“Thank you for calling the Cozy Crumb. How may I help you?”
“Hi, this is Kenzie Marks. I need to change my cake order for my wedding on Christmas Eve,” I say, injecting some attitude into my tone.
Greta sighs on the other end, and I have to mute the phone as Tracy and I share a laugh. “What would you like to change now, Ms. Marks? I thought we agreed no more changes this close to the wedding.”
“I want to switch my cake to chocolate. Everyone else is having vanilla, and that’s just so boring. I don’t want my wedding to be boring, do you?”
“I thought you were allergic to chocolate.”
Crap. Tracy starts signaling with her hands, making some sort of circular motion. I have no clue what she means, but I get an idea.
“That’s Harper, not me, Greta. Why can’t anyone understand that Harper Wallace and I are two completely different people? Asher gets it, so why can’t the rest of the town?”
“Sorry, Ms. Marks. My mistake. I’ll make that change. Do you want to change the frosting, too?”
“No, the frosting will be fine. I want it to be a big surprise when it’s cut open and reveals chocolate.”
“This has to be the last change made. We’re too close to the event. Any further changes will incur an extra charge.”
We both fist pump in victory. “I understand. Thank you.”
“That was brilliant!” Tracy exclaims as we high five. “Now, let’s get out of here before your mom drags us back inside.”
“Good call.”
Chapter 17
Ford
Harper’s enthusiasm for grabbing burgers with me caught me off guard. Even more surprising was her eagerness to join the tree lighting ceremony in the town square tonight.
Each year, the holiday committee adorns the towering tree, which stands over twenty feet tall, a cherished tradition since the 1950s. Ford had been skeptical of many local customs when he first arrived in Frosthaven Falls, but this one stuck with him—thanks to Harper’s excitement as she shared how much she adored this time of year. Now, he connects it to her.
“Ready to make an appearance?” I ask as she hops out of my pickup.
It’s been ages since I’ve had someone in the passenger seat like this. My last girlfriend didn’t appreciate my reaction to Asher and Harper’s engagement, and once I learned they’d split, I knew I couldn’t keep pretending.
Janet still despises me, and I can’t blame her.
“The whispers have quieted down at least,” Harper says, adjusting her hat. “Let’s do this. It’s my favorite tradition.”
“I know,” I reply, smiling back at her. “Plus, showing up instead of just being seen running errands for Gina’s wedding should help ease the chatter about Asher and Kenzie. I want my name to stop being linked to theirs.”
I pause, taking her arm and turning her to face me. “You’re not still pining for him, are you?”
She shakes her head, a smile flickering on her lips. “I’m still hurt by what happened. It might have stung less if it wasn’t my supposed best friend he cheated with. Asher has always had a knack for hitting below the belt, and he never held back.”
“Wait, he’s hurt you before? How often?” Anger bubbles up inside me. What is wrong with this guy?
“Whenever he got angry, he knew precisely how to wound me. He’d apologize later, but that doesn’t erase the damage, especially when it happens repeatedly.”
“What did he say?”
Her gaze drops to the pavement. “It doesn’t really matter now. I used to think it was just something he did, but I see it clearly now.”
“Which was what?”
“A form of manipulation.”
