by Carol Durand
Her glance moved to Chas Beckett, the most handsome man in the room, or in the world, as far as Missy was concerned. How would it feel to walk down the aisle knowing that he would be waiting for her, hand outstretched, at the end? A sudden warmth swept through her, from her head to her toes, as she realized, powerfully, irrevocably, that she was in love with Detective Chas Beckett, and in this moment, should he have chosen to let go of the bride and take her hand instead, she would have followed him to the altar, or to the ends of the earth.
Chapter 19
Ben and Cheryl’s wedding had been a touching, warm, heartfelt affair that had total strangers dabbing at their eyes with tissue. The love between the newlyweds was an alive, nearly tangible thing that moved anyone who was lucky enough to witness it. While Missy’s back yard was large enough for the ceremony, the reception was being held, ironically enough, in the grand hotel where Ben had been rendered unconscious and stuffed in a trunk. The event was catered, but the couple had insisted that, instead of a traditional wedding cake, they had to have a “cake” made of just over one hundred and fifty of their favorite cupcakes. The entire staff had made an event of baking the ‘cake’ the day before, with a cupcake extravaganza at the LaChance shop, fueled by pizza, beer and fun and supervised by stand-in father-of-the-bride, Chas.
Chas danced with Cheryl for the father-daughter dance, and Missy danced with Ben for the mother-son dance, with Grayson catching the garter and 90 year old Mildred Feldman catching the bouquet. The evening was filled with laughter and dancing, and Missy was delighted to find that her tall-dark-and-handsome boyfriend certainly knew what to do on the dance floor. After a rigorous combination of 80’s dance tunes, she and the detective plopped down happily at a table next to the dance floor for some rest and refreshment.
Caught up in the sweetness of the moment, Missy gazed out at the dancers with a smile lighting her face. “What a perfectly wonderful day,” she sighed, taking Chas’s hand.
“Mmm…” he nodded, brushing her cheek with a kiss. “I never thought about this stage of life, getting married, that kind of thing, but it’s pretty amazing to see it happening right in front of me, to two people that I care about,” he mused.
“I know exactly what you mean,” Missy nodded. “I found myself thinking about things differently today, as though a whole world that I’d never considered before could actually be a possibility.”
“I’m surprised that you’ve never been married,” Chas admitted. “How is it that no Prince Charming ever swept you off of your feet and put a ring on that elegant finger?” he asked, kissing her hand.
“Well, I took over running the store, while going to school, when my parents died, and that basically set the course for my life. I’ve dedicated myself to running my shop since I was 17, and just never had the time or inclination to commit entirely to a relationship,” she shrugged.
“And now?” he asked, his eyes holding her captive.
Missy’s heart pounded as she weighed the possibilities of just how honest she was willing to be. Ultimately, she trusted Chas Beckett, and if her feelings for him scared him away, it would be better to find out sooner rather than later, so she opted for honesty. “And now…I can see more possibilities than I could before,” she swallowed hard, wondering how he’d react. She’d never shared her feelings quite so intimately with anyone before, this was scary territory.
“Meaning?” he prodded, encouraging her to share how she felt.
“Meaning that…” she began.
“Hey you two! Why so serious over here?” Mayor Felton Chadwick boisterously interrupted the intimate moment. “It’s a party – time to eat, drink and be merry!” he patted his generous tummy looking like he’d been indulging in two of the three at the very least. “Miss Gladstone, may I request the pleasure of your company on the dance floor?” he held out a pudgy hand.
“I…uh…” Missy was at a loss, still not having recovered from nearly telling Chas exactly how she felt about him.
“That’s a great idea, sweetie,” Chas helped her out. “Go have your dance with Mr. Mayor, and I’ll meet you back here with a gin and tonic, sound good?” he grinned conspiratorially.
Relieved at having been eased back into reality, Missy nodded gratefully, taking the Mayor’s hand while Chas headed toward the bar.
Despite his considerable size, Mayor Chadwick was quite the graceful dancer, much to Missy’s surprise. As he skillfully whirled and twirled her about, she learned the real reason for his dance invitation.
“Now Miss Gladstone, I have to say, you’ve outdone yourself with this lovely reception. Not only were those wedding cupcakes heavenly, but everything from the set-up to the food selection and the décor is just absolutely perfect. I don’t know if you’re aware, but my lovely daughter, Priscilla is getting married next year. Her sweet mama, bless her soul, is a lovely woman of good character and refinement, but the poor dear can’t plan an event to save her life. I don’t even want to get into the fiasco that occurred when my dear Prissy graduated from high school,” he shook his head in disgust. “My question to you is this…would you be willing, for the right price of course, to help my Priscilla plan her wedding? It would mean so much to my family,” he smiled, anticipating a yes. Mayor Chadwick was a man who was not accustomed to being turned down.
“Oh, Mayor Chadwick, I’m flattered, but I’m not a wedding planner. I helped out Cheryl because she has no family to speak of, but this isn’t something in which I have a whole lot of experience,” Missy answered honestly.
“You know my dear, I’ve often found that sometimes the things that we’re really good at, take us by surprise when we’re not even looking for them. You clearly have a gift for this sort of work, maybe it’s something that you should consider doing. In this particular case, I’d make the effort more than worth your time. My little princess is getting married, and I swear to you, her wedding will be the biggest and best that this parish has ever seen. If you make that happen, little lady, you can write your own ticket. You think about it and you let me know,” he smiled at her benevolently.
Missy was speechless. “Umm…okay, Mr. Mayor. I’ll let you know.”
“Darlin, there’s no need for such formality among friends, please, call me Felton. I’ll look forward to hearing from you,” he said, bowing and kissing her hand as the song ended, then leading her back to where Chas mercifully waited with a tall, icy, gin and tonic.
“What was that all about?” Chas grinned at her, having noticed her discomfort on the dance floor as she considered the mayor’s proposition.
She told him what Chadwick had proposed, and that she had tried to demur.
The detective swirled the ice cubes in his glass. “Felton Chadwick is not a man who takes no for an answer, you realize that, right?” he asked.
“Yeah, I definitely picked up on that vibe,” Missy agreed, taking a sip of her crisp, bubbly drink and letting it soothe her.
“So what would be so terrible about doing it?” Chas asked reasonably. “You’d make a ridiculous amount of money, because that man doesn’t believe in doing anything cheaply, you’d be doing something you enjoy that showcases your talent, and who knows…it could be yet another business pursuit for you. Besides, it’d be good practice for you if you ever need to plan your own wedding someday,” he added with a faint smile.
“Like that would ever happen,” Missy laughed softly at the thought.
“Who knows what the future may bring?” the detective remarked enigmatically, draining his glass. “I’m getting a refill,” he said, standing. “Would you like anything?”
“No, I’m good,” Missy murmured, unable to look away from the stunning man in front of her. When he kissed her cheek before heading to the bar, she raised her hand to the spot where his lips had been, emotions flooding her with a fear-tinged delight.
Chapter 20
Missy had closed the Dellville shop for a week while Ben and Cheryl were on their honeymoon, so that Grayson and Chris c
ould both work at the LaChance shop. Business at Missy’s Muffins and More had picked back up once it was proved that neither Missy nor Ben had made Dr. Aston’s daughter sick by giving her the wrong cupcake. Loretta Christianson had personally stopped by to apologize for being rude to Missy, and had made phone calls to her society friends who were having events, encouraging them to patronize the shop. She had confided to Missy that she knew her husband had fathered Kelcie Aston’s child, but that she chose to look the other way because she and Sidney were unable to have children. Missy felt nothing but pity and admiration for the childless socialite who devoted herself to serving her community, and had forgiven her entirely for the mistreatment that she had suffered.
Missy was happily creating a new Cupcake of the Day in her spotless commercial kitchen, when Grayson came back to speak with her, eyes wide.
“Ms. G.,” he whispered, clearly excited about something. “You’ll never guess who’s up front, wanting to talk to you.”
Setting down her measuring cup, Missy smiled, intrigued. “Who might that be, Grayson?”
“The Mayor! Mayor Chadwick is here and he wants to talk to you,” the youth exclaimed, still whispering and clearly awed.
Missy was amused. “Well, send him back, I’m right in the middle of a new recipe,” she directed.
“Yes ma’am,” Grayson disappeared in a flash.
“Good morning!” Felton Chadwick’s voice boomed when he strolled into the kitchen, resplendent in a blue and white seersucker suit with a red vest and tie. “How are you on this fine Louisiana morning, little lady?”
“I’m well, thank you Felton, and you?” Missy asked, measuring cups of flour and dumping them into a bowl.
“Just dandy,” he grinned, coming over to peer in the bowl. “What’s this fine creation?” he asked, unconsciously rubbing his ample stomach.
“I’m creating a new recipe, and calling it Boston Cream Cupcakes. They’ll be like miniature Boston Cream Pies, with a yellow cupcake, filled with vanilla pudding and topped with fudge frosting,” she explained, much to the Mayor’s delight.
His stomach growled audibly, and Missy giggled, plucking a Coconut Cream Cupcake from a nearby tray and handing it to him. “Here, try one of these, I think you’ll like it, and you can grab a cup of coffee over there,” she gestured to the coffee maker burbling happily in the corner as it finished brewing a fresh pot. “That one is for staff only, we like having our own supply,” she explained, cracking some eggs into her bowl.
“Well, my stars, Missy Gladstone, this is quite the setup you have here,” Chadwick nodded appreciatively, taking a large bite of his cupcake and pouring a steaming mug of fresh coffee.
“It’s humble, but it’s home,” Missy smiled proudly. She loved her thriving little shop, and delighted in seeing others react positively to her efforts.
“Well now, darlin, the reason I popped in to see you today, other than making a shameless ploy to procure some of your baked goods, is to ask you what your thoughts are concerning my Priscilla’s wedding,” he looked at her pointedly, but with his same glad-handing politician’s smile.
“I’ve thought about it,” Missy stopped stirring for a moment. “And I’ve decided that, as a favor to you, and to help out your lovely wife, I’d be happy to take on the planning of your daughter’s wedding,” she smiled, breaking the happy news.
“I knew I could count on you,” Chadwick beamed, pleased with himself. “You just let me know how much you’re going to charge for your services, and don’t be shy young lady, money is no object. You just make sure that what my Prissy wants, she gets, ya hear?”
“I will do my best, Felton,” Missy nodded. “When do I get to meet her?”
“I’ll have my wife arrange a luncheon for the three of you at my house, she’s capable of doing that much,” he joked, fanning himself. “Then you and Prissy can get together and talk about all of those girly details that mystify me.”
“That sounds lovely, I’ll look forward to it,” she smiled, carefully pouring batter into pre-arranged foil cups.
“Well, that’s settled then,” the Mayor clapped his hands together, having finished his cupcake in three bites. He took another swig of coffee, then set his mug in one of the stainless steel sinks. “I surely do appreciate this, Missy Gladstone. Just…one more thing…” he trailed off as though uncertain how to phrase what he wanted to say.
“Yes?” Missy inquired.
“My Prissy…well, some folks find her a bit…opinionated,” he shrugged.
Missy nodded and smiled. “Not a problem, Felton,” she assured him. “She’s the bride. It’s her day, and we’ll make sure that she gets exactly what she wants.”
Chadwick chuckled nervously and nodded. “Well, that’s good then. That’s what she’s accustomed to.”
He said his goodbyes and Missy watched him go, shaking her head. What could possibly be so difficult about figuring out what Priscilla Chadwick wanted and making it happen? Men were so silly sometimes. She put her Boston Cream Cupcakes in the preheated oven to bake, and leaned back against the counter, thinking about the past few weeks.
A murder had been solved, Ben and Cheryl had gotten married, she’d been drafted as a wedding planner, and Chas had been looking at her in a new way that made her heart skip a beat whenever he was around. Life was good in LaChance, Louisiana. Missy couldn’t wait to tell her friend Echo, who owned the vegan ice cream shop in Dellville, all about it when the free-spirited former Californian returned from her vacation in India. Smiling to herself, she took off her apron and headed back to the front, confident in knowing that all was right with her world.
A letter from the Author
To each and every one of my Amazing readers: I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Let me what you think by leaving a review!
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Stay Curious,
Carol Durand