She wiped her sweaty palms on her apron and pushed the worry aside. She'd done the best she could so far, but earlier rounds didn't matter.
As more of the audience filed into their seats, Ryan, Everson, Shane, and Mike came into view. They took seats beside Katie. Relief rippling through her, Ashley exhaled a small sigh and smiled as Xavier greeted his family and shook hands with members of the audience. Having their support meant so much.
Ashley's gaze connected with Xavier as he threaded his way through the crowd. He crossed their station and brushed his fingers across the back of her hand. A little thrill of excitement moved through her, mixing with concern at the tension tightening his features. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah." He nodded. "It just hit me that almost everyone I care about is in this room. I want to make you all proud."
She needed the confident man back. Worry could lead to second-guessing and mistakes. "You do that anyway."
Gary, the cameraman closest to their station, wandered over and stood on the other side of the counter. "You two look like you're plotting something."
She grinned. "Just going over everything."
"Camera three picked up on how cozy you guys were earlier. Cute angle for our show. The audience loves that sort of thing."
Xavier straightened to full height, placed a protective hand on her back, and stepped forward. "Now wait a minute."
Looking alarmed, Gary held up his hands and backed up two steps. "Relax, buddy. We didn't shoot anything inappropriate." He flashed a quick smile. "Gotta get back to work."
Xavier's hard stare bore holes through Gary as he retreated to the safety of his camera. Ashley leaned into Xavier's side. What would she see if she watched the footage? Did it capture their shared smiles and private glances? Or, the tender moments of their apologies to each other during the second round? Would the viewers be able to tell that she was falling in love with him?
His fist rested on the counter. She grazed her fingers across the back of his hand. When his gaze met hers and softened, she continued her calming caress. "Don't let that upset you. Whatever they captured doesn't change anything, does it?"
"I guess not." He frowned at the camera, then turned his searching gaze to her. "Ashley... Before we go through this round, there's something I want to say."
Her pulse thudded harder. "Yes?"
"No matter what happens—"
Music blared from the speakers. The crowd cheered as the show's host entered the room. "Are we ready for the final round?"
More cheers echoed in response.
"Then let's get started. Bakers, you've worked hard during rounds one and two, and have survived to bake another day. But only one of you will have the sweet taste of victory after this round. The judges are ready, the audience is ready, and I hope you're ready too. The theme ingredient for round three is coconut. You'll have two hours to create a cake worthy of the one hundred thousand dollar grand prize. Time starts... now!"
Ashley turned to Xavier. "What do you want to do?"
"You're the expert here."
"Let's go big. I'm thinking seven tiers. My mother's recipe for coconut cake would work well. But we need a tie-in for your mom too. Did she have a favorite flower? I can create some to place on the cake."
A line formed between Xavier's brows. "She liked lotus flowers. She wore a necklace with one on it all the time."
"I can make those out of modeling chocolate." She focused on the time clock. They couldn't afford to waste one moment. She squeezed Xavier's hand once more for good luck. "Start by separating the eggs. Then whip the egg whites. I'll get the buttermilk, sugar, and flour."
Only one team could win the contest. If they weren't lucky enough to pull it off, would it drive a wedge between them? The unsettling thought ached like a heavy meal overindulged. She rubbed her hand over her heart. She wanted more than the win. She wanted him too.
She plodded through the recipe, triple-checking herself and Xavier before adding in each ingredient. They couldn't afford any mistakes, any missteps. After adding sugar and vanilla to the butter, she turned on her mixer. Happy with the texture, she added whipped egg whites, then alternately added flour and buttermilk.
The white cake would have been whiter if they used shortening instead of butter, but her mom had always baked this cake with butter and sticking to her recipe felt right. She measured out the coconut flakes, sprinkled them into the batter and slowly mixed. Evenly distributed flakes were important; she didn't want clumps of coconut ruining their chances.
Xavier poured the batter into pans and placed them in the oven.
While the cake baked, she concocted the frosting, heating milk, sugar, and butter until it bubbled. Xavier added coconut to the thickened mixture and paused with the last ingredient in hand. With a wink, he handed it to her. "You do it."
Almost on cue, the cameraman came into view, moving closer, focusing on her hands. Ashley shakily added the chopped pecans and slowly stirred, forcing herself to smile brightly until Gary moved on to the next station.
She covered the frosting and glanced at Xavier. He'd moved fluidly, exuding confidence and determination as he'd worked. He turned from the oven and met her gaze. Her breath caught, and her heartbeat fluttered at the intensity of his expression. The tiniest hint of a smile flashed across his firm jaw, turning her insides to jelly.
But just because she was falling in love with him didn't mean he had to, or would, return the feeling. If he didn't... well, she at least had her sister and hopefully, the bakery if they were lucky enough to win.
When the oven timer beeped, she tore her gaze from his, slipped on her oven mitts and opened the door. Heat greeted her, blasting out with fiery force. Ashley grimaced and leaned back as Xavier inserted the cake tester. They both breathed a sigh when it came out clean. So far, everything ran on schedule. She slid the pan from the oven and onto the cooling rack. The golden color was perfect. The scent of coconut wafted throughout, giving the area a tropical air.
Xavier pulled the remaining cakes from the oven. He looked in her direction and with brows raised, tipped a pan toward her.
Pleased with the even, light brown color, she smiled and nodded. When he looked away, she bit her lip. She wouldn't be able to relax until she knew it how it tasted.
While the cakes cooled, she focused on crafting the lotus flowers out of modeling chocolate. Xavier cleaned up the rest of the station as he volleyed jokes back and forth with his teammates. All of the eliminated teams had been invited back to watch the final round, and all of the players had taken a turn doing either an audience interview or taking a peek into the remaining competitors' stations.
When the cakes were cool enough to remove from the pans, she carefully cut across the tops, making the layers as flat as possible as she sculpted them into the appropriate sizes for the tiers. From eighteen inches on the bottom, each layer decreased by two inches, to the six-inch layer at the top. Xavier helped her stack them and insert the dowels for stability, taking over completely when the cake towered over her frame. She hovered at his side and guided his movements to ensure the layers didn't lean to one side and that they were stacked symmetrically. Breathing came easier with the final tier in place.
He held one of the scraps of cake to her lips. "Taste."
Heat rushed into her cheeks at the private look he sent her. Her lips closed over the piece. Coconut flakes enhanced the creamy flavor of the icing and blended with the nuttiness of the pecans in the moist layers of cake. Not overpowering, just right. Deeply relieved, she grinned. "I think it's perfect. Just like when my mom baked it."
He let out a breath. "Good. There isn't time to start again."
"Did you taste it?"
He bit into the cake and groaned. "This is amazing. You did a great job."
"No, we did a great job. One step left, icing the cake." She set the bowl next to the cake and took a deep breath. Aesthetics counted for so much. "We have plenty of time so don't rush."
Looking entirely
uncomfortable, Xavier spread his frosting like he was applying spackle. But he was doing a decent job. She carefully smoothed the confection onto the cake, side by side with the man who had come to mean so much to her.
He left for a moment and returned with a small step ladder. "There's no way I can do this as well as you. Now you'll be able to reach the top tiers."
Grateful that she wouldn't have to resort to scrambling onto the counter, she added a pattern of swirls along the cake's sides, then placed the flowers throughout the tiers. She scrutinized every angle of the seven-layer tower, adding little dabs of icing in different places. Rolling the stiffness from her shoulders, she stepped back and turned her head, checking on Xavier's progress.
Eyes narrowed in concentration, he sprinkled coconut over the flowers' centers. He didn't even flinch when the host called out a reminder of one minute remaining on the clock. Steady hands kept going until with ten seconds remaining, he stepped back and set the flakes aside. "That's it. All done."
"It looks good."
He enfolded her into his embrace and kissed her forehead. "It looks amazing."
The buzzer sounded a moment later.
"Time's up." The host's voice boomed. "Now, one final twist."
Ashley groaned and pulled out of Xavier's hug. "What now?"
Around her, similar groans and murmured questions rose. The host grinned. "Steady hands are important on the football field. Bakers, you must move your cakes to the display tables we've set up in front of your stations. If the cakes survive, so do you. If not, then game over."
Xavier rubbed his hand over her back. "We've got this."
"If I had known that we had to move this, I would have made the cakes smaller or stopped at a lower number of tiers. This is going to weigh well over one hundred pounds. The bottom three tiers alone probably weigh that much."
"We'll be fine."
"The tables are a good ten feet away from our stations. Cakes get really heavy really fast."
"We managed to do fine during our deliveries, didn't we?" Xavier hugged her again. "We'll be fine."
They turned to watch Tyson and Blackstone carry their giant cake to the display table ten feet away. The gorgeous creation teetered once along the trip, drawing a gasp from the audience, but they made it safely.
The next team, Dion and his baker, moved with ease. Their cake looked more like a sculpture, with interesting angles and sugar art that resembled stained glass.
Ashley cast a critical eye over her cake. She was proud of it. Proud of what Xavier had done. In her opinion, all three cakes looked worthy of the prize.
The host nodded at her. "Team Bliss Bakery, please move your cake."
Nerves carving into her stomach, she held the edges of the board. Xavier met her gaze. "We've got this."
Together, they lifted the board an inch off the table. She adjusted her grip. Sweaty palms didn't help. She blew out a breath. Her heart thudded so strongly, she wondered if the judges could hear it. "Ready."
Xavier met her gaze. "On three, we move. One. Two. Three."
She lifted up and her muscles immediately strained at the weight. Squeezing her hands on the board, she took a step to the side. "Careful. Just like those times we made the cake deliveries."
"Another step."
They inched their way across the floor. With every step, the display table got closer, and the cake grew heavier and heavier.
Her fingers were screaming. The table was a little higher than the workstation counter. Muscles shaking, she raised the board. Cake vibrated with her movements. Ten more seconds, and they'd get the cake over the table.
She lifted it a little higher to make sure it cleared. The edge of the board clipped the table, and the cake's top tiers shook and slid.
The audience gasped.
"Let me," Xavier barked out. "I got it."
He lifted his end, a beat faster and a bit higher than she could match, and half of the board crossed the table. The cake's top tier fell, smashing into her shoulder. Panicking, she jerked her end up and moved as fast as she could. The cake wobbled violently as they fought to stabilize the board, but as it landed on the table, the remaining layers crashed to the floor.
Her stomach clenched and her chest tingled. A sudden coldness hit her square in the gut, stealing her breath. She stared at the coconut carnage. "No. This can't be happening."
Hours' worth of work, gone in mere seconds.
Her chance at saving the bakery lay smashed.
Just like her dreams.
* * *
Xavier stared at the cake in disbelief.
This was worse than losing any game, worse than he'd felt after the team's painful season. His chest felt tight. His body felt hollow. His mouth felt Sahara-dry. "I'm sorry, Ash. I'm so sorry."
Gaze glued to the cake, she wrapped her arms around her torso. "It's over."
Regret, frustration, and anger at himself swirled together until he felt like the mess spread all over the floor. All he wanted to do was sweep her away so that he could comfort her and figure out how to fix this. But they had to wait, standing at their empty table while the judges and host made the rounds and inspected the completed cakes.
Xavier wanted to reach for her. But would she welcome his touch? He'd dropped the fucking cake. He dared moving closer. "I'll make it up to you."
She didn't respond.
The judges finally came by. The host spoke first. "You did amazing work through the first two rounds."
Ashley nodded. "Thank you."
The first judge clucked her tongue at the mess. "Your cake looked beautiful on the workstation. I'm really disappointed that this happened and we won't get to taste it."
They'd worked so hard. And none of that mattered. He forced a smile for the cameras. Mixed emotions of need, hope, and worry tumbled through him. What would happen to her, and to him? While the judges deliberated, he sought out his family and their sympathetic expressions. His teammates' faces looked the same.
The host raised his microphone. He smiled at the teams and turned back to the audience. "The winner of our contest and of the one-hundred-thousand-dollar grand prize..." With a dramatic flourish, he lowered then raised his microphone. "Bet you guys are dying to know, right?"
He waited while the cameras moved closer to the two remaining teams, ready to capture the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.
Xavier turned away. He didn't care who won. But Ashley stared intently at the host, her expression unreadable. As though she felt his stare, she turned her head and met his gaze. Unable to stop himself, he shifted closer to her. He kept his gaze locked on hers as the host began to speak.
"The winner is... Blackstone's Bakery."
Ashley's face fell. Her shoulders sagged. With a sad smile, she touched the logo on her apron. It was like she was saying goodbye. He couldn't let her give up on that dream. While Blackstone and Tyson and the judges and audience celebrated around them, he put his arm around Ashley and steered her out of the room and into an empty alcove off of the hallway. "I'll help you. I promise. I'll take care of it. I'll give you the money to keep the store open."
But she shook her head. "You can't do that. I can't let you."
"Why not?"
"I can't have that hanging over my head. Loaning money to a friend isn't a good idea. Look at what happened with people asking you for money."
"It's not a loan. It's a gift." He didn't have any idea what her rent would be, but he'd cover any cost at all to make up for what had happened. Plus, they were far more than friends, weren't they?
"No. You can't pay my rent and my operating expenses. You're supposed to take care of yourself now, remember? No more bailing people out or funding other people's dreams."
"But you're not just anyone else, Ashley."
"You also can't convince the customers to come back to me." She looked at the closed door where the celebration continued. "I can't compete. Winning this competition might not have saved me anyway."
"I'm the one who dropped the cake."
"Both of us were holding it." She sniffed and blinked rapidly. "I'm more than a foot shorter than you. You couldn't keep it balanced because of me."
That she would even attempt to comfort him... She truly was special. "I'll fix this."
"This is something I'm going to have to do on my own. Thank you for being my partner. I'm sorry we didn't win. I'm sorry your foundation won't get that money."
Desperation overcame him. "It's fine. Listen, I—"
"I have to go."
"I want to help you. Let's go home. We'll make a list. Figure things out, and then we can—"
"No. Your commitment to me ended once that contest buzzer rang. Go on and enjoy your night with your teammates and family."
"My commitment to you didn't end. I care about you. I thought we had the start of something amazing. The past month..."
She was already backing away. "I can't. Not now. I don't know where I'm going to work, let alone live. And it's something I need to figure out. Alone."
"Don't push me away." He reached for her hand, but she eluded his grasp.
"Xavier... My life is a mess. Yours is all together. You have a successful career, family, friends. I don't think I fit in."
"Of course, you fit in."
But that stubborn tilt of her jaw, the crossed arms, and the shuttered gaze said otherwise. "Not from where I'm standing."
She turned, moving fast over the carpet.
He didn't go after her. She wouldn't want to listen.
He wandered further down the hall and found an area with seats and tables by a large window. The city moved below him, cars and pedestrians not having a care that his world was falling apart.
"Dude." Ryan hurried toward him, followed by Everson. "I'm sorry you lost."
Everson dragged over chairs for the two of them. "How's Ashley? We saw her leave, but didn't get the chance to talk."
"Not good." He resumed his stare out the window. "She needed to win. Without that prize money, she'll have to close the bakery. Even with it, Blackstone's is too close."
Another chair dragged over. He raised his gaze. Tyson joined them. "Sorry you guys didn't win. I'm not a fan of Blackstone after spending the week with him. He's a dick. You and the guys don't have to give me the ten grand for our bet. Give it to Ashley. If the six of us do it, she'll get more than the fifty grand that he won."
Hometown Hero Page 12
