dina and saw the hatred, the jealously, the contempt in her eyes and couldn’t take it a second longer. Pushing past her family, she dashed out of the studio. A cameraman was on her heels, but she outran him and rushed out the building.
* * *
Grant had been silent while the women hashed out their past, but he was not going to stand idly by a second longer. “This is not a game, Dina. I am not some prize to be won.”
“I...I didn’t mean it like that,” Dina began, but Grant cut her off.
“I will not let you cause my wife another minute of pain. I love her, Dina. I always have. It was always Shari.” And with that comment, he raced after Shari.
When a cameraman tried to follow Grant, he turned on his heel and warned, “You follow me and you’ll regret it.”
The cameraman held up his hands in defeat and slowly began backing away.
Grant found Shari outside across from the studio warehouse, pacing the pavement. “Can I talk to you?”
“I just humiliated myself in front of millions of people and put all of our business out there for the entire world to hear.” Shari sniffed, pointing to the building. “You must be sorry you ever met me.”
“I’m only sorry that Dina and I hurt you so much back then.” He rushed toward her and gently wiped the tears from her face with the pads of his thumbs. “I had no idea back then how you felt about me.”
“It’s not your fault,” Shari said, shaking her head. “I didn’t speak up. I just let Dina sink her claws into you and then when I found out I was pregnant, I didn’t tell you the truth. That’s on me.”
“We can’t rewrite the past,” Grant said. His eyes brimmed with tenderness. “What’s done is done. All we can do now is start fresh.”
“Really?” Shari asked, blinking back tears. “You mean you don’t want to divorce me for humiliating you?”
“Quite the opposite,” Grant said, bending down on one knee in the middle of the studio lot. “I’d like you to marry me.”
Shari looked confused. “We’re already married.”
“I know, but I want to do it right this time. I want to recommit myself to you.”
“You do?”
“Yes.” Grant smiled up at Shari. Her eyes were glistening with tears, but she’d stopped crying. He was happy because he was finally going to say what had been in his heart for some time. And now that he knew Shari felt the same, he was ready to shout it from the rooftops. “I love you, Shari. From the moment we met in college, I thought you were something special, but you didn’t seem to notice. I thought you weren’t interested in me. We traveled in different circles back then. But then that night, when we made love, I thought okay, she is interested. She wants me, too. But then you told me our night together didn’t mean anything and it broke my heart. And if truth be told, my pride was wounded.”
“I had no idea.”
“How could you? Because I stupidly started dating Dina. She pursued me and I let her. It was a mistake marrying her. One that I will regret until the day I die. And then a few months ago, I heard a
bout this rising baker in Chicago named Carter Drayson and I decided to come see for myself if you were still as smart and beautiful as I remembered. Imagine my surprise when I found out about Andre. I was so angry with you for keeping the truth from me that I couldn’t see straight.”
“Is that why you browbeat me into marrying you?”
Grant colored. “I know our marriage didn’t start out on the right foot. But the last few weeks have reminded me that the feelings I once had are not only still there, but have grown stronger. The bottom line, Shari, is that I love you and I can’t imagine my life without you.”
Finally. He’d told her how he felt, and now he saw tears fill Shari’s brown eyes. “I want to have a real marriage,” Grant continued. “I want to share my bed and my life with you. I want more babies with you. And if you’ll have me, I’ll spend the rest of my days proving to you that you are not second best or runner-up. You and Andre come first with me, always.”
Shari clutched her chest. “Oh, Grant, I love you, too!” She threw herself into his arms and started planting kisses all over his face. “And I’ll happily marry you again and reconfirm our vows because I am hopelessly, desperately in love with you.”
“Oh, Shari.” Grant went to kiss her again, but Shari held her index finger to his lips.
“I am so sorry I kept Andre from you, but I’m so thankful that you can forgive me and we can start over. I want to have a dozen of your babies.”
“Well, a dozen is kind of a lot,” Grant said, laughing as he held Shari in his arms.
“Okay, well, maybe not a dozen. All you need to know is that I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
“But first you have to get back inside and finish that show,” Grant said. His face turned serious. “Your Grandma, hell, your entire family is counting on you.”
Shari shook her head. “I don’t know if I can go back in there, Grant. I humiliated myself in front of my family, in front of the world. And Dina. All those awful things we said to each other. We can’t take those statements back.”
Delicious Destiny Page 16
