Page 14 of Wedding Bells in Silverwood

Holly put her hands around her mug to warm her fingers. “Dig in, Mom.”

“Wow, this looks better than I remember.” She picked up her fork and let it hover over the dessert, doing a little dance in her seat before slicing a bit of fudge and scooping some whipped cream with it. One taste and Vivian emitted a “Mmm.”

“I take it it’s good?” Nick asked.

“Masarap,” Vivian replied. “That means delicious. Here, Holly, try some.”

Holly was about to take the fork from her mom when her melodic ringtone interrupted her. “It’s the caterer.” She turned slightly away as she answered the call. “Hello?”

“Ms. St. Ives. This is Cheryl from Montgomery Catering.”

“Yes, hello.”

“I’m afraid I’m calling with bad news. It seems our partnership with Lakeside Chateau has unexpectedly and abruptly ceased. There is a lawsuit involved, and all business between the two parties has been henceforth discontinued. Unfortunately, that means that unless you move your wedding to another venue, we are unable to cater it and must terminate the contract.”

Silence.

Is this a joke?

Holly couldn’t wrap her head around the woman’s words. “Wh-what? I don’t understand.”

“I’m sorry. Montgomery Catering is no longer permitted on Lakeside Chateau’s premises because of the lawsuit. We apologize, but we have no choice. If you have another venue, we can still honor our contract. Otherwise, we have to bow out. We can send you back your deposit right away. Just let us know by the end of the week. And again, we apologize for the inconvenience.”

“But the wedding is in three weeks.” Holly stared at the phone, stunned that the woman had already hung up on her.

She felt as if her heart were lodged in her esophagus. How could this be happening? It had to be a joke. But who would play such a cruel prank? No. She had to face the facts—it was simply bad luck.

“Holly?” Nick leaned closer, searching her face. “What is it?”

“The caterer.” Her throat was so dry that she could hardly get the words out. “They canceled.”

“Canceled? What do you mean?” Holly’s mother jumped to her feet, her napkin falling to the floor.

After delivering something to another table, Viola stopped to pick up the napkin.

“Did they say why?” Nick asked, his forehead wrinkled.

“Something about a lawsuit between them and the venue owner.” Holly raked her fingers through her hair. It was as if all the air had left her lungs. “What are we going to do?”

Nick took Holly’s hand in his. “Don’t worry. We’ll figure it out.”

“They said if we booked another venue, they could still cater, but how are we supposed to do that on such short notice?” Holly looked up at Nick as if he’d surely have the answer.

“Did you have any other caterers in the running?” Viola set down her tray and placed her hands on her hips.

“They must be booked up by now.” Holly felt as if she were going to hyperventilate.

“What’s this I hear?” Mrs. Miranelli hurried over to them. “Your caterer dropped out?” She clicked her tongue. “I mean, that’s awful. That’s a real shame. And I hope you find a replacement. But, honey, I just wanted to say—and I don’t mean to be too presumptuous—I wouldloveto make your wedding cake.”

“Oh, um, well …” Holly stood.No, no, no. My guests will never forgive me for subjecting them to Mrs. Miranelli’s baking.She couldn’t seem to get her mouth working properly to respond. She felt as if her eyes were bulging out of her head.

Nick shifted from one foot to the other, looking frazzled. He, too, knew the story of Holly’s mad rush to the drugstore after Mrs. Miranelli’s generous batch of tainted cookies.

Viola stepped forward, facing Mrs. Miranelli. “Actually, they’ve, uh, already asked me to do it.”

Holly blanched and grabbed Nick’s hand.

“You?” Mrs. Miranelli blinked, shaking her head at Viola. “When could they have possibly asked you? They just now got the cancellation.”

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