Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
He turned and grinned. “You know, I think she would love that. I’ll let you pick it out. She’s almost one and her name is Winnie.”
“Like as in Pooh?”
He laughed. “Yes. My daughter Hope was obsessed with Winnie the Pooh growing up and always said if she had a little girl, she would name her Winnie.”
“I think the name is adorable. How about a couple of macarons and a chocolate croissant?”
A sad expression moved across Jake’s face, but it was gone as fast as it appeared. “She’d love that. Thank you.”
After packing up the desserts for his granddaughter, I watched Jake leave the bakery. With his hand on the doorknob, he paused momentarily before opening the door and leaving.
I stood there and stared at the door.
Whispering to no one in particular, I said, “I guess I’m not the only one with a secret.”
Main Street was abuzz, with everyone from small children to adults participating in the spring scavenger hunt. The bakery was busier than I’d ever seen it, so the last few days I had been coming in earlier than usual to help Opal bake everything for not only the storefront, but also the booth that was set up on Main Street down near where the spring fling dance was being held that night.
Katherine walked into the kitchen and asked, “A customer is asking if we can do an emergency first birthday smash cake.”
Opal stared at Katherine like she was insane. Before she could respond, I asked, “What flavors are they wanting? Just a plain smash cake?”
With a nod, Katherine said, “Yep, just a smash cake, nothing fancy. As far as flavors, they said chocolate or vanilla; they’re not picky. Opal made the actual birthday cake already, but her mother-in-law told her she needed a smash cake and said the mother-in-law wouldn’t, and I quote, ‘Shut the hell up about the smash cake.’ End quote.”
Opal and I both giggled.
“I’ve got a chocolate cake I took out this morning. When does she need it by?”
“The party is tomorrow, Sunday.”
“Oh, is that Hope out there?” Opal asked.
Katherine nodded. “The one and only. She looks desperate.”
“I can have it ready for her before we close. I’m about caught up here, and decorating it won’t take long.” I turned to Opal. “It was a princess cake, right?”
She nodded. “White and pink.”
Facing Katherine, I said, “I can do that.”
A wide smile broke out over her face. If there was one thing about Katherine that I had picked up on early since working here, she had difficulty saying no to people. Her blonde hair swung in her ponytail as she quickly exited the kitchen to deliver the good news.
“That was nice of you, Cadie,” Opal stated from behind me.
“It’s not a problem. It won’t take me long to decorate it. I’ll just do something…princess-like with the frosting.”
Opal smiled. “Princess-like?”
I nodded.
“I can’t wait to see this.”
Katherine popped her head in and said, “Today at three, okay?”
Glancing at the clock, I nodded. It was one thirty, so that gave me plenty of time. “Sounds good.”
I quickly got to work finishing up the last batch of biscotti and decorated the last of the red velvet cupcakes before I placed the chocolate cake on my decorating station. I stared at it for a few moments, then got to work. I could feel Opal’s eyes on me now and then, but she left me alone and didn’t offer any suggestions, which I appreciated. I remembered that the four-tier cake Opal had designed also had some butterflies along the bottom since it was the little girl’s favorite thing besides being a princess, so I incorporated that into my decorations as well. At two-fifty, I stepped back and looked at the cake. I had done pink and white swirled rosettes on the cake and added a few little butterflies that could quickly be taken off before the baby smashed into the cake.
“That is beautiful, Cadie.”
I turned to Opal and felt my cheeks heat. “Thank you. I thought all the frosting with the rosettes would make it more fun for her to put her hands in.”
She nodded. “Yes, I agree. I like the butterfly touch.”
“I just remembered seeing them on the cake you did.”
“No, I think it’s a lovely idea, and this cake will look beautiful next to the other one. Well done.”
“She’s here!” Katherine called out as she poked her head into the kitchen. I picked up the cake and carried it to the front. The young mother gasped when she saw it. I couldn’t help but notice how tired she looked. She had circles under her eyes, her hair was falling out of her bun, and her blue eyes seemed like a storm in the middle of the ocean. I instantly felt bad for her.
“Oh my goodness. That’s so pretty I don’t want her to smash it.”