Takes the Cake

by Lynn Chantale

  Footsteps neared. “Someone’s coming,” Liz said in a harsh whisper. She pushed against the hard masculine body pinning her in place and struggled to right her clothes. Her panties were tangled in her pants, and she couldn’t pull them right.

  Keegan grinned, straightened, and dragged a hand through his hair before he pulled up his jeans and zipped them. She ducked down behind the counters as the double doors swung open.

  “Where’s Liz?”

  She recognized the voice of the wedding planner. Liz hurried to free her clothes and yank them into place.

  “She stepped out for a moment,” Keegan replied smoothly.

  A pair of sensible walking shoes came into view, and Keegan shifted to keep her hidden.

  “Too bad. I need her to double-check a few things on the menu for tomorrow.”

  Liz stifled a groan. She didn’t need any more last-minute menu changes.

  “If you see her, could you let her know I need to speak with her?”

  “Certainly.”

  The sensible shoes disappeared from view, and Liz peeked around the corner in time to see the double doors swing shut.

  “She’s gone.” Keegan held out his hand.

  Liz grasped his fingers and allowed him to pull her to her feet. “I wonder what changes need to be made now.”

  He rested his hands on her waist and drew her close. “Probably to check that the ice sculptures are what she ordered.”

  She chuckled. “Probably. I should go freshen up. I’ve still got a very long day ahead of me.”

  “Are you sure you have to go?”

  She nodded. “I also need to finish the cake.”

  He grasped her hand and faced the cake. “There may be something to this cake business.”

  “Seriously? We’re back to that again?” She shook off his hand. “I listen to what my clients say. There is nothing mystical or prophetic about what I do. I make cakes. The couples are responsible for making their marriages work, not the caterer.”

  “So how do you explain that the couples who are still together had elaborate cakes at their weddings and the ones who had simple cakes, like my sister’s here, are now divorced?”

  Liz shrugged. “Coincidence. All I can say is that I gave them what they wanted.”

  “I think you should change it.”

  “Why? Why does it mean so much to you?” She met and held his gaze. Some emotion she couldn’t define flickered through his irises. He blinked and it was gone.

  “She’s my sister, and this is the most important day of her life. She should have the best.”

  “It’s admirable that you care so much for your sister’s happiness. Are you somehow saying that I’m not giving my best?”

  He ducked his head, a faint blush reddening his cheeks. “I would never say anything like that.”

  “Then why would you think this”—she swept a hand toward the half-finished wedding cake—“isn’t the best I have to offer?”

  “Your work is beautiful.”

  She waited a beat. “Is Caroline your younger sister?”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Yeah, why do you ask?”

  “Normally, I see this with sisters. I think you’re jealous.”

  “Not a chance,” he scoffed.

  “Your reaction reminds me of a wedding I catered a few years back. Three sisters. The youngest got married first, and the eldest sister kept nitpicking at every little thing I did.” She eyed him a moment. “Sorta like you’re doing with the cake.”

  He chuckled. “That’s ridiculous.”

  She detected a bit of uncertainty in his voice. “Is it?”

  “Well, is this the type of cake you’d have at your wedding?”

  A smile flirted at the corners of her mouth. He’d never asked anything like this before, and to be asked now warmed and amused her. “I don’t want a traditional wedding cake. Something like a poker table or a treasure chest will be my cake. Not this.”

  “Really?” He tilted his head to the side.

  She nodded.

  “I’d have thought you’d like something with scrolls and those pretty sugar flowers and whatever else you do.”

  She laughed and pushed her glasses up on her nose. “This is what I get for hopping on the counter with the bride’s brother. No, I’m a little nontraditional in what I want. Actually, a themed wedding wouldn’t be out of the question.”

  “You mean something like a cake shaped liked the TARDIS?”

  Liz gasped. “You’re into Doctor Who?” The show was one of her favorites, and often she could never get him to watch with her.

  “Ever since I discovered the series during my therapy sessions. The show has just enough to keep me guessing about everything.” He ducked his head. “And watching it reminded me of you.”

  “Yeah?”

  He nodded.

  She studied him with renewed respect. “Yeah. I’d go for something like that big blue police box.”

  “All right.”

  “What type of cake would you like?”

  He opened his mouth and then closed it.

  “Think about that while I find out what Martha wanted.”

  KEEGAN WATCHED THE sexy sashay of her hips as she left the kitchen via the back door. He placed a hand over his heart as he exhaled. The woman was pure dynamite. He’d love to take her out after the wedding and resume their prior relationship.

  Was that what he wanted? To pick up where they’d left off? How stupid could he be? He’d had the perfect woman in his life, and he’d let her go without a fight. He figured he could easily replace her with another pretty face. He’d been so wrong.

  He stared at the wedding cake on the counter. Liz had raised some valid points. Maybe he was a tad envious that his little sister was getting married. Sure, he’d thought about marriage, but he could never seem to find the right woman. Or at the least the one or two he’d found hadn’t struck him as till death us do part, but Liz…

  He turned to study the cake. The smooth, white layers rose majestically from the counter like a miniature feat of architecture. Scrolls and climbing vines crept along the sides as if a careful hand hadn’t placed them there. Delicate five-petal flowers mingled with the greenery. Maybe the cake design wasn’t as plain as he’d originally thought. This was very detailed and very beautiful.

  A stab of remorse sliced through his gut. He owed Liz an apology and so much more. Actually, he owed his sister one too. And speaking of Caro, he needed to find her and tell her what a huge mistake she was making by marrying David.

  Liz sat on a stone bench staring at the menu changes. She wiped a hand down her face, hoping the words would rearrange themselves. When they didn’t, she blew out a long, slow breath. Lamb chops instead of chicken. Asparagus in addition to the green beans. And now Caroline wanted to add macaroni and cheese? That would have been fine if it hadn’t been the day before the wedding. Another exhale. She could do this. All she had to do was check where they were with the prep and then go shopping for what they didn’t have. After she finished the cake.

  On top of all that, she had to play keep-away from Keegan, which wasn’t working. Her pulse raced just thinking about their interlude in the kitchen and then nearly being caught by Martha. Liz shook her head. That definitely wouldn’t have made a good impression on the event planner. No sense in wasting any more time. She stood, brushing pollen from her slacks, and then tucked the folded page into her pocket.

  Murmured voices and a lilting giggle captured her attention. She swiveled in that direction. Curious, she followed the sounds until she caught a glimpse of white skin.

  She ducked behind a nearby tree. The coarse bark scraped her palms and grabbed at her clothing as she pressed against the wood. Leaves rustled and twigs snapped on the bush to her left as the noises grew a little more amorous. Heat touched her cheeks as she realized she’d stumbled into a very private tryst.

  As quietly as she could, she stepped away from the tree, intending to make a fast getaway. The nex
t words stilled her.

  “Christian, we’ve got to tell David.”

  Liz pressed closer to the tree, hoping her ears deceived her. She peeked around the wide base and caught a glimpse of golden-blonde ringlets. A moment later, a set of broad shoulders filled her vision, but he turned before she could catch a glimpse of his face.

  “Are you sure you want to do this? It’s the day before your wedding,” Christian said.

  “I love David, but I’m in love with you. I’d rather walk down the aisle looking at you than spend the rest of my life running behind his back to meet you.”

  Liz clamped a hand over her mouth to hold in her gasp. Was Caroline’s tryst with Christian the reason for all the recent menu changes? More twigs snapped as zippers slid and straps popped. She crouched behind the tree, hoping they hadn’t seen her.

  “Then let’s tell him together.”

  She waited until their footsteps faded before she rose to her feet. Before she could fully leave her hiding spot, a pretty brunette approached the couple.

  Fascinated, Liz watched the women link arms and walk a short distance away. For a moment, their voices rose and then lowered. The brunette turned away, her face red. Caroline shook her head and glanced toward Christian, then at a point past his shoulder.

  Curious, Liz stepped from the shelter of the tree and saw the groom. Now this was an interesting turn of events. She didn’t have time to watch the drama any longer, but she also didn’t want to be seen.

  Liz waited until they were gone and then hurried up the paved stone walk toward the main house. Regardless of what happened, she still had a wedding to cater.

  As she neared the back door, shouted curses, yelling, and banging pots reached her ears. Liz raced up the walk, flung open the door, and skidded to a halt. Two bodies were engaged in a fist fight in the middle of the kitchen. Her staff rushed back and forth, trying to separate the two combatants, but that only led to silver hotel pans crashing to the floor or foodstuffs careening onto walls or people.

  “I told you not to tell her,” David yelled.

  Keegan dodged David’s fist as it whizzed by his nose and then Keegan sucker punched David in the stomach. David double over but recovered enough to grab the tail of Keegan’s shirt. The two grappled, banging into the stainless-steel prep tables. Each step brought them closer to the unfinished wedding cake waiting on the end.

  The clanging and grunts spurred Liz from her initial shock as she realized the cake was in danger.

  “Stop!”

  No one heeded her frantic order. She rushed forward only to slip in a puddle of slick liquid. She stutter-stepped and windmilled her arms to maintain her balance, but it was too late. She hit the floor hard enough to rattle the fillings in her teeth. Blood, metallic and coppery, exploded in her mouth as she bit her tongue.

  She looked on in horror as the men bounced from counter to tables in some weird game of human bumper cars. Keegan managed to break free of David. The man stumbled back, ripped polo shirt in hand.

  “I told you, I didn’t tell her. Haven’t even seen her to tell her.”

  “Liar!” David charged Keegan, and the two went careening into the table with the cake.

  “No!” Liz wailed. The tiers wobbled dangerously, sliding forward. She held her breath, transfixed, praying that the confection wouldn’t fall. She gained her knees as they bumped the table again. The cake teetered on the edge.

  Keegan shoved David aside and the table with the cake was between them. Keegan grabbed the cake, moving it back on the table. David rushed him again. Keegan shoved the cake at David.

  A collective gasp whipped through the kitchen as David and the cake crashed to the floor. Liz met Keegan’s hazel stare. If she wasn’t mistaken, remorse shadowed his irises. He opened his mouth to speak, and she shook her head.

  Someone helped her to stand. She was aware of the crowd that had gathered, but she didn’t care. “It’s bad enough I’ve had to put up with your complaints and such but to start a fight in the kitchen.” She limped forward.

  “I didn’t start this fight,” Keegan snapped. “I was defending myself.”

  “I don’t care!” she shouted. “You didn’t like the cake in the first place, and this is your way of making sure it doesn’t happen.”

  He held his hands out, palms up. “We didn’t mean for this to happen.”

  “You hit him with the cake!”

  Keegan looked away. “Well, I—”

  “Out!” She lifted her arm and stabbed a finger toward the swinging doors. “If you are not on staff as a caterer, get out of my kitchen.”

  People scrambled to leave while her staff slowly dragged trash cans and brooms toward the chaos created. A few of the onlookers carefully helped David to his feet. If she weren’t so angry, Liz would’ve laughed at the cake-covered man.

  “At least let a few of us help you clean up,” Keegan offered.

  She glared at him. “Your help has put us twelve hours behind schedule.” She blinked to clear the angry tears blurring her vision. The only way she was going to get things done was to work through the night. They would all have to work through the night. Then a thought struck her. There may not even be a wedding now.

  “I think you’re being unreasonable.”

  For one long moment, she stared at him, silently cursing him to hell and back. She spun on her heel and stalked away. If she stayed, she’d be tempted to slap him silly.

  “Liz.” He grabbed her arm and pulled her to a halt.

  She jerked away from him. “Keep your hands to yourself, buddy.”

  “You have to know I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

  “You got your wish. The cake has been destroyed, and so has any chance you had with me.”

  Chapter Five

  Keegan stared after her, not sure if he should follow or stay put. He retrieved his shirt from the floor and tugged it over his head. He glanced around and realized all the workers were staring at him with a mixture of disdain and pity. Quite frankly, he didn’t blame them as he surveyed the kitchen.

  Pans of food dotted the tile like a bad game of dodgeball, while small lakes of what appeared to be gravy, marinara, and oil collided to form a river of sorts and stretched toward the drain in the middle of the floor. Worst of all was the wedding cake. The dark brown, almost black innards spilled over the once pristine icing to litter the floor like a macabre outline. Not even the pillars that had been placed between the tiers remained intact. The broken shards rose like spindly bones from the crumbs. Nothing from the creation was salvageable.

  He shook his head and trudged through the double doors, head bowed and shoulders slumped. Maybe the wedding wouldn’t go forth as planned. It couldn’t now that Caroline knew about David and Sandra. Surely his sister wasn’t going to still marry that two-timing louse.

  Keegan dragged a hand through his hair, then lowered his arm to inspect the abraded flesh on his knuckles. Nothing a little antiseptic wouldn’t help. He had only been defending his person. David had thrown the first punch, and well, one thing led to another until…until they’d managed to destroy a wedding cake and whatever chance Keegan had with Liz.

  He exhaled and leaned against a nearby wall. The coolness of the plaster seeped into his back, rivaling the ice forming around his heart. What had he been thinking grabbing that cake? That was the thing—he hadn’t been thinking. He just reacted. Both the cake and David went down.

  There had to be a way to placate Liz. He couldn’t lose her now. Not over something as trivial as a fist fight. Even though he hadn’t agreed with the design, he respected the work and time she’d invested in the project. And the thing had been very beautiful in its simplicity. He was sorry it had been destroyed, but worse was thinking he’d ruined everything with Liz. Again.

  “I can’t believe you got in a fist fight with the ex-groom,” Christian said.

  Keegan peeled one lid back and stared at the best man. “Yeah. Well. He started it.”

  The oth
er man laughed. “What are you? Four? That excuse never works.”

  Despite the situation, his lips quirked upward. “It’s the truth.”

  “He surprised me, ya know. I had no idea David could fight.”

  Keegan winged a brow. “He’s your best friend. I thought you knew everything about him.”

  The other man shrugged. “He keeps a few things to himself. So, why are you looking so glum?”

  “Fight in the kitchen and I’ve ruined my sister’s wedding.” He scrubbed the heel of his hand down his face. “Has she called the wedding off?”

  Christian looked away. Keegan narrowed his gaze. Was that a flinch or did the man stiffen?

  “Dunno, but it will interesting to see what she does next.”

  Despite the light and easy tone, Keegan detected an edge in Christian’s voice. “I should go talk to her and apologize. She has to know I didn’t mean for this to happen.” He pushed off the wall, and Christian caught him by the arm. Keegan paused.

  “The wedding isn’t the only thing bothering you,” Christian said.

  “No, but it’s the only thing that matters at the moment.”

  “I told her!” Sandra stared at Caroline a moment before looking at each of the men seated in the parlor.

  The families were seated in chairs or making use of the wet bar. At least David and Christian were on opposite sides of the room. They all seemed to have some variation of concern or interest on their faces.

  Keegan shook his head as he rubbed his glass across his knuckles. Maybe the maid of honor wasn’t as dumb as he thought.

  “I told you, Sandra…” David began.

  “No, David. I told you I would tell her. I will not be second in your life.”

  Caro cleared her throat. “That’s fine. I should probably be angry, but I was coming to tell David that I didn’t want to marry him anymore.”

  A collective gasp rose, and Keegan sat a little straighter. Interesting.

  David shifted in his seat to stare at Caroline. “Why? I thought we had something.”

  Caro offered a gentle smile. “We did, but I’m in love with Christian. He’s the man I want to marry.”