Page 42 of A Wedding in the Bay

Alissa gave an airy wave. “Of course! You’re more than welcome.”

“I’ll see you later,” Josie said as she stood up, downed the last of her tea, and went to grab her coat.

“Yes, you will! I can’t wait. We’re going to have so much fun. When does Paige get into town?”

“Really soon,” Josie said, looking at the clock again. “She should be here in less than an hour.”

“Amazing! I can’t wait to see her, and I know you must be crazy excited for her to come home.”

Josie nodded as she buttoned her coat. “I am! I’m so thankful she’s able to make it. My bachelorette party wouldn’t have felt complete without her.”

Alissa nodded and smiled, and Josie grabbed her purse. Now that she was finally about to get out of work, she felt like a caged bird about to take flight. She couldn’t wait to get home and start preparing for the party.

“See you later!” Josie called cheerfully, and her friend waved.

Once she was back out into the cold air, she smiled with excitement. There was a spring in her step as she walked to where her car was parked. She eagerly thought about everything she still needed to do in preparation for her party—she’d bought all of the food that she needed to already, but there were still some things to be done, such as arranging various treats on plates and setting out dishes. She grinned when she remembered that Paige had promised to make cupcakes for the party—red velvet ones with cream cheese frosting. She continued to mentally go through her checklist as she drove home through the snowy streets of Blueberry Bay.

Tonight is going to be so much fun, Josie thought as she reached her apartment.

Now that she was out of work, her restless feeling was gone, and she felt completely in a holiday mood. She hurried up the stairs to her apartment and set to work, laying a clean white tablecloth on the table and setting out her best dishes, which were made of pink glass.

She was deep in the middle of her work when she heard the buzzer ring. Her heart leapt up, and she let out a squeal.

“Paige!” she exclaimed aloud. She couldn’t wait to hug her sister.

She raced over to the button that let Paige into the building and pressed it. Grinning, she went back to setting the table until the door of her apartment opened, and Paige stepped inside, carrying a duffle bag over one shoulder.

“Welcome home!” Josie cried and hurried over to her sister. She threw her arms around Paige and hugged her tightly.

“Oh, I’ve missed you,” Paige said, sounding as if she was laughing and crying at the same time. “How excited are you for tonight?”

“Well, the most exciting part of my night is happening right now,” Josie said, grinning at her. “I’m so happy you’re here.”

Paige clasped her hands together, her cheeks flushed. “I’m so happy to be here too.”

For a moment, they both smiled at each other without speaking, and then Paige glanced at the clock. “But we can catch up while I make cupcakes! I’d better start now if they’re going to be ready by the time the party starts.”

“Are you sure?” Josie asked, following her sister to the kitchen counter. “You can take a moment to rest, you know!”

Paige shook her head, smiling. “You know I love to bake. Besides, I practiced this recipe a couple of times already, so I don’t have to think about it as much. We can talk while I start to whip these together.”

“Okay,” Josie said, crossing her arms over her chest. “Let me know if I can be of assistance.”

“Copy that.”

“And tell me all about how school is going, please. I want to know every detail.”

The two sisters began to catch up as Paige started making the red velvet cupcakes. Every once in a while, she would ask Josie to get something for her from the cupboards or refrigerator, and Josie would hurry to grab it. As she worked, Paige chattered away happily about how well her classes at Flourish Baking School were going.

“You’re amazing,” Josie said proudly as she watched her sister whizz around the kitchen. “It’s clear that you’re even better at baking than you were before.”

“Psh,” Paige said as she mixed the batter, but she was smiling happily over the compliment.

“I mean it, I’m really proud of you,” Josie said warmly. “You definitely made the right choice when you decided to pursue your dreams instead of going to regular college.”

Paige paused to look at Josie, her eyes shining. Josie remembered how much her sister had felt torn about going to Flourish Baking School instead of attending the university that had given her a full scholarship. She’d struggled with telling Josie how she felt, but she’d finally told her sister that what she wanted to do was attend baking school instead of going to college, and Josie couldn’t have been more proud of her. She had no doubt her sister was going to succeed in owning her own bakery someday, even without a full college education.

“How about you?” Paige asked, smiling as she began to spoon batter into the cupcake pans. “How’s wedding planning going?”

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