Page 19 of Save the Dance

The laugh lines around Jason’s mouth deepened. Without missing a beat, he rattled off a series of answers. “At the Captain’s Cottage. Yes. More than one but less than thirteen.”

His willingness to play along eased the tension that had raced across her shoulders the minute Nick had suggested they pretend to be a couple. If Jason was game, so was she. Purely in the name of research, of course. “I’m in,” she said.

“Me, too.” Jason’s grin widened.

“Good.” Nick pulled an order sheet from a drawer on his side of the banquette. “The first bit of information I need from every bride and groom is the number of guests they plan on having at the wedding. That number determines how large a cake they’ll need. So?”

Tara studied the tabletop. Outside of family, she could count the number of friends she’d invite on her fingers and have a digit or two left over. “Maybe twenty-five?” she ventured.

Beside her, Jason gave his head an emphatic shake. “That’ll never do. I grew up in Heart’s Landing. Practically everyone in town will expect an invitation to my wedding. I’d say three hundred.”

“Oh, no,” she protested. She’d faint dead away if she had to walk down the aisle in front of that many people. Just the thought of it made her heart race. “I’m thinking more like a hundred guests. Max.”

Jason’s brows knitted. “I might be able to shave off fifty, but I’m warning you, my Great-aunt Matilda might never forgive me if I don’t invite her to our wedding.”

“I’ll take my chances.” Not that it was much of a risk. She knew full well he didn’t have a great-aunt. He and his cousin Evelyn were the last of their line.

“I’ll give you that, but I know a lot of people. They’ll all want to be there.”

“You have that many friends?” She couldn’t imagine it, but he sat there, nodding like it was the most normal thing in the world. “I can go as high as one-fifty.”

“Ouch! You wound me.” Jason pressed a hand to his heart. “Two hundred, and that’s as low as I’ll go.”

Though Jason, with his good looks and charming demeanor, would make a handsome groom, this was just a game. She could afford to give in on the number of guests.

“And there you have it, the first rule in a successful marriage—the art of compromise.” Nick smiled broadly. “Okay. We need a cake to serve two hundred guests. Plus attendants and vendors, you’re looking at two twenty-five. For that size, we have loads of options, depending on your theme. Did you have something particular in mind?”

Tara relaxed. This was fun, especially since it wasn’t the real thing. “I always imagined a summer wedding on the veranda of the Captain’s Cottage. I’d have armloads of purple and white hyacinths.”

She glanced at Jason to see what he thought, but the man who pretended to be her fiancé only stared at her with a shocked look on his face.

“What?”

“I’m sorry, but we can’t fit that many guests on the veranda. We’ll have to hold the ceremony in one of the ballrooms. I’d suggest the Green Room. It has the biggest dance floor. Your flowers will look stunning in there.” The tiny crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes crinkled.

“Tara?” Nick tilted his head to one side while he waited for her answer.

“I suppose we could serve cocktails on the veranda,” she ventured, surprised at how difficult it was to let go of her dream, even in a game.

“The roses will be in bloom.” Jason’s shoe tapped out a warning beat. “The scent will clash with your hyacinths. To say nothing of the colors.”

“It sounds like you have another tough choice to make.” Nick leaned back in his chair. He held out his hands like a set of scales. “Color?” One hand dipped. “Or venue.” He lifted the other one. “Which will it be?”

She thought she’d known what went into planning a wedding. She should have, considering where she worked. But when it came to arranging her own special day—even a pretend one—each decision impacted a hundred others. She tapped her finger to her chin. Jason was right. Red roses and grape hyacinths didn’t go together. “What if we erected a tent on the grounds and served cocktails there between the ceremony and the reception? Maybe under the weeping willows?” She’d spotted them when Charlie turned onto the driveway.

“Perfect!” Jason declared.

That wasn’t the term she’d use, but the exercise had certainly opened her eyes. Planning a wedding involved a much larger cast than she’d ever imagined. The decision she and Jason made about their pretend head count would affect not just the baker, but everyone from the caterer to the person who arranged the chairs at the reception.

“Now you’re getting somewhere.” Nick pulled a pad of paper and a pencil from the drawer. “Normally, this is where I’d hand you my portfolio and have you page through pictures of my best work. But in the interest of time, let’s assume you want a simple design.” He quickly sketched a towering cake with flowers cascading down one side. “Would something like this do?”

Tara smiled. “It’s lovely.”

“That brings us to the part our brides—and grooms—enjoy the most. The actual taste test.” Nick snapped his fingers. As if by magic, the swinging doors popped open, and a parade of apron-clad staff members emerged. Each carried a miniature cake on a silver platter. One by one, Nick’s helpers placed their wares on the table and disappeared into the back of the store.

“What we have here,” Nick said when every inch of the table had been covered, “are some of our most popular flavors. Let’s start with a staple—almond with white buttercream icing. This particular one has a raspberry filling.” He cut two slivers and plated them.

Tara eyed her portion. Nestled between the off-white layers, the red center practically glowed. She forked a small bite. The frosting melted in her mouth but not before it awakened all her tastebuds. A divine almond flavor tickled the tip of her tongue. The filling complimented it perfectly. “That’s yummy,” she declared. “I can see why so many of your customers choose it.”

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