Lillian watched her children and grandchildren. She’d waited a long time for this moment. She was about to speak and tell them why she’d gathered them all to her home, when her son Devon spoke.
“All right, Mother, everyone’s here now,” Devon said, his arms folded across his chest. “Spill the beans.”
“Don’t rush me, Devon,” Lillian admonished. “I will talk in my own time.”
“I’m with my brother on this one, Mom,” Dwight said. “You gathered us all here for a reason and we are all eager to hear what you have to say.”
“Well, first I’d like to propose a toast.” She motioned for the servers who’d been standing at the back of the room with champagne flutes to come forward.
“First, I want to commend all of my grandchildren and Malik on an outstanding job on the show.” Grandmother Lillian looked around the team that had taken the bakery to victory. “You showed what hard work and determination can bring—success. Join me in a toast to winning You Take the Cake!” She held up her flute and the family joined in a big toast and clicked glasses with one another.
Once the ruckus died down, Lillian rose from her love seat. “I’m sure you all wondered why I entered the bakery into the competition.”
“It did come to my mind,” Drake replied honestly. “I mean, reality television isn’t your style, Grandma. It’s more my speed.”
“True.” Grandma nodded in agreement. “The reason I signed the family up was because of all the bickering going on at the bakery. Who’s better than whom. Who’s in charge of whom. I wanted it to stop. I wanted you to see that family is more important than anything else.”
Lillian noticed several family members mumbled underneath their breath, but they were wise enough not to speak while she had the floor.
“And I achieved my goal,” Lillian continued. “You finally stopped fighting long enough to understand the meaning of family. The way you all worked together as a team day after day to beat your competitors was a sight to behold. But more important, the way you stood behind Shari when she and Dina battled their past demons filled my heart with such joy.” She clutched her chest.
“Oh, Grandma, we’re sorry to have ever caused you any grief,” Belinda said, rushing to her side at hearing the tears in Lillian’s voice and grabbed her hands.
“I know you are, sweetheart,” Lillian said, patting Belinda’s hand. “Which is why your Grandpa Henry and I can leave knowing you all will work together as a team. I think the competition showed you each your strengths and weakness and what you excel at.”
“You’re leaving, Ma?” Daisy asked. “When? Why?”
“We’d like to see the world,” her husband, Henry, answered instead. “We’ve seen enough of Chicago. We want to live a little.”
“That’s right,” Lillian added. “We’ll be gone for about six months.” When the murmurs subsided, she said, “I know it seems like a long time, but I also know I’m leaving the bakery in good hands.”
“But to whom?” everyone asked almost in unison.
“You see, I knew you would all be wanting to know who I selected,” Lillian replied, “And it’s all of you.”
“I don’t understand, Ma,” Dwight said.
“I was never going to choose one child over another.” She looked at Dwight and Devon and then at her only daughter, Daisy. “I was never going to choose one grandchild over another.” She looked at Carter first because she’d always known that he’d felt less a Drayson even though she’d tried her best to treat him equally. Then she glanced around the room at her other grandchildren—Drake, her spitting image Belinda, Monica and then her shyest grandchild of all, Shari.
She’d seen the toll that the competition and Shari’s reunion with Dina had taken on her granddaughter, but Shari had stepped up to be the woman Lillian knew she could be. The once shy and most unassuming grandchild of all had finally blossomed. She supposed it was because she’d finally married her one true love, Grant Robinson, with whom she shared a child.
“There is a wealth of great talent in this room because you are all great bakers. Some of you went to college for an education and can run the business side of the corporation and Lillian’s, including our family holdings in real estate. So instead of bickering about who’s over whom, why don’t you excel in what you do best.” She walked over to her eldest son Dwight and lightly stroked his cheek. “You are my firstborn and naturally Lillian’s is yours as first in line, but you are already running the corporation and I think you should continue to do that as CEO.”
“And you, baby girl.” She went to her daughter Daisy, who was sitting with her husband, Matt. “You have always been good with numbers. Dwight will need a hand with the corporation’s books, and no one knows money better than you. I think CFO is a fitting title for you, my darling.”
Daisy nodded at her mother. “I couldn’t agree more. Thank you for your faith in me.”
She walked over to her youngest son, Devon, who was already starting to pace the floor. “Continue to run my real-estate holdings. You love the wheeling and dealing and are better at it than anyone I know.”
Then she walked over to Drake. “You love to bake, but it’s your secondary passion. You’re the king of social media and this publishing opportunity you have with Malik and Carter is your calling. So pursue it on behalf of Lillian’s. I know you will make it a great success.”
Drake agreed. “Well, you know, ever since the show aired, our website, Facebook and Twitter pages have been blowing up. Many have asked if we’d consider opening a store in Los Angeles. I think with the combination of winning the show and our cookbook, we could take Lillian’s nationwide. And I’d be willing to take the helm.”
“Exactly.” Grandma Lillian walked over to Belinda and Malik. “Drake is on to something, but he needs help. I think you two are amazing bakers and you two could be the right combination to help open a bakery in Los Angeles.”
“You really think so, Grandma?” Belinda asked, looking somewhat surprised by the turn of events.
“I sure do.” She smiled broadly and then turned her attention on her eldest granddaughter, Shari. “And you, you showed such promise in Los Angeles when you led us to victory, which is why I think you should run the front of the house at Lillian’s.” Shocked murmurs escaped the group, but Lillian continued, “With your business acumen like your idea for cake mixes, you’ll keep Lillian’s on course and help bring us into other fine-dining restaurants like your husband’s Robinson Restaurants.” She gave Grant a friendly wink.
“What about me, Grandma?” Monica piped up.
“Your sister,” Lillian looked to Shari, “will need some help running Lillian’s. You’ve been great at following her lead with the cake mixes. Learn from her. It will only help you grow as a businesswoman.”
“I will, Grandma,” Monica said, glancing at Shari sitting on the opposite end of the couch and giving her a smile. “I promise.”
Lillian knew her family had all figured out that if Shari was going to run the business aspect of Lillian’s that left only one person as executive baker.
She watched Carter’s eyes grow wide from across the room. “That leaves you, my dear boy.” Lillian slowly made her way over to the mantel where he stood speechless with Lorraine by his side.
“You’ve come into your own all these years and I think you’re the fitting choice for executive baker at Lillian’s.” Carter opened his mouth to speak but Lillian cut him off. “And that’s not to say that Carter runs all of you,” she said, facing the group, “only that his experience and reputation have earned him the right to lead in the kitchen. That being said, I am giving each of you equal shares in Lillian’s, which means equal voting power. Come together as a family as you did to win You Take the Cake and we’ll be stronger than ever.”
* * *
After the initial shock of the evening had
worn off and the family was still mingling throughout the house, Grant pulled Shari away and into a nook in the hallway.
“How do you feel?” he asked. “About your Grandma’s decision.”
Shari laughed. “The truth of the matter is she really didn’t say anything that we didn’t already know. She just shone a light on our talents. Perhaps the only surprise was her request that Drake, Belinda and Malik might want to consider opening up another bakery in Los Angeles.”
“I guess so, because your family took it all in stride. There were no raised voices or screaming matches.”
“Well, Grandma kind of laid down the law,” Shari said, laughing. “And I think we all respect her enough to abide by her wishes.”
“So with Carter leading the kitchen does that mean I will have you all to myself longer during the mornings?” Grant inquired.
Shari raised a brow. “Why? Did you have something in mind?”
“Hmm...well, actually I do,” he said, swiftly pulling her into a nearby room and planting the most delicious kiss on her lips. A kiss that reminded Shari that although circumstances had kept them apart for years, they were destined to be together.
Epilogue
Three months later
“You sure your family won’t mind that we’re using the kitchen?” Grant inquired as he took in the smell of baked goods wafting throughout Lillian’s kitchen. He eyed several custom cakes that were sitting in the see-through refrigerator awaiting delivery. He turned back to watch Shari baking.
“Why would they?” Shari inquired, smiling at her husband. “We’re making cupcakes for Andre’s softball team.”
She’d never felt such happiness and contentment in her entire life. She loved Grant and he loved her. Every day he made sure she knew just how important she and Andre were to him. He’d shown her by relocating the corporate office for Robinson Restaurants to Chicago to ensure his time away from them was minimal because that’s the type of husband and father Grant wanted to be.
They’d been in the kitchen for hours making chocolate and vanilla cupcakes for nearly twenty five-year-olds. Shari had used the industrial-size mixer to make various frostings from chocolate to strawberry to peanut butter ganache that she was sure the children would love.
Andre and Grant were in the kitchen “helping” her, although Shari could hardly tell from the mess the two of them had made eating all the cake batter out of the bowl.
Shari smiled when she looked at Andre. His mouth and face were covered in cake batter. She continued adding sprinkles, M&M’s and sparkle dust to the various cupcakes. She knew how much kids liked color.
“Can I help, Mommy?” Andre asked.
“Of course you can, sweetheart.” Shari pushed the container of sprinkles in his direction and allowed him to decorate the cupcakes. More of the sprinkles ended up on the counter than on the cupcakes but Shari didn’t mind. Andre was such a precious gift to her and now that Grant was a part of their life, she’d watched him blossom. Her life was so rich, she couldn’t ask for anything more.
“Look, Mommy! Look what else you made!” Andre startled Shari out of her daydream.
When Shari looked up again, she saw Grant holding a baby in his arms. Surprised, she walked over to see for herself and when she peered down into the baby’s eyes she saw the cutest little girl with green eyes and a slightly dimpled cheek.
Ring. Ring. Shari awakened from sleep with a start at the sound of the alarm. What a crazy dream! Or was it? Shari tried to remember the date of her last period, but couldn’t. She’d missed it!
She turned over to find Grant sleeping peacefully beside her. She shook him gently and he sleepily rolled over to face her. “Honey, I think I have something to tell you...”
* * * * *
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DELICIOUS DESTINY
ISBN: 9781460313664
Copyright © 2013 by Yahrah St. John.
All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
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