Cassie beckoned her closer and whispered, “Just one question.”
Emma leaned forward, her face totally deadpan. “Hmm?”
“Don’t they wear you out with their libidos? All I can think is how exhausting it would be. I mean no one is complaining of their vaginas wearing out or…”
Emma started cackling and couldn’t stop except to gasp and say, “Or falling out? No, not hardly. They’re very careful with me, and I get the impression they’d change the way we do things if they got the idea it was too much for me. You know, take it easy on me. Not that I want them to.”
Cassie pointed at herself. “Middle-aged, here.”
Emma smirked. “Middle-aged, my ass. You’re a renaissance woman.”
“Funny, one of the guys used that very expression.”
“Hon, don’t buy into the stereotypes. Lots of women maintain vibrant sex lives late into life. You’re in excellent physical shape. Your hormones are well balanced. I’d just invest in some good lubricants and let your freak flag fly.”
“Thank you!” Cassie said as she returned Emma’s hug. “I’m surrounded by happy ménage “middles” but just wasn’t sure how to ask about that. Of course, they all want to see me happy and settled again, but…”
“Hey, you’ve got to decide what’s right for you. And just because you get involved in a relationship doesn’t mean it’s your responsibility to do all their laundry and cook all the meals. Let them take care of you, too. I want to meet these men some time.”
“Okay.”
After Emma departed, Cassie peeked in on her mom, who was asleep, and then slipped down the hall to the empty waiting room and dialed the shop’s phone number.
“Thank you for calling Divine Drip today. How may I help you?” the distinct voice said over the line.
“Grandma Kate?”
“This is Kate Benedict. Is this Cassie?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“How’s your mama, honey?”
“Dr. Rivers said it was an anxiety attack. She’s sleeping now.”
“Oh, bless her heart!”
“Thanks. How are things at the shop?”
“Couldn’t be better! Marissa and Tilly have been absolute sweethearts to work with. You have good workers, honey. The time flew right by, and we’re just cleaning up now that the rush is over with. Samson left about an hour ago, and Ivan is working on your cake. That man has a fair hand with cake decorating.”
“I imagine he does. Could I talk to him?”
“Sure thing, honey. Hold the line for me.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Cassie said, unable to keep from smiling, despite the circumstances. If it hadn’t been for Grandma Kate and her gang, and the guys, she would’ve had to shut down the shop right at her busiest time of day, and that wasn’t the kind of headline she wanted for her business.
* * * *
Ivan put the phone to his ear after Grandma Kate told him who was calling and said, “Ivan’s House of Buttercream Baddassery.”
Her giggle-snorting was music to his ears. “What?”
“Hey, if Hermione Jones can name her restaurant after herself in the non-possessive form, I can call my cake decorating business any damned thing I want, right?”
“Can I hire you?”
Ivan chuckled. “That depends. What’s the benefits package like?”
The line went quiet, and he was afraid she’d been cut off, but then she started giggling again. The sound made him smile, and if her sense of humor was intact, then things must not be too bad with her mom.
“Is your mom okay?”
“Yes.” After filling in the details, she said, “How’s the cake?”
“Just about finished. It’s almost three. Want me to come and get you?”
“No, I can walk to the shop from the hospital.”
“Not in this wind, you’re not. I’ll come and get you. If you’d like, we can finish the cake together, and then I can take you for supper.”
“I have absolutely no appetite after this afternoon at the hospital. I don’t mind walking over there. I could use the exercise.”
“No. Stay there, and I’ll come get you.”
There was a longer pause on the line, but he heard the smile in her voice as she said, “You know, I’m not used to being told what to do anymore.”
“Maybe not, baby. But you’re also not used to having someone around who enjoys taking care of you. Wait in the main entry, and I’ll be there in just a few minutes. Then we can come back here and play in the leftover frosting.”
“Okay.” Her reply was a chuckle with a slightly suggestive edge, and it was his turn to blink and be silent.