Page 38 of The Trouble with Runaway Brides

“I bet it was romantic. He seems like a big, strong guy who does romantic things.”

I laugh because it was romantic and exactly what Brinley deserved after everything she’s been through.

“How did Will propose?” I don’t know why I ask. I guess some sadistic part of me wants to know.

She flips the pages of the book, so I figure she’s not ready to go there. I was surprised what was probably an elaborate affair wasn’t caught on tape and released to the press. The Asbury family does everything for the cameras.

“I came to his condo one night and he got down on one knee and asked me.”

I don’t dig further because I still know Kenzie enough to know that wasn’t all she wanted. “Well, maybe the proposal from your second husband will be better.”

“Lance!” she shouts so loudly the voices from the front of the bakery all stop at once.

Greta is out of breath as she rushes back into the room. “I have an idea, but I need to know what kind of cake style you like?” She sits back down, giving me a look to say she expects more from me.

“I was saying earlier that I like the staggered, but where would we put the topper?”

They talk about the toppers and what style Kenzie’s looking for. She ends up going with the words Mister and Mrs. because she’d have to special order one of a Filipino woman and a white man and Greta’s unsure if it would come in time.

“I’m not really traditional like that anyway,” she says.

“Then I’ll make different layers and all your guests can be satisfied, but I’ll make the layer you cut into and your top layer that you’ll eat lemon.” Greta smiles and puts her hands out as though suggesting that should please us both.

“Perfect.” Kenzie smiles.

“Let me box up these samples for you. Usually my brides try each one. Is that how you keep your figure?” She smiles at Kenzie before leaving the room to grab a box.

“I’m sorry I said that thing about the second husband. I honestly hope this is your one and only marriage,” I say softly.

“Thanks for the apology.” But her eyes never meet mine.

Greta returns and puts the cake in the box, Kenzie puts down her deposit, and we walk out of the room. The lobby is less busy now, so we slide out, only being noticed by Alice and her gang from Northern Lights Retirement Center.

This time, I open the passenger door of my truck because I feel like an ass after what I said. I wish I had an easier time being a dick.

“Thank you,” she says and climbs in as I round the front to the driver’s side.

I drive Kenzie back to Glacier Point, we say goodbye, and I watch her walk into the hotel, hating the feeling in my gut. The one that says if I allow her to marry him, I’m a fucking fool.

Thirteen

Kenzie

I knock on Blake’s door when I return to the resort, but he says he doesn’t want to open the door because he doesn’t want me to catch whatever he has. I tell him I’m not worried about it, I very rarely get sick, but he says he looks awful and doesn’t want anyone to see him. It’s weird though, because I saw him after he got his gallbladder out and he hadn’t showered in days. He’s very particular about how he looks. He and Geoff were just starting to date at the time, and he said that Geoff could absolutely not be the one to pick him up from the hospital, so I got the job.

So I go to my room and call Will, who surprisingly answers on the first ring.

“Hey, babe, how was the cake tasting?”

He remembered. I smile, having feared he was so busy in Arizona that he’d forget what I was doing here.

“Can I ask you a question?” I strip off my jacket and lie on the bed.

“Sure.”

“Is lemon okay?” I bite my lip.

“For the cake?”

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