The Forget-Me-Not Bakery

by Caroline Flynn

  ‘Just … weird.’ He assessed him quizzically. ‘You don’t look like a veterinarian. You look like one of those guys on the shoot ’em up movies that pretend to be waiters at a fancy restaurant, but really they’ve got guns in their ankle holster, ready to take down the mafia guys at any second.’

  He was saying he looked like an undercover agent? ‘First of all, I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing,’ he said. ‘And second, how do you know about shoot ’em up movies with mafia guys?’ He certainly hadn’t been watching those kinds of movies in Cohen’s presence.

  ‘Dad, this isn’t about me, it’s about you.’ Bryce waved his hands, dismissing his question. ‘Just get over here so I can fix your tie.’

  Intrigued, Cohen sat on the bed in front of his son and let him wrap the tie around his neck. It took two tries, but when Bryce stepped back to assess his handiwork, he looked satisfied.

  ‘There.’ He motioned toward the mirror. ‘I think that’s how it’s supposed to look, right?’

  Cohen stood and crossed the room to the mirror again. The knot at the base of his throat was perfectly aligned and expertly tied. ‘How in the world do you know how to do that?’

  Bryce held up his tablet, shrugging again. ‘YouTube.’

  Well, I’ll be damned. ‘You never cease to amaze me, son.’

  Bryce made a show of pretending to polish his knuckles on his chest. ‘Glad to help, Dad.’

  He reminded himself that he wouldn’t even be doing this if it wasn’t for Bryce. He wouldn’t have been brave enough on his own. ‘Thank you,’ Cohen told him. ‘No matter what happens, thank you for helping your ol’ dad summon up the strength to try.’

  Bryce stretched his arm out and plucked the smooth, sand-colored stone from on top of the dresser, holding it out to Cohen. ‘Just gotta stay positive, right?’ The boy knew who had given him the stone, and he knew his father had carried it with him daily for many years. When Cohen didn’t immediately take it from between his fingers, Bryce leaned forward and dropped it into the front pocket of his suit jacket. ‘You love Paige, right?’

  The sincerity in his son’s voice made Cohen’s chest constrict. It also compelled him to be completely honest with him. ‘I do, Bryce.’

  ‘Good. Now, since you finally admitted it out loud to me, how about you go admit it to her?’ Bryce reached out and made sure the knot in Cohen’s tie was straight, then stepped back. He motioned toward the bedroom door. ‘Go get ’er, Dad!’

  Chapter 27

  Paige

  Paige remembered why she loved weddings so much. From the moment she woke up to the sound of her alarm – that’s right, even the screech of the alarm couldn’t curb her heady anticipation – and took those first sips of hot coffee as she bustled around to get ready for her breakfast with Allison and Kait before their hair appointments at ten o’clock, she had visions of silk and satin and fairytale flowers mixed with vows of love and adoration, and happy memories they would all cherish when they looked back on this day.

  Today was Allison’s day, a day she’d dreamed of since she was a little girl. And Paige promised herself that she would do everything in her power to make sure it was exactly the perfect day her cousin had wished for.

  Not that she’d had to ward off any negative energy or diffuse any chaotic situations. The hair appointment was just as carefree and buoyant as Allison’s mood. The bride was enjoying every moment of her big day as it came, and even though Paige, always the worrier in their lifelong duo, kept an eye out for things that could quickly go sideways, the schedule of events went off without a hitch.

  The photographer, a woman named Sasha from Detroit that Allison had met at one of the entrepreneurial conventions she’d attended before officially taking over ownership of the coffeehouse, floated along as though on the breeze, always a stone’s throw away and ready to capture a candid moment, yet she wasn’t overbearing. There were times when Paige didn’t even know she was there.

  Everything fit perfectly. Paige and Kait both oohed and ahhed at each other as they emerged from their respective makeshift dressing rooms in Allison’s house, completely enamored by the classy charcoal gray color Allison had ordered the dresses in.

  Paige had expected nothing of this day, and yet she expected everything at the same time. It was important to her that her cousin’s wedding would be perfect. Probably just as important to her as it was to Allison herself. But there wasn’t a thing she would have done differently, and Allison repeatedly said the same thing throughout the course of the festivities.

  With her hair done up in loose curls piled on top of her head, and her makeup done by Kait – although it looked like it had been done professionally by a makeup artist – Paige felt like a movie star. Add in the gorgeous dress that complemented the subtle makeup highlighting her eyes, and the reflection that stared back at her in the mirror looked like someone else. Paige didn’t just look like a movie star, she felt like a princess.

  That was nothing, however, to the way she felt the moment Allison walked out from behind the door of her en-suite bathroom in her wedding dress. Allison looked nothing short of Cinderella. Scratch that. Cinderella had nothing on her. She was something out of every little girl’s fairytale wedding. Even after the ten thousand dresses they had sifted through in order to find it, Paige knew without a doubt that the delicate lace dress Allison wore now was the perfect one. Christopher was going to be shocked when he saw his beautiful bride-to-be at the other end of the aisle. Allison was a hard worker, always had been. Rarely did she take the time out of her busy schedule to do more than toss her auburn hair up into a ponytail and slip on one of the coffeehouse T-shirts with a pair of jeans. Her style was simple, and it reflected Allison’s content personality and way of life. No nonsense, no fuss.

  But today was a different day, a special day, and Allison Kent looked like she just stepped out of a bridal magazine. Paige had to blot away the tears that brimmed her eyelids, fearing they would ruin her mascara, so joyous to see her cousin finally looking like the princess she had always dreamed about being on her wedding day.

  Paige made a mental note to remind Christopher just how lucky he was to have Allison. Something told her, however, that he already knew.

  Even though she had helped with decorating the church and community hall, Paige was still completely blown away by how much some tulle, ribbon, and garden lights could transform such a previously bland space. The church was minimally decorated, with only a few white candles with purple and gray ribbons sitting on the guestbook table, and little bursts of tied gray ribbon with purple lilies as well as pale blue, pink, and white forget-me-nots decorating the end of each pew. A dark purple runner lay up the middle of the pews, accenting the aisle. But the community hall where the reception would take place – there was nothing drab about it now. Little strings of white lights twinkled amidst carefully twisted ribbons and lace, with a mix of similar lilies and delicate forget-me-nots overflowing from crystal vases in the center of each round table, each covered by crisp white tablecloths. Eight chairs surrounded each table, each one boasting white and gray ribbon and lace decorations that Allison, Paige, and Kait had spent two nights prior putting together by hand.

  She had never been so relieved to know the community hall was just up the street from the white steepled church on Lansing Crescent. In true Paige fashion, she had checked and rechecked the decorations, the flowers, and the food as it arrived. The night before she had made the same trek across town to confirm things were in order, not wanting Allison to have to do it herself when she was busy spending time with her parents who’d just arrived in town the night before. The morning of the wedding, though, she walked back and forth between the hall and the church numerous times in her long satin dress, practically wearing a path into the sidewalk with each anxious step.

  But everyone involved was just as determined to pull today’s fairytale event off without a hitch. The flowers that arrived from the florist in North Springs were on tim
e and absolutely perfect. The woman delivering them even offered to help set the centerpieces up where they needed to be. The catered meal from the Mirage, the restaurant Christopher had taken Allison to on their first date, showed up with time to spare. The cooks said they only needed to know when the ceremony would be over and when the dinner would commence – they would do the rest.

  Paige knew she was flustering herself over the little things more than she had to. She was the maid of honor, sure, but the people who’d been paid and delegated to aid in the different parts of the dinner and reception were more than capable of handling it. She only had to concentrate on two things – making sure Allison was happy, and the wedding cake.

  That wasn’t enough to keep Cohen’s absence far from her conscious mind, though. Knowing he wouldn’t be a part of this special day, after all the weeks of anticipating it, made her sad. Sad for him, because she knew he would have enjoyed himself. Sad for Allison and Christopher, because they’d invited him, and Allison had been so excited to have him join in on the fun and festivities. And sad for herself, because, even after everything, she still wanted him there.

  A few nights ago, Allison had cautiously suggested that maybe she could ask Alex to stay in town one more night and attend the wedding with her. Paige had quickly quashed that idea. For one, she didn’t want to give Alex – or the other wedding attendees, for that matter – the wrong idea about her intentions when it came to him and his lavish business proposals. Mostly because Paige knew now, without a doubt, that Alex’s proposal wasn’t all about business. His cocky innuendos in front of Cohen at the bakery had been the final straw for her. And when she had called him on it, Alex had simply laughed.

  ‘Couldn’t help myself, I guess. The man was clearly sizing me up, ready to stake his claim or something.’ Alex had sounded almost disgusted by the idea.

  ‘So, you thought you would pretend you’d already done it?’ It was a bold statement, coming from Paige. Especially with the proposed career plans on the line.

  ‘Paige, really, it was no big deal.’

  ‘It was to me,’ she’d insisted, put off by his simple shrug. ‘You made Cohen think something that wasn’t true. Something that hurt him even more than he was already hurting.’

  Alex jerked his head back, letting out a hoarse scoff. ‘You’re making more out of this than there is, Paige. Besides, did you explain to him that there was nothing going on between us?’

  Her cheeks had burned so hot then, Paige thought she was going to ignite from the shame she felt. She hadn’t set the record straight. That was her mistake, one she had to live with. ‘I didn’t,’ she’d stated matter-of-factly, ‘But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to. It’s on my list of things to do, Alex. After you leave. Without me.’ She had lots of mistakes she had to live with, but this didn’t have to be one of them.

  She may as well have slapped him, judging by the shock on his face. ‘You can’t be serious,’ he’d said. ‘Paige, there’s nothing here for you in this town.’

  ‘You’re wrong.’ The words had slipped off her tongue, surprising Paige with her own vehemence. ‘I don’t expect you to understand, Alex, but Port Landon is … it’s my home now.’ That was the thing, though, and it had taken until that moment for her to realize it – no one else needed to understand. It made perfect sense to her, and that was all that mattered.

  ‘This is ludicrous.’ Alex wore a shell-shocked expression. The man clearly thought she’d lost her mind. ‘After everything you and I have accomplished in New York … everything I just sat here and offered you …’ He shook his head. ‘Paige, I can’t let you make this kind of monumental mistake.’

  ‘That’s the beauty of it, Alex; you don’t have to let me do anything. I didn’t have to explain anything to Cohen about you and me, and I don’t have to explain my reasons for wanting to stay here. The difference is, I want to explain the truth to Cohen, Alex. And I guess, in a way, that explains one of the big reasons why I’m staying here, too.’ Pretty good for a woman who’d originally shown up hoping to make people like her. Now, Paige knew better. She just needed to be herself, and do what made her happy. The rest would come in time.

  Alex’s eyes had narrowed. ‘You’re staying for him.’

  ‘No, Alex, I’m staying for love,’ she’d announced proudly. ‘Love of this town. Love of my own business. And love of all the people in it, including a man, his son, and their rescued dog.’ She’d smiled so brightly despite the defiance in her eyes, Paige knew she must have looked positively unhinged. ‘No job offer or amount of money can replace that. So, thank you for the offer, Alex, but I’m going to have to politely turn you down.’

  Paige had let him stand there, still and bewildered, giving him the time he needed. She knew enough about Alex Livingston to know rejection wasn’t something he had to deal with much, always the one to offer the sorts of business deals that were hard to decline. Finally, he’d reached up and run his hand through his perfectly styled hair, mussing it up as he blew out a long breath. ‘Never had a woman choose an entire town over me, Paige.’ Defeated, one corner of his mouth turned up. ‘Especially not with a job offer on the table like the one I offered you.’

  She knew a corporate-minded man like Alex would never understand her motives. And that was okay. Because no amount of money could ever compete with the sense of belonging she had found within Port Landon’s town limits, or the spark she had found within the heart of Cohen Beckett.

  ‘First time for everything,’ she’d replied, hoping to soften the blow a bit. She was taken aback when Alex reached out and enveloped her in a hug. Another first. But, somehow, it only added to the finality of their conversation.

  ‘I only hope you know what you’re getting yourself into, Paige.’

  ‘I don’t,’ she’d admitted with a half grin. ‘But I think that’s part of learning to really live. For me, anyway.’ Live. Not just exist, but live.

  Paige realized now that she probably should have confided in Allison about her conversation with Alex, but she hadn’t felt right dumping that kind of heavy truth on her cousin when she already had so much on her plate. Either way, Paige had refused Allison’s notion to bring someone to the wedding with her just to have someone. Besides, Alex Livingston wasn’t the someone she wanted there with her. There was little use in pretending. As much as she wanted to believe it was because she was too proud to invite somebody else as a second choice, Paige knew better. If she were truly honest with herself, she still held out the tiniest sliver of hope that Cohen would show up. That was reason enough for her to attend the celebration solo.

  Think pawsitive, she found herself thinking without realizing it. Then, she immediately sighed. Even in his absence, Cohen managed to sneak his way into her innermost thoughts. There was something sad about that. Something she refused to ponder. Which meant it was time to put those thoughts on the back burner again and get back to work. She had a wedding extravaganza to pull off.

  With or without Cohen Beckett.

  The ceremony was beautiful. As Allison had rhymed off her vows, staring lovingly into Christopher’s eyes, Paige had stood just behind her, holding her bouquet and wiping away tears that managed to stray past her fingers as she struggled to discreetly wipe them away. Thank God for waterproof mascara.

  Christopher wasn’t quite so subtle about his flooding emotions, breaking into sobs the moment Allison said, ‘I do.’ Seconds later when they were announced husband and wife for the first time, Allison wrapped him in a hug, chuckling softly as he struggled to pull himself together and kiss his beautiful bride properly. Paige didn’t hear what he whispered in her ear just before he kissed her, but when Allison finally pulled away, she was crying happy tears, too.

  The ceremony, although to the point and sweet as honey, was reserved and mellow. The dinner and the reception that followed, however, were anything but. Much to Allison and Christopher’s initial amusement, then eventual thinly veiled frustration, the attendees all around the room kept clin
king their forks and knives against their wine and water glasses, eager for the newly married couple to kiss. Again, and again, and again.

  ‘Don’t get me wrong, I love the man,’ Allison snickered under her breath to Paige. ‘But I’ve barely eaten a thing all day, and this roasted chicken is looking even better than the prospect of a gazillionth kiss from him. One more clink of a fork on a glass and I’m going to personally take away everyone’s utensils and make them eat with their fingers.’ But she was still smiling when she said it. Not even hunger could dim the brightness in her cousin’s eyes today.

  The laughter and happiness that swept through the hour-long dinner turned into full-blown excitement as the wedding cake was revealed. Paige had gone overboard. She knew it. But the widened gazes of Allison and Christopher, paired with the gasps and admiration from the other attendees made every painstaking minute she’d put into it worth the effort. Three tiers, each one above smaller than the next. Paige had decorated every fondant leaf and flower on it by hand. A filigree pattern encircled the bottom tier, allowing for the intricate flowers to peek out from gray and purple strips of fondant ribbon, like the cake was wrapped in it. The top boasted larger versions of the ribbon-tied flowers, their petals and leaves folding over to mimic the real lilies and little forget-me-nots that were incorporated in Allison’s bouquet.

  ‘Paige, it’s beautiful.’ Allison choked out the words. ‘It’s absolutely perfect.’

  Relief washed through her, followed by more emotion than a cake should have elicited. ‘I’m so glad you like it.’ She hugged her cousin tight, hoping to convey the happiness she couldn’t put into words.

  ‘What do you say we kick this party into full gear?’ Allison pulled back, giving her cousin a rueful grin. It was the moment the bride had been waiting for. Sure, she wanted to marry her best friend and eat a fancy meal in the company of all her friends and family, but Paige knew the one thing Allison loved to do more than anything.