Sweet on You

by Katana Collins

  We sat in silence for a few seconds, but it felt like a lifetime before she nodded and whispered, “Okay.”

  I didn’t waste any time and texted Callie to set up appointments for both Kandi and I with Dr. Stevens. Then, I sat my phone down, smiling at Kandi. “Callie is on it for us.”

  The door to my gym opened and Maddie came running in with my brother closely behind her. He was in his usual dirty jeans and work boots, and his white t-shirt was sweaty and clinging to his torso. “Aunt Ronnie!” Maddie ran at me and flung her little body into mine for a tight hug.

  I laughed, squeezing my niece back.

  Kandi’s face went from pale to pink and flushed as Cam slowly crossed my gym towards us. “How is your whole family so dang good looking?” she whispered, then immediately smoothed her hair and swiped her fingers below her eyes.

  Maddie scrunched her nose. “You think my dad is good-looking?”

  “Uhhh…” Panic drained the blush from Kandi’s face and I laughed, shifting Maddie into the empty chair beside me. “Everyone thinks your dad is good-looking, Maddie.”

  My niece’s face shifted from confusion to disgust. “Gross.”

  “I know, right?” I said, giggling. Cam had paused at reception to chat with Callie, and when I noticed Kandi’s face… pure and utter panic… I cleared my throat, making sure I stopped laughing. “You know he’s engaged, right?”

  She rolled her eyes and pushed the food in front of her farther away—a small thing, but I noticed it all the same. How many times had I done that same thing? Stopped myself from eating as though that could or would impress a guy? I clenched my jaw, deciding to bite my tongue for now. “Of course I know he’s engaged,” she said. “But maybe if he talks to Noah, he’ll mention he saw me… mention how much weight I’ve lost and how good I look…”

  Ah. It wasn’t Cam she was after. It was Noah… I should have guessed that. My youngest brother was famous and on a tween vampire show that was all the rage right now. Every single girl in Maple Grove no doubt had dreams of some romcom fairy tale ending where he would come back into town for Cam and Lydia’s wedding, see them, and instantly fall in love. Should I tell her that Noah and Cam hardly ever talk? Of all our siblings, they got along the least.

  “Don’t you have a boyfriend?” I asked.

  She rolled her eyes with a careful glance at Maddie. “Ben and I are on a break.”

  “Again?” Those two were on and off again more than I’d ever seen. Though, I can’t say I blamed her. Ben was the biggest jerk I’d ever met.

  She nodded, then sat up straighter in her chair just as Cam got to our table. “Hey,” he said, looking at me and then, noticing Kandi for the first time gave her a small smile and nod. “Kandi, good to see you.”

  “Hi, Cam!” she beamed at him, and Maddie and I exchanged glances. I was never that girl. Kandi and Kyra had their flirting game perfected. Even sweaty and slightly pale, Kandi seemed more put together than I was on my best day. Her head tilted just so, her thousand-watt smile, with her white, straight teeth, perfectly practiced. Even her ponytail… though we’d just finished a sixty-minute workout, was sleek and glossy.

  Cam snapped his fingers, pointing at Kandi. “Oh, shoot. Lydia and I have been meaning to come chat with you about some special candy for the wedding. Do you make personalized chocolates or anything?”

  Kandi nodded and stood up. “I can absolutely do that. Have Lydia give me a call sometime and we can chat about what you both want. I can do little candies decorated with something meaningful. Or some couples have wedding logos… I can paint that onto white chocolate.” The shift in her persona was fascinating. Before Cam walked in, she was my cool girlfriend. Then she went into primping/panicked mode. Then flirty girl. And now? Now she was all business. “Ronnie has my number, you or Lydia can call me, and we’ll set up a meeting.”

  “Great, thanks,” Cam said.

  Kandi tossed her bag over her shoulder and gave me a wave. “Thanks for kicking my butt today. Text me the details of the doctor’s appointment?”

  I smiled at her. “I will. Same time next week for your training?”

  Kandi grinned. “You’re the only person I’ll ever pay to make me miserable.” She winked and with a wave was gone.

  “She’s nice,” Cam said.

  “She thinks you’re hot,” Maddie said.

  Cam’s eyes widened briefly. “She said that to you?”

  “Well, she actually said that our whole family is good-looking,” I corrected Maddie, even though it was a technicality. There was a line somewhere in there, and Kandi making a comment about our family being attractive is very different from telling Cam’s daughter that she thinks her engaged dad is a DILF. “And trust me… she’s not after you. She likes Noah.”

  Cam grunted and rolled his eyes. “Then why isn’t she befriending Callie? Anyone who knows us knows that I am not the way to Noah’s heart.”

  I shrugged. “Dude, don’t ask me to dissect female human behavior.”

  He lifted a brow. “Even though you are a female human?”

  “Barely.” I snorted. Cam knew better than anyone how tomboyish I was.

  His eyebrows creased and he reached out a hand placing the backs of his knuckles against my cheek. “Are you feeling okay? You look a little pale.”

  I sighed. “I feel okay. My stomach’s a little off, but so was Kandi’s. I think there’s a bug going around.”

  Cam nodded. “There is. Maddie was sick two days ago.”

  “I barfed a lot,” she said.

  “Need us to reschedule this cake thing?” Cam asked. “I can take Maddie to hang out at Mom’s place for the afternoon—”

  I waved away his concern. “I feel fine mostly. We’ll be okay. And if I take a turn for the worse, I’ll call Mom to pick her up from Latte Da.”

  Cam nodded and his gaze settled over my shoulder. “Hey—” he tapped the back of his hand against my arm. “Look at this place! It’s packed.”

  I took a deep breath, surveying my gym. Cam was right. We were packed, and it was a Saturday… usually our least busy day as spring and summer rolled in. For months, this was the sort of crowd we’d see only on the evenings after work. “I started offering weekly memberships for vacationers,” I said. “Since the Maple Grove Inn doesn’t have a gym, they get a week’s access here if they buy a pass. They can purchase at the desk at the inn or here in the gym.”

  Cam’s eyes widened. “That’s genius.”

  I feigned superstardom and took a bow. When I opened my eyes, my brother was staring at me. “Seriously, Ronnie. You should be really proud of yourself. That was an incredible idea… and look at this place.”

  My faux bravado faded and my heart warmed. “Thanks, Cam.”

  “And thank you for doing this wedding cake thing with Maddie today. With Lydia in Boston this weekend… and I have two builds that are both behind schedule…”

  “You don’t ever need to thank me for hanging out with this kid,” I said, tugging Maddie into a hug again.

  Cam bent to kiss Maddie’s forehead, then giving me a kiss on the cheek, he slid a few sheets of paper—cutouts from a bridal magazine—across the table. These are some of the designs Lydia likes. Pretty simple. But the flavor is totally up to you and Maddie.”

  He waved and ran out the door.

  I stood and held out a hand to Maddie. “Ready to go get our cake on?”

  “Oh, yeah,” Maddie said with a grin. “Just don’t barf it all up later. Waste of good cake, you know?”

  29

  Lex

  An hour later, Maddie and Ronnie were in my bakery, sitting at the table across from me. Maddie had tried every flavor cake imaginable… I was pretty sure she was going to be bouncing off the walls on a sugar high for hours to come. But if Ronnie didn’t seem to mind, neither would I.

  Maddie should have been on cloud nine… but she looked stressed. And maybe a little sad. “What’s wrong, Miss Maddie?” Ronnie asked, rubbing circles over her
back. Her arms were folded on top of the table, her chin resting on her forearms as she stared forlornly at the various slices of cake in front of her.

  “I just…” she swallowed, her voice breaking, and I watched as her big eyes filled with tears. “It’s a lot of pressure. It’s Dad’s and Lydia’s wedding cake.”

  I looked up to find Ronnie staring at me, helpless.

  “I think they’re going to love whatever cake you choose, baby bear,” Ronnie said. “And you are the cake connoisseur of the Tripp family.”

  She nodded as though this was a well-known fact. One that none of the Tripps would argue with.

  I leaned forward on the table, mirroring the way her elbows rested on the table. “How about we start by narrowing down the choices?” I waited for Maddie to nod… accepting my proposal. Then, I slid the plate with the lavender vanilla cake to the side. “You didn’t like this one much, right?”

  “That was the one that tasted like flowers, right?”

  I laughed and nodded. “Sort of, yeah.” Lavender was an acquired taste, that was for sure. I loved it, but not everyone did.

  Maddie scrunched her nose and shook her head. “I didn’t like that much.” Then she bit her lip, looking regrettably up at me. “I’m sorry.”

  “Hey, don’t apologize,” I said. “It’s okay that you don’t love all the flavors.” I moved on to the strawberry shortcake, holding it up. “And this one? You didn’t seem to love it like you did the others. Right?”

  She nodded. “Yeah, that’s true.”

  I continued like that, going through the cakes, one by one, separating out her favorites from the ones she didn’t love as much until we had narrowed it down to two: A chocolate caramel crunch and a lemon meringue cake that I had created just for Cam based on the small conversation we’d had. I wasn’t sure what Lydia and Cam’s history with lemon meringue was… and frankly, I didn’t need or want to know. But the fact remained, there was a history there. And judging by the blush that spread across Lydia’s face when Cam mentioned it, flashing his boyish smile… it was meaningful.

  Maddie sighed, looking between the two cakes. “I like this one the best,” she said, pointing to the chocolate cake. “But I know Daddy and Lydia love lemon meringue. Instead of cake, Dad gets lemon meringue pie for his birthday every year.” Another sigh slipped through her lips. “I think we should do that one,” she said. “It’s their wedding and it should be what they like… not what I like.”

  I had to say… I was shocked. No matter what Maddie’s choice was, I was going to find a way to get them both flavors. Whether it was a small cake for Cam and Lydia or a tiered cake with both flavors. They did a lot for this community and they deserved the wedding of their dreams.

  “That’s very sweet of you, Maddie,” Ronnie said, giving her a smile, which Maddie returned… it just didn’t reach her eyes.

  “I’ll tell you what,” I said. “We’ll do the lemon meringue for the three-tiered wedding cake. But I’ll make a small cake… just for you… the chocolate caramel crunch. My treat. It’s my little gift to you because that choice you made was beautifully selfless and that deserves to be rewarded.”

  Her smile lifted, spreading wide across her face, dimples diveted on either side of her mouth. “Really?” she asked.

  “Really.”

  Beneath the table, I felt Ronnie’s foot stroking against my calf, and when I looked at her, she gave me a quick wink.

  Ronnie slid some papers across the table. “And design wise, this is what Lydia had in mind,” she said.

  I flipped through the images, nodding. But if I was being honest, I was hardly looking at them. My brain wasn’t working at full capacity now that Ronnie’s toes were tracing up my leg beneath the table.

  I cleared my throat, hoping like hell that I seemed like I was paying attention. “Easy enough,” I said with another glance at the designs. Lucky for me, they did seem simple. White cake. Piped flowers. I could handle that.

  Setting the papers down, I held out a hand for Maddie to take. Her little palm slid into mine and like a miniature businesswoman, she gave me a firm handshake. “Thank you for your business, Ms. Tripp. Will you be paying for this in gummy bears?”

  She threw her head back and giggled. “That would take a lot of gummy bears.”

  “Probably,” I laughed in return. “How about I send the bill to your dad instead?”

  The bells on the door chimed as Mr. and Mrs. Murphy entered the bakery with Olivia in their arms. She saw Ronnie before she saw me, and a giant grin spread across her chubby, little face as she waved at her. Seeing my daughter reacting to Ronnie in that way? The sight stole my breath from my lungs. It made my heart beat faster and something in my chest tugged.

  Then, Olivia saw me and that grin went from wide to wider. She squealed and bounced in Mr. Murphy’s arms, clapping and reaching for me. That tug in my chest became a knot that constricted all the way up to my throat. My daughter. A daughter I’d nearly given up hope on ever finding was happy to see me. She was reaching for me.

  Tears filled my eyes, and I quickly blinked them back as I stood up from the table and crossed to them. “Hey, little one.” I held out my arms to Olivia and she practically leapt into my hug.

  Across the room, I spotted Maddie watching, her eyes wide. “That’s Lex’s daughter?” I heard her ask Ronnie.

  “It is,” I responded in place of Ronnie. “Do you want to meet her, Maddie?”

  Maddie didn’t need to answer. She had already hopped to her feet and was running over to where I was standing.

  “This is Olivia, my daughter. And Olivia’s grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Murphy.”

  Maddie grinned at the Murphys, giving their hands a speedy shake before turning to Olivia. “She’s so tiny!” Maddie said.

  “This is Ronnie’s niece,” I added as an aside to Mr. and Mrs. Murphy, placing my free hand on top of Maddie’s head.

  Ronnie made her way over as well, smiling at the older couple.

  “I’m sorry again that we can’t watch her for you next week,” Mrs. Murphy said.

  I waved away her concern as though it was nothing. Sure, it made next Monday a tad trickier, but I’d make it work. There was a waiting list for the only daycare in town and even though I was top of the list, I had to wait until someone dropped out or the beginning of the school year. “Oh, we’ll be okay for a couple of days,” I said. “I can strap her to my chest and she can be my mini pastry chef until Seth starts his shift.” I bounced her on my hip and she giggled, reaching her hand to cover my lips. “Isn’t that right?”

  Mr. Murphy scowled. “You’re not serious, right?”

  “Honey,” Mrs. Murphy scolded.

  “Well, she could get burned.”

  Mrs. Murphy rolled her eyes. “I’m sure he’s not really going to bake with her strapped to his chest.”

  Well, shit. I was serious. Not that I would let them know that now. “No. Of course I wouldn’t do that. I was just… kidding.” Dammit, why wasn’t I a better liar? I used to be an excellent liar… when I was high. I bit my tongue.

  I would figure something out with Olivia, even if I had to pay Seth double time to get him to cover for me. Although, that still wouldn’t solve the problem completely… how would I find the time to bake?

  I took a deep breath, Ronnie’s words from earlier this week ringing in my ears. This was just the learning curve. “I could, uh, maybe set up her pack n’ play down here while I bake?”

  Mr. Murphy’s eyes narrowed. “You can keep an eye on her and bake, all at the same time?”

  I wanted to say yes, but I wasn’t sure. I’d never tried to watch a baby while baking before. This was totally new territory for me.

  “Hey, I don’t have any personal training clients next Monday,” Ronnie cut in. “I could help out. Watch her for the morning.”

  My eyes widened and I felt the tightness in my chest release. “Yeah?” I looked to the Murphys for confirmation. “Would that be okay?”

&n
bsp; Mrs. Murphy smiled, tilting her head. “She’s your daughter. It’s your call.”

  Mr. Murphy’s face softened as he glanced at Maddie. “Looks like she’s got experience with children.”

  Ronnie wrapped her arms around Maddie. “Just a touch,” she said with a wink. “I hope you’re doing something fun on Monday,” Ronnie added.

  Mr. Murphy snorted a noise that sort of sounded like harrumph. “Hardly.”

  “Sarah’s still in county jail,” Mrs. Murphy said quietly, her hand resting gently on her husband’s arm. “We’re meeting with her legal team and our bank Monday to see if we can take out a second mortgage on the house to make bail and cover her legal fees. Right now, she just has a public defender, and I think we all know how bad that can turn out.”

  “A public defender is what she deserves,” Mr. Murphy said. “Maybe she could use a little more tough love.”

  I suppressed the shiver that rolled down my spine. It was the first time that I saw a glimpse of my own parents’ behavior in the Murphys. Not that I didn’t understand… I did. Sarah had let them down over and over again, and he didn’t trust her.

  “Her bail was set at ten thousand, right?” I asked.

  Mr. Murphy sighed and nodded. “The highest bail yet,” he grumbled.

  My face must not have concealed my feelings. That was high for a misdemeanor… unless they were charging her with a felony. Oh, God, I thought, cradling Olivia’s cheek and kissing her forehead. Were they charging Sarah with a felony?

  Mrs. Murphy placed her palm on her husband’s arm. Both of them looked so weary. So exhausted. “We’ll get through it.”

  “How is Sarah doing at county?” I asked.

  “She’s…” Mrs. Murphy began speaking, but quickly trailed off. She held her eyes closed for a moment before continuing, “She’s as well as can be expected, I guess.” Her eyes fell to the floor in an obvious effort to avoid contact with mine. “She’s very concerned about you being around Olivia.”

  I sighed and hugged Olivia closer. “I know I wasn’t great to Sarah when we were together. To be fair, she wasn’t all that great to me, either.”