But now, walking through the bakery doors, Charlotte felt a strange sense of fatigue. She wanted to turn around and walk right out the door, back to the ocean, back to… Gabe.
Gabe was the reason she felt this way. For the first time, there was something more than the bakery, something beyond its walls that made Charlotte feel restless. She wondered if Gabe felt it to. He’d come to see her so soon after last night as if he couldn’t stay away.
Charlotte smiled to herself as she put a sack of sugar into the fridge. Just as she closed the door, she realized what she was doing. She rolled her eyes and took the sugar back out and set it on the counter. She didn’t remember being this distracted at work when she was with Todd. For that matter, she didn’t remember Todd making her feel…
“Her Majesty is here.” Mary Ellen popped into the back with half lidded eyes.
Charlotte sighed. “Alright, I’m on my way.” She grabbed her notebook. Charlotte forced a smile just as Coco looked up. “Coco, lovely to see you again.”
“Yes, well, here I am,” Coco said breezily.
“Let’s sit down.”
“My fiancé can’t make it today. He promised to come but then canceled at the last minute. I guess I’ll just have to make all the decisions.”
“So did you make your final selection?” Charlotte asked, trying to hide the desperation in her voice.
Coco opened her own notebook that was overflowing with bits of paper and pictures. To Charlotte’s horror, nothing was even the remotely bit organized.
“It’s this one. This is the one,” Coco said as she delivered the magazine cut out with a large smile on her face.
Charlotte’s hope melted into gratefulness as she gently took the picture from Coco. “How… stylish.” It was all she could think to say.
The cake was a smooth fondant one with each tier a different shade of blue. The tiers were outlined in black. The color contrast was too bold for Charlotte’s taste.
“I have seven tiers written down. And did you decide on flavors?” Charlotte asked.
“I think so,” Coco answered, supplying a piece of paper with a neat list of flavors seven lines long. As Coco handed over the list, she eyed the picture in Charlotte’s hand.
Charlotte sensed Coco's wavering indecision from a mile away. She knew from experience that if she didn’t address it, it could come back to haunt her. Charlotte set the picture down, folded her hands, and looked to Coco.
“Is there anything you want to discuss about the cake?” Charlotte asked, choosing her words carefully.
“It’s just…”
Charlotte waited patiently.
“I picked it because it was so elegant and blue. Gabe’s favorite color is blue.”
Charlotte nearly started at the name. “Gabe?”
Coco stared at her for a moment. “My fiancé.”
“Oh.” Charlotte scrambled for words. Surely she meant another Gabe. “Does he live here in town… or somewhere else?”
“He’s here for now. His grandmother lives here. That’s how we met.”
Charlotte felt her face grow cold with shock. Coco's fiance had canceled at the last minute. He was in town temporarily. And his grandmother lived here.
She went over each thing, trying to come up with a way around it. But she couldn’t.
Coco burst out crying.
Charlotte was so surprised, for a moment she just sat there.
“It’s just… I have to decide everything, and he’s not here, and the wedding is in a few days, and I don’t want to make the wrong choice, and I wish…” Coco wiped a tear.
Charlotte stood and helped Coco to her feet. She put an arm around her, shielding her from the customers who were unashamedly staring at her. She helped her into the back and got her a stool to sit on. As Coco sobbed, Charlotte found a tissue and handed it to her.
Coco managed to blot her eyes carefully so as not to disturb her make up.
“I know you have a lot on your plate.” Charlotte soothed her as she pat Coco’s back.
Mary Ellen poked her head in. Thankfully, Coco was seated so that she couldn’t see Mary Ellen roll her eyes dramatically.
Coco sniffed and wiped her nose.
Charlotte grabbed her phone and went to work quickly. “Why don’t we find some blue cakes, now that we know that’s what you’re looking for? We’ll find one that feels perfect.” She quickly searched blue wedding cakes and was awarded hundreds of images of blue wedding cakes. She hoped she wasn’t making a mistake as she nudged the screen towards Coco.
Coco swallowed and looked up, watching as Charlotte slowly scrolled down through the images.
“Oh,” Coco gasped. “I love that one.”
“Chocolate and blue is a lovely combination,” Charlotte agreed. She took a steadying breath, willing herself not to jump for joy. Could it really be this easy?
“Let’s do it,” Coco said decisively. “Can you make it bigger?”
“I can make it any size you want.”
“Seven tiers. All different flavors. Blue and chocolate icing.”
“See? You’ve got one less thing to pick out now. I’ll have this ready for you by the weekend.” Charlotte gave Coco a quick hug and another tissue.
A small smile found its way onto Coco’s face. “That cake is so beautiful.”
“And it will be yours,” Charlotte assured her.
Charlotte waved to Coco who was all smiles as she left. Charlotte, however, was not. According to Coco, Charlotte was falling for a client’s fiancé.
How could he?
Chapter 9
Gabe went to his grandmother’s house for lunch like he did most days. He walked into the familiar, subtle smell of vinegar and potpourri. She still cleaned most of her house with a mixture of vinegar and water, and she had a decorative bowl full of potpourri in every room.
Gabe walked back into the kitchen. His grandmother was there, already fixing sandwiches with chips and pickles. She wore a yellow sundress that went down to her ankles. Her white curls were pinned back with a yellow flower clip. Even her cheerful yellow house shoes matched.
Gabe kissed her on the cheek as he took his plate. “Thanks, Nana,” he said with a smile.
She smiled and patted his arm. She took her plate and followed him to the table.
“Did you go for your walk with Mr. Stevens?” he asked.
Mr. Stevens was her neighbor of twenty years. They had struck up a friendship after both their spouses had passed away five years ago.
“I did," Alice answered. "How’s your writing going?”
“Oh, good,” Gabe said, his walk with Charlotte playing over and over again in his mind. He couldn’t stop smiling. He thought about where he was going to take her tonight.
Alice studied her grandson, and the sides of her mouth drew up in a smile. “You seem quite cheerful this morning?”
Gabe focused on his grandmother. His smile grew, and he turned back to his sandwich.
When he didn’t say anything, she added, “Anyone I know?”
“Well,” Gabe said as he took a deep breath in. “Yes. It’s Charlotte from the bakery.”
“Oh dear, she’s a lovely girl.”
“Yes,” Gabe agreed.
They were both quiet for a moment.
“You know… I haven’t been to a good wedding in a long time.”
“Nana…” he chided.
Alice looked at her grandson with a twinkle in her eyes.
***
Gabe stepped lightly on his way to Sugar Cove Bakery’s doors. He felt like everything was going his way. He’d written up a review of the bakery, and his editor had loved it. He’d spent the afternoon on the beach, taking close-up photographs of some of Sugar Cove Bakery’s specialties against a backdrop of the sand and surf. He would send the pictures with the final draft.
Gabe opened the door to the bakery, inhaling the tantalizing aroma as he stepped over the threshold.
Joel gave him a nod right away and said,
“She’s in the back.”
Gabe smiled and waved his thanks as he passed the regulars in line. A couple of older women exchanged glances with each other, their eyebrows raised.
Gabe leaned into the back, taking a moment to pause and watch Charlotte work. The counter gleamed and was barren except for the project Charlotte was working on. Her back was to him as she sculpted deep red roses on a white wedding cake. It was a stunning cake, the red contrasting sharply with the white. She had already done intricate details in the white frosting, making it look like the cake was covered in lace.
Worried he would startle her if he said anything, Gabe waited until she paused. When she finally did, he said in a low voice, “Hey.”
He was right to wait because Charlotte jumped.
She turned, her hand on her chest. “Oh hi,” she said, her voice just a hair too high.
“That cake is beautiful,” Gabe responded.
Charlotte looked to the cake and back to him. “Yes. I mean, thanks.” She cleared her throat. “It’s a … wedding cake. You know.”
“Yes,” he said slowly, wondering why she’d felt the need to point out the obvious. “I see that.”
Charlotte scratched at the back of her neck and cleared her throat again. “It’s for this weekend.” She turned back around, going back to her roses. “For a wedding.”
“Looks like it’s almost done,” Gabe said, still wondering why her words were so weighted.
“Almost.” She stretched out her arm, trying to relieve the tension in her muscles that were tired of being held at odd angles for too long.
Gabe raised his eyebrows. “So are we still on for tonight?”
Charlotte looked down, and Gabe’s heart dropped.
“Actually…” Charlotte took a breath and raised her eyes. “I think I need to go home after I finish up here. There’s Jasmine to see to.”
Gabe nodded. “Alright.” He shifted on his feet. “What about tomorrow?”
A crease formed on Charlotte’s brow. “I’ll um… I’ll get back to you. I have another cake to do before this weekend…” her voice trailed off.
“Oh.” He glanced from her to the floor.
Charlotte cleared her throat, and Gabe paused.
“It’s a blue and chocolate cake.”
Gabe stared at her for a moment while Charlotte stared back, waiting.
He shrugged and said, “Sounds great.”
Charlotte deflated some. “Well. I really should get back to work.”
“Okay, I’ll leave you to it then,” Gabe said, a little puzzled.
Charlotte held his gaze for a moment, then gave a small smile that almost looked forced.
Gabe had returned her smile before he left.
The feeling he’d had moments before was dashed to bits. Had he offended her somehow, done something? Maybe she was just busy.
For the life of him, he couldn’t think of why a blue and chocolate cake would be significant.
Chapter 10
Charlotte drove home in a daze. How could she be so stupid? She’d opened herself up to Gabe without even thinking of the consequences. And she knew what the consequences were. Her ex-boyfriend Todd had shown her that.
When Charlotte got home, the sight of a Harley parked squarely in her driveway reminded her that her home was no longer a place of refuge. She grumbled and parked along the road, wondering how long Jasmine planned on staying.
Charlotte opened the door to her little condo and was greeted by the sight of Jasmine in her pajamas nestled on Charlotte’s couch with a big bowl of popcorn. Charlotte noted the screams coming from the television.
“What are you watching?” Charlotte asked, trying to keep her tone light.
“Texas chainsaw massacre,” Jasmine answered without looking up from the TV.
Charlotte took in a deep breath. She hated horror films. Ever since her dad died, she couldn’t stand anything that gave her nightmares and made her afraid of every little sound in the house.
Though she wasn’t hungry, Charlotte decided to make herself some dinner and go to bed. She thought of the excuse that she’d given Gabe, that she had to see to Jasmine. It looked like Jasmine was perfectly fine on her own and had made herself at home. Still, Charlotte had needed a reason not to see him tonight.
Charlotte tried not to think of Gabe. She would heat up a frozen dinner and then go upstairs to bed.
Charlotte popped the dinner in the microwave, her movements automatic. She made the most delicious pastries in all of Sugar Cove, but when it came to her own meals, frozen meals were the norm. By the time she got home from fourteen hour days at the bakery, she was too exhausted to do much for herself.
“So how was your day?”
Charlotte jumped at Jasmine’s voice. She took a breath to calm herself. She wasn’t used to having someone else in her home.
“It was… fine.” Charlotte drummed her fingers on the counter as she watched the food spin around.
Jasmine opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, Charlotte cut her off.
“You know what? It wasn’t fine. It was awful.” Charlotte folded her arms across her chest. “I am booked solid for the rest of the summer on wedding cakes, but for some reason, Mary Ellen has been sneaking in more orders. Add to that the birthday cakes. Coco won’t stop changing her mind about her cake, and even though I finally got a decision out of her, I have no idea if it will actually stick and if it doesn’t she won’t be happy. Of course, I have no idea if it’s even possible to make her happy. And worst of all, I found out today that somehow I’ve been dating her fiancé.”
“Whoa,” Jasmine said, her eyes wide. She put her hands out in front of her. “You’re dating who?”
Charlotte put her hands over her eyes. “Was dating.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “I guess he doesn’t know that yet since I left things…”
“What?” Jasmine lowered her face to try to get a look at Charlotte’s. “You can’t leave things in limbo with someone else’s fiancé."
Charlotte heaved a sigh. “I just found out today, and I didn’t know what to do.”
Jasmine inhaled a deep breath, her eyes still larger than normal as she looked over Charlotte.
An awkward silence descended on them.
Jasmine clapped her hands together, making Charlotte look up at her.
“Well hey,” Jasmine said, “I’m here right?”
Charlotte stared at her for a second, then remembered herself and forced a small smile. “Yes.”
“You know what you need?”
Charlotte kept her groan in check. “What?”
“A night out.” Jasmine declared.
Charlotte groaned. “I don’t go out.”
“You went out with that guy,” Jasmine pointed out.
Charlotte looked at her half-sister sharply. “You know what I mean.”
Jasmine heaved a sigh. “You’ll feel better.”
“I won’t. I’ll be exhausted with all the same problems I started with. And then I’ll be exhausted all day tomorrow when I have to wake up at three to go to the bakery.”
“Three?” Jasmine gasped. “Tell me you mean three in the afternoon.”
“AM,” Charlotte clarified.
“You’re nuts.”
Charlotte shrugged. “Nature of the business.”
“So I guess going out isn’t an option.” Jasmine shook her head in disappointment.
“No,” Charlotte agreed. After a pause and a sigh she asked, “How about you, how was your day?”
Jasmine leaned against the counter opposite Charlotte. “It was okay. A lot less eventful than your day, apart from the fact that I finally found you.” She examined her nails.
"Yeah." Charlotte glanced down at the floor. "It's just like my mother to hide that she had another kid. But then again, I haven't spoken to her since I was a child."
“Is that also the last time you saw her?” Jasmine asked abruptly. Her large green eyes watched Charlotte intently.
> Charlotte felt her heart drop at the question, but she tried not to show it. She tucked a wisp of hair behind her ear and thought back. “I think I was four.”
Jasmine nodded, her lips pursed. “She checked up on you, you know.”
Charlotte felt her expression darken. “I didn’t.” Had her mom come here? To Sugar Cove? “When?”
“It was about,” Jasmine’s face twisted, and she looked up as she thought, “thirteen years ago. So I guess you were a teenager.”
Charlotte studied her for a moment and then looked to the ground. Why hadn’t her mother tried to contact her? She felt the burn of betrayal that she’d felt earlier. Her mother had another child without her ever knowing, and then she’d come all the way back to Sugar Cove, but she never bothered to stop and see her.
Charlotte couldn’t hold back the question she’d wanted to ask earlier any longer. “Did she raise you?”
An uncomfortable awareness dawned on Jasmine’s face. “Yes.” She tucked her hair behind her ear in a mannerism that was eerily similar to Charlotte’s. “My dad left us when I was a baby.”
Charlotte’s eyebrows rose. Her first reaction had been a sense of twisted humor that her mother had been faced with the same situation that she’d put her father in, but then she thought of things from Jasmine’s perspective. “I’m sorry,” she said gently.
Jasmine shrugged. “It didn’t really matter. I don’t remember him. It wasn’t like you.”
Charlotte nodded slowly. “It’s still hard growing up with only one parent.”
“Yeah,” Jasmine said, though she didn’t seem to be broken up by it at all.
Charlotte suddenly felt overwhelmed with exhaustion. It’d been a long day full of unpleasant surprises. How quickly life had changed.
“You look tired,” Jasmine remarked.
“I’m beat,” Charlotte agreed. She sighed. “Let me make up the couch for you.”
Her Sweet Affair: The Brides Of Sugar Cove Page 4
