AllFreeNovel
Share Us
There was silence on the other end. I assumed Albert was talking.
“We’re behind you. Either pull over and let us pass or you’re cut off from the cake tonight.”
After a moment, traffic started to move, and I sighed in relief. As we passed Albert, who was pulled over on the side of the road, Nero waved out the window. “Thanks, old man. See you tonight,” he called out.
I turned into the parking lot of the vineyard and drove right to the barn. Once parked, Nero helped with each tier, bringing it into the back door of the kitchen while I started to unpack the carefully wrapped cakes.
The caterers had already arrived and took over a good portion of the kitchen, but luckily, they saved me an area to work. It wasn’t the biggest space, but at least there was enough room to clear my ass.
“What do you need me to do?” Nero asked as he placed the box full of freshly cut fruits that would cascade down the middle of the cake with the gum paste flowers I spent days perfecting.
“Give me a kiss good luck,” I said.
He obeyed my request then grabbed my boob. I swatted his hand away with a laugh and got to work, placing the largest tier on the board. It was a five-tier cake, each tier a different flavor combination since neither Laurent nor Phoebe could decide. Then, because they had decided on a couple of chocolate layers, doing a naked cake like Phoebe originally wanted wasn’t as easy to pull off. That’s where the extra fruit and flowers came into play.
I had a vision, and I just needed to let myself get in the zone and work. Nero leaned against the stainless-steel counter, crossed his arms, and watched me. I knew he was staring at my ass, but I ignored his sexy gaze and focused on the task at hand.
Each placement was a measured decision, trying to find the perfect balance that would bring the entire vision together. I moved around the cake, assessing each blank space and adding to it to create the cascade effect Phoebe loved.
When the last piece of fruit and gum paste flower was on the cake, I backed away and took in the whole thing.
Nero’s arm wrapped around me, and I settled my head against his shoulder. “It looks amazing,” he said.
I stepped out of his grasp and walked around the cake one final time. He held his hand up, and I jumped up to high five him. “Nailed it!”
“Come on. Let’s go get ready for the wedding.” He took my hand and guided me out of the barn. His head tilted toward the sky, and he smiled. “Not a cloud in sight.”
“I think after everything Laurent and Phoebe have been through, they deserve a little sunshine.”
“Hey,” Sherry said, and I jolted.
“Hey, Sher.” Her eyes landed on my fingers intertwined with Nero’s, and I unlinked us, dropping our hold. “What are you doing here?” I asked. She was already in her bridesmaid dress, hair done in a pretty loose updo and her makeup a perfect balance of natural and glam that highlighted her light brown eyes.
“I was stopping by to see if you needed any help.”
“We’re all good here, sis,” Nero said. “Cake looks great. Of course.”
Sherry didn’t look at Nero. Her gaze stayed on me, confusion creating lines above the bridge of her nose.
“Yeah,” I said, shifting from one foot to the other. “Cake is all set. The caterers are in there now, getting everything ready to go.”
“Good.” Sherry cleared her throat. “Nero, shouldn’t you be with Laurent? Getting ready?”
“I’m heading there next. I think between Franc, Brady, Rhone, and Wyatt, he’ll be fine if I’m a few minutes late. Shouldn’t you be with the bride?”
“I just left her. She’s getting her hair and makeup done. I wanted to check on Lainey and the caterer.”
“All good,” Nero said. “You have nothing to worry about. As usual, you’re going to pull off another perfect event.”
“Don’t,” she said, pointing at him. “You better go find some wood and knock on it right now.”
“You and your superstitious ass.” Nero turned toward the barn and knocked on the opened door with as much exaggeration as possible.
“Thank you,” she said.
“Sher, are you okay?” I asked. I could sense when something was off. This was more than her seeing me hold Nero’s hand. Something was worrying her.
She paced away, then turned back.
