Must Love Frosting: Must Love Diamonds Series, Book 1

by Stacey Joy Netzel

  Mrs. Diamond’s announcement confirming the rumors the governor was going to run for the United States Senate prompted cheers and applause from the guests. Honor set her warm champagne on the tray of a passing waiter and started toward the French doors.

  “Honor!”

  Celia’s voice made her wince at her thwarted escape, but she halted and faced the bride-to-be with a warm smile.

  “Mom would love it if you’d cut the cakes.”

  She hesitated, only to realize she couldn’t say no. “Of course.”

  Trailing after her to the dessert table, she saw Asher standing off to the side with his brother, Loyal, youngest sister, Shelby, and Celia’s fiancé, Robert. She purposely avoided looking their direction while waiting to greet his parents, all while cursing the familiar uptick of her pulse when she felt the prickling heat of her neighbor’s gaze.

  The woman ahead of her moved aside, and Honor stepped forward with a smile. “Happy anniversary, Governor and Mrs. Diamond. Thank you for inviting me.”

  “Thank you for staying after bringing those gorgeous cakes.” The older woman surprised her with a quick hug. “But please, it’s Janine and Mark. No need to be so formal when we’ll be working together for Celia’s wedding.”

  Her heart leapt with excitement at the confirmation the job was hers. Containing her grin was impossible as she stepped back and shifted her gaze to the governor. “Best of luck on your campaign. You’ll have my vote, same as the last two elections.”

  He gave her a genuine smile that crinkled the corners of his golden brown eyes. “I appreciate your support.”

  Janine tucked an escaped strand of her upswept hair behind her ear as she leaned in as if to tell Honor a secret. “I know I should have some of our wedding cake, but the chocolate looks divine.”

  “Then you should have some of each,” she whispered back.

  “Brilliant idea, though this dress doesn’t leave much room for indulgence.”

  “How about small slices?”

  “Perfect. And can you add some of the Capitol on Mark’s plate? The hummingbird spice cake is his favorite.”

  “Of course.”

  Honor moved around to the back of the table where plates, silverware, and four cake knives were laid on a rolling cart. Awareness prickled along the back of her neck as she made a few efficient cuts in the individual cakes to serve the couple of honor first. She fought the urge to glance over her shoulder at Asher and kept her focus on her task.

  After she handed the cake plates to Celia and reached for the knife to cut more slices, a hard, warm body brushed up against her side.

  Her swift inhale flooded her senses with the scent of Asher’s cologne. Her heart lodged high up in her throat as he asked in a low voice, “Do I tell you what I want or just take it?”

  Oh, sweet mother of—

  “No!”

  The alarmed cry jerked Honor’s head up in time to see Roxanna lunge past Celia, toward the governor and his wife. Janine’s start of alarm made the slice of chocolate cake tumble off her plate, straight down the front of her snow-white gown.

  Gasps sounded all around them as Celia exclaimed, “Oh, Mom!”

  Asher darted around to the front of the table. “Rox—what the hell?”

  “I am so sorry, but I couldn’t let you eat that,” she said to his parents. “Neither of you can.”

  Janine stared down at her ruined dress as she asked, “Why ever not?”

  “It’s jinxed.”

  “It’s what?”

  But Honor had heard her loud and clear. So she hadn’t imagined it earlier when she sensed the woman didn’t like her work. She braced her knuckles on the table as she glared at the brunette. “Excuse me?”

  “You shouldn’t be baking anniversary cakes, and most certainly not wedding cakes,” Roxanna accused. “Not when you don’t believe in love.”

  From one breath to the next, it seemed like all the heat lamps had been cranked to high. “All I said was they were the exception, not the rule. I never said I don’t believe in love.”

  Except you don’t.

  One sharp glance from Asher chilled her blood and turned her stomach. An apprehensive look from Celia fed the spark of panic. The rest of the family and nearby guests were avidly watching and listening, casting her smack dab in the center of a huge, blinding spotlight. Her belief in happily ever after—or lack thereof—appeared to be a major deal.

  “Your cakes are jinxed.” Roxanna shifted her gaze from Honor to Asher. “I told you something was off about them. I felt it when I touched her.”

  “Here we go,” Loyal muttered.

  Honor scoffed in disbelief at the brunette’s crazy claims. “That’s absolutely ridiculous.”

  “Ty and Jules. Carson and Hannah. Adam and Amy.” The woman ticked off names two by two. “You baked their cakes and none of them are together anymore.”

  Lifting her hands in a so what? gesture, she argued, “I’ve baked hundreds of cakes for hundreds of couples. How is it my fault if a few of them split up? That’s just the law of averages.”

  And totally par for the course anyway.

  She shoved the cynical thought aside. She needed to refute the woman’s absurd allegations, not reinforce them. Not even in her mind.

  Governor Diamond murmured something in his wife’s ear, and Janine nodded while handing her plate to Shelby. “I need to go change.”

  The governor also passed his uneaten cake to their youngest daughter before ushering his wife inside. Celia followed, her red lips pressed together in a grim line as she avoided Honor’s gaze. Sympathy edged Shelby’s faint, apologetic smile as she set both plates on the table and brought up the rear.

  Honor’s heart sank with a heavy thud. Annnd, goodbye Diamond wedding.

  She didn’t even have to look around to know she also wouldn’t be hearing from any of the potential clients she’d talked to tonight. She’d only given out her card if specifically asked, but no doubt they’d all be in the garbage before morning.

  Resentment swelled as she fixed her gaze on Roxanna’s profile, but the woman was too busy staring at Asher, biting her lip and looking like she was about to cry.

  Like a brother my ass.

  She was totally jealous. What other reason would she have for such a public attack?

  Loyal stepped forward, his dark eyebrows drawn together over narrowed eyes. “That was uncalled for.”

  Yes, it was, thank you.

  The tall brunette whipped her head around with an angry glare. “No one asked you.”

  “Tough shit. You humiliated Mom and her.” He gestured toward Honor. “I’ll say whatever the hell I want.”

  Asher moved between the two, a palm raised toward each of them. “Back off, Loyal.”

  Defiance hardened Roxanna’s expression as she spoke in a low voice. “You’ll thank me when they’re together for another twenty years like your grandparents.”

  Honor’s eyebrows rose. Did she really think a piece of cake would have the power to break apart two people who’d been together thirty-five years? Her cake? The idea was ludicrous.

  “My parents are the exception, not the rule,” Loyal ground out. “For the rest of us, love is nothing more than an illusion that comes and goes.” He jabbed a finger toward the dessert table. “And that is nothing more than cake and frosting, you frickin’ whack job.”

  CHAPTER 10

  A sher was pissed at Roxanna, but he wasn’t about to let his brother go for her jugular. From the first day he’d introduced the two, Loyal scoffed at her ability to intuit things. After his second failed engagement, he’d been downright hostile toward her. With that last comment, Rox would fight back like a cornered tigress, but underneath her bravado, the wounds would fester deep.

  Seeing her furious expression, he knew he needed to stop any more poison-tipped barbs from finding a mark. Not to mention, he’d noticed one of the reporters his dad had invited watching from the sidelines with keen interest.

  H
e moved closer to his brother, but spoke to the both of them. “That’s enough you two, especially out here. Let’s take it inside before this becomes even more of a scene than it already is.”

  “I’m not going anywhere where he is.” Roxanna whirled around and stalked across the patio.

  “Good riddance,” his brother tossed after her back.

  Asher clenched his fists as he lowered his arms, then forced his hands to relax. And here he’d have bet Merit would’ve been the one to cause trouble, not these two. Of all the times for them to knock heads.

  He shot Loyal a dark look and turned to check on Honor, only to see a flash of her red hair as she slipped through the service doors leading to the kitchen.

  Sonofabitch.

  “Wow. That was all kinds of fucked up,” Merit said in a low undertone. “You didn’t have to be so hard on Rox.”

  Loyal brushed past him for the house.

  Aware of the reporter still watching, Asher gave Merit a shove toward the patio doors, then followed both brothers inside. It didn’t take but a second to decide he didn’t want to talk to either of the two idiots, so he threaded his way through the inside guests to the kitchen so he could talk to Honor.

  He should probably apologize for Rox’s cake drama, and yet, there had been something in her startled expression—a flash of alarm—that had him wondering if his best friend hadn’t struck a nerve with his sexy neighbor. But how in the world could a wedding cake baker not believe in love?

  Roxanna had to have gotten her wires crossed somewhere. Had to have. He couldn’t fall for a woman who didn’t believe in love.

  A quick sweep of the kitchen revealed no sign of red hair. He paused near the prep island where he’d sat many Saturday and Sunday mornings as a kid. “Elena, the woman in the burgundy dress—”

  “She went right through, mijo.” Their long-time housekeeper paused as she scooped a few leftover appetizers into a storage container and spoke over her shoulder while looking out the kitchen window. “Prisa. She’s already in her car.”

  Crap.

  By the time he dodged a couple of servers and dashed out the back service door to the driveway, Honor’s vehicle was pulling out onto the street. He swung back toward the house with a soft growl of frustration, only to spot Roxanna in her Jeep. She sat with her head back against the seat, eyes closed, shoulders slumped.

  Asher walked over and bent down to rap on the passenger side window. She jerked in surprise, big brown eyes wide when her gaze met his. Instant remorse filled her expression, and she unlocked the doors.

  “I’m so sorry,” she began as he slid inside.

  “She’s jinxing cakes?” he asked with a bit of accusation.

  Rox looked like she was going to argue, but instead slumped back in her seat. “So maybe I don’t know for sure she’s jinxing them, but I panicked when I saw your mom about to eat some.”

  “Yeah. Clearly.”

  “She doesn’t believe in love,” she stated with a resurgence of defiance. “That I guarantee you. I felt it when I shook her hand.”

  His chest tightened at the idea that could be true, but he said, “That’s a lot different than jinxing couples with her cakes.”

  “Well, she could be. I couldn’t take that chance with your parents.”

  “I wish you would’ve.” He ran his thumb along the crease in his dress pants before lifting his gaze to hers once more. “Especially tonight.”

  “Whoops. Sorry. Did I mess up your chance to screw the baker?”

  “That’s not it at all.” Guilt twinged at her sarcasm, because it was a little. Not the screwing part—he wasn’t Merit—but the opportunity to get to know her had been lost.

  “Bullshit. Your aura’s been simmering all night. It flares bright red whenever you’re within five feet of her.”

  Sometimes he really hated that she could read him so well. It made it hard to get her to see beyond the point she was trying to make.

  “This was a big night for my parents, Rox. You know that.”

  Resentment glittered in her eyes as she tilted her head. “So I’m just supposed to pretend I don’t know these things? Keep quiet and be normal?” Hurt filled her voice. “Now you sound like your jackass brother.”

  Damn it. Loyal had really gotten to her. She knew her being different was part of what he loved about her. “You’re putting words in my mouth. That’s not at all what I said.”

  “But it’s what you meant.”

  “No.” He took a breath to keep his tone level. “It’s just, there’s a time and place for what you do. My parents’ anniversary party and Dad’s Senate announcement is not it.”

  “Keep it in my shop,” she bit out. “Got it, Loyal.”

  Asher consciously unclenched his jaw. “Rox—”

  “No, it’s fine.” She faced forward, gripping the steering wheel with one hand while turning the key with her other. “You can get out now.”

  He recognized that stubborn tone. It wouldn’t matter what he said, her mind was made up. He was the bad guy for now. Someone to take the brunt of her anger since the person she really wanted to tear into wasn’t sitting in his place.

  “Sometimes Loyal can be a jackass,” he agreed quietly. “And I’m not excusing what he said, but you know where it came from.”

  She reached to jab the button for the radio and a popular pop station blared through the speakers.

  He raised his voice to be heard over the music, hand fisted on his thigh. “You know his history, Rox. It wasn’t personal.”

  “He called me a whack-job. It doesn’t get more personal than that.” Both hands on the wheel now, she stared straight ahead, her chin set at a mutinous angle as tears glittered in her eyes. “Get out.”

  Asher gave a couple of light, agitated fist taps on the door, then did as she demanded. “I’ll call you tomorrow,” he said.

  When she didn’t respond, he shut the door a second before she hit the gas pedal. He was slowly walking back into the kitchen when his phone buzzed in his pocket for an incoming text.

  “Missed her?” Elena asked.

  She was asking about Honor. He gave a distracted, “Yeah,” as he pulled out his phone to read the text.

  Rox: Tell your mom I’m sorry about her dress.

  He frowned and started to type a reply when another one popped up.

  Rox: And tell your dad I’m sorry, too.

  He typed faster. Are you texting and dri—

  Rox: No. I pulled over to send this, so shut up.

  The tightness in his chest loosened slightly as he smiled, deleted, and retyped. I will—tell them, that is (not shut up). And you’re lucky.

  He pocketed his phone, then headed over to drop a quick kiss on Elena’s cheek as a way to delay having to return to the party. “Awesome food tonight, tia. As always.”

  “Thank you. Now tell me what that was all about.”

  He reluctantly leaned back to glance out toward the main floor of the mansion.

  “Your mom and dad came back down a few minutes ago,” Elena advised. “Everything is covered out there.”

  Thank God.

  “Come on, now. Spill.”

  He braced his hands back against the island and recounted the events on the patio as Elena multitasked, listening, scraping empty dishes, and directing servers passing in and out. Her brows quirked up when he got to the part about Honor’s jinxed cakes, and then she tsked her disapproval of Loyal’s verbal attack on Roxanna.

  “It breaks my heart your brother is still hurting after all this time.” She gave the spoon in her hand a vicious rap against the inside of the garbage. “I hope those exes of his get a taste of their bad karma someday.”

  “Yeah. Don’t we all.”

  “I can see why Ms. Hartman departed so abruptly. Too bad you couldn’t catch her.”

  “It’ll get sorted out.” At least he knew where to find her. He glanced toward the doors once more, then back to Elena. “You need some help with the dishes?”

&
nbsp; “You just want to hide out, but far be it for me to say no to help. You’ll need an apron.”

  He stripped off his jacket and slung it over the back of an island chair before removing his monogrammed cufflinks so he could roll up his shirt sleeves. Once the apron was tied behind his waist, he got right to work.

  Elena bumped his elbow with her shoulder a few minutes later. “I miss this. Not the help per se, your mom makes sure I have plenty, but you kids here in the kitchen with me.”

  Combine him and his four siblings with the three Torrez kids and most times it had been pure chaos. The oldest son of Spanish immigrants who’d worked for his grandparents, Mr. Torrez managed the stables while Elena managed the house, and their family had lived in a guest house on the far end of the north pasture until the kids graduated high school. The eight of them had gotten into a lot of trouble together over the years.

  “You miss that madness?” he asked in disbelief. “Really?”

  “I really do,” she confirmed with a nostalgic smile.

  “Where is everyone these days?” All three of her kids had joined the military after graduating high school. “Solana hasn’t posted anything online in a while.”

  “She’s been too busy. Her Quantico training starts next week.”

  “That’s pretty awesome.” The middle of the three at twenty-five, Solana was wicked smart, like his baby sister.

  “We’re very proud,” she said with a grin.

  “You should be. What about Reyes and Dev?”

  “Reyes’ four years are up in August, and he’s not reenlisting, but Devante deploys again next month.”

  “Dev’s in for the long haul, isn’t he?” At twenty-seven, Dev was two years younger than him, whereas Reyes was the same age as Shelby at twenty-three.

  “Si.”

  Her mixed feelings about her oldest son’s career choice were obvious, yet he knew she was equally proud of him. He understood her worries over the danger of his Special Forces missions. He’d witnessed the relief on her face a few times after getting word Dev was back in the States.