He was still working when I went to bed, and when I arrived in the kitchen this morning, he was already up, iced eggnog lattes waiting.
Now, we’re having an early cake tasting so Pia knows what flavor we want for our wedding cake.
For our wedding that’s inthree days.
Our wedding that won’t happen, but that we can’t cancel yet because our families aren’t yet getting along and I don’t yet have a solution to the question of who will step into the Gingerbread House in Grandma’s shoes.
I wrench my gaze away from Dane’s and smile at Pia, who’s a Black woman just a little older than us. She’s wearing a pink apron with dancing reindeer on it and the largest smile I’ve ever seen on her.
Unlike me, she was happy to join the family baking business.
Also unlike me, she’s even better at this than her grandma and mom were, which is impressive.
But the smile suggests she’s as thrilled as everyone else in town that Dane and I are tackling this family feud problem.
“Who’s ready for some wedding cake?” she asks us.
Chili’s paw would be up if he were with us today, but he’s hanging with Lorelei again. Apparently cake is his second favorite treat after hot dogs, and he can’t be trusted in bakeries.
“Would it be wrong to have a cookie cake?” I ask her. “Dane loves your cranberry oatmeal cookies, and I would die of happiness if my apartment smelled like your fresh chocolate chip cookies every day for the rest of my life.”
“Absolutely an option.” She gestures to a small table set up near a display case of holiday-themed cupcakes. “But will you try the cake flavors before you decide?”
I grin back while we all take seats. “Oh, the torture.”
“Anyone else joining you today?” Pia asks.
“I invited my mom, but she wasn’t sure she could leave the bakery again today after dress shopping yesterday,” I report.
“No updates from my dad either,” Dane says, something in his voice making my heart ache.
Pia looks between us. She apparently noticed too. “You two okay?”
I instantly shift closer to him—natural reaction to the question when all needs to look right between us, plus, it’s not awful to be near him—and dial up the smile to an eleven. “Of course!”
“We’d be better if our families had any valid reason at all to object to us being together,” Dane says.
“I’m sure they’ll come around,” I say.
He eyes me like my optimism might be able to move boulders, but it won’t budge certain members of our families.
“I hear it’s the oldest generation giving you the most trouble,” Pia says.
He didn’t give me much of an update on his day yesterday, but I heard from Lorelei that their dad was fighting with their grandparents over the wedding and not feeling great about being stuck in the middle between his parents and his kid.
I shouldn’t tell you this, but I don’t think Dane will because he wants to protect you from it, her message said with the details.
“They’re the most set in their ways,” Dane says. “You ever hear anything about why they hate each other so much?”
Pia shakes her head. “Whatever happened predates my family moving here. Also, if you tell me you want a gingerbread-flavored cake or fruitcake cookies, you’re going to have to find a new wedding cake baker. I’m excited about this wedding and happy to work overtime all weekend on your cake, but I have lines.”
Even Dane cracks a smile at that.
I miss his smiles.
Whatever happened yesterday must’ve been bad.
“Understood,” he says.
