Page 15 of Her Pastry Shifters

“I think Jessy’s secret ingredient just might do it.” Mac’s eyes dance. And is it bad that I really want him to be right? I’m competitive, so sue me.

Sienna pretends to zip her lips shut. “You’re going to have to wait and see.”

She steps into the competition room, but when I move to follow, Bax tugs on my hand. He stops me a second before we step inside. “Jessy, I just want you to know that no matter what happens out there, the only prize I care about is you.”

“And we’ll share the prize money either way,” Mac adds. We’d agreed on that before the competition even started. First, we tried to team up, but it turns out that’s against competition rules.

“You guys have nothing to worry about,” I tell them. “No matter whose cake wins, we’re still opening Jessy’s Macaroons.”

Rune grins. “You named our bakery?”

I grin back and place a finger against his lips. “Shush, you. No talking.”

“Jessy’s right, before we both shift.” Mac grins. “Now, go out there, you two, and win that prize.”

Sienna leads Bax and me onto the stage and has us stand on either side of her while she talks about the sponsors.

“And now for the winner of the Epic Bake-Off.” She finally gets to the good part, and my heart races in anticipation.

Logically, I know, win or lose, nothing will change, but I still have to know. I gave this competition my all, and I took an enormous risk with my non-traditional cake. The question is, did it pay off?

Sienna clears her throat dramatically. “This year, it was a very close competition, and the judges could not decide on a winner.”

A few people in the live studio audience gasp. I spot Mac and Rune in the front row, and they both grin.

“But,” Sienna adds, “there can only be one winner, and that’s why the prize tonight goes to the cake the judges could not stop talking about.”

I hold my breath. Were they talking about how different my cake was, or how perfect Bax’s cake turned out?

“So, without further ado, tonight’s winner is…”

My heart leaps. My palms start to sweat. Seconds tick by as everyone in the room waits with bated breath.

“Jessy Alexander from Jessy Bakes for her unique twist on a well-loved summer cake.”

I let out a whoop, and everyone starts to cheer. For a split second, I worry the guys might be disappointed about losing, but then Bax scoops me up in his arms and swings me around and around.

Rune and Mac rush up onto the stage and surround us. They wrap me in their arms in a group hug, and then they take turns kissing me.

At the back of my mind, I’m aware that there’s an entire studio audience watching and that the event is being live-streamed, but I don’t care. All that matters is that I’m here with my pastry shifters… and I just won the Epic Bake-Off.

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