Chapter 6
Izipped up my small suitcase and wondered when I would wake up from whatever dream I’d fallen into, like Alice’s trip through the Looking Glass. It didn’t seem real, and yet here I was, the day after a wedding that I hadn’t planned on attending, for a couple I didn’t know. A wedding that had fundamentally changed something deep within me. I wasn’t the same person who had looked at the viral post. Nor was I the same person who had given Augusta my dress.
Because it wasn’t mine anymore.
It was hers and that was truly all that mattered.
It was what I needed it to be.
It was also the morning after a night in which I had the strangest dreams I’d had in years.
Dreams that hadn’t been about my past, hadn’t been about cupcakes or cakes or imagination and creativity. They were all about a certain bearded man who I had nearly let kiss me the night before. It might’ve been a few years since I kissed anyone, more years than that since a first kiss. But I remembered the look, the feeling of your heart when it beats so loudly you could hear it.
It was so weird to me that after all this time, I could still want that. Then again it shouldn’t. I was moving on. I’d been on dates. Two, but they counted. I tried. I was doing my best. And yet everything felt different now.
Should I have let him kiss me?
I didn’t have an answer to that, but it made me wonder why the dreams were so vivid.
Maybe that wasn’t it at all. Maybe I was just seeing things because I felt attraction for the first time in far too long. I didn’t have answers, but at least I probably wouldn’t have to see him again. He wouldn’t be waiting for me outside my small cabin, nor was he going to walk me to my car, or check me out of the inn. In fact, I didn’t even have to check out. Naomi, the innkeeper, said that all I had to do was check out on the app. I thought it was pretty amazing that the Wilders had their own app. That all of the individual businesses on the property were integrated. I even had a guest profile where I could look up my stay or book another one, or make reservations at the spa, for wine tours, dinner at the main restaurant, or even just for appetizers and small bar plates at the distillery. Getting into the signature restaurant was a little harder and required advance planning, but they did keep a few emergency tables open for last-minute additions.
I could book another stay if I wanted to, one where I wouldn’t have overwhelming memories on my shoulders.
What an odd thought, but perhaps that’s exactly what I needed.
I needed to make decisions to find my next phase of life. I couldn’t continue to work in my kitchen. I had a small online business, and it was barely paying the bills. I hadn’t touched William’s life insurance, except to ensure his funeral had gone along with his wishes and to pay for his cremation.
Though his ashes weren’t at my house.
His mother had them. I hadn’t even felt too pained about that, other than the fact that she literally stole them. I’m sure a law or two had been broken, but I didn’t care. Those ashes weren’t William. I hadn’t wanted them in my house, staring at me, knowing that I was going to move on. Or at least pretend to. I hadn’t actually done that yet, but I needed to.
I needed to find a new way to work, a new way to make friends outside of Joni and her husband. I would do that. I would be strong. Except I felt like I was continually making mistakes and setting myself back because I didn’t want to say goodbye.
I looked around the small gray cabin with its warm and inviting touches, and farmhouse chic aesthetic. A place like this was meant to welcome you and be a place you could call home for a few days. Maybe I would do this again. Maybe I would spend some of that money I saved for a trip with William and come back and figure out exactly what I wanted.
I needed to step out of the shadow of my in-laws, step out of the shadows of memories that carved notches into my heart with each passing breath.
And I would.
Giving away the wedding dress had been the first step. A step I hadn’t even realized I was taking until I picked up the phone.
The only reason Joni and her family weren’t here was because I wanted to do this alone. To prove that I could. That they were the only people I could rely on locally told me I needed to make changes.
I needed to make a choice. To move on. To grow up. To prove I was fine. Because I was.
I didn’t feel the devastation within me with every passing breath like I used to.
Perhaps that was growth. Perhaps that was betrayal. Or perhaps that was living when the world around you fell apart. I didn’t have answers, but I would need them soon.
So, while I could use the app to check out without saying goodbye, I wanted to see the place one more time to decide if I should come back.
Today was a day of new decisions.
I rolled my suitcase out of the cabin and thought again of the night before. Of the near kiss that never was. He hadn’t walked me to my cabin, and for that I was grateful. I knew he had his own reasons to stay away, and it wasn’t my place to ask why.
But he still kept me safe. And while that was his job, it felt different, good.
I made my way down the path, nodding and smiling at a few of the guests who were out for a walk or to enjoy the scenery. It was quite gorgeous here, and a part of me wished I had more time to go to the spa and the winery. I told myself I would come back. I was ready to make changes. Doing something for myself seemed like a good change.
One of the staff members smiled at me as they opened the door to the inn.
“Thank you.”
“No problem. I hope you had a wonderful stay.”
I smiled, surprised by my answer. “I did. Thank you so much.”
“No problem. Hope to see you back soon.” They moved on, talking into their headset, and I wondered what they did. They might be security, or work on the grounds. I wasn’t sure, but there were so many moving parts of this establishment, that I knew that whoever was in charge had to have spreadsheets upon spreadsheets in order to keep it running.
“Hello, Aurora.” I looked up to see Naomi smiling at me from behind her large desk, tablet in one hand, a notebook in the other.
“Good morning. Am I interrupting?”
The innkeeper shook her head. “Oh no. I’m just doing my morning walkabout and list-making before I get set for checkout and check-in. It’s going to be a beautiful day, and I’m sad to see you go. Was everything to your liking?”
“It was honestly so beautiful.” I looked around the large entryway, the comfortable seating, books and plants everywhere. It felt like a home and also a high-end getaway. “This place is absolutely gorgeous.”
“I love it. I’m so blessed to be working with the Wilders after all these years.” There was something in the other woman’s voice, but I wasn’t going to pry. I was still curious about the man I had seen with her before though.
“They’re lucky to have you. You’re so nice.”
“I try. That’s a big part of my job.”
“You do quite well from what I can see.”
“Well, thank you. And honestly, it was a pleasure to meet you. You did such a wonderful thing, and there aren’t any words for it.”
My heart swelling and still feeling awkward, I lowered my head and shrugged. “I don’t mind. It was lovely to see everything, and to know that I could help.” I cleared my throat. “I didn’t want to check out through the app because I wanted to have a reason to come back in here, but is there anything you need from me to check out?”
“Oh, no. You’re fine. And even though you gave me your credit card before, you will not be charged for this trip. This one is on us.”
My eyes widened. “Oh no. This place is so beautiful. You’re not going to be able to keep it open if you give away nights.”
“It was two nights, and the Wilders want to make sure you know that they are so grateful. The bride and groom also tried to pay for your stay, but we wouldn’t let them.” Naomi winked. “You saved us. It’s the least we could do.”
Embarrassed, I wrung my hands in front of me. “I wasn’t expecting that. I was fully prepared to pay.” And dig into my savings since I was running on a very tight budget with my current awkward jobs.
“You don’t have to worry,” Alexis said as she walked into the entryway. “I was going to mention it, and then we got distracted with the dress and everything. Seriously, it’s on us.”
“Well, I’m just really glad I could help. The wedding was beautiful. You guys do such a fantastic job here. No wonder you have a waitlist.”
Alexis beamed. “Well, the Wilder men had a good thing going, and then the Wilder women showed up and made it even better.” She winked, then startled as a curse exploded from behind her, and a gorgeous woman with dark hair piled up on the top of her head and flour all over her chef coat stomped in.
“He’s gone. The asshole’s gone.” The woman froze and blushed when she saw me. “I didn’t realize anyone was in here. I’m so sorry. Please ignore this and know that the Wilders are happy to have you here.”
“Kendall,” Alexis said, her voice exasperated, yet there was worry on her face.
I wasn’t sure what to do, but I couldn’t just stand there awkwardly. “It’s okay. You look like you’re having an emergency. It’s really okay.”
Kendall, who I remembered now was the head chef for the inn restaurant and Signature, put her hand over her face and groaned. “I’m so sorry. Yes, I have a temper, but I don’t usually throw myself into awkward situations like this. At least not since the twins were born.”
Alexis cleared her throat. “Please don’t tell me your pastry chef quit.”
“Oh, he did. And he took the designs. The whole book of designs. I have a backup, but my notes were in there for the wedding tonight! And tomorrow. I’m going to go commit murder.” Kendall turned to me. “Please don’t let anyone know that I admitted to that, or if the authorities question you after I do, go ahead and tell them. They’ll still have to find the body.”
Naomi paled as Alexis pulled out her phone and began tapping away. “We’ll get the lawyers on that. I mean the stolen book, not murder. We don’t condone murder. I’ll talk to Trace. There’s no way he could just leave without letting you know. Especially with the security on our property.”
“Oh he did. The asshole didn’t want to work, and now I’m screwed. I don’t have time to finish the cake for tonight, or make the cake for tomorrow, let alone all of the desserts, chocolates, and other favors. I can’t handle it. I can’t believe I just said that. I never say things like that.”
“Babe? What’s wrong?” a very handsome man who looked somewhat like Ridge said as he hugged her from behind.
Kendall seethed. “I’ll tell you what’s wrong, our pastry chef just left because apparently he couldn’t handle a woman telling him what to do.”
The man pinched the bridge of his nose, an angry flush rising in his cheeks. “Okay, who do I have to kill?”
Kendall smiled, even as tears of rage filled her eyes. “I love how we both went straight to murder. But there are witnesses now, and I guess murder’s not the way to go. I don’t know how I’m going to be able to do it though. With Sandy gone, I just can’t do it all.”
“I’d offer to help, but I accidentally burned that pot when I was trying to boil water for eggs.”
“We don’t talk about that,” she mumbled.
“I could help,” I blurted, not even realizing I was going to say the words until they were already out.
“I’m sorry, what?” Kendall asked, her voice sharp, but not unkind.
Then Alexis snapped her fingers, as if remembering something I was probably going to regret. “Yes, you can. I’ve seen your social media and your website.” She turned to Kendall. “This is Aurora, the dress fairy from yesterday. She’s also a pastry chef and used to have her own bakery and everything.”
“I used to work in one,” I corrected and then flushed. “Well, it was my in-laws’ bakery, and when my husband died, well, let’s just say I couldn’t work there anymore. Not that I usually tell anyone that, but considering I’ve just offered to help you, maybe you need to know my references?” I asked, my voice going high-pitched at the end.
Kendall looked at me. “You used to work for Francis a few years ago, right?” she asked, tilting her head as if she could pry my entire baking history out of my brain. I had a feeling she could if she tried hard enough.
I blinked. “How on earth did you know that?” I asked, confused. Francis was a high-end cake decorator in downtown San Antonio that did weddings with the rich and famous of South Texas. Whenever a celebrity wanted to get married down here, or a country music star visited and wanted to have a party, he was the one they went to. He retired right before William died, and moved to England to be with his wife. His second in command had taken over the business, promptly running it into the ground. I moved on to the bakery with my in-laws at that point, since I had thought I was family. So many wrong decisions, and yet, here I was, offering my help.
“I remember you. Francis was a friend for a while. Do you still have it in you? Because you were a brilliant cake decorator, and I remember your pastries.”
I nodded and blushed. “I own a small online shop where I cook from my house now. Not so glamorous, but I can step in. I mean…if you don’t mind. At least until you figure out what to do.”
“Oh, you’re so going to regret saying that, because I remember your cakes. You’re with me. Let’s make sure you still have it.” Kendall reached out and grabbed me as Alexis beamed.
“I’ll get the paperwork ready, or at least make Eli do it. And thank you once again for stepping in, Aurora. I’m so glad you called because we desperately needed you.”
Kendall pulled me away and I nodded in thanks, my breath coming out in pants.
They needed me.
The Wilders needed me.
And I was going to show them that their trust in me wasn’t misplaced.
I was a damn good baker. A fantastic cake decorator. I could make mille-feuille like nobody’s business and ice cookies as if I was born for it. And despite what my former in-laws said, I was damn good at my job.
Kendall practically pushed me into the kitchen and I went through her notebook, trying to help her remember the notes she had taken for the client.
I knew this was change.
It wouldn’t be permanent; it was just for a day or two, until they could figure out what to do.
But this was still a change.
And the exhilaration running through my veins reminded me that change could be good.
Change could be thrilling.
Now it was my time to feel needed. Finally.