by Maymee Bell
“You’re under the arrest for the murder of Emile…” Carter started to arrest Nick.
Noah rushed in and grabbed me, hugging me tight to his body. I burst into tears.
Chapter Twenty-Five
The morning of the wedding might’ve started a little shaky, but the wedding itself couldn’t have been any smoother than a freshly opened jar of Skippy peanut butter.
The cake was the talk of the wedding—after how gorgeous Charlotte looked, of course. The ballroom was glowing from all the candles hanging off the birdcage centerpieces. The entire town of Rumford had come. Even Mayor Pickering looked to be having a good time as he danced with Evelyn Moss. She’d even let her hair down. Literally, her hair was out of the bun and she looked really nice. The smile on her face and the relief in her eyes made my night.
I straightened the cake table up, since I knew it was almost time for the toasts and the cake would be cut soon. It had to be perfect.
“Are you okay?” Carter walked up to me as I moved the plates a little farther to the right side of the cake. I didn’t want anything to skew people’s view.
“I’m good.” Good was really an understatement. I was great. “Who else could pull off a cake this gorgeous while being held at gunpoint?”
“Technically, your cake was already finished before the incident, but I’ll give it to you.” His smile reached his eyes, making them glisten.
My pulse leapt, my throbbing heart echoing in my ears. I swallowed.
“I … ahem.” I cleared my throat in hopes it’d clear my head so I could form a complete sentence. “I want to thank you for showing up when you did.”
“I wish I could take the credit for it, but honestly, your ex was the one who made the call.” Carter’s honesty was so refreshing. “He was coming in to start the food for the wedding, and that’s when he overheard Nick. He immediately knew to call instead of taking matters into his own hands.”
“That’s only because he didn’t want to get killed.” I looked up at the ceiling and rolled my eyes.
“Still, he saved your life.” Carter was speaking softly. “The handwriting analysis came back a couple of hours after we arrested Nick, so it would’ve been too late if Noah hadn’t called.”
“Handwriting analysis?”
“The writing in the ledgers that you pointed out to me really struck me. I asked Evelyn to tell the staff to write a nice note to the bride and groom about how much fun they had working on all the wedding details when I really just wanted samples of all of their handwriting. Nick’s was a perfect match.” His eyes softened as he looked at my dress. “You look beautiful tonight.”
“Oh, this?” I brushed off the fact that I loved the red dress. “It’s from Peacocks and Pansies.”
“That’s what you bought as a cover so you could question Ella?” he asked with a slow secret smile that said he knew. “You really did a good job. Next time, though, you need to stick to the baking.”
“Next time?” I laughed. “There’s not going to be a next time.”
The DJ stopped the music and interrupted the line dancing. Charlotte was leading, of course, and Ella was boogying down with her.
“It’s time for the happy couple to cut the cake.” Suddenly there was a spotlight on me and the cake table.
Carter quickly stepped out of the way. Charlotte and Brett made their way over. I’d already given them the instructions they needed to cut the perfect piece and feed each other. The photographer’s camera snapped away as the two gingerly fed each other a dainty piece.
As Charlotte and Brett walked around the ballroom to talk to their guests, a line started to form for a piece of the cake.
“This sure is awfully pretty,” Nora, Carter’s mom, said when she came up to get her piece.
“Thank you so much.” It was nice to get a compliment from her.
“You know. Carter has a big birthday coming up and there’s no bakery around here to bake him the perfect chocolate cake for the big day.” She was a sly one.
“Did Bitsy put you up to this?” I asked, not putting it past Mama to keep planting that seed in my head because she knew I loved compliments on my cakes.
“No, Carter did,” she said. I followed her eyes as they focused on Carter.
He was talking to a group of people he and Brett had gone to college with. He must’ve felt me staring at him because he looked over, his mouth splitting into a wide grin.
I turned back to Nora, but she’d walked off.
“I’m sorry.” I picked up a plate for the next person in line, not sure how long she’d been standing there. “Here you go. Enjoy.”
The banana pudding was snatched up by the kids and the cake was distributed. As much as I tried to stay in the shadow of the event, there wasn’t a single woman there who didn’t ask me how they could get in touch with me about doing an event or a cake for special occasions.
Charlotte and her father were doing their dance and Brett and his mother followed. I sneaked to the back of the room and leaned up against the wall to enjoy a little moment to myself.
“You ready to blow this joint?” Noah asked from the swinging kitchen door after he pushed his way out.
He ran a hand down my arm. My eyes glanced past his shoulder and the dance floor lights flashed just enough for me to see that Carter was watching Noah and me intently from the other side of the room.
“What?” Noah asked. “Aren’t you ready to get back to our life? Our real life that’s going to take you further than this little town?”
I looked at him. I took a real long look at him. There were no feelings of romance. The touch of his hand didn’t send goose bumps all over my body like it used to, and I wasn’t hanging on his every word.
“Don’t get me wrong. It’s a cute town and all, but this.” His eyes darted around the ballroom of the RCC. “Over the past couple of days, I’ve discovered that this place is about as far as your career will take you in a small town like Rumford. That’s why I only signed a temporary contract. You know, to see how I liked it.”
I looked around the ballroom. My life was all in this one room. My family and my friends. Even my perfectly baked and decorated wedding cake was in here. My creation.
Charlotte and Madison were talking and laughing about the people dancing all crazy on the dance floor. Never in a million years and no matter how much time had passed between the three of us would they ever be disloyal to our friendship and womanhood.
I looked over at Bitsy and Dad. Bitsy was chatting it up with some of her Garden Club friends while Dad was talking to the members of his golf league. People I’d known forever. People they’d been friends with forever. Even Natalie was snuggled up with Arnold. Ella was dancing with a short bald guy. When she saw me looking, she pointed and mouthed Grant.
“You’re right.” I smiled. “This is as far as my career would go, and you know what?” I sucked in a deep breath and remembered why I’d become a baker. “I’m okay with that.” I took my finger and jabbed him right in the middle of his perfectly starched chef ’s jacket. “You’re going to be getting on the big bird back to the city without me, and you can tell The Manhattan to shove it up their derriere.”
“Have you lost your mind, Sophia?” His nose curled in disgust. “I saved your life this morning. I’m the one who overheard you and Nick.” He jabbed himself in the chest. “I’m the one who called the cops. I could’ve just walked away, but I didn’t because I love you.”
“And I’m forever grateful.” I shook my head. “But you don’t know what love is.”
I twirled on the balls of my feet and walked straight over to Charlotte and Madison. Both of them had a look of concern on their faces.
“Madison.” I untied the apron from around my waist. “Is that carriage house on Charlotte’s street still for sale?”
“I’m sorry.” The edges of her lips turned down. “I think I have a buyer.”
“Oh.” My heart took a dip, because I knew that house was perfect for me
. “What about Ford’s Bakery?”
“Nope, same buyer.” She shrugged.
My shoulders fell. Everything that was going through my head and what I’d dreamed about was crashing to a halt.
“Why are you looking so gloom and doom?” Madison asked. “The buyer is you! The house told me the first day you sat down on that window seat.”
She grinned ear to ear.
“And…” She reached into her purse and pulled out a set of keys. “I just so happen to have the extra set of house keys right here.”
I grabbed the keys and noticed she’d had a keychain with my initials made.
“Thank you.” I gave her a huge hug and Charlotte joined in.
“Let me guess.” Bitsy stood behind us. “She’s agreed to stay?”
“It looks like I am,” I said to my parents, whose pride had been poured all over their faces. “And I’m going to reopen Ford’s Bakery. Only I’m changing the name.”
“To what?” Charlotte begged to know.
“I don’t know.” I bounced on my toes.
“Did I overhear that you are staying in Rumford?” Carter walked up. There was satisfaction in his eyes. I nodded. A feeling of peace swept over me. “Are you going to sell coffee in the morning?”
“I think I’ll have a pot brewing.” I smiled, knowing that Carter’s handsome face might start my morning off just right.
“I think I just might have to change my first stop of the day.” He winked.
“Excuse me.” Charlotte’s party planner walked over and broke our stare. “It’s time for the toast.”
Charlotte gave me a big hug and a little squeal before she headed back to the bride-and-groom’s table to get ready for the toast.
“Of course.” Carter’s southern drawl gave me goose bumps. “If you’ll excuse me.” He gave me one last look at his pearly whites, sending my heart into a-fib before he walked over and took the microphone off the stand. “If I can have your attention.”
Carter’s voice boomed over the intercom of the ballroom. A wave of silence blanketed the room as conversation hushed and all eyes turned to Carter.
“I’ve known Charlotte all my life.” Carter stood in front of the ballroom with the champagne flute in his hand.
He looked so handsome in his black tuxedo, gelled hair, and freshly shaven face.
“But it wasn’t until I met Brett in college that Charlotte and I became friends. If you can believe it, Brett was enrolled in the academy but was too soft to finish,” he joked.
Charlotte laughed and Brett just rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath before he smiled, nodded, and flexed both arms.
“That didn’t stop Brett and I from being friends. Look at him.” He turned to Brett. “Somebody has to protect that pretty face.”
Charlotte took her hand and squeezed Brett’s jaw, making his lips pucker. She gave him a quick kiss.
“Over a few beers, he opened up to me that he’d met this girl at the campus Laundromat. Of course I teased him, saying he saw what she wore under her clothes and that’s what he liked about her.” The crowd laughed. “A few weeks later when he asked me to come over to his bachelor pad to meet her, little did I realize it was no longer a bachelor pad. His place was spotless. There weren’t empty pizza boxes, empty beer bottles, and clothes all over the floor or stains on the toilet. There was no way this guy was going to be in love, and I was going to find flaws in her to make sure.” Carter cocked a brow. He slid his eyes back to the happy couple. “When Charlotte walked into the apartment, we immediately recognized each other.”
Charlotte nodded, agreeing with Carter the entire time.
“There was no way I could even think about talking Brett out of loving Charlotte. In high school, Charlotte was exactly what you see. She was kind. She was always happy. She made sure that she said hello to me in the halls, even though we didn’t hang around the same crowd.” Carter turned and looked over at me. “Charlotte once told me that when she graduated, she wanted to come back to Rumford and make a difference in the community. Her home. The place where part of her heart was. Brett knew that.”
I swallowed hard after he took his eyes off me, wondering if that part of his speech was directed toward me.
“Brett spent the last couple of years in college making sure he had a business plan so that when he graduated with his business degree, he could help make the love of his life’s dream come true.” Carter took a step backward and let his words sink into the crowd. Sniffles broke the silence. Even I teared up. “He wasted no time finding investors with his idea of revitalizing a community that desperately needed it. Within weeks, Brett was buying up property and starting his business right out of the gate. Naturally, Charlotte has been by his side and used her project management degree to work in his office and keep him organized. They work together like a well-oiled machine. Their love is apparent in how they look at each other and how they treat each other.”
Carter lifted his arm with the champagne flute in the air.
“Here’s to finding not only your soulmate and business partner in life, but moving home to make the community a better place.” He lifted the glass higher. “So, let’s lift our glasses to finding that one true love and the happily-ever-after that Charlotte and Brett have found.” He looked over at me. His eyes held mine as he spoke to the crowd and took a drink.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The Manhattan had gotten word that I wasn’t coming back. The owners tried everything in the world shy of handing me ownership of the place. I knew I’d made the best decision for me because there was a peace inside that I’d not felt in a long time.
Life in Rumford was going to be much different than life in the city the last ten years. A much-needed break and a slow-paced life looked good on me.
I could barely sleep the night after the wedding. There were so many things going through my head. Noah’s face when I told him to go stuff it. Carter’s face when I told him I was staying. The orders that poured in after a drunken Charlotte announced to her wedding guests that I was staying and opening up a bakery where the old Ford’s Bakery was located.
Madison had agreed to meet me early in the morning, though I was sure she was nursing a major hangover. She and Matthew had a babysitter for the night and I wasn’t sure they hadn’t ended up sleeping in the old swaggin’ wagon.
We stood in front of the glass display window of the old bakery.
Madison broke the silence.
“What is it that we say around here?” she asked, and I knew exactly what she was talking about.
“Around here our tea is sweet, our words are long, our days are warm, and our faith is strong.” I sucked in a deep breath.
She dangled the bakery keys from her fingertips.
“I have faith. I have faith that you are going to bring this bakery back to life and the line is going to be wrapped around the corner.”
“For Goodness’ Cakes.” The name came to me. Not only was it perfect; it fit my life.
“Adorable.” She nodded her head toward the door. “Go on.”
I took a step forward with the key facing the lock, sliding it in. With a slight turn of the key, I took a step across the threshold.
Home. I was home in more ways than one.
Red Velvet Crunchies
Do not preheat the oven because the dough has to be chilled for one hour.
Ingredients
1 and ½ cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
¼ cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
¾ cup packed light or dark brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature1
1 tablespoon whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon red food coloring, liquid or gel (you might need more, depending on how red you want your cookies to look; I like a lot)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips plus ½ cup for after baking to stick on top for decorations
Directions
1. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. Use a mixer to beat the butter on high speed until creamy. Beat in the brown sugar and granulated sugar until combined and creamy. Beat in the egg, milk, and vanilla extract. Once mixed, add the food coloring and beat until combined. Turn the mixer off to add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix on low and slowly beat until a very soft dough is formed. Add more food coloring if you’d like the dough to be brighter red, which I do. I eyeball this. On low speed, beat in the chocolate chips. The dough will be sticky.
3. Cover the dough tightly with plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour. It has to be chilled.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Put parchment paper on two baking sheets and set aside so they are ready for you to place the dough on once you’ve rolled it into balls.
6. Scoop up 2 tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball. (If you need a photo, please check out Tonyakappes.com, where you will find a photo under “Maymee Bell Recipes.”)
7. Place nine balls on each baking sheet. Bake each batch for 10–11 minutes. The cookies may have only spread slightly because the center will be nice and moist. If you want to press down the warm cookie, you can, and it will make crinkles on top. I stick a few chocolate chips on top and in the crinkles for decoration only.
8. Keep the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Surprise Puffs
(The surprise is that each one is filled with a different filling.)
Ingredients
1 cup boiling water
½ cup butter
1 cup flour
½ tsp salt
4 eggs
Filling
After the puffs have cooled completely, you can put in the filling of your choice. I’ve listed a few choices at the end of the recipe.