by J. S. Scott
“I just don’t want to disappoint you,” I confessed.
Really, I knew I could handle doing the cake. I think it was time for me to stop denying that I wasn’t capable of making things because I hadn’t had the schooling. I’d been under the tutelage of an incredible pastry chef for years, even though I’d been young at the time. And I’d soaked up everything she’d ever taught me and now I’d even added my own twist.
Maybe I didn’t know the business part of being a pastry chef, but I sure as hell could bake just about anything Dani wanted, even a huge wedding cake. My mother and I had done plenty of them.
“Please, Ruby,” Dani cajoled.
I wanted to repay her kindness to me. And this seemed so small compared to what she’d done for me.
I nodded. “I can do it. Did you do a tasting? Did you decide on the flavors you want?”
“We did,” she said excitedly. “Or actually, Harper and I did. Marcus said he didn’t care what kind of cake I got as long as I liked it. My husband-to-be likes to pretend that he doesn’t like sweets, but he actually loves them. I don’t think he really has a favorite. He pretty much swipes any kind of ice cream I have.”
“Do you have a bigger kitchen I can use? I can let you try my version of your flavors and see if you’re okay with them. Or we could even try a few varieties you haven’t tried.”
“Do we have time to do it?” Dani said excitedly. “You can help yourself to the catering kitchen at Mom’s resort.”
I grinned at Dani and Harper. “Then we’re in business. I can start early in the morning and have some stuff ready for you to try by the afternoon. My mother owned a catering business back in Ohio. I’m used to working under pressure. In fact, I’m pretty sure I thrive on it.”
I never felt better than when I was juggling multiple projects around in a kitchen. For some reason, I loved to experience creativity in the middle of chaos.
“You’re on. But Ruby, I’d like to pay you,” Dani ventured carefully.
“Absolutely not,” I answered firmly. “Dani, you saved my life. And even though this will never repay what you did for me, I’d like you to let me do this for you as a token of my gratitude. And as a friend who wants to give you a wedding gift.”
Tears were flowing down her cheeks as she replied tearfully, “As a friend, I accept, but only because I know you have a boyfriend who’s loaded. You don’t owe me any gratitude, Ruby. You’re an incredible woman. You’ve faced some pretty shitty odds, and still come out on top. I don’t know the whole story, but what I do know makes me proud to have you as my friend.”
Her words touched me, and I felt a door open in my soul.
I didn’t have to be loaded with money or things to see myself as a good person anymore.
I could accept my talent as something special and not something that I needed to explain.
I deserved friends who would treat me with respect.
And I could love Jett for exactly what he was…an extraordinary guy who just happened to be one of the richest men in the world.
“Thank you,” I answered after a few moments of hesitation. “That means a lot to me.”
Dani stood, and the rest of us got to our feet. “Is she pretty solvent right now?” she asked Jett. “Because if she is, Harper and I are going shopping, and we’re going to help her pick the perfect dress for the wedding.”
“I have some things,” I objected.
Harper shot me a smile. “Unless it’s something that’s ridiculously indulgent, and brand-new, we’re on our way to Denver.”
“It’s not new,” I admitted. I’d planned on wearing the dress that I’d bought when I’d done my first makeover. “But it’s fine.”
“Fine isn’t going to cut it, sister,” Dani said as she punched my arm playfully. “Jett is going to be in a tux because he’s in the wedding. You need something amazingly sexy.”
Strangely, that idea appealed to me a lot.
“Nothing too sexy,” Jett grumbled. “I don’t like other guys checking her out.”
“Caveman much?” Harper teased.
Dani wriggled her eyebrows at me. “Don’t worry. Harper and I have a couple of Neanderthals ourselves.”
I laughed as Harper and Dani grabbed my hands and started to pull me toward the door.
“Wait!” Jett demanded.
We all hesitated while he strode over and gave me a toe-curling kiss, and then said, “Don’t let these two get you into trouble. If you need more money, just text me and I’ll make a transfer.”
“I have almost two million dollars in my accounts,” I gasped. “Nobody can spend that much money in one day.”
He caught my chin and tipped my head up. Our eyes met for a moment and my stomach actually fluttered at the intensity of his gaze.
“Have fun,” he said strongly. “I don’t care how much money you spend.”
“Okay,” I said, shooting him a smile that I hoped expressed just how much I appreciated having a man like him in my life.
His sisters urged me out of the house after I’d quickly grabbed my purse and a pair of comfortable shoes I was pretty sure I was going to need to keep up.
Ruby
“I wish I could help you,” Jett said unhappily as he watched me race from one side of the kitchen to the other.
Even though the hummingbird cake that Dani had chosen was something I was familiar with, I’d started the day before with making the layers consisting of bananas, coconut, pecans, pineapple, and cinnamon.
Luckily, Dani was having a relatively small crowd with only family and friends, but that still made up around a hundred guests since Marcus and Dani had both grown up here in Rocky Springs.
So she’d decided on three layers since she and Marcus weren’t into saving the top layer, which was a good thing in my opinion. No matter how hard anybody tried, year-old frozen wedding cake just wasn’t palatable with any type of preservation.
Probably by billionaire standards, the cake was ridiculously simple. The rich and famous generally went overboard to make their cake look spectacular. Fortunately, Dani was all about how it tasted instead of making a statement. And I was determined to make it spectacular with delicious, edible things I could design over the buttercream frosting.
I looked at Jett, who was lounging against one of the cupboards. “I have it under control,” I reassured him.
“Never doubted it,” he shot back. “But I’m feeling a little useless.”
“You’re keeping me company, and getting me fed,” I reminded him.
He’d brought me lunch while I was working, and had insisted that I sit down to eat it.
“It wasn’t really difficult to order from the restaurant and give you the plate,” he said drily. “And it’s not a sacrifice to keep you company. I always want to be wherever you are.”
My heart tripped like it always did when he said something sweet. “It helps,” I told him.
“Then I guess I have to be okay with being a slacker,” he said with a grin.
God, I loved this man who got joy out of the simple things—like just being with me. I felt the same way, but I could never just blurt things out like Jett was capable of doing.
“I think we’re looking good,” I said as I examined the round table on wheels in front of me.
“Are you kidding? It looks fucking amazing,” Jett argued.
The cascade of flowers that I was doing down the front were almost completed, so I really only needed to do the detail work and decorate the table around the cake for presentation.
“Do you want to try it?” I asked as I shot him an impish smile.
“I think Dani would kill me,” he said, sounding disappointed.
“No she won’t,” I disagreed, and then went to the refrigerator to pull out a small layer cake.
Jett’s eyes lit up. “You made a
small one?”
“I made some extra batter and frosting.”
“Bring it, woman. I’ve been salivating over this cake all day.”
I snagged two plates, a knife, and a couple of forks on my way over to the counter.
Jett dug in the second his piece hit his plate, and his eyes almost rolled back in his head as he savored it. “Jesus, Ruby! It’s fucking fantastic.”
I ate more slowly. “It’s a Southern favorite, but my mother loved making it. I was glad Dani decided to go with it. It turns out really moist.”
“Everybody will be trying to steal you away from me,” he said grumpily.
I laughed. “Just because of my baking talents?” I teased.
He shook his head. “No. Your skill would be just one huge bonus, but it’s enough to push any guy over the edge.”
I blew off his silliness when I said, “Dani and Marcus look so happy together. All of the Colter couples do.”
“They are,” he agreed. “And Dani and Marcus were always meant to be together. It just never happened. It’s been a long time coming.”
“Were they childhood sweethearts?” I asked curiously.
“Nope. They hated each other. But I think they fought because they didn’t quite know what to make of the way they felt. Marcus and Dani are complete opposites, so on the surface, they don’t make sense at all. My best friend was a workaholic. He kind of reminds me of Mason. And Dani was a crazy risk-taker who rarely thought much about her safety.”
“Opposites attract?”
“In their case, yes. But it took a long time for those two hardheads to figure everything out.”
“I’m glad she’s going to be happy.”
“I’m glad she and Harper have figured out where they belong,” he added.
“Maybe you can all have a relationship now?” I hinted.
“Hell, Harper and Dani have already worked out a schedule to get us together during the year, so we’ll see them a lot.”
“I’m glad,” I said. “I really like both of them.”
“They like you, too,” he shared, and then went silent for a moment before he added, “My brothers will probably be more complicated.”
“I’m sure they will,” I agreed. How could things not be complicated when your brother slept with the woman you planned on marrying?
Honestly, I doubted I could ever like Carter, but he was Jett’s brother, so whatever happened was his decision to make.
He didn’t offer anything more, so I polished off my cake and said, “I better get back to work. This masterpiece needs to be done today.”
The wedding was taking place in the afternoon tomorrow, and the reception was following here at the resort.
“Hey,” Jett said as he caught my arm.
I turned to look at him, and saw the sadness in his eyes. I waited for him to speak. There was obviously bad blood between the two younger brothers, but Jett hadn’t gone beyond just telling me that Lisette and Carter had been intimate.
“There’s some things I’m just not ready to talk about. It’s not that I don’t want to, but I need to work it out for myself first.”
I moved forward and put my arms around his neck. “You don’t ever have to explain yourself to me,” I told him. “Just know that I’ll be here when you want to talk.”
He wrapped a powerful arm around my waist and kissed me until I was just a little dizzy with delight when he let me go and gave me a playful smack on the ass.
“Back to work, woman. I want to take you home,” he said in a wicked voice that I’d come to love so much.
“Then I’m all over getting this job done,” I squeaked.
“I’d much rather you be all over me,” he said huskily.
I finished the cake quicker than I’d planned. I was anticipating a very good night.
Ruby
The wedding ceremony for Marcus Colter and Danica Lawson was probably the most beautiful thing I’d ever experienced.
They’d made their own vows, breaking away from traditions, but the pastor still officiated the ceremony. It was unique, just like the two people getting married.
I looked down at the cake that had been carefully brought into the ballroom of the resort where the reception was now in full swing. I rearranged a few things that really didn’t require moving, wanting everything to look perfect for the couple who’d be here soon to cut it.
Jett had gone off to find Mason, who had been a late arrival right before the wedding had started. So I was just admiring the gorgeous venue and all the people who were there in the room.
The cake was officially ready, and I was proud of how it had turned out.
My hand went up to grasp my necklace, just like it had about a hundred times during the afternoon. Then it moved to my earrings, checking them before I dropped my hand again.
I knew I had to relax about the value of the sapphire set of jewelry I was wearing, a gift that Jett had just given me before we’d left for the wedding. But it was hard when I knew they were probably worth a small fortune.
Not that I didn’t love the necklace and earrings dripping with sapphires. Jett had chosen them because they were my birthstone, but it was slightly nerve-racking to be wearing something that probably was worth more than the BMW Jett had purchased for me.
Relax and pretend they’re fake.
In theory, it was a good idea. But my brain couldn’t seem to forget they were very, very real.
While I’d been in Denver with Dani and Harper, I’d purchased some inexpensive earrings while I was there. But nothing had prepared me for Jett’s gift.
The sapphire set was beautiful, and I’d cried all over him for being so considerate.
Relax and enjoy them!
I straightened my spine and remembered that they were just things.
I was grateful that I’d gotten a completely extravagant dress for the wedding, along with a bunch of other utterly decadent pieces to add to my wardrobe.
I was pretty sure my gift from Jett would have looked totally wrong with the dress I’d brought with me from Seattle, so I was glad I’d shelled out some money to get something a lot nicer. And sexier.
The black evening dress that Jett’s sisters had talked me into was, in their words, sexy enough to make a man beg, but not sexy enough to be trashy.
I smiled as I remembered the pained expression on Jett’s face when he’d seen the dress. The cut-out back and the hem that landed just above my knees had been a little bit too much for him, even though it was actually pretty tame compared to some of the others I’d seen.
The dress had been worth every penny when I saw the heat of desire in his eyes when he’d looked at me.
“How much money would it take to get you out of Jett’s life?” a low baritone asked smoothly from behind me, jolting me out of my thoughts.
I turned sharply, almost colliding with the large form that was now in front of me.
It was Jett’s brother, Carter. I hadn’t formally met him yet, but I’d seen him at the ceremony.
My first impression was that he was aesthetically very pleasing to look at, but his blue eyes were as cold as a glacier. Dark-haired like Jett, he also had some of his younger brother’s features, but he lacked any animation. Carter was as cold as Jett was warm. Everything, down to the smallest detail, was absolutely perfect. He looked at home in a tuxedo, like a male model who was taught to put on a sophisticated demeanor. But nothing about Carter seemed to be an act. I could almost feel the chill as I looked back at him.
“Excuse me?” I said politely, certain I’d heard him wrong because of the noise in the venue.
“You heard me,” he answered grimly, as though he’d read my mind.
“Why would I want to get out of Jett’s life?”
“I want to know how much money it will take to get you out of my b
rother’s life,” he rasped. “I want you gone, never to communicate with my brother again. How much? I’m willing to make giving up your sugar daddy worth it.”
“He’s not my sugar daddy,” I answered, getting irritated by Carter’s presumptions. “You know nothing about me.”
He lifted an arrogant brow. “On the contrary,” he said bitterly. “I know everything I need to know. You were homeless, and Jett loves to pick up strays. He gave you a place to stay, and because he was an easy mark, you manipulated everything you could from him. So far, I know he purchased you a new vehicle, and those pretty blue sapphires you’re wearing right now. I have no idea how much cash he’s laid out because I can’t get to his bank records, but I’m assuming he set you up well with money, too. Jett is nine years older than you, and he has limitations because of his accident, not to mention the fact that he’s severely scarred. But I suppose you can overlook those things when he’s giving you everything you want. Must look pretty good to you. The only thing you have to do is sleep with him. And I have a feeling that’s not a problem since I assume you were a prostitute when you met him.”
“I was not a hooker,” I denied angrily, folding my arms in a defensive act that helped me feel stronger.
Truth was, Carter Lawson was probably the most intimidating man I’d ever met, as well as one of the meanest. And I was feeling slightly vulnerable.
“Interesting,” he observed. “Too bad I have a hard time believing that.”
“I don’t give a damn what you believe,” I retorted.
“I can put a million dollars in your bank account tomorrow,” he said with nothing but steely determination in his voice.
“Your brother was a lot more generous,” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “He put in two million.”
“Five million,” he countered.
Did this man really think he could buy people’s actions? Did he really imagine that if he didn’t like somebody, he could just pay to make them disappear?
