Page 1 of Hers to Marry
Chapter 1
“Katrina!” Susie burst through the kitchen doors, out of breath. “Katrina! Someone wants to meet you. Finally!” She lifted her hands to the sky. “You don’t know how long I’ve been praying for this moment.”
“What?” Katrina Kaye smoothed the final layer of her signature buttercream icing over the top of the birthday cake. It looked absolutely perfect, even though it still needed flowers, a border, and the happy birthday message.
Katrina put down the flower dispenser. “What are you talking about? Praying? Susie—”
“Yes, praying! A man. Arealman is outside and wants to see you. Marcus who?” She laughed at the mention of Kat’s ex.
After Marcus broke up with her, Kat put all her energy into baking. It was the perfect way to get over stress. She eyed the letter from the bank she saw on the small table across the kitchen. She let out a breath and refocused on her cake. Cake was wonderful. It never made a snarky comment, nor reminded you of your failures, nor demanded you empty your already zero-balance bank account to pay for a loan you stupidly took out because you trusted an ex.
Cake made everything better.
“He’s eating one of your cupcakes,” Susie continued. “Says it’s wonderful. Wants to meet the baker.” She twirled like a little girl, which she hadn’t been in decades. “And he’s gorgeous,” her voice plummeted to a low, dramatic tone.
“Oh.” Kat rolled her eyes and chuckled. “He’s just being appreciative, that’s all.”
Using the turntable, she slowly inspected the cake for any areas where the icing seemed thin. People loved her cakes, but raved about her homemade icing, a proprietary recipe that could only be enjoyed with the proper amount—which was a lot.
It would be worth the extra pounds, or minutes sweating it out in the gym, and definitely the coma this cake would put anyone in. Time and time again, people returned to the bakeshop for more. It wasn’t just the flavor of the icing and the richness of the thick cake beneath it. It was the care and the love she had put into each cake—no, each dessert—she created.
Satisfied with the layer, she stepped back and sighed with a smile. She grabbed the dispenser with purple icing and got to work on the flowers.
Susie ran around the island and started undoing the bow that tied Kat’s apron. “Take this off. For goodness’ sake, lose the hairnet too and fluff up your hair. Gimme this.” She snatched the dispenser from Kat’s hand and slammed it decidedly on the island out of arm’s reach.
Kat twisted away and swatted Susie’s hands. “Get back, crazy woman! What would it look like if I came out of the kitchen with my hair all out and no apron on?”
Susie put her hands on her hips. “Like his dream!”
“Like a health code violation,” Kat countered.
“Like he’d want to take a bite out of you instead of all the desserts we sell.”
“No! I’m keeping everything on.” Kat retied her apron. “It’s very nice of him to say thanks, but that’s all it’s going to be, and then I’ll be right back in here to finish the Johnsons’ cake.”
Susie waved a dismissive hand. “Who cares about the cake when you have agorgeous manout front asking for you?” she cried.
Kat grunted. “Gorgeous, right. And one of us should care about our bottom line. The Johnsons paid for this cake.”
“I’m going to make you pay for it if you don’t get out there and lock this man down.”
“Lock him down? Really, Susie.”
From behind, Susie shoved Kat toward the kitchen door. “Just get out there! You’ll see that I’m right. And for goodness’ sake, Kat, don’t mess this up. Smile, say nice things, giggle. Dowhateveryou have to do to get a date, or you’re fired. Do you hear me?”
“Susie!” Kat felt her cheeks heat.
She did…okay, so she didn’t really date. She’d spent all her time here in the kitchen not meeting anyone. In the last year, she had tried online dating but got too many messages asking if she was overweight because she was a baker and around cakes all day. Apparently, her job could filter through the shallow guys—which were all of them.
Meeting a nice guy who wanted to get to know the real Kat—not the baker—had been difficult. Her sister Keighly begged her to move out of Springfield, but Kat enjoyed home. Their quaint spot of the city had a small-town feel, and everyone knew her.
Plus, Mother was still here. Father had died months before, and her mother still needed help adjusting to life without a domineering husband. Kat couldn’t abandon her now. Both her sisters had left town as soon as they had graduated. Kat wouldn’t have minded going, but her mother had suffered emotional abuse too. It didn’t seem right to Kat to let their mother fend for herself.
And Kat enjoyed her job and working for Susie. Nowhere would she find a more understanding, caring boss who allowed her creative flexibility that made their menu famous for the best cake and icing flavors in all of Springfield. Where else could she go and savor that freedom?
“Hurry up! This is just who you need to get over that lying ex-boyfriend of yours.”
“Thanks for the reminder,” Kat said dryly.
