Page 68 of The Friendship Pact

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Nick arrived back in town after delivering gifts to children he knew wouldn’t have much of a Christmas without the donations collected by the sheriff’s office. His phone rang. Using the hands-free function, he answered the call from his sister. “Hey, Chloe, what’s up?”

“What time will you be here with the cake?”

“Umm—”

“Nick! Tell me you did not forget!” Chloe’s voice rose with each word.

“Calm down. I didn’t forget. I’m driving and trying to concentrate. Chill out.”

He sensed his sister’s relief, but it didn’t calm his own nerves, because he had forgotten. Chloe had trusted him to order a cake, and now he was in deep trouble. Shit.

Being a former MP in the Army and a police officer helped him to mask his anxiety, which he needed to do because his sister could go from carefree to unglued when she reached panic mode. It wasn’t often, but this was important.

He drew in a deep breath and held his composure. “What time do I need to be there? I thought the party was after the church service. I don’t get off until five.”

“Sneak in the back door, but text me when you arrive. I don’t want Mom and Dad to see the cake right away. We’ll be back from church by six. You’ll have plenty of time to change.”

“Got it. I’ll text you when I arrive.” Chloe didn’t have a clue how much of a surprise the cake would be, and she wasn’t about to find out. He looked at the dash. Noon. Where would he find a cake at this hour? Most places were closing early because of the holiday. The small town of Deer Creek Falls wasn’t like the big cities, where shops stayed open until late on Christmas Eve for last-minute shoppers.

He glanced at his phone and punched in Kate’s number.

“Merry Christmas Eve,” Kate chorused.

Her voice put him at ease immediately. “Merry Christmas Eve.”

“I’m excited about your parents’ party.”

“About that. I need a huge favor, and I promise to make it up to you. You name the price and I’ll pay.”

“Stop. What can I do to help?”

“I need a cake. For the party tonight. Chloe put me in charge of only one thing, to order the cake, which I forgot about until she called two minutes ago.”

“Panicking?”

He swiped a hand through his hair. “Yeah, I am.”

“Your hair is pretty messy with how many times you’ve run your hand through it, isn’t it?”

He glanced in the rearview mirror. “Ha-ha. You know me too well.” He straightened his messy strands.

Weeks ago, he hadn’t liked that Kate knew his schedule. Now the thought comforted him, and he liked the idea she knew his crazy quirks.

“Where are you right now?” she asked.

“In my cruiser. Why?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Just extending the conversation to make you squirm a little more.” She laughed, which caused him to chuckle.

“So you’ll help?” he asked.

“Of course. I’ll get started on it right away. Chocolate or white? Buttercream, cream cheese, or whipped frosting? How do you want it decorated? How many people? And will you stop to pick it up?”

Nick stared at the screen in front of him. Who would have thought it would be so hard to order a simple cake. He pulled off to the side of the road in front of Gus’s Hardware on Main Street to concentrate.

“Nick?”