Ruby
“I wish I could help you,” Jett said unhappily as he watched me race from one side of the kitchen to the other.
Even though the hummingbird cake that Dani had chosen was something I was familiar with, I’d started the day before with making the layers consisting of bananas, coconut, pecans, pineapple, and cinnamon.
Luckily, Dani was having a relatively small crowd with only family and friends, but that still made up around a hundred guests since Marcus and Dani had both grown up here in Rocky Springs.
So she’d decided on three layers since she and Marcus weren’t into saving the top layer, which was a good thing in my opinion. No matter how hard anybody tried, year-old frozen wedding cake just wasn’t palatable with any type of preservation.
Probably by billionaire standards, the cake was ridiculously simple. The rich and famous generally went overboard to make their cake look spectacular. Fortunately, Dani was all about how it tasted instead of making a statement. And I was determined to make it spectacular with delicious, edible things I could design over the buttercream frosting.
I looked at Jett, who was lounging against one of the cupboards. “I have it under control,” I reassured him.
“Never doubted it,” he shot back. “But I’m feeling a little useless.”
“You’re keeping me company, and getting me fed,” I reminded him.
He’d brought me lunch while I was working, and had insisted that I sit down to eat it.
“It wasn’t really difficult to order from the restaurant and give you the plate,” he said drily. “And it’s not a sacrifice to keep you company. I always want to be wherever you are.”
My heart tripped like it always did when he said something sweet. “It helps,” I told him.
“Then I guess I have to be okay with being a slacker,” he said with a grin.
God, I loved this man who got joy out of the simple things—like just being with me. I felt the same way, but I could never just blurt things out like Jett was capable of doing.
“I think we’re looking good,” I said as I examined the round table on wheels in front of me.
“Are you kidding? It looks fucking amazing,” Jett argued.
The cascade of flowers that I was doing down the front were almost completed, so I really only needed to do the detail work and decorate the table around the cake for presentation.
“Do you want to try it?” I asked as I shot him an impish smile.
“I think Dani would kill me,” he said, sounding disappointed.
“No she won’t,” I disagreed, and then went to the refrigerator to pull out a small layer cake.
Jett’s eyes lit up. “You made a small one?”
“I made some extra batter and frosting.”
“Bring it, woman. I’ve been salivating over this cake all day.”
I snagged two plates, a knife, and a couple of forks on my way over to the counter.
Jett dug in the second his piece hit his plate, and his eyes almost rolled back in his head as he savored it. “Jesus, Ruby! It’s fucking fantastic.”
I ate more slowly. “It’s a Southern favorite, but my mother loved making it. I was glad Dani decided to go with it. It turns out really moist.”
“Everybody will be trying to steal you away from me,” he said grumpily.
I laughed. “Just because of my baking talents?” I teased.
He shook his head. “No. Your skill would be just one huge bonus, but it’s enough to push any guy over the edge.”
I blew off his silliness when I said, “Dani and Marcus look so happy together. All of the Colter couples do.”
“They are,” he agreed. “And Dani and Marcus were always meant to be together. It just never happened. It’s been a long time coming.”
“Were they childhood sweethearts?” I asked curiously.
“Nope. They hated each other. But I think they fought because they didn’t quite know what to make of the way they felt. Marcus and Dani are complete opposites, so on the surface, they don’t make sense at all. My best friend was a workaholic. He kind of reminds me of Mason. And Dani was a crazy risk-taker who rarely thought much about her safety.”
“Opposites attract?”
“In their case, yes. But it took a long time for those two hardheads to figure everything out.”
“I’m glad she’s going to be happy.”
“I’m glad she and Harper have figured out where they belong,” he added.
“Maybe you can all have a relationship now?” I hinted.
“Hell, Harper and Dani have already worked out a schedule to get us together during the year, so we’ll see them a lot.”
“I’m glad,” I said. “I really like both of them.”
“They like you, too,” he shared, and then went silent for a moment before he added, “My brothers will probably be more complicated.”
“I’m sure they will,” I agreed. How could things not be complicated when your brother slept with the woman you planned on marrying?
Honestly, I doubted I could ever like Carter, but he was Jett’s brother, so whatever happened was his decision to make.
He didn’t offer anything more, so I polished off my cake and said, “I better get back to work. This masterpiece needs to be done today.”
The wedding was taking place in the afternoon tomorrow, and the reception was following here at the resort.
“Hey,” Jett said as he caught my arm.
I turned to look at him, and saw the sadness in his eyes. I waited for him to speak. There was obviously bad blood between the two younger brothers, but Jett hadn’t gone beyond just telling me that Lisette and Carter had been intimate.
“There’s some things I’m just not ready to talk about. It’s not that I don’t want to, but I need to work it out for myself first.”
I moved forward and put my arms around his neck. “You don’t ever have to explain yourself to me,” I told him. “Just know that I’ll be here when you want to talk.”
He wrapped a powerful arm around my waist and kissed me until I was just a little dizzy with delight when he let me go and gave me a playful smack on the ass.
“Back to work, woman. I want to take you home,” he said in a wicked voice that I’d come to love so much.
“Then I’m all over getting this job done,” I squeaked.
“I’d much rather you be all over me,” he said huskily.
I finished the cake quicker than I’d planned. I was anticipating a very good night.