AllFreeNovel
Share Us
While Eric and Josie proceeded with their battle of wills, I got ready for my next wedding cake tasting appointment. During each appointment I offered a variety of flavors, everything from carrot cake to fresh strawberries-and-cream cake. But there was always one special cake. Today it was the lemon-berry cake. I’d added an elixir infused with enhanced valerian and blackthorn to it. No one would be able to the detect the extra ingredients, but once digested, it would encourage the partaker to be honest with themselves and hopefully their partner. Sometimes they needed a little coaxing on my part. I could tell if one or both partners needed to share something. It was all in the tint of their skin. The redder the tint, the bigger the indiscretion. However, while the elixir had the power to bring out the lies in people, the opposite was true as well. If the couple were truly in love, with no secrets between them, the elixir would have them professing their heartfelt feelings for their intended. I loved when that happened. And I hoped for Gabrielle and Richie’s sake that today only feelings of love would exist.
What I hadn’t accounted for was Eric staying for the show. Apparently, he’d run into Gabrielle yesterday while he was interviewing people. She’d blabbed about their appointment, and he wanted a front-row seat. That was disappointing. I’d thought he’d come to see me. I really needed to stop thinking like that. I was going to have to make myself an elixir for clarity and sanity soon if I couldn’t get control over my thoughts.
I tried not to let his presence throw me off my game when the happy couple arrived. They really were cute. High school and college sweethearts. They’d both barely graduated from the University of Tennessee. Neither of them stood taller than five feet, five inches, even with their cowboy boots on. While they waited for me to bring out the samples of cake, they gazed into each other’s eyes. They were off to a good start. I hoped it stayed that way. No telling what Eric would write if he saw an epic breakup in here. It made me almost reconsider adding the “special” cake to the tray, but it wasn’t fair to Gabrielle and Richie not to.
When I arrived with the samples, Eric had pulled over his table to be near them and was “interviewing” them. “Why did you pick Love Bites to make your wedding cake?” Apparently, my tea hadn’t worked the way I’d hoped. I would have to up the dosage for him next time.
“Because Sorrel’s the best.” Richie pecked Gabrielle on the lips. “And my girl deserves the best.”
“Aren’t you worried about this bakery’s reputation?” Eric said in front of me with no qualms at all.
Gabrielle nuzzled her nose against Richie’s. “Not at all. We know we’ll never break up.”
I pushed Eric out of the way and set the pink platter full of neatly arranged samples in front of the lovely couple. “Are you ready to begin?”
The eager pair nodded.
“Why don’t we start with the lemon berry?” The properties within the elixir needed time to work.
“Ooh, I love lemon berry.” Gabrielle picked up the small fork and took a rather large bite. While she chewed, she groaned in pleasure.
Richie also took a decent-sized bite. “It’s good,” he said with a full mouth, “but it’s kind of girly. I’m more of a chocolate guy.”
“We can have more than one flavor, silly.” She wiped some frosting off his lip with her thumb.
Eric looked like he wanted to vomit at the cuteness.
Josie, who had come over with Eric, was rolling her eyes. She wasn’t into mushy stuff either.
It didn’t bother me. In fact, I was quite jealous, knowing I would never have this moment. Even if the book ever did tell me who to marry, there would be no ceremony or reception. No announcements or fanfare. I would speak the words of the binding ceremony, and that man would be forever lost to his own family as if he had never existed. His life from then on would be ruled by the curse and the power of the book. It almost felt like slavery. My dad had never complained, but he’d been an orphan.
“Try the chocolate ganache cake next,” I suggested.
“Now we’re talking.” Richie dug in. He closed his eyes and savored. “This is heaven right here.” He pointed with his fork at the cake.
Gabrielle gave him a big smooch. “I’m so glad you like it.”
“I love you, pookie bear.” He tapped her nose.
“I love you too,” Gabrielle cooed.
“Nothing is keeping us apart,” Richie declared.
“You’re so right, baby . . . except . . .” Gabrielle pressed her lips together hard, but her neck started to splotch pink as if she were embarrassed. “Except for . . . ,” she fought the words coming out of her mouth. “Except for I hate your momma,” she blurted before her hands flew to her mouth.
