Cakewalk

by Claire Hastings

  Gigi greeted him at the bottom of the stairs, sliding a large platter of ham off the counter. She looked radiant in a 1950s style red dress, her blonde hair loose and flowing. If it weren’t for the rest of his family in the next room, he’d be hauling her into his arms and showing her just how much he appreciated that dress right here, right now.

  He silently took the platter from her and followed her into the dining room, where everyone was already sitting in their seats.

  “What this?” Gigi asked, looking around at the rest of the group. Holden spun around to see her holding a little black box with just a red ribbon tied around it.

  His parents looked at him, then smiled back at her, like they were in on the secret but not going to say a word. Turning to Holden, she gave him a questioning look, but the only thing he could do was shrug. He had no idea what was going on or where that had come from.

  Holden walked up behind her and watched as she removed the lid. He heard her breath falter, and her hand raced to her chest as she stared at the pendant. The jade lotus flower was small, maybe the size of a silver dollar, and attached to a corded black necklace. The simple etching on it reflected the light making it seem like it glowed. He knew this necklace just as well as he knew the ring he’d just tucked into his sock drawer, and for much the same reason. But also, a much, much bigger one.

  “This is just like the one Anaura wore in At Midnight,” she muttered, unable to take her eyes off of it.

  “That is the one that Anaura wore,” Caulfield corrected her. “Or well, I should say that’s the one that hers is based off of. I bought that for Viv in Chinatown while we were on a book tour in San Francisco. She wore it the whole rest of the tour, and every city we were in, someone had a comment for us about what it meant. That’s where the idea for using the color green came from.”

  “I can’t accept this, Caulfield. It’s way too much. You guys already got me the mixer. I can’t take this too.”

  “You can, and you will, darlin’. I want you to have it, and Viv would want you to have it,” the older gentleman said. Holden’s heart squeezed, thinking about just what Caulfield was saying with this gesture. Gigi was it for him, and his whole family knew it. “I hope that it brings you two as much peace and prosperity as it did Viv and me.”

  24

  Gigi

  Gigi placed the last of the cupcakes she’d made into the display case at the Busy Bean, feeling more than a little proud of herself for how they turned out. The standard vanilla and chocolate ones featured little fondant champagne bottles, complete with matching flute embellishments. They almost looked too cute to eat. Almost.

  Thankfully, they tasted as good as they looked. Or so customers had been telling her all morning. Everyone had been thrilled with their Christmas orders, especially the peppermint-bark cupcakes, and she’d even gotten an inquiry as to whether or not she would be interested in making a batch for a birthday party coming up. She’d been so stunned by the question that she had kind of stumbled through the answer, telling the lady to inquire with Zara about the order.

  A small letter sign on the counter encouraged everyone to try both the new Arnold Palmer and the Dark Horse Mochaccino cupcakes and then vote on their favorites. Both had gone over so well with Holden’s family, she’d been left unable to decide which to pitch to Zara and Audrey. Hoping the staff at either Speakeasy or the Gin Mill would help settle it, she’d brought some over there as well. However, both flavors had received rave results there too, so she’d opted to let Zara and Audrey decide. The two of them didn’t want to have to choose either, so they opted to put it up to the customers to vote. Whichever one had the most votes come the end of January would be the Busy Bean’s new signature item.

  “Are those the peppermint ones?” Kirk asked her, interrupting her thoughts. “What’s-her-face…uh, Lily, over at Speakeasy called earlier and asked if we had more.”

  “Really?” Gigi asked, surprised by the request. She had made one small batch of the peppermint ones, just to use up the last of the peppermint bark from Christmas. Catherine had suggested she make those a seasonal item, only available during the holidays, while the two had been cooking dinner, and Gigi loved the idea. So, after these were gone, that was it until next year.

  “Why would I make that up?”

  Gigi rolled her eyes at Kirk’s dryness, but still couldn’t help but find it somewhat amusing. He might be a strange dude, but you couldn’t help but end up with a bit of a soft spot for him.

  “I’ll call over there on my way home and let her know that these are the last ones until next Christmas.”

  “Rushing off for some big New Year’s Eve plans?” he asked.

  It took her a split second to realize that he’d actually asked her a personal question. Had she entered the Twilight Zone? “Sorta,” she said after a moment, a big grin taking over her face. “We’re spending the night in.”

  “That doesn’t sound very exciting.”

  “Someday, Kirk, you too may understand why a night on the couch can be very, very exciting,” Roderick added in, appearing from the kitchen. He waggled his eyebrows knowingly at Gigi, and she stifled a giggle.

  “Kirk, it’s very exciting when you’ve spent every other New Year’s Eve of your life having to get dressed up and go out,” she told him, pulling off her apron. Turning to Roderick, she added in, “and for other reasons.”

  “That’s my girl!” Roderick responded, giving her a high five.

  “So, that said…I’m outta here!”

  Gigi grabbed her stuff and hopped into her car, making sure to return Lily’s call about the cupcakes. Smiling to herself, she made the short drive home, thinking about just how far she had come in the last couple of months. She'd left Atlanta broken—just another socialite with no skill or talent, save for a pretty smile, unsure where to even start in trying to find herself. But now, she had a job that not only was she good at, but that she loved. The strong, independent woman she set out to be had taken on a different form than she had imagined, but it was one that she was thrilled with. She finally felt like she knew who the real Gigi was.

  Pulling up the drive and putting her Jeep in park, she noticed that the curtains on the bow windows were drawn. In the months that she’d lived here, she couldn't recall a time that the curtains were closed, ever. Holden had told her that he had a surprise for her, so whatever he was up to must have been super-secret enough to warrant this kind of privacy. At least in his mind. She laughed out loud as she opened the door, walking inside.

  “What’s all this?” she asked, taking in the living room. Holden had rearranged all the furniture, moving most of it back against the far wall, opening up the room even more. The only thing that wasn’t up against the wall was the couch, which was now in front of the Christmas tree with the fireplace to the left of it. In front of the couch was a mattress, all made up with pillows and blankets, and a large projector screen.

  “This is our New Year’s plans,” he said, wrapping his arms around her. She let out a small sigh as she let the warmth of his body and his comforting smell engulf her. “You, me, the roaring fire, and whatever movies your heart desires.”

  Sucking in a deep breath, she let out a long, happy sigh, wishing she could just melt into him. After his family had left the other day and he’d asked her what, if anything, she wanted to do to ring in the new year, she wasn’t sure he’d fully understood her when she’d told him “nothing.” But in true Holden fashion, he’d known the perfect solution.

  “Just let me run upstairs and change,” she said, giving him a quick kiss, before taking off for what had unofficially become “their” bedroom. They hadn’t actually discussed it, but she hadn’t slept in her own room in weeks, something she was more than okay with. She threw her clothes off, not bothering to pick them up off the floor, and found the same pair of Holden’s sweatpants that she’d worn on Christmas. They were so big on her that she still felt funny in them, but the reaction he’d had to seeing them on her w
as worth the little bit of ridiculousness she felt.

  “Fuck…” he exhaled as she came back down the stairs. The moment her feet hit the floor, Holden hauled her into his arms, kissing her hard. She kissed him back, just as passionately, unable to get enough of this man. Everything about him made her fall further and further, and she just couldn’t believe that she thought she’d known love prior to him. In one swift movement, he lowered his hands to her ass and picked her up, her legs effortlessly wrapping around him. Walking them over to the mattress, he laid her down, never letting up on his kisses.

  “I can’t get over how incredibly sexy you are in my sweatpants,” he growled, coming up for air.

  “They’re really comfy. I may never give them back,” she teased, sticking her tongue out at him. He caught it with his lips, swiping his own against it and sending a shiver down her spine.

  “If it means I get to see you in them all the time, you can have them.”

  “Thank you,” she said softly. “For all this. You have no idea what it means to me.”

  "Gigi, for you I’d do anything. You deserve it.”

  “You keep saying that, and I’m not so sure I do. But I’m glad you think so. No one has ever believed in me the way you do,” she said, sniffling. She could feel the tears forming in the corner of her eyes, and she knew there was nothing she could do to stop them. She didn’t want to stop them. What she wanted was to be able to let Holden know just what she felt about him.

  “Gigi…”

  “Let me finish, please,” she said through another sniffle. “When I arrived here, I didn’t know which way was up. All I knew was that I needed to figure out how to stand on my own two feet. I needed to find out who I was and to make a whole new life for myself. I have no idea what possessed me to tell Zara and Audrey that I could be the cake lady, but something did. I was in so far over my head. Then I almost burned down the carriage house, and I was sure that I would never succeed. But you believed in me. You helped me figure this all out. I don’t know what I ever did to deserve you or what angel brought you into my life, but you are more than I ever could have hoped for.”

  “I’m pretty sure that angel’s name is Hannah,” he replied softly. “Pretty sure she knew that you were exactly what I needed as well. To remove my own head from my ass and start living again. Gigi, you are smart, and talented, and so full of life. I might have given you a little push, but you did this all on your own. You’re the one who figured it all out in the kitchen. The one who is making up her own recipes. I was just there to eat them. I hate that you had to go through what you did with Bradley to get here, and if I could go back in time and kill him myself for hurting you, I would. But he’s gone, so all I can do is promise you that you won’t hurt like that ever again.”

  The mention of Bradley made Gigi’s gut clench. A pang of guilt hit her. She knew she needed to tell Holden the truth—that Bradley was still alive. She’d barely thought about him in weeks—she wouldn’t let herself think about him—and to her he really was dead and gone. But that didn’t change the fact that he was somewhere in Atlanta, potentially looking for her. She wasn’t going to worry about that now though. She’d tell Holden tomorrow. Now, she was just going to focus on how she felt about the sexy, tattoo-covered, bearded man curled up with her in front of the fire.

  “Holden, I…” she started, trying find the courage to actually say the words. “I…”

  “I love you, Gigi.”

  Holden

  The words leapt off his tongue and out of his mouth before he’d even realized it. He’d been holding back those words for almost a week now, and it felt good to put them out there. The look on Gigi’s face though, was even better.

  “I love you, Holden,” she said, her eyes overflowing with emotion.

  He pulled her into him, closing the already almost imperceivable gap, but it still wasn’t close enough. He loved this woman more than he could put into words, and he wasn’t sure that he would ever get enough of her. Her smile, her laugh, her spirit. He loved all of her.

  “When I showed up at the Busy Bean that day, and Kirk said that he’d told you about the empty apartment over the carriage house, I could have strangled him. Now I think I owe him a thank you.”

  “Which reminds me, I don’t think I’ve ever actually paid you.”

  Holden let out a deep belly laugh at her comment. That was where her head went? He kissed her softly, unable to resist just how cute she was. A confused look crossed her face, and he couldn’t help but laugh again.

  “Gigi, you’re not paying me rent. Absolutely not.”

  “But…”

  “But nothing. I don’t need the money. I’ve never needed it. I told you, my contract with Chelsea was enough to live a lifetime on. You stopped being a tenant a long time ago.”

  “I need to do something to contribute to the household.”

  “You already do. You fill this house with happiness, laughter, and most importantly, love. Not to mention cupcakes and sticky buns. Your love is all I need.”

  “Yours is all I need too,” she returned.

  They lay there in silence for a while, wrapped around each other, simply enjoying the moment. Holden couldn’t have asked for a more perfect moment to tell her how he was feeling, and hearing her return those same three little words made him feel like he was overflowing. He let his mind wander, wondering what their future would hold—the recipes she would create, story ideas he would have, places they would travel.

  “Can I ask you something?” she whispered, breaking the silence.

  “Anything, always.”

  “Are you interested in more kids? Or would it be too painful after losing your daughter?”

  Her question made him pause, a new set of emotions washing over him. Just as her mentioning Hannah the night they decorated the tree had endeared her to him, so did this. She was so thoughtful, always considering him and what might be a trigger for him. How was it that anyone could have ever treated someone so caring so poorly? But just like that night, the thought of losing his family didn’t feel like salt in a wound, but a long-ago memory. He no longer felt like moving on was a betrayal to his girls, but what they would have wanted for him.

  “I would love to have a family with you. If that’s something you want.”

  Gigi nodded silently, looking up into his eyes. A small smile tugged at one corner of her mouth, and it was as if her entire face lit up.

  “Very, very much. I haven’t let myself want it in a very long time. A baby needs love and safety, and I didn’t have that in that house. But I do here. This…” she paused, taking a deep breath. “With you…a family is something I’d at least like to explore.”

  Holden loved everything about what she had just said. She was his future. He knew that without a doubt. But hearing her say that she wanted one too—complete with a family—was everything he could ever ask for.

  Rolling them over so that she was underneath him, he gave her a sly grin. He rolled his hips against hers, letting her know exactly what he was thinking. “We could start now…” he growled, just before capturing her lips in his.

  Gigi giggled into the kiss. “I meant someday. We have a lot to figure out before then.”

  “As long as you’re the one I’m figuring it out with, then I’m on board.”

  “You’re just full of all sorts of good lines tonight, aren’t you?” she teased.

  “Beauty of falling for a writer. We’re good with our words.”

  “Not the only thing you’re good with,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows knowingly.

  “Is that so?” he asked, as he started to tickle her sides. Gigi let out a squeal, followed by bursts of laughter, squirming from side to side. His fingers danced across her skin lightly, finding all the spots where he knew she was ticklish.

  A low beeping coming from his phone cut through the air, interrupting his efforts. Grabbing it off the couch, he cleared the alarm he’d set earlier and pushed himself up to his feet.

&
nbsp; “Where are you going?” Gigi asked, sitting up.

  “Be right back,” he told her.

  Scooting into the kitchen, he opened the fridge and grabbed the bottle of champagne he’d stuck in there earlier in the day, as well as the two glasses he’d left sitting on the counter. He’d been running his toast through his head all day long, coming up with what felt like a hundred and one things to say. But now that he’d said “I Love You”—and she’d said it back—nothing he had come up with seemed right. Looks like he was just going to have to wing it.

  Holding up the items he’d grabbed from the kitchen, he sat back down on the mattress. He handed both glasses for Gigi to hold, as he took on the task of popping the cork.

  “We might not be out on the town, but I still wanted us to ring in the new year properly,” he told her just before the loud ‘pop!’ Gigi giggled at the noise, dancing a little in her seat. He filled the glasses and then took one from her before turning to put the bottle on the floor.

  “GeorgiaGrace Elyse Shaw Hawthorne, you turned my world inside out in the very best way possible. I can’t wait to spend this next year with you.”

  “You did the exact same to me, Holden Hemingway St. James. And I could not be happier about it. To our best year yet,” she replied, raising her glass in a toast.

  “To our new year, new life, and new love,” he toasted.

  The clink of their glasses filled the room as they took a sip. The effervescence tickled Holden’s nose as the bubbles danced across his tongue, however he was too busy watching Gigi to care. Her pretty pink lips called his name as she seemed to savor the taste of the champagne. He wondered if he would be able to taste it on her lips, her tongue, and if it would be just as sweet. Pulling her in for a kiss, he had to stop himself from devouring her in search of the answer.

  “I love you, Holden,” she said in between kisses, the sound of the old wall clock in the dining room signaling that it was midnight.