Page 83 of Suddenly Entwined

“Oh, no.”

“Wouldn’t be an outing without an injury,” Caro says.

“The…barnacles…scraped…me…” Lou hiccoughs between each word, nose running and tears flowing freely over her pink cheeks.

“Those mean barnacles.” Caro kneels on the plaid blanket, pulling Louisa onto her lap and reaching for a bottle of water.

She pours a gentle stream over my daughter’s knee to wash away the sand, dabbing it with the corner of a beach towel.

“That stings.”

“I know, honey. Bandage next and then you can go back to playing.”

Her lip sticks out a mile. “I don’t want to play anymore.”

Caro smiles, tearing open a colourful bandage I’ve never seen before.

The idea of her shopping for things she thought my daughters would love is too much. I stuff my hands in my pockets, clearly not needed at this very moment.

“What happened to feeling queasy over the sight of blood?”

“Oh.” Caro shrugs. “I honestly didn’t even think about it. Just did what needed doing.”

“You’re a natural.”

“I have a good teacher,” she says.

Despite her protestations, Louisa makes a swift recovery and heads back toward the water with a juice box in hand.

I watch as Caro lay back on the blanket, crossing her legs at the ankles and folding her arms behind her head. “Crisis averted.”

Chapter twenty-nine

Carolina

Inarrow my eyes at the lumpy sheet of fondant drooping over the layers of cake. I’ll glare this damn dessert into submission if it’s the last thing I’ll do. Natalie will have the best entry for the cakewalk that she can. Blowing air out of my cheeks, I get to work smoothing the sugary dough.

“Just like in the video,” I whisper, squinting at my propped up phone screen.

But the fondant is softening under the heat of my hands, getting stickier by the minute and it’s not looking anything like the example in the tutorial. Why didn’t I practise? This has to work. It has to. I need to pick them up from school in an hour and the dance is tonight. I know this is only a charity auction, but sometimes you really need something to work out. And this cake is that something, and that time is tonight. Cutting off theextra dough and calling that step done, I move on to making some of the decorations. By the time I’m finished, I only have minutes to spare and when I take a step back, it’s…terrible. My shoulders droop as I sigh. It’s literally listing to one side like I made it aboard a freaking ship. I snap a photo. God knows why, and call it good. Throwing my hands up and noticing the time, I toss icing covered dishes into the sink and grab my keys and purse.

It’s for charity at a children’s event. It’s not a big deal, I remind myself as I arrive at the school. The gymnasium doors are open wide and I can see the volunteers setting up inside. I have a few minutes to kill, and figure Berg might need a laugh, so send him the photo of the cake. Only a moment goes by before my phone buzzes.

Berg:

That’s…nice.

Caro:

The ellipses gave you away, jerk. I know it’s not good.

Berg:

The girls will love it.

Caro:

Are you sure? That’s all I really care about.

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