Page 7 of Cream and Punishment
“You know” —I sent the mixing bowl I’d been scrubbing through the washer— “speaking of how much you enjoy my baking, I’m about to put the finishing touches on the trial run for your wedding reception cupcakes.”
“Ooh,” she cooed, successfully distracted from her crusade, “what flavors are the finalists?”
“There’s still the salted caramel you liked, but these ones are apple snickerdoodle.” I cast a sidelong glance at the miniature cookies cooling nearby. “I’ve been toying with a new recipe, too, but I think it might be a little on the sweet side for Colt. He’s not as much of a chocoholic as us.”
“True. I’d complain about that if it didn’t mean I got to finish all the desserts he can’t make it through.”
“Fair point,” I allowed.
I abandoned the dishes to check the cookies. Satisfied they’d cooled enough, I set to work positioning them in the swirls of frosting on the cupcakes I’d just finished.
I would’ve felt guilty about using Gale’s bakery to make my own experiments, but I’d gotten through all the tasks she’d set for me for the day. I’d even frosted the four dozen cupcakes for the baby shower a client was picking up tomorrow. Gale wouldn’t have anything to do after I left today unless someone came in and wanted fifty cupcakes without a preorder. It wasn’t common, but it had happened.
And, again, if she fired me, she’d have to hire two people to do what I do. So, there. She hadn’t given me a raise or promotion, so this was the tradeoff.
“Do I get to try these new cupcakes you’ve made?”
I laughed, pausing between placing cookies. “It wouldn’t make much sense not to, considering it’syourwedding reception. Tell me, is Colt having a conniption because I haven’t finalized the flavors yet?”
Her beau loved planning almost as much as he loved her. The two were about as opposite as you could get, yet they fit together perfectly.
“He probably would be if work wasn’t such a nightmare this week. The hours have been insane.” Lex sighed, sounding much older than she was.
It was moments like this that made it hard not to think about what horrible things my little sister might have seen in her line of work. To worry about whether she’d survive each day. What enemies she made by being an FBI agent.
It was easy to feel like I’d slipped through the cracks in these moments, too. No matter how much I tried, I’d never understand everything she’d gone through. And no matter how much she wanted to confide in me, there were some things she’d simply never be able to tell.
Loving someone who worked in the line of duty wasn’t always easy on the heart, but it wasn’t like I could complain.Iwasn’t the one risking my life. By now, I’d had practice with the stress. Sort of.
I forced a cheerfulness I didn’t feel into my voice. “Yeah, are you going to have all your court testifying wrapped up in time for your bachelorette party? It’s in, like, three weeks, right?”
Psh, as if I didn’t know. The girls’ night squad had been planning it for months now. Basically since Lex got engaged. But as far as she knew, we were going out for drinks and having a hot wing eating contest. Which, I mean, we would totally do. But with Hattie involved in the planning, it wasn’t going to be that simple. The woman may be twenty years older than me, but she had more spunk—and quite frankly,energy—than all of us put together.
“About that…” Lex trailed off.
I paused halfway through boxing the cupcakes. “You’re not, are you?”
“I’m sorry. They scheduled a huge trial for a drug distributor for that afternoon, and I’m not sure how late it’ll go. Could we reschedule?”
I shrugged, not at all bothered by the change of plans. It’s not like we had any reservations we couldn’t move around. “Of course. I know what your hours can be like. Most of the timeyoudon’t even know how your week will look.”
I finished boxing the cupcakes and set to work washing the cooling rack and cookie sheets I’d dirtied.
“Right,” Lex mused.
The scheming note in her voice set the hairs on the back of my neck on edge. You didn’t spend your whole childhood with someone like her without learning how to tell when she was planning something nefarious.
“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I don’t like it.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Her feigned innocence was a little too thick to be convincing. “I was simply going to suggest you drop the cupcakes by the courthouse since I don’t think I’ll be able to pick them up before you’re in bed for the night.”
The cookie sheet slipped from my hands where it banged against the sink with the fervor of a thousand war drums and twice the volume. Admiral Ackbar fromStar Warscame to mind, yelling with his little alien jowls about how this was a trap. “Isn’t your whole squad testifying this week? Yeah, no. It’s bad enough I have to avoid Max at home, I’m not risking running into him anywhere else. Nice try.”
“It was worth a shot,” she grumbled. “Fine, I’ll swing by and pick them up on my way home. And if you’re already sleeping, I’m kicking down the door.”
I almost laughed, but I wasn’t convinced she was joking.
We said our goodbyes, and I returned to my washing with determination. The scent of dish soap and hot dishes intertwined with the ever-present smell of cinnamon and sugar.
