Groomed to Perfection: A Meet Me at the Altar Novel Read online

  “Touché.”

  Taking a seat opposite Cooper, Beau let out a weary sigh. “I had no idea it was going to be like this—the nagging, the consultations, the never-ending lists and schedules…” He shook his head. “That cake testing was the first thing I’ve enjoyed since I asked Kim to marry me.”

  Cooper nodded. “Some of those cakes were outstanding…”

  “Which was your favorite?”

  He didn’t even need to think about it. “The Sultry Chocolate.”

  It is my absolute favorite and the only one where I lick the bowl!

  Yeah, he’d heard Emilie’s comment and then watched when she served it. Her eyes were practically devouring the cake, and he didn’t miss the fact that she had gotten a tiny bit of frosting on her finger, which she’d surreptitiously licked off.

  It was the sexiest thing he’d seen in a long time.

  Just the sight of her tongue had…

  “The Salted Caramel was my top choice,” Beau was saying. “It wasn’t pretentious, and it would make a nice presentation for the Groom’s cake. At least, that’s what mom said.”

  Cooper sighed. “Don’t you think if we banded together she’d have to listen? I mean, is this the wedding either you or Kim want?”

  “Are you kidding? You know Kim’s family doesn’t have much. This is more than she ever even allowed herself to dream of! I want her to have the kind of wedding that makes her feel like a princess.”

  “Oh, Lord. Do you even hear yourself?”

  “What? What’s wrong with what I said?”

  “You just…” Then he stopped himself. It wasn’t any of his business if his brother wanted to wax poetic about his future bride. “Look, all I’m saying is that Mom is hungry with power. The more we keep letting her call the shots, the worse she’s going to get. Right now, it’s your wedding. But what’s going to happen when you have kids? Are you going to allow her to tell you how to raise them? How to dress them? Where to send them to school?”

  For a moment, his brother didn’t say a word.

  “All weddings are like this to a certain degree,” Beau commented. “And I’ll deal with it until she truly oversteps her bounds and upsets Kim.”

  Somehow he doubted that, but he kept it to himself.

  “But for you,” his brother went on, “well…I would not want to be in your shoes. You know this is only the beginning, right?”

  He shrugged. “I suppose.”

  “Al, every social event moving forward, she is going to be throwing women at you. Every dinner, every charity event, every everything! And what’s worse, she’s put the word out that you’re looking for a wife, so…the vultures are going to start circling!”

  He hated when his brother called him Al almost as much as he hated when he was right.

  “Damn, I hadn’t thought of that.” Standing, he walked over to the wall of windows and looked out at downtown Cary.

  “You should. I think she’s got a portrait of you going out in next month’s country club newsletter,” Beau said with amusement. “I think you definitely need to hit the gym with me.”

  Looking over his shoulder, he frowned. “Really? Why?”

  Standing, Beau joined him by the window. “Well, she’s billing you as the perfect groom.” Then he poked Cooper in the stomach. “And you ate just as much cake as I did. If you’re going to live up to everyone’s expectations…”

  Cooper lightly shoved him away. “Don’t be an ass. Aren’t I under enough pressure on a usual basis? Why do I need this added stress?”

  “Well, there is a solution.”

  Crossing his arms, he was all ears. “I’m listening.”

  “Beat her to the punch. Find a girl on your own. By this time next month, I guarantee you it will be open season on Alastair Vandergrift.”

  “Next month? What happens next month?”

  “My engagement party. You know the guest list will be filled with every single woman within a hundred-mile radius. Maybe more. Then what are you going to do?”

  “Break the glass…” he muttered.

  “Break what?”

  Oh, right. That was still something only Cooper knew about. “Nothing. It’s…nothing.”

  “So what do you say? Want to hit the gym? We can strategize how to find you a wife before you find yourself tripping over debutants and heiresses of mom’s choosing.”

  As much as he wasn’t one for going to the gym in the middle of the day, he supposed it was better than sitting at his desk and obsessing over this whole situation.

  Or thinking about Emilie and what might have been.

  Cooper knew his mother would tolerate one of her sons marrying what she considered beneath them.

  There was no way she’d allow it to happen for both of them.

  Especially not with the heir apparent, as he’d been deemed.

  Yeah…another albatross.

  “Sure. Why not?” he said with no genuine enthusiasm. “I think I’ve got a change of clothes and sneakers here somewhere.”

  Fifteen minutes later, they were side-by-side jogging on a couple of treadmills.

  “I hate this,” Beau panted beside him. He was shorter and a bit stockier than Cooper was.

  And apparently more than a little out of shape.

  “You know what I’d rather be doing?”

  “What’s that?” Cooper asked, upping his speed.

  “Eating cake,” Beau said with a laugh. “I’d give anything to have another slice or two of several of those cakes.” He paused. “You know, Kim’s birthday is next week. Do you think those wedding planner women would make a cake for her? I’d love to surprise her with the peanut butter cup one.”

  The idea hit him at once, and he had to wonder if he’d lost his mind.

  It would do him absolutely no good.

  Literally, nothing good could come from it, but…

  “I’ll tell you what, why don’t you let me handle it, and it will be my gift to Kim?” he suggested.

  Beau continued to jog. “Seriously? You want to get her a cake?”

  Nodding, he explained, “I’d like to talk to the planners myself without Mom hovering. Maybe they can help me…distract her.”

  That had his brother cracking up. “Dude, she doesn’t even listen to Dad or us. What makes you think she’s going to listen to the hired help?”

  His brother had a point, but…it was worth a try.

  If nothing else, he’d get to see Emilie again.

  And torture himself a bit.

  Or…maybe not.

  A slow smile crept across his face.

  Perhaps a cake and a consultation were in order…one that led to dinner. His mother could throw all the debutants at him that she wanted, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t date someone casually.

  Just because he couldn’t marry Emilie didn’t mean they couldn’t spend some time together.

  It was crazy to even think about Emilie and marriage in the same thought. They met two months ago and talked for a couple of hours. He didn’t know enough about her to let his thoughts go in that direction. For all he knew, it was a one-time thing and he imagined the chemistry. Either way, he would go see her and find out.

  And what if there truly was chemistry there?

  Well…he was already screwed in a dozen different ways.

  What was one more?

  Chapter Three

  “Okay, Gram. Your lunch is on the table. I made you a nice tuna sandwich with the chunky celery just the way you like it.”

  “And what did you make for Lucy and Ethel?”

  Emilie made sure she kept smiling as she walked around her grandmother’s pod. Three years ago, Emilie’s parents had the granny pod built and put on their property to keep Gram close by while still allowing her to have some privacy. It had been a fantastic idea, but lately Gram’s behavior had gotten a bit erratic and she was having some health issues. That meant they were all taking shifts spending a little extra time with her.

  “I made them their favorite fancy feasts. They’re eating right now.”

  “Are they?” Gram looked around but not toward the kitchen, which was…odd. “And what about Elvis and Priscilla? You know they don’t eat the wet stuff.”

  “I’ve put their kibble in their dishes, but they’ve only sniffed at it.”

  “Did you remember to give them the chicken kibble today? On Thursdays they prefer the chicken.”

  “I remembered.” A very detailed list was taped to the pantry door to prevent any feline food faux pas. After the great salmon debacle of last winter, everyone knew to check the schedule.

  Walking over, Emilie gently hooked her arm with her grandmother’s as she led her to the kitchen table and helped her get seated. “Sweet tea or lemonade today?”

  “Hmm…that depends.”

  “On?”

  “What kind of cookies are we having for dessert?”

  Leave it to Gram to already be thinking about her sweets.

  “I made you a nice plate of snickerdoodles,” Emilie told her. “So that would mean…”

  “Sweet tea, dear. Thank you.”

  After pouring the tea, Emilie took her seat opposite her grandmother, and they ate in companionable silence for a minute or two.

  “So, is your mother off with the circus this week?”

  Sighing quietly, she put her sandwich down. “Gram, you know Mom is not with the circus. She is a choreographer for a big Broadway touring company.”

  “Pfft, like a circus. They go from town to town and perform before packing up and doing it again the next night. Meanwhile, my poor son is stuck at home alone eating reheated casseroles.” She shook her head. “If only he’d listened…”

  This was a discussion she knew to leave alone. It had been going on for
almost thirty years, and there wasn’t anything Emilie was going to do or say to change her grandmother’s mind.

  As far as she was concerned, her parents were very happy. Sure, her mother traveled a lot with the company—this time she was with the tour of Hairspray. Some people viewed their lives as being slightly unconventional—especially her grandmother—but Emilie always thought it was fun. She’d gotten to travel and meet all kinds of fascinating people, but she’d never had the desire to be a part of the entertainment world.

  Especially since she couldn’t dance and her singing skills were non-existent.

  “What about Frick and Frack? Have you seen them lately?” Gram asked, bringing the subject back to her menagerie of cats.

  “Um…last I saw them…”

  “I just know they’re over at that hussy’s house! You know she leaves out food for them because she’s trying to lure them away from me!”

  “Actually, I think they’re her cats.”

  “Nonsense! They showed up here as a couple of strays when I moved in! The only reason they roam around is because your mother keeps scaring them off!”

  Yeah, Gram had some definite issues with Emilie’s mom and accused her of not only scaring off cats but pretty much all wildlife, along with finding ways to blame her for bad TV reception, the high cost of gas, and as of last week, global warming.

  There was no love lost between them.

  Maybe that’s why Mom’s always so anxious to travel…

  “So what kind of cookies should we have tomorrow?” she asked as a diversion. “I’m making some pecan lace ones for an event when I go into work. Should I put some aside for you?”

  Gram reached across the table to squeeze Emilie’s hand. “You’re such a good girl, my Emmie. You should be spending your free time with a nice young man instead of here with me and the cats.”

  Yeah, this was another topic she would love to avoid…

  “There’s no one else I’d rather be with, Gram. You’re my favorite person.” Emilie kissed her grandmother’s hand. “Let me get these dishes cleaned up and then I need to get going. Dad will be home by four. If you need anything…”

  “Oh, stop worrying. I’ve got my cookies, some sweet tea, and my stories. Plus, you know a nap is in my future, so my afternoon is all taken care of.” Slowly, she got to her feet and moved back to the living room and sat in her recliner.

  Emilie knew the drill. Gram would get settled, then she’d place her drink and cookies on the small table beside her and turn on the TV on her way out the door. It was a simple routine, yet it always made her a little sad when she left. Even though Gram never complained, it bothered Emilie that she spent so much time alone. She claimed she didn’t enjoy going to the senior center and loathed all the organized activities they offered, but it still had to be better than spending so much time by herself.

  “A problem for another day,” she murmured after kissing her grandmother goodbye and making her way back across the yard to her own little pod.

  It actually wasn’t a pod like Gram’s, but it was an apartment over the detached garage.

  With a weary sigh, she made her way up the stairs. Three years ago, she was supposed to move out to a place of her own. Then her parents took Gram in and talked nonstop about how hard it was for the two of them with their hectic schedules. Emilie had pointed out how her schedule was equally hectic, but once they sat down and talked about it, it seemed like it could work between the three of them.

  So here she was—living in a place she didn’t want to live and still single.

  “I am so not living the dream,” she grumbled as she walked around and grabbed her purse, phone, and keys.

  The only positive was that her hours with Meet Me at the Altar were somewhat flexible. Today she was able to go in at two and all she had were several dozen cookies to bake and two cakes for a weekend sweet sixteen. Ally would have everything set up and ready for her, so as soon as Emilie donned her apron, she could start. It was a good system and she was thankful for the light schedule this week. They had several consultations over the next few days, but nothing stressful at all.

  Definitely nothing like the Vandergrift one.

  “Dang it! I’m not supposed to be thinking of them.”

  Them.

  Him.

  None of it.

  Sending back Cooper’s jacket had cleared her conscience. Unfortunately, she knew there was a possibility of having to see him again at some point in his wedding planning, but with any luck, she could talk to Skye, Josie, and Lea and have an escape plan in place. Her bosses were the absolute best, and even though she would hate to have to admit to doing something so stupid, she supposed there were worse things she could have done—nothing came to mind, but Emilie was sure there was something.

  The drive to Meet Me at the Altar was short, and when she stepped inside, everything was peaceful and she was excited to simply turn on one of her favorite playlists and start baking.

  “Hey, Em!” Josie said as she breezed into the kitchen. “Any chance we have some caramel frosting back here?” She rubbed her tiny pregnant belly. “The baby is craving something sweet and caramel came to mind.”

  “Hmm…let me check…” Walking over to their massive refrigerator, she scanned the shelves and frowned. “We’ve got chocolate, strawberry, lemon…ooh!” Grabbing the tiny bowl in the back, she turned to face Josie. “It’s not frosting, but it is caramel mousse. Will that work?”

  Taking the bowl from her hands with a giddy smile, Josie nodded. “Most definitely! Thank you!”

  Emilie walked around and saw how Ally had everything set up for her just the way she liked it. It wasn’t until she tied her apron and faced the table that she saw Josie had pulled up a stool. “Um…everything okay?”

  For a moment, her boss was too engrossed with the mousse to answer, but after licking the spoon, she grinned at Emilie. “That is some seriously good shit.”

  “Um…thanks?”

  Laughing, Josie put the bowl down. “Sorry. I’m sure having someone describe what you made as shit isn’t your typical compliment, but I meant it in the best possible way.”

  “No worries,” she said as she began measuring out some flour. “So, what’s up?”

  “We had a client call and order one of your peanut butter cup cakes for Monday. I told them yes, but then I realized I probably should have talked to you first.”

  “Just one cake?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “It won’t be a problem at all,” she said easily. “It’s a fairly simple recipe so it won’t take much time to whip one up. For how many people?”

  “A dozen,” Josie replied before helping herself to another spoonful of mousse.

  “No worries.” Turning, she walked over to her whiteboard where she had everything she needed to bake for the upcoming week mapped out and added the cake.

  “So I missed the big cake tasting the other day with the Snootingtons. Skye said they were a handful. What did you think?”

  “The…who?”

  Giggling, Josie corrected herself. “Sorry. The Vandergrifts. Personally, they will always be the Snootingtons to me. You know…because they’re so snooty.”

  Emilie laughed with her, remembering how Josie had called them that last month at one of their staff meetings. “They were definitely a handful. I felt really bad for the bride.” She added some sugar to her bowl. “As a matter of fact, the peanut butter cake was her favorite. We don’t get a lot of requests for it. Funny that we had someone else order one.”

  “Actually, not really funny. It was one of the sons who ordered it.”

  She felt herself go pale and quickly turned away to grab more ingredients so Josie wouldn’t see her face. Although, logic would dictate it was Beau who ordered it. After all, it was his fiancée who loved the cake, so…what was she worried about?

  Turning back to the table, she went back to mixing ingredients. “Well, it was nice of him to order one for his fiancée. Lord knows his mother was against that cake and barely let anyone try more than a forkful of it.”

  “Seriously? Why?”

  “Too common,” Emilie explained. “For one of the other cakes she loved, she wanted to change the name to something French so it would sound more sophisticated.”

  “Good grief.”

  “Tell me about it.” She mixed some more ingredients into the bowl. “Still, it’s sweet how he’s getting this for her.”