dust once again.
“Now, come try the cakes.”
She cut the three of them a piece of each cake. “These are my best sellers: raspberry-filled, lemon zest and Italian cream.”
Ritt took a big bite of the first piece and resisted the urge to groan out loud. It melted the moment it hit his tongue, beyond delicious, a little slice of heaven in his mouth.
“You made this?” Craig asked, his mouth stuffed full of cake.
Shelby nodded. “Now I know it’s all the rage, but I don’t like to work with fondant. It doesn’t have the same taste as frosting. But if that’s what you want…”
Delilah shook her head and took another bite of the cake. “I want what’s here.”
“I’ll add icing flowers and dots, maybe some ribbon and then fresh flowers to match your colors.”
Ritt was surprised at how professional she sounded. He shouldn’t have been. Shelby had made good for herself. He should be proud, not amazed.
“Which one is your favorite?”
“All,” Craig said emphatically. “We want one of each.”
Delilah nodded. “And we’ll pay triple.”
“Would you stop with that? I’m not charging you a dime.”
“Did you try this one?” Craig lifted a forkful of the raspberry-filled to Delilah’s lips. Their eyes locked as she obligingly ate the cake off his fork.
Ritt shifted, suddenly uncomfortable with the intimate moment.
“Delicious,” Delilah murmured. She licked her lips as Craig watched her, his gaze never leaving her mouth.
“I’m sorry,” Craig said.
“Me too.” She pulled his mouth to hers and kissed him like there was no tomorrow.
Ritt ran a hand across the back of his neck. Shelby looked everywhere but at the happy couple. He wondered if other people had felt the same way when he and Shelby had been so close. He felt like a peeping Tom in his own house.
He cleared his throat.
After what seemed like half an hour, but truly could have only been a few seconds, Craig lifted his head. “No more arguing. The wedding is going to happen whether the dresses are midnight or navy.”
“Yes,” she murmured.
So.” Shelby rubbed her hands together. “I’ll start the cakes tomorrow morning. And they’ll be ready for your wedding Saturday afternoon.”
Craig and Delilah nodded.
“I’ll need access to the church and the name of the florist who’s doing the flowers.”
“The church has already been arranged. You’ll have access to the kitchen both Friday and Saturday morning. Here’s the card for the florist.”
“Thanks, Shel,” Craig said, bussing her cheek. “You’re the best.”
“I don’t know what we would have done without you,” Delilah added.
Ritt was beginning to wonder that himself.
Shelby hand dried the last of her new pans, all the while decorating the wedding cake in her head. She needed to get her ideas down on paper before she lost the details of the design. The time restraints alone would necessitate a more simple design, but more often than not, simple was synonymous with elegant.
She heard a thump, a clank and a muffled curse. Ritt.
He’d disappeared right after Delilah and Craig had left, making Shelby believe that he was avoiding her.
She sighed. It was for the best. After that kiss…
One of them had to keep their wits about them.
So Ritt had gone out to work on his truck while she planned a wedding cake and wondered when she’d be able to leave. Now she knew she was stuck here until Saturday evening, but considering he was the best man, she knew he’d be involved in all sorts of wedding activities that would take his attention away from finally signing the divorce papers.
Her stomach pitched. It was what she wanted, she told herself. To be free.
From outside, Ritt’s truck started. Shelby peeked out the kitchen window, hoping he wasn’t leaving. The hood was up and his long, denim-clad legs the only part of him she could see.
She tried not to sigh in relief that he was staying. The whole idea was ridiculous.
She found a pen
“Now, come try the cakes.”
She cut the three of them a piece of each cake. “These are my best sellers: raspberry-filled, lemon zest and Italian cream.”
Ritt took a big bite of the first piece and resisted the urge to groan out loud. It melted the moment it hit his tongue, beyond delicious, a little slice of heaven in his mouth.
“You made this?” Craig asked, his mouth stuffed full of cake.
Shelby nodded. “Now I know it’s all the rage, but I don’t like to work with fondant. It doesn’t have the same taste as frosting. But if that’s what you want…”
Delilah shook her head and took another bite of the cake. “I want what’s here.”
“I’ll add icing flowers and dots, maybe some ribbon and then fresh flowers to match your colors.”
Ritt was surprised at how professional she sounded. He shouldn’t have been. Shelby had made good for herself. He should be proud, not amazed.
“Which one is your favorite?”
“All,” Craig said emphatically. “We want one of each.”
Delilah nodded. “And we’ll pay triple.”
“Would you stop with that? I’m not charging you a dime.”
“Did you try this one?” Craig lifted a forkful of the raspberry-filled to Delilah’s lips. Their eyes locked as she obligingly ate the cake off his fork.
Ritt shifted, suddenly uncomfortable with the intimate moment.
“Delicious,” Delilah murmured. She licked her lips as Craig watched her, his gaze never leaving her mouth.
“I’m sorry,” Craig said.
“Me too.” She pulled his mouth to hers and kissed him like there was no tomorrow.
Ritt ran a hand across the back of his neck. Shelby looked everywhere but at the happy couple. He wondered if other people had felt the same way when he and Shelby had been so close. He felt like a peeping Tom in his own house.
He cleared his throat.
After what seemed like half an hour, but truly could have only been a few seconds, Craig lifted his head. “No more arguing. The wedding is going to happen whether the dresses are midnight or navy.”
“Yes,” she murmured.
So.” Shelby rubbed her hands together. “I’ll start the cakes tomorrow morning. And they’ll be ready for your wedding Saturday afternoon.”
Craig and Delilah nodded.
“I’ll need access to the church and the name of the florist who’s doing the flowers.”
“The church has already been arranged. You’ll have access to the kitchen both Friday and Saturday morning. Here’s the card for the florist.”
“Thanks, Shel,” Craig said, bussing her cheek. “You’re the best.”
“I don’t know what we would have done without you,” Delilah added.
Ritt was beginning to wonder that himself.
Shelby hand dried the last of her new pans, all the while decorating the wedding cake in her head. She needed to get her ideas down on paper before she lost the details of the design. The time restraints alone would necessitate a more simple design, but more often than not, simple was synonymous with elegant.
She heard a thump, a clank and a muffled curse. Ritt.
He’d disappeared right after Delilah and Craig had left, making Shelby believe that he was avoiding her.
She sighed. It was for the best. After that kiss…
One of them had to keep their wits about them.
So Ritt had gone out to work on his truck while she planned a wedding cake and wondered when she’d be able to leave. Now she knew she was stuck here until Saturday evening, but considering he was the best man, she knew he’d be involved in all sorts of wedding activities that would take his attention away from finally signing the divorce papers.
Her stomach pitched. It was what she wanted, she told herself. To be free.
From outside, Ritt’s truck started. Shelby peeked out the kitchen window, hoping he wasn’t leaving. The hood was up and his long, denim-clad legs the only part of him she could see.
She tried not to sigh in relief that he was staying. The whole idea was ridiculous.
She found a pen
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