Anabeth grabbed Cassidy’s arms, her eyes wide. “Are you serious?”
Cassidy nodded.
“Oh, thank you!” Anabeth gave Cassidy a quick hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Cassidy smiled, some of the cracks in her heart healing shut at Anabeth’s evident joy. “I’m not sure I can do everything you want in a day, but I’ll try. What flavors of cake did you want?”
Anabeth held up her phone and gave it a little shake. “As long as it doesn’t look like this, I don’t care what it looks or tastes like. You could serve Styrofoam and I’d be okay with it. We’re having a sundae bar, so we can get by without serving the cake as a refreshment. I just want a tier to cut into for the photographer, so we can feed each other a bite.”
“There’s no need for Styrofoam—I can bake when things are slow.” And depending on what Anabeth wanted, Cassidy might already have a few of the tiers baked and frozen. “Can you text me the sample picture so I can reference it? The one you showed me last month.”
“I’ll send it right now.” Anabeth’s fingers flew over the keyboard. “Name your price—I don’t care how much it costs at this point. We’ll need to pick it up by ten o’clock tomorrow morning. Is that enough time?”
Cassidy’s phone dinged with a text, and she opened up the image. It would be pushing it to get that elaborate a cake decorated overnight. But she would do her best. “I can definitely have something presentable by then. I might have to leave off some of the more detailed work, but it will at least look professional.”
“Thank you.” Anabeth held up her hands, backing toward the door. “Okay, I’m leaving so you can get to work. If you need anything, just send me a text. I can send one of my bridesmaids to watch the store while you work if that would help.”
Cassidy chuckled, sticking her phone back in her apron pocket. “I don’t think that will be necessary.”
“Okay. Well, have a good day. Thank you!”
The bakery was blessedly slow, and Cassidy got all the cakes baked and in the freezer in between customers. But that didn’t stop the memories—both of Jase, and of Seth—from overwhelming her.
As soon as the last customer left, Cassidy locked the front door and turned off the store lights. Then she headed to the kitchen and got to work.
“I can do this,” Cassidy muttered as she pulled the chocolate fudge flavored bottom cake tier out of the freezer.
She worked all night, treating each detail with meticulous care. Working on the cake opened a floodgate of memories of her own almost-wedding a year prior. As Cassidy dirty iced the alternating chocolate fudge and vanilla bean layers of the cake—Anabeth’s choice—she could almost smell the spice cake that had made her so ill last year. Cassidy’s stomach churned, just like it had then. Beads of sweat prickled her forehead, but she pressed on.
Cassidy began mixing white fondant. Her shoulders ached, as though remembering the wracking sobs she’d been overcome with in the small bride’s room at the Sunset Plains Church. She’d collapsed in a heap, not caring if her dress got dirty. Without Seth, she hadn’t been sure who she was.
But she wasn’t that lost woman from a year ago. She’d survived—more than that, even. She was thriving at Cupcakes and Cowboys. Cassidy spread the fondant over each tier of Anabeth’s cake and carefully smoothed out any wrinkles or cracks. Then she drove dowels into each layer so it wouldn’t collapse like the previous cake and began stacking.
Seth had looked so proud yesterday, standing in the bunkhouse common room. Cassidy took a deep breath and shook out the hand holding a piping bag. His eyes had said he hadn’t given her a second thought since leaving. And yet she’d still been living in his shadow. She’d bought the bakery partly to prove to him that she could be successful at her dream. She’d treated Jase badly at first because she’d thought he was friends with Seth.
She’d kept Jase at arm’s length because she was worried he might hurt her in the same way.
The hours ticked past midnight and closer to ten o’clock on Sunday morning. Cassidy carefully crafted a dozen roses out of gum paste and coated them with pink luster dust. But in her mind, she saw the dark red and yellow roses that had topped her own cake—not because she especially loved either color, but because Seth had said the two together reminded him of Hollywood.
Cassidy set down her piping bag and sprinkled the last of the luster dust on the cake with barely thirty minutes to spare. She brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes with the back of one wrist and stood back to admire the finished product.
It was perfect, Cassidy thought with satisfaction. Prettier than the photograph, even. Pride swelled in her heart as she critically eyed her creation. Roses cascaded elegantly down five tiers. She’d piped even and steady on two of the layers in a shimmery pearl color, adding an elegance to the overall feel. The fondant was smooth, the roses realistic and uncracked. The tiers were evenly placed and with enough support to not sink like the disastrous first cake. She knew that Anabeth would love it. The cake would be a beautiful centerpiece for today’s wedding.
The hurt and anger slid off Cassidy like raindrops as she blinked back tears. Last month, she’d thought decorating a wedding cake would break her. But she’d struggled through the pain, and come out stronger in the end. She’d created something beautiful out of her sorrow.
“You can’t hurt me anymore,” Cassidy whispered. It was just a cake. What had she been so afraid of?
She had to tell Jase. Cassidy flew from the kitchen, ignoring the piping bags and bowls scattered across the sticky decorating table, and to her tablet at the front counter. She tapped open a web browser with shaking fingers and pulled up an airline website.
She hadn’t wanted to go after Jase because she’d worried that would mean losing herself again, like when she’d given Seth everything. But Jase had never once taken from her without giving back even more. All relationships required sacrifice, and she was willing to do whatever it took to make theirs work.
A quiet knock sounded at the front door. Cassidy blinked, surprised to see Anabeth and Mrs. Collins standing there. She’d completely forgotten about the cake.
Cassidy unlocked the door and ushered the two women in. Anabeth’s hair was piled on top of her head in elegant curls, and her face glowed with happiness.
“Sorry we’re early,” Anabeth said. “We’re on our way to the church to finish getting ready, but I wanted to see the cake first.”
“You look beautiful,” Cassidy said. “Come into the back. I just finished the cake.”
“I barely slept a wink last night,” Anabeth said. “I was so worried.”
“Pre-wedding jitters are normal, dear,” Mrs. Collins said, patting her daughter on the hand.
“Not about marrying Deacon,” Anabeth said. She put her hands to her cheeks. “I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life. Just about making sure everything goes perfect today.”
“Well, I hope the cake will be one thing you won’t have to worry about,” Cassidy said. She stepped aside and held out an arm to the cake. “What do you think?”
Anabeth gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. Mrs. Collins’s own hand went to her chest and she murmured a quiet, “Oh my.”
“Do you like it?” Cassidy resisted the urge to twist her braid, feeling suddenly insecure. She’d put her heart and soul into this cake, and in return, it had finally helped her let go of the past.
“I love it,” Anabeth breathed. She circled the cake slowly, bending down to admire the detail. Then she straightened and threw her arms around Cassidy. “It’s absolutely perfect. I don’t know if I can ever thank you enough for this.”
Cassidy hugged Anabeth back, emotion swelling in her chest. “I should be thanking you. I didn’t know how much I needed to do this until it was done.”
“Well, you’ve really outdone yourself,” Mrs. Collins said. “It’s breathtaking. Don’t you think it’s even better than the picture, Anabeth?”
“Definitely.” Anabeth w
aved her hands frantically in front of her face. “I swore I wasn’t going to cry today. Cassidy, I’m so sorry about how I reacted when you told me no. I’ve been such a bridezilla the past few months.”
Cassidy gave Anabeth a side hug, affection for her old classmate rising within her. “It’s in the past. Just focus on enjoying your wedding today, okay?”
“You will come, won’t you?” Anabeth said. “The ceremony starts at two o’clock, and the reception’s at six.”
“Thanks for the offer, but I think I’ll be on my way to California by then.” Cassidy had to tell Jase about her realizations in person. And then, she would beg him to forgive her and say she wanted to give long distance a try. She couldn’t give up her bakery in Sunset Plains, but she knew Jase would never ask her to, just like she’d never ask him to give up acting. Together, they could compromise and find a solution.
Mrs. Collins wrote Cassidy a check with a substantial bonus. She tried to refuse, but they insisted. So Cassidy thanked them, gratitude filling her with the knowledge that the bakery was safe for another month. She could definitely stay open until the holiday rush, and hopefully Christmas sales would take her through to Valentine’s Day, at least. Slowly, bit by bit, she’d reach her goals.
Cassidy furiously cleaned the disastrous kitchen, new energy flowing through her. She couldn’t be gone for too long—a few days at the most—but she wasn’t about to leave a messy kitchen behind. She blasted the radio on the drive home, mentally planning what to pack for her trip. She’d head to the airport in Tulsa and buy the first ticket to Los Angeles, whatever the price. What good was having a credit card if you didn’t use it occasionally?
The sun shone bright in the sky as she parked outside her house and jumped out of the truck. Hopefully Mama wouldn’t think Cassidy had lost her mind.
Cassidy stumbled to a stop, realizing she wasn’t alone. Her heart began pounding in her chest. Jase looked up from where he sat on the front porch, his too-white cowboy hat in one hand.
He slowly rose, that dimple popping in one cheek as he gave her a smile.
“Hey, Cassidy,” he said quietly. “Can we talk?
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
She was so beautiful. Jase swallowed hard as she walked toward him. Her face was unreadable, but there was something different about her. She seemed lighter. More content. He hoped that didn’t mean she was doing fine without him. Because the last day and a half had been excruciating for him.
“I thought you’d be back in Los Angeles by now.” Her hand reached up, smoothing that braid he loved to undo over one shoulder.
Jase played with the brim of his cowboy hat. It felt right in his hands, just like it felt right to be back in Sunset Plains. “I was supposed to fly out yesterday, but that hurricane on the East Coast grounded a lot of flights and the flight got canceled. So I went back to the airport this morning. With Seth.” He swallowed hard, hoping bringing up her ex wouldn’t derail the conversation. But he wasn’t going to repeat his past mistakes twice. He didn’t want any more secrets between them. Didn’t want subjects they had to skate around.
Cassidy took another slow step forward, making his mouth go dry. “And?”
“And when they called for first class boarding, I couldn’t get on the plane.” Jase had stared at his ticket, heart beating erratically. Beside him, Seth had slung his carry-on over one shoulder and started toward the gate door.
But all Jase could think about was Cassidy, the girl who could make him laugh with a sassy comeback. Cassidy, whose eyes flashed with fire when pushed. Cassidy, who rode a horse like she belonged and baked red velvet cupcakes that made his mouth water.
Nothing mattered without her. Not his mother’s wrath, or his career as an actor, or winning an Oscar. He’d picked up his bag and raced toward baggage claim, ignoring Seth’s shouts to come back. But it was the awful names Seth had called Cassidy, swearing she’d ruin Jase’s life, that had pushed him from anger at Seth to fury.
Cassidy pressed a hand to her stomach, eyes wide. “Why?”
Jase set the cowboy hat on his head, taking another step closer. She didn’t back away. “Why what?”
“Why didn’t you get on the plane?”
She was close enough to kiss. Slowly, Jase reached an arm around her waist. She didn’t pull away. “Because I love you, Cassidy Erickson. I know a month isn’t enough time to say those words, but they’re true. I love you, like I’ve never loved another woman.”
Her eyes filled with tears, but her hands slid up his chest and over his shoulders, making him shiver. “How do I know you aren’t just caught up in your method acting? Maybe this is all a role to you.”
He shook his head, pulling the elastic out of the end of her braid. “Not even close, sweetheart. You are the realest thing I’ve ever experienced. For the first time in my life, I feel like I’m only playing myself.”
Her hands running up his chest, over his shoulders, down his arms, and back again were making it hard to think. “What about the movie?”
It hadn’t taken long for his mother to call—Seth must’ve given her a heads up before the plane took off. Jase was waiting in line for a rental car when his phone rang. She’d screamed, threatened, and begged for him to get on the plane.
“I told my mother she had a choice—she could recast me or Seth.” Perhaps not the most professional move in the world, but the vile terms Seth had used to describe Cassidy—all in an attempt to get Jase on the plane— were still fresh in his mind.
Cassidy’s hands froze on her chest while her eyes widened in shock. “You didn’t.”
“I did. Men like him don’t deserve success, and I couldn’t spend every day on set with someone who had hurt you.”
Now her hands were combing through the short hairs at the base of his skull, driving him positively mad. He tightened his grip on her waist, bringing her closer still.
“So what did your mom say?” Cassidy asked.
“Seth’s out of the film. I have to go to California tonight.” He captured Cassidy’s hand, holding it against his heart. “Hundreds of people’s jobs are depending on me showing up tomorrow. You understand that, don’t you, Cassidy? If I could back out without costing so many people their paycheck, I would, but the makeup artists and set designers and caterers and hundreds of other people can’t afford a major delay while they recast the role.”
Her hands were still stroking his hair, and she cocked her head at a flirtatious angle. “I understand completely.”
Jase couldn’t stop himself anymore—he ran his fingers through her hair, gently undoing the braid, his eyes never leaving hers. “Good. Because I don’t want that life anymore. I want you. I want this life. I want Sunset Plains.”
She buried her face in his chest, and he wrapped his arms tightly around her, closing his eyes in relief.
“You’re not just saying that?” she asked.
“Absolutely not. I’m meeting with a real estate agent in about an hour to go look at the property next to yours. I want to put in an offer before I leave tonight.” After glimpsing what life could be like with Cassidy, he couldn’t imagine going back to what it used to be. He was finally ready to make his choice. And he chose Cassidy. He chose Sunset Plains.
A strangled sob tore from her. Jase kissed her head, smoothing back her hair. “It’s okay, sweetheart,” he murmured. “It’s okay.”
“Are you sure about all this?”
He lifted her head and held her cheeks in both hands. “I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life. I told you that I haven’t been happy with my career for a while.”
“I believe you used the phrase dissatisfied.”
He tapped her nose with his finger, grinning. “Same thing. When I came to Oklahoma, it was like breathing for the first time in years.”
She placed a soft hand on his chest, leaning into him. Driving him mad. “I don’t want you to resent me one day.”
He chuckled, bringing her hand to his lips and placing a soft kiss
in the center of her palm. “This is the choice I’d make regardless of whether you were in the equation. You’re just the icing on the cupcake.”
She laughed, burying her face in his chest. “Jase?”
“Yeah.”
“I love you, too. Now are you going to kiss me or what?” She rose on her tiptoes, staring into his eyes with a challenge he was more than happy to answer.
Slowly he tipped her chin up and lowered his head toward hers. His lips caressed hers, light as a feather. She pulled his cowboy hat off and he heard it drop to the ground with a thunk. Then she wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and deepened the kiss. Jase drank her in as he pressed her closer.
Eventually they broke away, breathing heavily. But Jase didn’t let her out of his arms.
“Jase?” Cassidy said softly.
“Hmmm?” he murmured.
“I decorated a wedding cake last night.”
That made him pause. Jase gripped her arms, shock flowing through him. “You what?”
She laughed and nodded. “I’ll tell you all about it later. But I’m okay now. The past is finally in the past.”
He crushed her to him, kissing her again. “I can’t believe I almost lost you. I love you so much.”
“I love you, too. We’ll figure out all the Hollywood stuff. You’re worth whatever sacrifices I have to make. Because I know you’d never ask me to sacrifice a part of myself.”
“Never,” he whispered. “We’re the real deal, Cassidy Erickson. No roles. No acting. And I’m going to spend the rest of my life proving to you how real this is.”
She picked up his cowboy hat and plopped it on her own head, grinning up at him. “You’d better, cowboy. Now, didn’t you say you have a flight to catch tonight? We’ve only got a few hours together today, and I’m not about to waste them.”
And then she kissed him again.
Never Say Match (No Match for Love Book 9) Page 12
