Page 28 of Planning on Happily Ever After

“Where’s Marvin?” he asked as they approached the bakery door.

His mom’s smile faltered slightly, but she tried to recover it as best she could. “Oh, you know Marvin. He’s not much for the details.” The scowl that was like an old sweater, comfortable and familiar, pulled across his face. Ben was starting to think Marvin wasn’t much for the actual wedding either and opened his mouth to say as much, but his mom stopped him with a hand on his forearm. “Leave it, Benny. Just this once, please.”

Ben nodded curtly and opened the door for his mom, wanting to talk to her about her absentee fiancé, but she was clearly not in the mood for him to rain on her parade. They would need to talk soon though, and Ben had the sinking feeling he would be comforting her after another broken relationship. Better to head this thing off at the pass before it went too far, though the fact that they were at a cake tasting meant it had probably already gotten past that point.

Ben sighed when he thought about the serious conversation they would be having. It was one he definitely wasn’t looking forward to, and he tried to put that aside for the moment as he looked around the bakery, taking in the light blue walls and the cinnamon sugar smell. It was cozy and inviting, much like the people who owned it. Ben had only met Henry and Holly thus far, but he was certain the rest of their family were just as friendly and welcoming.

A woman stepped through the door that must lead back to the kitchen and smiled at Ben and his mother. As she stepped closer, Ben took in her appearance and noticed she looked like a miniature version of Holly, only with lighter hair and dark brown eyes.

“Hi, you must be Trish. I’m Hailey Baker, and I’ll be in charge of the cake.” She chuckled lightly, shaking her head in a similar manner Holly did when she felt embarrassed. “That is, if you like the samples and designs.”

“I’m sure I will love both, dear.” His mom had always been good at reassuring people, and from the smile on Hailey’s face, she still was.

Hailey reached over to shake Ben’s hand with a mischievous gleam in her eye. “And you must be Ben.” She looked at him appraisingly, squinting her eyes and studying him long enough that he started to shift uncomfortably. “Hmm. So, you think you’re good enough, huh?” The moxie she displayed was enough to pop the bubble of insecurity that had formed in his chest and he chuckled, noticing his mom looking confused, but slightly amused as well. He started to address Hailey’s question, but was interrupted when Holly burst through the kitchen door.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry,” Holly exclaimed as she rounded the counter before coming to a halt in front of them.

Her hair was swept into a high ponytail and she wore a long-sleeved dress that hugged her frame nicely. Ben tried to keep his eyes from raking over her body since he was in front of both his mom and her sister, but he’s not sure he managed it. Not only was every curve on display, but so was a good amount of her alabaster skin. He’d felt that skin underneath his fingers, relished the softness of it, and he wanted to do it again.

Holly greeted his mom with a hug. “Sorry, I’m late. My last call went a little longer than I thought it would.” She pulled back from his mom and stepped over to him, but he could sense her hesitation at not knowing how to greet him.

Ben didn’t like that one bit and grabbed her hand before pulling her into a hug. “It’s good to see you, Holly.” Her body relaxed in his arms, and he snuck a quick kiss on her cheek while his mom and Hailey weren’t looking.

Holly stepped back and smiled shyly, her cheeks rosy. “Um, thanks. You look good, too. I-I mean good to see you, too,” she stammered before rolling her eyes at herself.

“Smooth,” Hailey whispered loudly to her sister and Holly shoved her lightly while still smiling brightly at her client.

“Trish, Ben, why don’t we have a seat and go through the cake design book while Hailey puts together the samples.” She pushed her sister back toward the kitchen and Ben couldn’t help but laugh at the sisters as Holly turned to steer both him and his mom over to a table in the corner, placing a large binder down in front of them. “Here are just a few examples of the wedding cakes Hailey has made over the years, including all the modern techniques that you may want to utilize.”

Holly sat down next to his mom, smoothing her hands over her dress before she did so. Holly always looked very put together, but she was still slightly flustered around Ben. It was flattering, seeing her affected by him. He may not be as outwardly discombobulated, but she had him tied up in knots with desires and wants he hadn’t thought himself capable of.

As he watched Holly and his mom flip through the designs, the fact that they seemed to get along so well fully sank in. They were a lot alike, both boasting sunny personalities and an obsession with romance, and the more he compared the two women, the larger the tiny pit of worry that was always present in his stomach seemed to grow. Hopefully Holly wasn’t as eager to hop from relationship to relationship as his mother was. She didn’t seem like the type, but Ben had thought people were going to stick it out with him before only to have them leave.

His face must have reflected his inner turmoil because the next time he looked over at the two women, Holly wasn’t looking at the design book, but was studying his face, regarding him carefully. “You, okay?”she mouthed to him. He did his best to push aside the bleak thoughts that had started to creep in and nodded at her. She didn’t look convinced, but it wasn’t as if they could have a conversation about it while his mom was right there.

A few minutes later, Hailey was back with a tray containing various cake and filling samples. “Here we are,” she said brightly as she placed the tray in front of them. “Now, Holly is experienced enough with this stuff to take you through each flavor and filling combination and answer any questions you might have.” She hooked a thumb over her shoulder. “I’ll be in the back working on another project so you can speak freely. Call me back out if there are any questions Holly can’t answer.” Hailey lightly touched her hand to Holly’s shoulder, the two seeming to have some sort of silent conversation, before Hailey disappeared into the kitchen once more.

Holly scooted in her chair and handed them each a fork. “Okay. The wedding is in May, so you could go with some of the more springtime themed flavors,” she said before explaining the different cakes to both him and his mom. She then gestured toward a few chocolate cakes samples. “Or, you could always go with a known crowd pleaser. You can also do different cakes for different layers if you like, but I think the guest count is small enough that you could get away with just one flavor if you want to save money. Whatever way you go, it will taste amazing.”

Holly smiled and watched as he and his mom dug into the different cake layers and fillings. She was correct in that each one was delicious, but if it was his wedding cake, he would have to go with the chocolate cake with a chocolate truffle filling. It was decadent, but it was so good that Ben thought about maybe buying himself a birthday cake this year just to have a whole one to himself. Ben leaned back and groaned, his stomach a little too full of sugar, but he wasn’t going to complain.

While he digested, his mom put down her fork, a puzzled expression moving over her face. “Did you have any thoughts, Trish?” Holly prompted her, looking a little concerned at his mother’s expression.

His mom laughed lightly, but it was forced. “Oh, they’re all just so good I’m not sure I’ll be able to decide.”

Holly leaned in to his mom and lowered her voice. “If you want to go with another bakery, it’s okay. I certainly won’t be offended and neither will Hailey. It’s your wedding day and it should be as magical as possible,” she told his mom.

Ben saw his mom’s eyes get a little glassy before she blinked away the emotion. “It isn’t that, sweetheart,” she told Holly, patting her hand. “I really just seem to be having a hard time making a decision today.”

Holly gave his mom’s hand a squeeze. “There’s no rush. You definitely don’t have to decide today.” She glanced back at the kitchen for a moment before returning her gaze to his mom, her perpetual cheeriness once again on display. “In fact, if you want, I can put together a box of all the samples and you can take them home to Marvin so he can try some, too.”

“That sounds lovely, dear. Thank you.” Holly nodded, her smile falling slightly as she shot a worried glance toward Ben before standing up and heading to the kitchen.

Ben turned toward his mom and rubbed her back. “Okay, mom. Spill it.” She may not have wanted to talk earlier, but clearly something was bothering her enough to disrupt her day.

She sighed, but leaned into his comforting touch. “It’s nothing, Benny, I swear. Things have just been a little strained between Marvin and me lately. I’m sure it’s just the stress of the wedding planning.”

Ben scoffed at his mom making excuses for a man who didn’t deserve any. “What stress? As far as I can tell he hasn’t done one thing to help you with the planning. Does he even still want to get married?”

---