“We went to get stuff to paint with,” Lilly told Kit.
“You did?” She nodded to the journal Lilly had in her arms. “Did you draw things together?”
“Gramma likes to color, too. She makes up her own pictures. And she uses brushes. She showed me—” Lilly looked up at Moggy questioningly.
“Watercolors,” Morgan said.
“Watercolor,” Lilly repeated to Kit. “We made cottages.”
Kit’s brows furrowed. “You painted pictures of cottages?”
“No,” Lilly said in that five-year-old way of silently rolling her eyes. Silly adults. “We made . . . cottages.”
“Collages,” Morgan supplied.
Kit nodded, silently forming oh with her mouth. “That sounds pretty cool. Did you bring some to show me?”
Lilly nodded, then looked expectantly at Morgan again. He lifted the little tackle box he had in his hand. “We brought supplies. In case you wanted to try them out.”
Kit’s face lit up in delight. “You want to make collages?”
Lilly nodded, looking truly excited.
Kit pursed her lips and her expression turned to a considering one. “How about we make a trade?”
Lilly’s expression immediately turned wary, and she held her journal a little more tightly against her chest. “A trade?”
“I teach you how to make peanut pie, and you teach me how to make cottages.”
Lilly snickered. “It’s not cottages. It’s . . . co—” But she broke off, apparently knowing she couldn’t put it together right, and looked at Morgan again.
“Collages,” he supplied.
“Right!” Lilly beamed proudly back at Kit, who was clearly swallowing laughter. “Cottages.”
Kit stood. “Sounds like a great plan. So . . . your Uncle Morgan said you wanted to see the shop. I’m afraid it doesn’t look much like a shop yet, but when we get over to Lani’s kitchen, she has all the drawings in her office. This front room is where we’ll meet with our customers, take their orders, and talk about the parties they want us to take cupcakes to.”
Kit motioned them toward the back room. “Back here, will be a kitchen like Miss Lani’s, where we bake the cupcakes we’ll be mailing to people and the ones for the parties, too.”
She helped them weave through the construction mess. “Right now, it’s hard to see what it will look like, but the drawings will show you.”
She stepped to the rear service door and opened it. “We don’t have a door between the shops yet, so I’m afraid we have to duck out in the rain, but the construction guys put up a covered walkway, so it’s not too bad.”
Morgan noticed that Lilly had looked all around the front room and the back, too, as Kit had talked, but hadn’t asked a single question. Just as they were to step out the back door, she tugged on his hand. He bent down when she motioned him to come closer. “What is it?”
“I like the other bakery,” she whispered. “Can we get our cupcakes from Miss Dre?”
Morgan grinned. “Well, they’re not finished here yet, so there aren’t any cupcakes in this bakery. In the meantime, we can get cupcakes from the other bakery, yes.”
“Will Miss Kit be mad?” Lilly glanced to where Kit was waiting by the door.
“No, she won’t be mad. We can try the cupcakes here, too, once this bakery is all fixed up. Let’s go next door and have some fun, okay?”
Morgan caught Kit’s questioning gaze as he straightened. He paused by the door so the girls could head out first. “I’ll explain later,” he said and winked. Kit took Lilly’s hand then, and they made their way through the covered walkway to the back door of Lani’s kitchen, giggling and squealing as the wind buffeted them with rain, anyway.
Morgan headed up the rear, watching the two of them and enjoying the contentment he felt, happy with how things were flowing forward. It was happening sooner than he’d imagined. With Birdie and with Kit.
“My, my, who do we have here!” Alva remarked, as they ducked in the back door of Cakes by the Cup. “You’re like three wet little puppies.”
She glanced up at Morgan. “Well, maybe not so little,” she added with a wink at him.
She bustled around, helping them off with coats and showing Lilly where to wipe her boots. “Do you have shoes to put on? Or would you like to wear your rain boots? Very nice rain boots they are, too, by the way.” Alva glanced at Kit and Morgan, making him think she was quite aware of how Lilly had come by her turtle-themed outfit.
Lilly reached for Kit’s hand as Alva spoke to her, but she didn’t shrink back. Apparently the time spent on the beach with everyone helping the turtles had gotten her past a good part of her shyness, at least with that particular group. Alva hadn’t been there until the end, but Lilly seemed to be mostly relaxed with her, too.
“Uncle Moggy has my shoes,” she told Alva, only shifting slightly closer to Kit’s side. “But I can’t get the boots off by myself.”
“Well, I think we can figure that out. Come on in. Miss Lani had to go to Savannah to meet with Mr. Baxter, so I’m holding down the fort.”
Lilly’s eyes went wide. “You have a fort?”
Everyone chuckled. “Some days I think running a real fort would be easier, dear, but I meant I’ll be out front taking care of the customers who come in to buy cupcakes.” She looked at Kit. “Lani said you know where everything is now, so just help yourself to what you need. Between the crazy sales of yesterday and this weather, we don’t expect to have much business.” She glanced back at Lilly. “We might have a cupcake or two leftover, though, and I was hoping maybe you and your Uncle Morgan would take them with you.”
Lilly nodded enthusiastically, though she remembered to glance up at Morgan to make sure it was okay. He nodded back.
“Aprons are on the wall. Miss Lani has more in those drawers just below. Some she’s collected from all the way back when she was your age. She said feel free to borrow one.” Alva looked at Lilly. “You can pick one out, and we’ll give you a hook on the apron wall to hang it up when you’re done. Then, every time you visit the kitchen, you’ll have your own apron to wear. Just like Miss Kit does, and like I do.” She modeled her apron, which featured a pink-maned My Little Pony.
Lilly nodded again, seeming somewhat more contemplative. “Can I see them?”
Just then the sound of a jingle echoed in the kitchen. Alva clapped. “Customers! You all make yourselves at home.” With that, she bustled out of the kitchen to the front of the shop.
“Let’s check out what’s in the drawers,” Kit said, motioning Lilly over after Morgan helped her off with her boots and on with her sneakers.
Lilly looked at Morgan. “You need an apron, too.”
“Well—”
“Mr. Franco had one on,” she said, which was true. Franco had put on an apron to carve the turkey, beachside. “It had a big, pink cat on it. Do you like pink cats?” She looked more than a little dubious about his possible response.
“Why don’t we see what’s available,” Morgan said, catching Kit’s gaze and seeing her fight to keep from laughing.
“Yes, why don’t we go see what’s available.” Kit headed over to the apron wall. “How do you feel about pirates?”
Lilly clapped and looked instantly more interested. “Uncle Moggy, pirates!”
Kit was all but bursting as she handed Morgan an apron with Johnny Depp’s smiling face covering the front. “Here you go, Cap’n Jack.”
Lilly tugged on Kit’s apron and whispered, “His name isn’t Jack.”
“That’s the name of the pirate on his apron,” Kit said, still dangling the apron from her fingers.
Morgan took it and slipped the loop over his head. “You know,” he said conversationally, “pirates like to plunder. And they like hot wenches.”
Kit’s eyes went wide as she spluttered a laugh, even as Lilly was saying, “What’s a hot wenches?”
Kit pointed a finger at him in warning, and immediately crouched down in front of t
he small antique set of drawers, distracting Lilly by opening the first one. “These were Miss Lani’s when she was a little girl. See if you can find one you like.”
She straightened as Lilly began going through the stack and turned to Morgan. “You are being a very bad influence,” she whispered so only he could hear.
“Well, if you really like pirates, just wait until later. I plan to be a very, very bad influence.” He glanced down to make sure Lilly was engrossed in her task, then leaned in and gave Kit a fast kiss. “Good morning.” He liked seeing the sparkle his kiss put in those green eyes.
“Good morning, yourself,” she said, making him wish they had an hour or two—or a week—somewhere private.
He’d settle for a few hours of pie making and collage painting, but was already plotting how they could spend more alone time together . . . the sooner the better.
He slipped his hand toward hers and hooked their little fingers together, tugging her a little bit closer, even as she turned back to watch Lilly.
“You can look through the other drawers, too,” Kit told her. Then, to Morgan, she said, “So, the shopping trip yesterday . . . it went really well it seems.”
“Ah-mazingly well,” Morgan said, making her laugh. “Lilly and Birdie are thick as thieves. I’m learning that Lilly might be shy with new people, and in some cases, she stays that way, but once she decides she likes someone, she’s all in.”
Kit glanced up. “Kind of like her uncle, then.”
Morgan’s lips curved. “Kind of like, yes.” God, he wanted to sweep her up in his arms, kiss her hello the way he really wanted to. Instead, he squeezed his finger around hers. “She’s going to go see Birdie’s house tomorrow. Apparently Birdie’s set up a little art studio in what used to be her potting shed. She does really beautiful watercolors. And now that the two of them have made cottages together, Lilly is all about learning art.”
“That’s fantastic. It’s wonderful they have something like that to share with each other.”
“I was thinking, maybe over the Christmas holiday Dre will let us see where she works, and she can show Lilly that kind of art, how it can be a business, too.”
“Starting her on a career path so soon?” Kit teased. “You really are a Westlake, after all.”
It was a testament to how comfortable they were with one another, and how much he trusted her, that her comment made him laugh rather than wince. “No, but you know how she is when she gets on to something, like with the turtles. I just thought—”
Kit leaned into him, bumping elbows. “I know what you thought, and it’s a great idea. I love that Lilly’s making so many new friends here, people who are becoming important to her. I know nothing will fill the void of her losing her parents, but I think it’s great for her to make new connections before she has a chance to close herself off. She won’t even think about that now.”
Morgan knew Kit was truly thinking about Lilly as she spoke, but he also knew it was her own experiences that were coloring her concerns. He hadn’t thought as much about how losing her parents had affected her, as he had losing the family business. Even though she’d been an adult when they’d died, and it had happened over a half dozen years ago, he wondered just how much that event had caused her to pour herself into her job, her work, the company, and thereby remove any risks of a more personal nature.
And he understood, more and more, why she’d been so tentative with him. He thanked the stars and fate and whatever else had had a hand in it, that their coming together had been easy and natural. She’d have never considered a first step with him if it hadn’t been.
“This one!” Lilly said, scrambling back to her feet. The open drawers were littered with a toss of aprons. Before Morgan could say anything, Kit leaned down to take the apron from her, so they could see it.
“Land of the Lost,” Kit read out loud, holding up the apron, which had a scene from an old television show on the front.
“Dinosaurs!” Lilly exclaimed, her face all lit up.
“I know,” Kit replied. “Awesome. Here, turn around and we’ll get it tied on.” Once they had the deed done, she said, “Can you do me a favor and put all of Miss Lani’s very special aprons back in the drawers while we get out the stuff to make pies?”
Lilly was still admiring her apron, smoothing her hands over the front of it, squinting as she looked at the dinosaurs, which were upside down from her viewpoint. “Okay,” she said, and after another long moment admiring herself, she knelt back down and got to work.
Kit tousled the top of her head, then took Morgan’s hand and crossed the kitchen to the storage cupboards where Lani kept the bins of flour, sugar, and the like. “Good thing they’re extinct,” she teased Morgan, “or, given that rapt look on her face, you might be making a trip to the dinosaur zoo and research center.”
Morgan chuckled. “The turtle fixation is looking better and better all the time.” He held on to Kit’s hand when she went to reach for the cupboard door, and gently tugged her back a step. He leaned down and kissed the side of her neck, his back blocking the view from Lilly.
“What was that for?” she asked, smiling up at him over her shoulder.
“For being just what Lilly needs. For being what I need.”
The moment he’d said it, he wondered if he shouldn’t keep those thoughts to himself, at least for a while longer. But when his comment didn’t give her pause, he was glad he’d said what was on his mind.
Her smile was sweet, as was the color blooming in her cheeks. “I’m just being me. And you both make that very, very easy.” She tipped up on her toes, gave him a quick kiss. “So, thank you for being what I need, too.”
Then it was all about the pie business as Lilly came scampering over, practically tripping over her apron, which was still a bit on the large size for her tinier-than-average frame. Kit solved that problem by flipping the bottom of the apron front up and clipping it on each side with bag clips. Lilly wiggled, making the bag clips rattle, and they laughed.
“You know, Miss Lani likes to have music on while she bakes. What do you say we play some music while I show you how to make piecrust?”
“What’s a crust?” Lilly asked.
At that question, Kit positioned Lilly on a step stool, so she could see over the worktable, and Morgan took on the job of errand boy, fetching whatever the two of them needed as Kit asked for it, directing him where to look. She showed Lilly how to sprinkle the flour and powder the work surface with it.
As soon as she realized she got to put her hands in things, Lilly’s entire attitude about the project changed. Then it was laughter and a few squeals—when his little color-inside-the-lines, neat and tidy fanatic got flour on herself for the first time—mixing, rolling, along with dancing, and even a little singing.
When Alva popped into the back an hour later, she smiled at the messy trio. “My, my, it sure smells like heaven back here. You all look like you’ve been pretty busy.”
“We made peanut pie,” Lilly said, beaming proudly, with flour on her face, her apron, her hands, and a good bit of the area surrounding her.
Alva beamed right back, clearly charmed. “Well, if you’re willing to share a bite, I’d love to try some.”
Lilly looked at Kit, who nodded. “We’ll have plenty to share.”
“I was thinking since it’s slowed down up front, maybe you want to clean up a little and come out and see about choosing which of those cupcakes you want to take home for later.” Alva winked at Morgan and Kit. “I think these will be even better, though, if you wait until tomorrow to try them.”
Between the pies and cupcakes, Morgan prayed the rain let up soon, so he could run the sugar energy out of his little five-year-old, up and down the beach if necessary. Lilly had asked a ton of questions about the turtle babies, and wanted to go back and see the nest, make sure they were all out and okay. Morgan wanted to wait until Gabe and Anne had had time to excavate the mound and remove anything Lilly didn’t need to see, and al
so to check the beach, make sure none of the babies had washed back up for good.
With the rain, all of that would be delayed a little longer, making him doubly grateful Birdie had gotten Lilly interested in painting and drawing. Something to keep her distracted until they could get back to the beach.
Alva had Lilly over at the sink, getting her washed up, so he went over to help Kit clean up the work surface. “I don’t want to rummage through Lani’s office with her gone. My copy of the plans for the shop is upstairs,” Kit told him.
Morgan wiggled his eyebrows. “Are you asking me upstairs to see your etchings?”
She laughed. “I meant that I needed to go up and get them. It’s a mess up there, so I wasn’t planning on having Lilly up. I’m thinking maybe we can do our painting on one of the worktables, just put down some paper—”
“We’re going to get cupcakes!” Lilly announced, freshly washed up and hand in hand with Alva by the door to the front of the shop.
“You two finish cleaning up,” Alva said, not even bothering to hide her knowing look. “I’m sure it will take us a little time to choose. Plus, I want to show Miss Lilly the antique cash register, maybe show her how it works.”
“What’s a regsist—” She broke off. “What is it called?”
“A cash register. When a customer buys a cupcake, it’s where we ring up the sale and tell them how much money it will cost. Then we put the money in the register drawer,” Alva told her, already opening the swinging door. “Come on. I’ll show you.” She shot another wink at Kit and Morgan as she hustled Lilly back up front.
“I think I’m going to be conspicuously absent from the next Cupcake Club Bitch ’n’ Bake,” Kit said, laughing. “If I thought they took an overactive interest in my sex life before—”
Morgan spun her neatly around and kissed her flour-covered lips. “I have an overactive interest in your sex life,” he said as she slid her arms around his neck. “Although I’m not much for talking about it. I’m more of a show and tell guy.”
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