Page 95 of Fire and Icing

I’ll always be grateful for him and what he’s done for me. He’s got to be just that—a fond memory of a man who means the world to me, but can never really be mine.

I reach over carefully and brush a lock of hair off his forehead, wishing I could lean in for one more kiss. He rustles a little and his eyes drift open.

He stares across the space between us, a soft, groggy smile forming on his lips.

“Morning, Firecracker.” His voice is gravelly and delicious. “Ready to go win yourself a contest?”

“I’m ready to give it my all.”

“And win,” he says. “I feel it down deep. This is your day.”

“I hope you’re right.”

He smiles. Then he stands up and stretches, padding away into the bathroom while I watch him go.

The day flies by after breakfast. We’re in the studio with the other remaining couple, under the hot lights, cameras fixed on us.

The theme of the final challenge is Unity: The Ultimate Shared Dessert. Our desserts have to blend three components: A baked element such as a sponge, pâte sucrée, or dacquoise; a mousse or curd; and a decorative finish such as a glaze, tuile, caramel shard, sugar work, or tempered chocolate.

Timing is everything at this level of complexity. The kitchen is quiet, filled only with the precise exchange of instructions, the scrape of bowls, and the rhythmic chop and stir of ingredients.

We finish just before the countdown clock buzzes. I lean both hands on the counter and blow out a long breath. We’ve created our dessert. The judges will serve portions from our creation which bridges two separate sponge bases. One rosemary, the other chili-chocolate ganache. The rosemary side is filled with lemon mousse and topped with a honey glaze. The chocolate side is filled with a molten center and topped with smoked caramel shards. Edible gold leaf lines the plate. A toasted meringue curl bridges the two halves like a fragile tether between two opposites.

We present our dessert, the judges taste and deliberate. Unlike previous rounds, we won’t know their decision until we return for the final filming live, after all previous episodes have aired.

I’d like to go home knowing whether we win, but we’ll be in limbo for over two weeks.

Our last commitment before we drive home is to complete interviews that will be integrated into the final episode prior to the winner being announced live on air.

We sit in the same stools we sat on for our initial interview.

Branson asks us questions based on the time we’ve spent at the estate competing for the baking prize.

“How would you describe your relationship after working together in the contest?” he asks me.

“Stronger,” I say, glancing over at Dustin. “More connected.”

“Definitely,” Dustin adds with his signature smile. “I’d only ever eaten her baked goods—I never saw the magic happen. I’ve got mad respect for Emberleigh and her culinary skills.”

“And what are your plans now that the contest is over?” Branson asks us.

“Sleep,” I joke.

“I’m going back to fighting fires,” Dustin says. “I’ve had a week off, thanks to my captain, but I have to get back to work.”

“Plans for your relationship?” Branson prods.

“We’ll see what happens,” Dustin says.

I look over at him. That’s not what I anticipated him saying. It’s not like he’s going to say,I’m going to propose marriage. But his answer feels so non-committal. What did I expect? He came here to support me—as a friend. He fulfilled that role and so much more. He doesn’t owe me more than that.

“I mean, obviously, we’re going to be together … seeing one another,” Dustin scrambles to correct his first answer, but I heard him loud and clear.

“I can’t imagine you not being together,” Branson says. “You are bound to be fan favorites. Your chemistry and the way you enjoy one another is contagious.”

Chemistry?He must be referring to our kiss.

“Well, I wish you both the best,” Branson says. “And we’re looking forward to seeing you for the finale.”

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