Page 57 of Cut The Cake

“Sources tell us he’s been seen around town with his latest co-star.” A photograph of the aging movie star flashed on the screen. He stood with one arm draped over the shoulder of a beautiful young woman.

“Jenny, you’re from L.A. Is any of this stuff true?” Ashley glanced up from the bow she was tying.

“Not as much as they want you to believe.” The pose in question was from a script Karolyn had read before she’d turned down the part. Jenny pointed to the TV. “That picture was taken on set. He has his arm around her because that’s what the role called for, not because he’s in love with her. A lot of those reports are pretty exaggerated.”

Another two hours passed before Mildred layered tissue into the last of the gift bags and passed it to Alexis, who carefully placed the final wine bottle inside. Ashley added the remaining box of candy. Cheri tied the final bow, and a collective cheer rose throughout the room. Meanwhile, Jason flattened the last of the empty boxes for recycling while Alicia patrolled the area, picking up scraps of paper and ribbon.

After Nick placed the finished bag on the reception room table with the others, the waiters and waitresses from Bow Tie Pasta arrived. Bearing trays of lasagna, salad, and several pasta dishes, they streamed into the room. As wonderful odors drifted in the air, Jenny overrode a few half-hearted protests and ordered everyone, including the wait staff, to help themselves. Soon, laughter and conversation flowed along as people fixed plates and pulled up chairs around the tables.

Watching them while she waited her turn at the back of the line, Jenny drank in the scene. Warmth blossomed in the center of her chest and spread outward. She’d come to Heart’s Landing to arrange her cousin’s wedding. In the process, she’d made so many good friends, she never wanted to leave. Especially now that she and Nick had apparently declared a truce.

She eyed the tall baker, who chatted with Cheri as they filled their plates. Her heart was still broken, but maybe she and Nick could be friends. She could live with that. She’d have to if she accepted Alicia’s offer to come and work for her here at the Captain’s Cottage.

But.

The whole time she’d been here, she’d kept a secret from her new friends. They’d shared their pasts, their hopes for the future with her. In return, she hadn’t been honest with them. She hadn’t trusted them with her own truth. It was time to change that. If she wanted to be a part of this community, to live the rest of her life here in Heart’s Landing, she needed to reveal the real reason she’d come here in the first place. And she needed to do it now.

A restless excitement rippled through her. From Alicia to her newest acquaintance, Jason, everyone in the room would be thrilled when they learned it was Karolyn Karter, not her, who’d walk down the aisle tomorrow. She eyed her wine glass. She needed to get everyone’s attention, but tapping her knife on a paper cup wouldn’t do the trick. Pushing away from the wall, she cleared her throat. “If I may, I’d like to say a few words.”

Throughout the room, conversations and laughter faded until the only sound came from the television.

“Could someone mute that?” she asked.

Heads swiveled as people searched for the remote. Before anyone found it, an excited host on the entertainment show blurted, “This just in, folks—Karolyn Karter wed Chad Grant tonight in a Las Vegas wedding that took even Hollywood insiders by surprise!”

What?

That had to be a mistake, another example of reporters running with a story before they had all the facts. Karolyn would never …

Or would she?

The faces staring up at her from chairs and tables receded into the distance. Drawn to the television, Jenny stared over their heads at the screen mounted on the far wall.

“All of Hollywood has been following the romance that blossomed on the set of Two Hearts on the Run this summer. That love story culminated in the engagement of Karolyn Karter to her co-star Chad Grant six weeks ago. Since then, we’ve been chasing down rumors of a summer wedding, and tonight, our investigation paid off when we followed the two lovebirds to the Little Elvis Chapel in Las Vegas.”

Karolyn wouldn’t. She couldn’t.

Jenny drew in a breath and got nothing. Her heart pounded. On the screen, the scene cut to flashing neon lights above a white clapboard church. Another talking head spoke into a microphone.

“The bride wore a stunning strapless gown by Sophie Olsen, while the groom dressed in traditional dark gray tux-and-tails for the intimate ceremony that took place only hours ago. A waiting limo whisked the happy couple off to the airport, presumably where they’ll leave on their honeymoon, but not before the bride gave me this exclusive interview.”

No! It couldn’t be true. The story had to be a lie, didn’t it?

The sides of the paper cup bent inward in Jenny’s grip. Just like she’d been telling the others earlier, these reporters had aired a story before they had the facts. Although, she had to admit, the dress they’d described matched Karolyn’s to a T.

Maybe her cousin had pulled off a publicity stunt designed to draw the paparazzi away from the real wedding. Yeah, that had to be it. Any second now, her phone would buzz, and Karolyn’s laughter would fill her ear. Her cousin would no doubt brag about how she’d pulled one over on the reporters and the media types who dogged her every footstep.

Jenny reached for her phone, but the device’s screen remained dark. On the television, a smiling Karolyn and Chad stepped forward to join the reporter. With the bright lights of Las Vegas twinkling behind them, the camera zoomed in on the beaming bride.

“We couldn’t wait another second to get married!” Kay squealed while the camera zoomed in for a close-up of the couple, surrounded by an entourage of giddy friends. Jenny swallowed hard as she spotted the familiar members of her cousin’s wedding party. “I’m so happy to share this moment with our friends and fans on Tonight’s Entertainment TV.”

With that, Chad whisked his new bride into a waiting limo that merged quickly into the traffic on busy Las Vegas Boulevard.

Jenny’s breath caught and her legs wobbled. Her teeth chattered. Much as she didn’t want to believe it, she couldn’t deny the picture of Chad and Karolyn decked out in their wedding finery. She stared at the screen, unable to breathe, unable to move. Tears rolled silently down her cheeks. This was no hoax. No publicity stunt. After the hoops she’d jumped through on Kay’s behalf, after the upset and consternation she’d caused throughout Heart’s Landing, her cousin and Chad had eloped.

“Well, there you have it.” The reporter held a mic to his mouth. “Mr. and Mrs. Chad Grant have tied the knot Las Vegas-style.”

Spots danced before Jenny’s eyes. An urge to throw something swept her, but her hands shook so badly that she could barely hang on to the cup of wine she’d raised in a toast to her friends. Liquid sloshed over the edges. Her fingers lost their grip. The cup slipped from her grasp. It landed on the floor with a loud pop.

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