11
Miles prepared lunch and sat with Kelly and Emma while they all ate. School had let out early for conferences, so Emma had been hard at work helping Savannah take orders. But Miles could tell she was losing steam fast.
“Did you see the cake Daddy made?” Emma asked Kelly.
Kelly smiled. “No, I haven’t.”
“It doesn’t have frosting on it yet, but it’s big!” Emma held her arms out wide, and Kelly looked impressed.
“Oh, I bet it’ll taste delicious too.”
“Yeah,” Emma said. “But I’m not going to the wedding, so I won’t get to eat any.”
She looked dejected, and Miles smiled. “Emma, you know I give you cake all the time that I make in the restaurant.”
“But it’s notweddingcake.”
He shrugged. “No, my specialty chocolate cake is better than wedding cake. And it can be a wedding cake. Uncle Jackson and Aunt Mia had it at their wedding, remember?”
Emma lit up. “I forgot about that. Can I have some after lunch?”
Miles looked down at her plate, where she had only been picking at her grilled cheese sandwich. He raised his eyebrows. “Not unless you eat your lunch. You need your energy.”
Emma said nothing else. She picked up her sandwich and dipped it in the bowl of tomato soup next to her plate and took a big bite. Once she had finished, she slid her plate and bowl forward. “All ready for my cake now.”
Miles stood and grabbed a slice, setting it in front of Emma. “Care to join me?” Miles asked Kelly.
She followed him over to the counter, where he was unloading the cake rounds onto the counter. They had already been leveled and crumb-coated. She watched as he frosted a layer and put it back into the walk-in refrigerator before moving onto the next piece.
Miles glanced toward the table where Emma was licking her plate. Chocolate frosting was in a ring around her lips and all over her chin. “Look at my small savage.”
Kelly laughed. “I think she has you wrapped around her little finger.”
“Oh, she does. I know she picks at her food on purpose, so I bargain with her to eat and then she gets dessert.”
Kelly snorted. “Smart girl.”
“She really is.” He looked over at Emma with a small smile and shook his head.
“So how’s everything else going around the resort? Are people getting healthy again?” Kelly asked.
“Yes, thank goodness. I’m looking forward to getting some days off soon. I could really use some sleep.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?” She reached out and rested her hand on his arm. He paused, and their eyes met, electricity passing through them. She blushed, pulled her hand away, and tucked some hair behind her ear that had escaped her ponytail.
“You’re already doing it,” he said. And that was the complete, God-to-honest truth. Her being there had helped ease so much of his stress with the wedding. He wasn’t sure how he would survive if he had to do it all.
She had already improved the layout of the wedding. He had never considered where the catering tables had been set up in the past, but now things would be more streamlined in the new spot. It would make things more efficient for him and his staff, and he wasn’t sure why he had never thought of it. Probably because he wasn’t a wedding planner and would just leave that to others and do what he was told.
“Daddy, I’m bored,” Emma said, interrupting their moment.
Miles looked over at her and cleared his throat. “Did you leave any frosting on the cake? You need to go wash your hands and face.”
Emma laughed hysterically and took off toward the bathroom.
Kelly threw a thumb over her shoulder. “I should get back to it. Emma is welcome to join me if she’d like. She could help me get some decorations up.”
Warmth filled his chest. “I think she’d really like that. Thank you.”
