by K. J. Emrick
Looking over at him, Cookie produced her friendliest smile. “So, what do you think of the cake?”
He shrugged, turning to look at the sculpted masterpiece of white frosting and pearlescent candy pieces in an obligatory way. Cookie and Clarissa had spent a couple of long hours piping the purple and pink icing flowers onto the cake to represent the ship’s portholes. They had to special order the plastic railings. She was especially proud of the hard candy anchor she had made herself and put onto their cruise ship cake.
Roth had paid very nicely for the cake to be perfect. In Cookie’s opinion, that’s exactly what he got.
Looking at this culinary masterpiece, Jessica’s step-brother turned back around with a shrug. “It’s definitely a cake.”
Cookies hackles rose. She saw the wide-eyed look in her granddaughter’s eyes, too, and even Jerry looked a little insulted at the flippant remark. Calling that cake sitting over there on its own little table just “a cake” was like calling the Mona Lisa just a painting.
Still, she swallowed her pride and cleared her throat and tried again. “My granddaughter and I made it for your step-sister. We’re good friends, me and her. I’m Cookie… oh, I mean Karen. Cookie is what my friends call me. This is Jerry, my boyfriend, and my daughter Madison and granddaughter Clarissa.”
She waited, and it took another few heartbeats before he caught on. “Sure. I’m Jayce. With a C. It’s, uh, nice to meet you. Jerry. Madison. Clarissa. Karen.”
For some reason it bothered her that he didn’t want to use her nickname. Almost everyone called her Cookie. Except the people at her credit card company. Or, people who didn’t want to be her friend. Benjamin Roth had never called her anything but Karen.
A waiter came by with a tray of small appetizers and Cookie tried to resist, but they all looked good.
“Oh, go ahead, Mom,” Madison told her. “You deserve to treat yourself after all the work you and Clarissa put into helping make this wedding a success.”
Clarissa beamed under her mother’s praise. Truth be told, Cookie felt a little tickle of pride herself. “All right, then. I will.” With a smile she selected two raspberry and cream finger sandwiches from the tray and set them on her little plate. She kept saying she’d start a diet tomorrow. Well, it wasn’t tomorrow yet.
Madison selected a crème puff for herself. Looking at the empty seat next to her, Cookie wondered where her daughter’s husband had gotten himself to. This was becoming more and more normal for them, where one of them was one place and the other somewhere else. Cookie did not like it. It might mean money trouble for them. It might mean trouble in their relationship and she could not stand the thought of that, after so much hard work went into getting Clarissa to accept her new step-father. Not to mention, she and Jerry might be hitting their own hiccup. Cookie didn’t know how she could mend that much love trouble all at once.
She’d have to carve out some time to talk to her daughter about it. Later. After the celebration and dancing, of course.
Minding her own business did not come easily to Cookie. She wanted to fix things. Make them right. When you were baking a new recipe you had to make sure everything was in balance and mixed just right. If there was too much of this, or too little of that, then all your hard work would be for nothing. It was the baker in her that made her want to see everything turn out perfect.
Clarissa took a couple of finger sandwiches from the tray when it was offered. Jayce took everything else. For himself.
Jerry went and got drinks for them—Irish coffee for him, a Shirley Temple for Cookie—and they sat and quietly chatted among themselves at the table while they waited for the rest of the evening to start. The room filled with laughter and the drone of conversation and the clink of silverware. It was pleasant. Cookie was really enjoying herself.
Other people, apparently, not so much.
Clearing his throat loudly, Jayce got up from the table and left, mumbling something about needing a stronger drink if he was going to survive the night.
How rude, Cookie thought.
Finally, Jessica and Benjamin came back into the banquet room. Outside, through the port windows, the sun had set the sky on fire with the colors of dark flame. The bride and groom took a moment to bask in more applause from their friends and family. Cookie didn’t remember Jessica ever looking so happy. On the other hand, the fake smile on Benjamin’s face was something she was all too familiar with. The two held hands as they walked into the room, standing very close together.
The band set up and began to play. The MC, another of the ship’s personnel in black pants and a red vest, announced the couple’s first dance. As the music played the Roths spun in slow circles, holding onto each other, her in her lacey dress and him in his tuxedo. When the song was half over, the MC announced that everyone could join the happy couple. People filtered onto the dance floor, two by two.
Jerry held out his hand to Cookie. “May I have this dance?”
He looked so charming. The smile on his face was just for her. This was how she always wanted it to be between them. For this moment she could take his hand and let him lead her out onto the dance floor and forget all about the terrible things her woman’s intuition was telling her. If there was something wrong between them, something that he wasn’t telling her, it didn’t matter. Not for right now, at least.
She felt the warmth of his hands at her sides. She felt safe. She felt like this was where she was meant to be, here in his arms. He was a strong, solid man, and he was hers.
“You look beautiful tonight,” he told her. His eyes were focused through her. Oh, she supposed he meant what he said. He just couldn’t stop being a cop and noticing every little detail around them, even now when they were on a cruise ship somewhere in the middle of the ocean, in each other’s arms.
“Why the frown?” Jerry whispered in her ear.
Had she been frowning? Yes, she supposed she was. She wanted to tell him so much. She wanted him to relax and just be her boyfriend for a day. She wanted him to say he was madly in love and wanted to marry her. She wanted to say that she loved him, just the way he was, just like he loved her. There was so much to tell him. The dance floor at someone else’s wedding just wasn’t the place. Maybe later in their room.
“Um,” she said instead, “I was just wondering where my son-in-law was. Joseph should be here, with Madison. Don’t you think?”
“You can’t keep your nose out of anything,” he said, but this time there was a smile on his face when he said it.
“Oh, I’m quite the busybody. You knew that about me when we started dating, if you remember.”
“I seem to remember an armed standoff with a madman.”
She chuckled softly and relaxed in his arms. “Well thankfully, there’s been no more of that. Now I’m just worried about normal old things like love and marriage.”
He watched her as the song came to an end, just standing there with her, and not speaking. She almost spilled everything she was feeling right then. It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him where he saw their relationship going… and then the MC took the microphone again.
“If everyone will take their seats, we’ll have the official cutting of this amazing cake.”
“Don’t want to miss that,” Jerry said, taking her hand and leading her back to their table. Which officially ended the moment for Cookie.
But hey, at least there was cake.
***
The rest of the wedding reception was wonderful. Jayce never came back to the table. Joseph never arrived, although Cookie never got the nerve to ask Madison where he might be. It was just her and Jerry and Madison and Clarissa for the rest of the evening. Jerry danced with her two more times, and it wasn’t until much later that people started to drift away to their respective cabins.
Jessica and Roth left before most of the other guests. They took their time going, stopping at each of the tables to thank everyone for coming on the cruise with them. When they got to Cookie’s t
able, Jessica leaned down in her poofy dress and gave Cookie a big hug.
“Thank you so much,” she said over the noise of everyone talking around them. “The cake was wonderful, but… thank you for everything else you’ve done for me. I wouldn’t be here marrying such a wonderful man if you and Jerry and Clarissa hadn’t stepped in to save me. Oh! And your little dog, too.”
They laughed at that, remembering that Cream had his own role to play in the events that happened two years ago.
“Yes,” Roth said, much more stiffly than Jessica. “We definitely must thank the dog. Where is your little pooch, anyway?”
“Up in our cabin,” Jerry answered for her. He was far more polite about it than Cookie would have been. Her and Roth might not be mortal enemies anymore—or at least, they weren’t rival business partners. That still didn’t make them friends.
“Yes, well.” Roth put his arm around Jessica’s waist and pulled her closer. “We have a few other people to give our respects to. Thanks again. For the cake.”
“You should thank Clarissa for that,” Cookie told him with a sickly sweet smile. “She helped me with all the baking.”
Roth smiled at the teenager. “Then thank you as well, my dear.”
When they went on to the next table, Clarissa rolled her eyes. “I have no idea what she sees in Mister Roth.”
“Love is blind,” Madison told her daughter. As she said it, she ran a finger around her the rim of her glass of champagne, and her eyes lost their focus. “Love is blind.”
The conversation progressed from there, and soon they were laughing and enjoying themselves again. They didn’t say their goodbyes until well past twelve o’clock, when Clarissa’s eyes started to droop.
Truth be told, Cookie was pretty tired herself. Plus, she needed to check on Cream. He was such a good dog, and she didn’t want to leave him cooped up in that cabin all day by himself. The dining room was almost emptied out now, and the band was only playing soft, slow music. Yes. It was definitely time to go.
“Well, this has been a lovely evening,” she said to her daughter and granddaughter, “but I have to go to bed now. These old bones don’t hold up like they used to.”
“Don’t be silly, Mom,” Madison told her. “When I’m your age I hope I’m half as spry.”
Cookie chuckled. “See, when your own family starts using words like ‘spry’ to describe you, then you know you’re old. What do you say, Jerry? Shall we call it a night?”
“Yes. I think maybe the rocking of the boat is getting to me.” He stood and offered a hand to Cookie. “I’m not feeling very well.”
“Then I’ll be sure to put you right to bed.”
She heard Clarissa humming, and suddenly realized what she’d said. Her cheeks colored. Of course she and Jerry had slept in the same bed before, many times, even if sometimes it was just sleeping… but she certainly hadn’t meant to imply anything of the sort!
Jerry kissed the top of her head. “I just hope I feel better by tomorrow. We had all those plans to take in the ship’s activities.”
“I’m not letting you get out of that cooking class with Chef Henri Marsters,” Cookie reminded him. “I’ve always wanted to meet him!”
“I know, Cookie. I haven’t forgotten.”
As they stood up, a little furry Chihuahua on four fast-moving legs came trotting into the room. Cream had a big doggy smile on his face and his tail was wagging furiously. He must have thought the cruise line employee who was chasing after him was playing a game. The young man in his red vest, however, did not seem to find the situation funny. The crewman was scowling and grabbing for the dog as he zigged this way and then zagged that way. When he caught sight of Cookie he darted right for her.
The little Chihuahua had suffered through a bath before coming on the cruise and his fur had come out of the water more white than cream for a change. Now, it seemed like he’d gotten into the dirtiest and dustiest corners of the ship, and his coat had suffered for it. Even the purple collar was dusty. He didn’t like his new collar with the dangly tag that proclaimed he belonged to Karen Williams, but it was one of the rules the Captain imposed on his ship.
Cookie bent down to let Cream run up into her arms. She scratched him between his ears. “How did you get out of our room, you scallywag? Did you get bored and come find me?”
The crewman put on a smile that he obviously didn’t feel as he came up to their table. “Is this one yours, then?” he asked, pointing to Cream. “Been having me chase him all over, he has. Right smart dog.”
“Yes,” Cookie agreed, hugging him to her chest. “He’s a smart one. I can’t imagine how he got out of our room, though.”
“Bit of a mess, that,” he admitted, in his British accent. “Apologies from our staff, Ma’am, but it seems the maids went into your cabin to tidy up and the little scallywag took right off. We’ve been chasing him ever since. Happens once or twice every trip, it seems.”
Cookie frowned, but she supposed she couldn’t be too angry at anyone. Cream was a smart, crafty dog when he wanted to be. Which was always. From now on, whenever she was out of the cabin, she’d have to keep the tag on the door asking the staff not to disturb the room.
The crewman unclipped a walkie talkie from his belt and radioed to someone that they’d found the dog’s owner. “Well,” he said to Cookie, returning the radio to his side, “I’ll leave him with you, then. My name’s Kent, and should you need anything I’ll be around. G’night, all.”
But Cream apparently wasn’t ready to call it a night just yet. He wriggled and barked and pushed his way out of Cookie’s arms, jumping down to a chair and then to the floor with a clattering of his little nails. He sped off, right back out through the door he had come racing in from only a moment ago.
Kent shook his head with a sigh. “Guess I’ll be spending some more quality time with your dog, Miss. Unless you could maybe call him back to heel?”
Cookie lifted her hands apologetically. “Sorry. He really has a mind of his own.”
As if to prove that point, Cream poked his head back in through the door and stood there staring at her. Like he was waiting for her to follow.
They’d been friends for so long, it was like she could understand him. She’d learned more than once that when he had something to say, she should listen.
“Jerry, I think…” She turned to him, putting her hand against his chest. How was she supposed to explain that she needed to follow her dog because that’s what Cream was telling her to do?
He didn’t give her the chance to say anything. Instead he ran for the door himself and grabbed for Cream but the little dog dodged him and took off. Cookie knew Jerry would never catch him like that. Cream could outrun professional racehorses when he wanted, short legs or not.
She gave Madison and Clarissa an apologetic look. “I better go check on those two.”
“We understand, Mom,” Madison told her. “Besides, I think I should find my husband, and then we should get to bed.”
Cookie noticed the strain in Madison’s voice when she mentioned finding her husband. Even if there was something going on between those two, Joseph had never been the kind of man to leave Madison alone like this with no explanation and no idea where he’d gone. Well. When she found him, she’d just have to give him a piece of her mind.
For now, she had better go find her dog. And her boyfriend.
Exiting the banquet room, she caught sight of them way down the deck, with Jerry running in circles and making grabs that Cream easily avoided. People around them watched in amusement as the little Chihuahua eluded the big man chasing him again and again. It wasn’t until Cookie got closer and Cream saw her that he took off like a straight shot for the nearest set of stairs leading down. Jerry followed right after.
Cookie was still trying to familiarize herself with the layout of the ship. It was so huge! She thought these stairs went down to a service corridor that ran the length of the ship but she wasn’t sure. It wasn’t an area f
requented by guests. She knew that much. Listening to the sounds of Jerry calling for Cream to come back, she sighed, and started down.
At the bottom of the stairs she stepped into an empty, narrow hallway that was obviously built to be functional unlike the public areas of the ship. There was no faux wall paneling here, no paintings in massive frames, no fancy chandelier lighting. Most importantly, there wasn’t a single shop to be seen anywhere. This was definitely not a hallway for the passengers.
There was no one around. Doors stood to both sides, to the left and the right, waiting for someone to need them. It wasn’t hard to follow the sound of Cream’s barking, or Jerry calling for the dog to stop, heel, slow down! Apparently dogs didn’t know they were supposed to obey police officers.
She loved Jerry for trying, but he and Cream had never really formed a bond like she’d hoped they would. They would play fetch sometimes, and every now and then Cream would curl up in Jerry’s lap but it was more like they felt they had to do those things, instead of them wanting to become best friends. They were more or less doing it for her sake.
Jerry had even asked if Cream could stay at home with a friend, or in a kennel, while they were on this cruise. A kennel! As if she would ever put her best friend in one of those places. No. If the cruise line hadn’t accepted pets on board, then she would have stayed home with him and that was all there was to it. She was glad to have her little dog with her.
Considering the way Jerry was still yelling, she doubted he felt the same way about having Cream here that she did.
The corridor led to another one at a T intersection where Cookie followed the sound of her two men to the left. Up ahead, she saw Jerry standing at one of those oval doors that the ship seemed to have so many of. This door was standing open into the narrow passageway. Cream sat in front of it, licking his lips as he watched Cookie coming closer.
Jerry was staring into the room so intently that he didn’t notice her until she was at his elbow.