Chapter 24
24
W hen I arrived at the chapel, I fought off a mixture of nerves and excitement. For the first time since Connor had arrived in town, I felt better about things, and more confident than ever. The place was buzzing with guests, all dressed in their best, and the air was filled with the scent of fresh flowers and the hum of cheerful conversation.
I spent so much time fussing over my display that I didn’t get to see all of the wedding, but that was okay. My job was to make the bride and groom happy, so I ducked into the back row after the service had started. As soon as the happy couple had kissed and people had cheered, I snuck out again and hurried into the reception hall, followed by several people.
As I made my way inside, I couldn’t help but notice Betty Dorion, the town gossip, was already making a beeline for me. Betty had been doing her very best all week to dig up dirt and spread it around. Normally, I would have tried to avoid her or answer her questions to keep the peace, but today, something in me had changed.
“Ivy, darling!” Betty exclaimed, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. “You look wonderful!”
“Thank you,” I said, trying to get past her to triple-check on my cake.
Betty wasn’t having any of that. “I heard about your little competition with Connor MacDowell.” She leaned in closer. “What do you really think about him? You can tell me, dear. We’re all friends here. Kind of cranky, isn’t he? Foreign, too.”
I took a deep breath, summoning my courage. “Betty, it’s none of your business what I think about Connor. And honestly, if you spent less time talking about other people and more time trying to be happy yourself, you might not feel the need to gossip so much.”
Betty’s eyes widened in shock, and for a moment, she was speechless. I think I might have been the first person in Jingle Junction to call her on her not-so-kind activities. Me, of all people, imagine that.
My comment back to her seemed to do the job. With a loud huff of irritation, she turned and stalked away, clearly taken aback by my response. Not so long ago, that would have triggered guilt, regret, and shame. Instead, this time I felt a surge of pride and relief wash over me. Standing up for myself felt empowering, and I realized I should have done it long ago.
Feeling lighter, I made my way to the cake table. There, my towering creation stood as a testament to my hard work. It glistened in the lovely lighting, delicate swirls of lace-type frosting ornaments sparkling, thanks to the edible glitter I’d applied in strategic places, the sugar flowers so realistic I could barely believe I’d made them. I smiled, for the first time not judging or wanting to tweak what I’d created, but just taking time to admire the intricate details and the beauty of the amazing confection I’d made for the happy couple’s special day.
Whether things went well on social media or not, I’d done something I was very proud of, and no one would ever convince me otherwise.
As I turned to leave, I spotted Connor across the room, and my breath caught in my throat. If he looked good in an apron, he looked amazing in a Scottish kilt. He was striking in dark green tartan cut just at the knee with a black jacket over his deep green buttoned-up vest. Polished black shoes and black socks made him look taller as he wore the kilt with a natural grace that bespoke the pride he had in his Scottish heritage.
I felt my heart skip a beat as our eyes met across the room.
“Oh, Ivy!” My dad’s voice said from behind me. “You look beautiful!”
I turned to smile at Dad and my stepmom, Fran. They were followed by most of my family—Nick, Eve, Joy, Holly, and Max had all been invited, and all of them looked dazzling in their wedding attire. Only Star was missing from the Jingle Junction family.
I greeted them each with a quick hug and kiss on the cheek.
“Ivy, we saw the cake! It’s absolutely stunning!” Fran said as she hugged me, her eyes wide with admiration. “Your grandmother would be so proud of you!”
The thought of my grandmother being proud of me made me smile. “Thanks, everyone. I’m so glad you’re all here.”
“I’ve always known you were talented,” Dad said, kissing my cheek, “but you’ve outdone yourself. The bride and groom must be delighted.”
“Yeah, Ivy, it’s amazing,” Joy said. “I took a lot of photos, and I’ll make sure and post them everywhere.”
As we chatted, I kept glancing at Connor, who was now making his way over to us. My nerves began to flutter again, but this time it was different. There was a sense of anticipation, a feeling that something significant was about to happen.
Connor finally reached us, his eyes locking onto mine. “Ivy, the cake is incredible.” He ran his fingers over my cheek. “And you look absolutely beautiful.”
Well, now. That was unexpected and had me flustered, and there was no doubt he’d caught the attention of every member of my family in attendance. “Thank you, Connor.” I cleared my throat, trying to ignore the fact all the Bells and Silvers were standing and watching the conversation. “You look… great.”
Before I could say anything more, we were ushered to the family table, where we found ourselves sitting close to each other. Whoever had thought to place Connor with us had my thanks, though it wasn’t so long ago I would have thought otherwise.
Amazing how fast things changed. Maybe it just took a freezer to get a different perspective.
Red dresses didn’t hurt, either.
We both received numerous compliments on the candy and the cake, with one guest even stopping next to our table to comment on what a great team we made, and we should think about merging our creations again in the future.
Connor leaned over to me while I struggled with that suggestion, his breath warm against my ear. “Maybe we should just call off the bet?”
I was taken aback for a moment, having almost forgotten about the silly wager we had made. I was about to respond when Connor surprised me again.
“Would you like to dance?” He was already standing up, reaching his hand out for mine, voice soft but firm, cutting through the din of the reception.
I blinked, momentarily stunned. “I—what?” I stammered, feeling like I’d been glued to my seat.
Connor’s eyes met mine, a mixture of hope and vulnerability in his gaze as he waited for me to take his offered hand. “Ivy Bell,” he said, “I want you to dance with me.”
A slow smile spread across my face as I shook off the nerves that held me in my seat and I found myself nodding as I placed my hand in his. “I’d love to.”
When I stood and joined him, making our way to the dance floor, the awkwardness began to melt away. The music was soft and melodic, and as Connor wrapped his arm around my waist, I felt a sense of warmth and comfort return, familiar now thanks to our mutual huddle in the cold freezer. This was much more enjoyable, though. We swayed gently to the music, the world and the other couples around us fading into the background.
“I’ve been wanting to do this for a while,” Connor admitted quietly, his eyes never leaving mine.
He had? Did that mean I wasn’t the only one who’d felt the connection between us, despite how dismally our first interactions had gone?
None of that mattered now. Not while Connor held me close. Never mind the fact I could barely think, let alone breathe. Good thing no words were needed, then.
As for the bet, any sense of competition had vanished into the glorious night by the time that first song was over… and we just continued dancing into the second song.