“Woman, I’m going to enjoy learning all your facets. I’ll call Samson so he knows what our plan is.”
“Okay. See you in a few. Don’t rush on my account though.”
Wild horses couldn’t keep me away, baby.
The wind buffeted his truck as he rounded the circular drive a few minutes later and pulled up to the automatic doors. Cassie was right there waiting, with a big smile on her face. She stepped back into the vestibule when a nurse came through the doorway, pushing an empty wheelchair. By the time she made it to his vehicle, he was out and had her door open and waiting.
“Wow. Curb service,” she said softly. Instead of climbing into the vehicle, she turned and leaned against him when he opened his arms for her.
“Hey, now. She’s all right, right? She’s gonna be okay?”
“Yes. I was worried it was her heart.”
“She’s in good hands here.” He helped her into the truck and closed her door and then came around on the other side and got buckled in. As he turned the key in the ignition, he said, “What do you need right now? Food? Something to drink? They should be finished at the shop by now.” She was the type who took care of everyone else, and the urge to take care of her for once was strong.
“Let’s stop by there. I need to get my car, and I want to thank everyone.”
“Sure. Kate, Veronica, and Travis stayed while Hank went on to work after you left and Samson stayed through the lunch rush before taking off for Morehead. Marissa and Tilly were great. By the time the crowd died down, the customers were asking Grandma Kate if she was going to be working there regularly. I think she had a lot of fun manning the drive-thru.”
Cassie laughed, and some of the tension seemed to drain out of her. At the shop, she thanked them all and marveled out loud that the coffee shop had worked like a well-oiled machine in her absence.
“Take it as a sign you’ve done a good job training your employees, honey,” Grandma said as she folded her kerchief and slipped it in her purse and then patted at her white curls. “Oh, and will you pass on my thanks to your mama for the carnitas this afternoon? They were marvelous.”
“I will.”
Marissa and Tilly reported all she might need to know, and her shoulders slumped wearily as she locked the door with just the two of them inside.
“Show me the cake?”
He took her hand and led her back to the walk-in refrigerator and did the unveiling.
“It’s perfect!’ she exclaimed as she leaned in and scrutinized each layer under their protective wrappings. “Violet is sure to love this! You’re amazing,” she said as she turned and kissed him.
Not so easily satisfied, Ivan leaned in for another longer kiss, stroking her jaw and her throat until gooseflesh broke out on her skin and she shivered. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes had a dazed, sleepy quality to their brown depths as she blinked.
“You were the one who laid a scrumptious foundation. I have to admit to eating a couple of your roses. I like that teeny-tiny pinch of ground cardamom you added to the frosting,” he said, smiling as he recalled sitting there letting the confection melt in his mouth while trying to place the subtle hint of exotic spice.
“You picked up on that, huh?” she said with delight sparkling in her eyes. “Everyone likes that recipe and always comments on it, but no one has ever identified my secret ingredient besides you.”
“It’s elusive. The only decorating left to complete is the two extra layers. I can finish them up if you have paperwork or anything you need to handle.”
“I do need to look at the receipts for today and count the money. Can you handle it?”
“Yes, if you’ll agree to go out to supper with me tonight when we get done?”
She hesitated in the doorway and turned back to him. “What about if we ate at my house? Once we’re done here, I’m going to want my fuzzy slippers and yoga pants.”
“Mmmm, I’d like to see that,” he said, adding a soft growl at the thought of her deliciously rounded derriere in formfitting pants. “But only if I get to do the cooking.”
“Sure! I visited the grocery store recently so I have a fully stocked kitchen.”
“It’s a date then.”
Before leaving him to his task, Cassie inspected the prep and cooking areas for cleanliness, a quality he admired very much. Satisfied, she went to her office and left him at the worktable with the two large round cakes, which were frosted and ready to be decorated. Some people might think he was crazy, but that afternoon, taking care of people, feeding them, and getting to help her with the cake, had all been very enjoyable for him and a departure from the work he was accustomed to doing. It made him feel somehow connected to his roots in Divine, as strange as it seemed, considering Divine had been an anathema for thirty years. Cassie had a lot to do with it, too.