She knew exactly how Piper was feeling. She didn’t want to watch Cam be bid on either, but there was nothing she could do about that.
“Oh, there’s Dax,” Jane said. “I’m going to go give him a pep talk before he gets up there to MC.” She grinned and headed in her boyfriend’s direction.
Whitney shook her head. Dax Marshall needed a pep talk about getting up on stage and being fun and charming like Whitney needed… another alpaca.
“I’m going to go find Aiden too,” Zoe said. “And then I need to head back to the bakery.”
“You’re not going to stay for the show and auction?” Whitney asked.
Zoe shook her head. “No offense but, I don’t really care what new product you guys roll out. Aiden loves what you’re doing, and if he’s happy, I’m happy.”
Whitney felt a little warmth spread in her chest at hearing that Aiden was happy with what she was doing. If he was happy enough about it to talk about it at home, that was something.
“And,” Zoe said. “If I’m honest—which is probably pretty important in this new friendship we’re forging after years of hating each other because our grandmas told us to—there’s a tiny bit of me that’s hoping it flops.” She grinned. “I do know that you’re not really my competition, but it’s been so ingrained that I can’t help it sometimes. I’m working on it.”
Whitney had to laugh. Their grandmothers had truly taken grudge-holding to a new level. They’d been best friends and had started out at Buttered Up, Zoe’s bakery, together. But when Didi had wanted to try new things and Letty had shut her down, Didi had gone off on her own. As things picked up, Didi had gone back to Letty and offered her another chance to do it together. “They’re selling like hot cakes, Letty!” Didi had told her. Letty had still said no. So Didi had named her new company Hot Cakes and had painted those words in huge block letters on the side of the building.
“Well, sorry.” Whitney couldn’t help but tease Zoe. “With Aiden working on this, I really doubt it’s going to flop.”
Zoe gave her a smile that was full of love. “Yeah, you have a point.” She sighed, pretending to be put out. “I guess I’ll just have to get used to us both being successful.”
Whitney smiled and nodded. “Guess so.” Lord, she hoped so.
Zoe moved off to find her fiancé too and Whitney looked at Piper.
Okay, she couldn’t keep Cam from being bid on, but she could help Piper out.
“I think I can fix this,” she said.
Piper gave her an interested look. “You’re going to bid on Ollie?”
Whitney actually laughed at that. “That’s a terrible idea. Ollie and I alone for an hour? We’ll end up with alpacas walking on tight ropes through circles of fire. Or something.”
She absolutely loved brainstorming with Ollie. He never said no, he never shut things down, he never didn’t at least consider everything she said. The creativity just flowed out of her and she couldn’t believe how good that felt. She’d spent ten years having ideas and then having those ideas ignored or even flat-out mocked. These guys never did that. Even when Aiden or Grant put a little common sense and practicality to the plans, they never ever made her feel silly or irrelevant.
Piper nodded. “True. We should probably keep the two of you apart unless you have a chaperone.”
Whitney smiled at that. “I have a better idea about who should spend an hour with Ollie. Come on.”
She started across the grass toward a group of boys. One of them was Henry McCaffery, Zoe and Cam’s younger brother. He was the biggest Warriors of Easton fan in the world. Aiden was practically like a brother to him as well so Henry absolutely had an inside track to news and behind-the-scenes about the game. He was a bit of a local celebrity himself, being so close to two of the guys behind the game. But Aiden was the CEO and Cam was the company attorney. Neither of them had created the game. They weren’t designers. The game—the story, the characters, the graphics—those all came from Dax and Oliver.
Who better to spend an hour with Oliver, talking about the thing he knew best in the world, than three eleven-year-old boys who thought he was basically a god?
“Hey, why aren’t you wearing the red dress?” Piper asked, apparently just noticing.
Whitney sighed. She was in one of her pencil skirts. A black one, which was not helping with the heat out here, and a pale green sleeveless blouse. And, yes, one-inch black heels.
She knew it was boring and made her look uptight. Well, now she did. She’d thought—hoped—that her work clothes made her look put together and professional. But last night with Cam, changing from the red dress back into her gray pencil skirt, had been like magic. She’d gone from feeling exposed and mixed up to feeling cool and like she could face him. Sure, inside, everything had still been a riot of emotions. But she was used to that.
Her skirts and blouses were like armor. She looked like a put-together corporate executive, so she felt like one facing her grandfather, father, and brother. When she was wearing a sexy red dress, she looked like a woman who was ready for a hot date and hoped that dress would end up on her date’s bedroom floor. And that’s how she’d felt facing Cam while wearing it.
His reaction to the dress hadn’t helped.
But his reaction to her skirt and blouse had. He’d clearly thought she seemed uptight in that outfit. Which was fine. Uptight was better than vulnerable.
“I, um, thought this was better for today,” she told Piper.
Piper waved a hand at her face. “A short sundress or shorts and a tank would be better for today,” she said. Piper herself was dressed in a bright yellow dress with a halter top that cinched at the waist with a neon blue belt and flared from her hips, ending just above her knees. Her long hair was piled on top of her head and wrapped with a yellow scarf with blue polka dots, and she wore bright blue sunglasses. She managed to look like a fashion icon while still being cool. Whitney was very impressed. While she sweat through her polyester and silk.
“Yeah, you’re right,” Whitney said. She wore sundresses and shorts and capris around home.
“So where is the red dress?” Piper asked.
Cam had it. He’d taken it because she, supposedly, didn’t need it until their date. The date they were not going on. But she definitely felt a shiver at the memory of how he’d looked at her in that dress.
“I was wondering if I could keep it for a bit?” Whitney asked. “I really like it. I’d love to find a reason to wear it.”
“Of course,” Piper said. “Red is a great color for you.”
“Hey,” Whitney said, stopping and turning to face her new friend. “Where were you last night anyway? You left me in my office trying on that dress alone.”
“I had to run down and get something from the break room,” Piper said. “But I passed Cam on his way up. I figured he could tell you how you looked in it.” She had a sly look in her eye now.
“Oh.”
“And did he?” Piper asked.
“Did he what?”
“Tell you how you looked in it?”
Whitney studied Piper. How much did the other woman know and what was she fishing for?
“I didn’t even see Cam last night,” Whitney said, just to gauge Piper’s reaction.
The other woman laughed. “Liar. I saw him when he came back out. A long time later. Carrying my red dress. That he informed me he was keeping for a while.”
Whitney’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. “No he didn’t.”
Piper was grinning. “He totally did. So… I’m cool with that. As long as I get details after you wear that dress.”
“I’m…” Whitney shook her head. “I’m not wearing it for him.”
“Yeah, that is not what his expression or tone of voice said,” Piper told her, still grinning.
“Well, he can think whatever he wants, but…” She took a deep breath. “It’s not a good idea.”
“Be that as it may,” Piper said. “It’s a Cam idea.”
“What’s that mean?” Whitney felt trepidation slip down her spine.
“It means it will happen. One way or another,” Piper said, lifting a shoulder.
“He always gets his way?”
“Pretty much. By the time Cam’s involved with an idea, he’s thought it all through, he’s looked at all the angles, he’s done the research. He knows all the possible outcomes and has a plan B, C, and D. And once he’s in on something, he’s all in. He’ll give it his all. He just…” Piper seemed to be thinking for a moment. “He doesn’t take on fights he isn’t sure he can win,” she finally finished.
Yeah, that shiver of trepidation was a full-on wave now.
Combined with a stupid mix of anticipation. How hard would he try to convince her that giving them another try was a great idea? How hard would he have to try before she gave in?
Hard. No question.
But she wasn’t stupid enough to think that she could resist him forever. He’d have to pull out the big guns but… that could be fun.
She swallowed hard.
Piper read her expression accurately. “Don’t be scared,” she said with a grin. “You know him, right? Nothing to worry about.”
“I do know him,” Whitney said. “Which makes me more worried. He might…”
Could she admit this to Piper? She didn’t know the other woman that well. But who could she admit this to? She didn’t really have girlfriends. She worked a lot and… she sighed. Her family members weren’t great at cultivating relationships that weren’t work related and she’d inherited that, she supposed. She didn’t relax and just sit around and talk about nothing. She felt like things should have a purpose and she was drawn to people who felt the same way. People who worked fourteen hour days, seven days a week.
Plus, she’d never really had nonwork friendships modeled for her. She’d seen her mother host teas with other executives’ wives. She’d seen her dad golf with men he had professional relationships with. She’d seen her parents and grandparents and their “friends” at dinner parties and holiday parties at their homes. But the social events always also functioned as business events.
She had never seen her father or grandfather drink more than a single glass of scotch. That made you lose control and Lancasters never lost control.
She’d never seen her mother in ponytail and sweatpants or her grandmother reclining on the couch watching a movie. That would indicate relaxation, and Lancasters also never relaxed. Not fully. Until recently. Didi had clearly relaxed since the rest of the family had moved to Dallas.
“You’re even more worried because Cam might what?” Piper prompted.
“He might want a little revenge.”
“Revenge?” Piper asked.
“I broke his heart. He might… I don’t know… want to mess with me a little. Make me fall for him and then be the one to walk away?” Whitney suggested.
Piper didn’t respond right away. She was clearly considering all of that. Finally, she nodded. “I see what you mean.”
Whitney felt her heart fall. She didn’t want it to be true. She could admit that to herself, anyway. She wanted him to really want her.
What she would do with that was another question, but she wanted to have that problem.
“But I know Cam too,” Piper said. “And I guess, maybe I’ve known him better over these past few years, right?”
Whitney nodded. That had to be true. Piper saw him every day. And she saw him with the guys. The five guys—Aiden, Dax, Grant, Ollie, and Cam—were so natural together. It was clear that they could fully be themselves when they were a group and they appreciated and loved each other and wanted the others to be who they were. It was so fun to watch them.
And it made her want the same thing. She wanted a group that she could belong to like that. But you couldn’t make things like that happen. They just did. Fate. Kismet. Karma. Magic. Whatever it was, it wasn’t something you could make happen.
“So I can tell you, for sure, that when he comes back to Chicago after being here visiting, and running into you, he’s a mess,” Piper said.
Whitney felt a little bad about it, but she perked up at that. Her heart thumped a little harder. “Really?”
“He gets super drunk the night after he sees you and then he’s a hungover mess the next day at the office,” Piper said with a nod. “I’ve gotten really good with the hangover cures.”
Whitney hadn’t known that. She knew she was always shook up after seeing him, but he’d always acted cool when they’d run into each other. He even seemed angry at times. Like seeing her was a huge, annoying inconvenience.
“So,” Piper said. “I don’t think that he’s wanting revenge. I think he’s still got feelings and now that he’s here, he’s probably thinking that he wants to see where things stand.”
That had been, essentially, what he’d said. But wow, hearing someone else say it made it feel really real.
“The question now is, what do you want?” Piper asked.
To not mess up this chance to make Hot Cakes great and to be a part of that. To earn the respect and trust of the men who had come in and saved the company, and her family’s reputation. To have a job because she was good at it and not just because her grandmother told her grandfather and father that they had to make a place for her in the company.
And Cam.
But she couldn’t have it all.
Thankfully, before she had to answer, Dax took the stage. He had been one of the partners in Hot Cakes, but then he’d met Jane. She had refused to date one of her bosses. She didn’t like how that looked. Whitney should talk to Jane. Jane would surely see her side with this whole Cam thing.
But Dax being, well, Dax and the master of the grand gesture, had simply sold his shares so Jane would say yes to a date. She had said yes. And they were now madly in love and planning to get married next summer.
Would Cam be willing to give Hot Cakes up to be with her? Maybe. Cam was known for bucking convention. But she didn’t want that either.
She was a businesswoman, whether her family saw it or not, and she understood the importance of having talent. Cam was not only a great attorney, but he cared about Hot Cakes more than any other attorney they’d ever be able to hire. He would protect the company from any threat because he was protecting Aiden, Grant, and Ollie too.
“Welcome everyone!” Dax said into the microphone with one of his incredibly charming grins. “We are so excited to have the town of Appleby, Hot Cakes’ home, as a part of this process,” Dax said.
Dax might not have a financial interest in Hot Cakes, but he had an emotional interest in it. Because of Jane and because of the four men who were like brothers to him. It made sense that he would use the term we. He’d weighed in with advice and ideas throughout the rebuilding of Hot Cakes.
“Come on,” Whitney said to Piper. “Let’s go convince Henry and his friends to bid on Ollie before things get really going.”
They made their way toward Henry and his group.
“Hey, Henry,” Whitney greeted.
“Hi.”
Henry knew her. He had been born their senior year of high school. She hadn’t spent time with Cam’s family. Their romance had been a huge secret from everyone but Aiden. The McCafferys wouldn’t have been any happier about their relationship than the Lancasters had been when they found out. But Appleby was a small town and Henry at least knew who Whitney was.
“I have a treat for you,” she said.
Henry looked interested and his friends turned to pay attention as well.
“How would you all like to spend an hour tonight with Ollie Caprinelli?”
Henry’s jaw dropped open.
They of course knew who Ollie was. In their world, he was a god. And someone they watched on YouTube regularly. He and Dax were celebrities in Henry’s corner of the world.
“Really?” one of his friends, Hunter, asked. “We could do that?”
The truth was, Henry could get an hour with
Ollie any time. His big brother and the man who was practically a brother were Ollie’s best friends. She was shocked Ollie hadn’t been invited over for dinner at the McCafferys’. Aiden had already been a regular guest, dating back to even before his mom had died and Maggie McCaffery had become his surrogate mother. Zoe’s two best friends were regulars around that table as well.
But Whitney wondered if maybe the McCafferys had told Henry that he couldn’t have his own friends over when the Warriors of Easton guys were there. That could have become chaotic.
This was a chance for Henry to be a big shot with his friends.
“Yep.” Whitney pointed at the stage. “He’s going to make one of the desserts and then people are going to bid on eating that dessert with him. You get a whole hour.”
“But it’s like a date, right?” Jack, another of Henry’s friends asked.
“Nope,” Whitney said. “It’s just an hour of time. With dessert. Anyone can bid and the highest bid is the winner.”
“But a bid takes money,” Henry said.
“Right.” Whitney had to swallow hard as she met Henry’s gaze.
He had Cam’s eyes.
Or they both had their mother or father’s eyes.
But she definitely saw Cam in Henry’s face and she was struck by a twinge of sadness that she hadn’t gotten to know Henry. She’d love to see Cam as a big brother. She’d never really seen him with any of his family except from a distance. When they’d been at school events or social events around town, she’d had to stay away and pretend they were nothing more than classmates. But it had been clear that the McCafferys were close and that Cam loved his family deeply. He’d been loyal to his family’s legacy with Buttered Up and had stubbornly believed every bit of the story about how Didi had stolen the first Hot Cakes recipe from Letty.
They’d argued about it only once. Then they’d agreed to not talk about it.
But the feud between their families had still kept them from being a couple in public. From spending Christmas together. From getting to know the people that were important in each other’s lives.
Semi-Sweet On You: Hot Cakes Series Page 6