by Amanda Black
“I did,” she said with a smile, pointing to a spot of frosting that I’d missed. “Now I only have one when I’m really stressed out, or after really good sex.”
“It hasn’t been that stressful in here today; just a little busy.”
“I know.” She smiled wickedly. “My new boyfriend took me to lunch.”
“Ewwwww!” I cried out. “TMI! Go wash your hands!”
“Yes, boss,” she replied, blinking her lashes innocently at me. “You know,” she called over her shoulder as she scrubbed her hands at the sink, “I’d hate to point out all the times you’ve been late for your shift and showed up covered with hickeys, Eden.”
“What? I have no idea what you’re talking about!” We looked at each other for a moment before breaking into a fit of loud giggles. It wasn’t until we both calmed down that I spoke again. “Listen, normally I wouldn’t care at all, I just really don’t want to be late tonight.” I finished decorating the cake as I spoke, piping on the letters in a bright-blue buttercream.
“Oh, God!” she gasped. “I totally forgot about your big night!” She stood next to me and looked down at the cake. “Wow, he’s going to love it.”
“Think so?”
“Of course! It’s gorgeous, for one, and I’ll bet it’s yellow and fudge marble, isn’t it?” When I nodded she laughed again. “I knew it! Why wouldn’t he love it? You’re giving him all of his favorite things in one cake.”
“You don’t think the wording is too cheesy?” I asked, biting my lip nervously.
“We are talking about the same guy, right?” Jenna teased. “There’s no such thing as too cheesy or too sweet or too romantic when it comes to him. You have nothing to worry about, he’s going to love it.”
“You’re right,” I sighed. “Thanks, hon.”
“No problem.” The phone rang loudly, interrupting our conversation. “I’ll grab that. You go get cleaned up and box up that cake so you can get out of here.”
“Thanks again,” I said, untying my apron strings. She waved me off as she picked up the phone.
“Thank you for calling Eden’s Edibles, this is Jenna speaking. How can I help you?” As I listened to her take an order for an assortment of gourmet cupcakes, I couldn’t help but wonder what I would do without her.
Jenna was my assistant manager and the only person I trusted to bake my recipes when I wasn’t working. We met in school while I was studying culinary arts and baking at The Art Institute of Chicago and had always kept in touch. When she learned that I was opening my own bakery, she quit her job as a line cook at a local restaurant and joined me full time at my request, even going so far as to move to the Quad Cities.
It was a decision that neither of us had ever regretted.
I had been on a roll of making good decisions, actually. I’d only lasted about three months at University of Chicago before admitting that I was miserable. As much as I loved going to the same school as Logan, it wasn’t enough to convince me that I wasn’t wasting my time. I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do with my life and I felt like I was throwing my family’s money away on classes that I had no interest in. The only fun I ever seemed to have was when Devon, Zoe, Amy, and Owen would come over to our place for dinner on the weekends. I would spend all day copying recipes from food TV shows and making crazy desserts, and they would all rave over the results.
It was Logan who finally sat me down one night in our bedroom and suggested that I look into culinary schools in the area. He explained that it was obvious my true joy was cooking and baking and he thought I would be cheating myself if I didn’t explore it more fully. I wasn’t sure which direction I wanted to move in at first, whether I wanted to be a chef or a baker, so when I transferred schools I started out by taking beginner’s classes in both areas. It didn’t take long for me to gravitate to the baking side, loving the thrill of coming up with pastries, cakes, and pies that earned me high praise in my classes.
It wasn’t easy. There were many nights when our kitchen at home was covered in flour and sugar and Logan would find me curled up in a heap, crying on the floor. On nights like that he would scoop me up and carry me into the bedroom, doing his very best to cheer me up and distract me for a bit. He always stood by me no matter how neurotic I became over each new project and I could always count on him to be an honest taste tester.
I was excited to repay his favor when I noticed that The Art Institute also had a Graphic Design program. Neither of us had thought to check out a more specialized school when we were looking around and it turned out to be perfect for both of our needs. Not only was it great to be at the same school again, but Logan was able to excel in his field in no time without so many other subjects to worry about.
Just like our life together, once we knew what we wanted, there was no stopping us from achieving our goals.
By the time I earned my degree, there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted to open my own bakery. I had been worried about getting a loan for the business, until we went home for a visit and mentioned my plans to my in-laws. As soon as Douglas heard what I wanted to do, he immediately offered to be a silent partner. His only request was that I make and sell monkey bread.
That was how, when we opened Eden’s Edibles six months later in Moline, Doug’s Favorite became a permanent staple on the menu. I tweaked the recipe a bit to make it my own and offered it in whole loaves or single servings, which never failed to sell out. I also featured a variety of cupcakes, pies, and pastries that I rotated seasonally, as well as the occasional special-order cake.
Douglas actually turned into a not-so-silent partner, spreading the word about my business to all of his colleagues in the Quad Cities. My mother quickly followed suit and mentioned my bakery at any function she attended around the country, and before I knew it I was catering large events and making wedding and birthday cakes for the children of the most respected doctors, lawyers, and authors around. I had referrals from every direction—Amy had even become a successful party planner and always dropped my name when a cake or dessert was needed.
“All right, Jenna, I’m heading out,” I called to her as I grabbed the signature pink box that held my cake. “Charlotte and Stacy are watching the counter, so let them know if you need anything.”
“Okay, have a great night!” she said excitedly as she pulled a fresh pan of cookies out of the oven. “I expect some details tomorrow!”
“I bet you do, perv!” I laughed, pushing the door open with my hip to the storefront. As I walked behind the counter toward the front door, I overheard my part-timer Charlotte helping a customer.
“Do you have any idea who did the adorable logo for this place?” The woman asked her as she picked up her box of pastries, pointing to the picture on the box. “I have a niece who is starting up her own business, but she can’t find anything she likes.”
Charlotte looked like a deer in headlights. “Uhh…well…” I had told her before, but she was new and still absorbing everything.
“Absolutely!” I jumped in with a smile. “I’ve got his card right here, and if you tell her to mention this place he’ll give her a discount.” I grabbed a Black Designs card from its holder by the register and handed it to the woman.
“Oh, that’s wonderful!” she sighed. “My niece will be so happy.”
“I’m sure she will,” I nodded. “He’s the best.”
I waved good-bye to the two girls up front and continued on my way out the door toward the Volkswagen parked outside. With us both owning our own businesses, a second car had become a necessity, and since there was no way my old car was going to hold up, Logan had convinced me to get a Volkswagen, too. I hated to admit it, but I really loved the thing.
I drove home, another swell of nerves rising inside me as I glanced at the cake box in the seat next to mine.
“He’s going to love it,” I whispered to myself. “He’s going to love it.”
We now lived in a small house in Moline, not far from my bakery, but we
still made it out to Aledo all the time to visit our families. I pulled the car into my space in the attached garage and made my way to the door, cake in tow.
“Babe?” I called out as I entered the kitchen.
“Back here!” I heard him yell from the dining room. I quickly hid the cake in the fridge, setting my purse down on the counter before heading down the hall. As I came closer, I noticed a warm glow lighting the room. When I turned the corner, I found my adorable husband standing behind the candlelit table, arms held open.
“Happy Anniversary, baby,” he said with a huge smile.
“Oh my God, did you make dinner?” I had planned to make us something once I got home, but the table was already set with a lovely meal for two.
“No,” Logan blushed. “I’m good, but I’m not that good. I didn’t want you to have to cook, and I figured you’d be too tired to go out after working all day, so I picked up takeout for us.”
“Awwww, that’s so sweet!” I rounded the table and gave him a huge hug, loving the tender kiss he planted on me when I pulled away. The man still had the ability to make my body sing with the slightest effort. “What a nice surprise.”
We sat down and had a wonderful dinner, telling each other about our day as we ate. I mentioned the woman I’d given his card to, and he thanked me for another potential customer. Somehow, as risky as starting a business could be, we were both thriving.
“I can’t believe it’s already been six years,” he mused, leaning across the table to kiss me again.
“I know, it’s gone by so fast.”
“The best six years of my life, sweetheart. I’m so happy we’ve been in this together. I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”
“Me neither. Um…I made us dessert,” I said as I started to clear the plates. “Don’t get up, though. I’ll bring it in.”
“Great! It wouldn’t happen to be a delicious cake, would it? Or maybe a new pie?” His wide smile made a warm glow spread through my chest. Logan never seemed to lose any excitement over my treats, even though he’d needed Devon to help him shed more than a few unwanted pounds from them over the years.
I had, too, actually. Just thinking about it made me groan. Devon had turned into a hard-ass personal trainer at one of the local gyms, and I kept him in supply of free cupcakes and cookies while he kept me from going up a dress size.
Well, until now. There wasn’t much he’d be able to do about it for a little while.
I quickly loaded the dishes into the dishwasher and grabbed the cake out of the fridge. As I took it out of the box I fought back one last burst of nerves, telling myself that I was being silly. Taking one last deep breath, I made my way back down the hall.
“Here we go,” I said with a smile as I entered the dining room.
“It is a cake!” he said excitedly. “Is it marble? I bet it’s marble, isn’t it?”
“You’re so damn adorable,” I laughed as I walked around the table toward him. “I wanted to make you your favorite… I wanted today to be full of happy memories.”
“How could it not be?” He smiled as he reached out and wrapped his arm around my waist. “I have my gorgeous wife with me on my favorite day of the year, serving me my favorite cake in the world. How could it get any better?”
“Well, we’ll see,” I sighed. “Here you go.”
I set the cake down in front of him, waiting for his response. He stared at it, silent.
“Logan?”
“Eden? What—what does this mean?” he squeaked out.
“Don’t you know?”
“Are you telling me what I think you’re telling me?” His eyes had grown huge, and I noticed that his breathing had picked up. He was either two seconds away from freaking out or doing cartwheels. It scared me that I wasn’t sure which.
I glanced down at the cake in question. Happy Anniversary, Daddy! was written across the top in bold frosting.
Unable to speak, I simply grabbed his hand and placed it over my abdomen, nodding slowly as I blinked back tears.
“Is it okay?” I finally whispered. “I know it’s earlier than we expected.”
“Are you kidding me?” he yelled, causing me to flinch. “Okay? It’s amazing!” He jumped up and wrapped his arms around me, spinning me around until I was dizzy. “Holy shit, Eden! We’re going to be parents!” The look on his face was almost comical, as if the notion of a baby was great, but the thought of actually being responsible for it was another matter.
I knew exactly how he felt.
“So, you’re happy, baby?” I asked, unable to keep the insecure tone out of my voice.
“Hey, how can you ask me that?” he said soothingly, lifting my chin up until my lips met his. “Sure, I’m shocked, and overwhelmed,” he chuckled, “but I’m ecstatic! I’ve dreamt of this moment with you since I had you naked in our meadow on prom night.”
“Ah, yes,” I smiled. “Our naked engagement.”
“Mmhmm,” he nodded, kissing me again. “Care to turn this into a naked anniversary?”
“Logan, all of our anniversaries are naked anniversaries.”
“True…but this would be a naked baby announcement. That’s a whole new milestone to celebrate.”
“You know, every occasion we have doesn’t have to be a naked occasion,” I laughed.
“That’s where I disagree. All occasions are better when they’re naked.” He swept me up in his arms and walked down the hall to our bedroom.
“Why don’t you find a way to convince me, then?” I dared him.
And convince me he did. A few times, as a matter of fact.
The cake was finally eaten, and made a better midnight snack than a dessert.
“I love you, Logan,” I whispered into his chest as we drifted off to sleep with heavy bellies and light hearts.
“I love you, too, Eden. I’ll love you forever.”
I smiled against his warm skin as I drifted off to sleep, loving the way he already held my stomach protectively.
“Forever.”
* * *
About the Author
Amanda Black was born and raised in the Midwest, where she still lives with her husband and spoiled-rotten dogs. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Studio Art before deciding that she actually needed to pay some bills, which is when she took a position as an ophthalmic technician.
For the past few years she’s been a closet romance writer in her spare time and would love nothing more than to make it a full-time career. When she’s not writing her next steamy love scene, her interests include reading, sketching, and annihilating her friends and family in movie trivia.
Connect with Amanda online:
Facebook: /AmandaBlackAuthor
Twitter: @AmandaBlackAuth
Tumblr: amandablackauthor.tumblr.com/
Spotify: /user/amandablackauthor
Blog: amandablackauthor.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: author/show/8525387.Amanda_Black
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
Full Fathom Five Digital is an imprint of Full Fathom Five
The Single Game
Copyright © 2015 by Amanda Black
All rights reserved.
No part of this text may be used or reproduced in any form, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in review, without written permission from the publisher.
For information, visit Full Fathom Five Digital, a division of Full Fathom Five LLC, at
www.fullfathomfive.com
Cover design by Cow Goes Moo™
ISBN # 978-1-63370-067-3
First Edition
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