Chapter 6

Gage

I had just gotten the baby down for a late nap when I looked at the time and noticed it was nearly lunch. With Ava leaving, I’d have to go fend for myself in the kitchen and was about to do so when my phone rang. The number was unknown, but I knew to answer it. Lauren had given my number to a handful of the businesses which we were coordinating with for the wedding, mostly the food, so she wouldn’t get bombarded with questions when she went back to work.

“Hello, Gage Riley speaking.”

“Hello, Mr. Riley. This is Jasmine. I just wanted to let you know that there’s been a problem, and I’m afraid I can’t complete your order. We had a fire last night, and I’ve lost the business. I’m prepared to give you a full refund.”

A full refund was nice, but I wasn’t sure what I was losing. Did our wedding venue burn to the ground? “Who are you with, Jasmine?” I didn’t even know if I was supposed to be freaking out inside, but it sure seemed like it.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Mr. Riley, I just assumed that you remembered me. It’s Jasmine from Jazzy Cakes. I was booked to make your wedding cakes.”

“Oh, I’m so terribly sorry, Jasmine.” I remembered the pretty little cake lady from our tasting. The shop had been a happy little place with lots of pink and black.

“I’m terribly sorry. If there was a way to help, I would. But I’m completely out of business. The oven caught fire and destroyed the entire shop, all of my tools, everything.”

“Don’t worry about it. Sounds like you have enough to deal with. I’ll break the news to Lauren.”

The lady gave a sniffle. “I’m so very sorry, sir. Have a good day.”

The line went dead, and I sat there staring at the wall, thinking about how happy Lauren had been about the cake. She’d searched all over to find the perfect cake, and Jazzy’s was one of the only businesses she felt could pull off the style of cake she wanted and still taste amazing. I wasn’t sure we’d be able to book anyone else just days away, and she was going to be heartbroken.

I got up to go to the kitchen where I found Chloe. “It’s not fair. I don’t care what you think you have; I didn’t do it. You’re making a mistake.” She turned, and before I saw the tears running down her cheeks, I heard her voice break.

I wanted to say something, but she was still on the phone, and I didn’t want to interrupt, but I wasn’t leaving her there to cry. I knew I’d have to offer some comfort, and hopefully, that wouldn’t be awkward as hell.

“Lucky? Should I feel lucky? Fuck you!” She held out her phone and dramatically poked the screen to end the call. “Assholes.”

“I take it you’re having a bad morning.”

“I guess losing my job constitutes a bad morning, yes.” She walked over and leaned against the counter to pour a cup of coffee.

“You lost your job? What happened? Don’t tell me it’s got to do with you taking off for the wedding.” Not only would I feel awful, but Lauren would be devastated.

She got a strange look on her face and then looked at the floor as if she were ashamed to admit what happened. “I was accused of something I didn’t do. I’m not sure, but I’m assuming others were fired for the same reason.”

“Accused of what?” She had worked for a doctor’s clinic in collections, but that was all I knew about her job.

“Stealing money. I’m completely innocent, and I think I know who was stealing and how, but they are upper management, so no one is going to believe me.”

“You should tell anyway.”

“I tried. It didn’t help. They found a video of me walking out of my cubicle with a stack of bills, but that was only to pass them off to the lady I think has been pocketing the money. We’re supposed to use a special envelope, but I was all out of them, and my manager was right in the next room. We’ve done it a million times, but she used me as her scapegoat.”

“I think you should have Lauren look into this for you. They can’t fire you unless they have proof, can they?”

“Well, I’m not sure if it’s legal, but I’d assume when you’re an employer, you can let someone go for suspicion, especially if you’re job is dealing with the amounts of money mine was.” The tears were steadily flowing down her cheeks. “I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

“Have you said anything to Lauren?” I couldn’t imagine her keeping something this big from her best friend, but then I’d kept me and Lauren from mine.

“No. I feel so stupid. It’s embarrassing. I don’t know how they’d think I could steal money or that I did. I mean, it’s not like I’m coming in with new handbags, like the manager I believe it to be does every week. Hell, I can barely pay my rent most months.” She set the untouched coffee on the counter and then turned away from me to break down.

I had no idea she’d had it that bad. I grabbed her arm and pulled her into an embrace to comfort her. “You should have said something, Chloe. You’re like family to us. Very special. If you’re struggling with that job, then maybe there is something better for you. Lauren and I will help any way we can.”

“I just didn’t want her to worry about me with the wedding coming up. It’s not something you want to tell everyone, anyway. I can’t even tell my family because they already see me as a failure and told me I’d never make it in Chicago alone. I only moved there to be with my fiancé, and after he turned out to be a jerk, I was stuck.” I hadn’t heard much about Chloe’s story, but I knew enough to know she’d been through a tough time. Calling her ex a jerk was putting it mildly.

I held her close to soothe her, and she cried against my shirt, leaving little tear-stains. “It will work out. I promise.”

About that time, Lauren came into the kitchen. “I’m sure there’s a good explanation for this?” She gave me a little smirk, and then her eyes widened when I pulled away and she saw Chloe’s eyes red with tears.

“What happened?” She rushed across the room to hug Chloe, and the girl met my eyes over Lauren’s shoulder as if she didn’t want to confess what had happened. “Did someone die?”

“No, it’s nothing like that. I should have told you sooner, but when I came down early, it was because I was suspended from work. A couple of us had been accused of stealing money, and I’ve been under investigation. There hasn’t been any proof found, of course, because I’m innocent, but they went ahead and fired me just to be safe.”

“What? How come you didn’t tell me? I could have represented you.”

“You have a million other things going on in your life, and you don’t need any of my problems.”

“Nonsense. You’re my best friend.” Lauren’s eyes were ringed with red.

“See? This is the last thing you needed.”

“What’s one more thing?” Lauren asked. Then she turned and gave me an exhausted look. “Make that two.”

“You heard about the cake?” I figured she’d heard about the fire in town.

Her shoulders slumped, and she looked like someone had just thrown up on her. “The cake? What the hell happened to the cake?”

“Then make that three.” I let out a long breath. “The bakery burned down. Jazzy’s Cakes is no more.”

She pulled out a chair and sat down, and Chloe joined her with her coffee, which she’d finally gotten the strength to sip. “Will you be able to book a different bakery?”

“There’s no way I can get the cake I wanted. Why do I feel like everything is falling apart? Maybe we aren’t supposed to get married now.”

“That’s ridiculous. If not now, then when? Life is like this at times, baby. We’ll get through it, and we’ll help our friends through it.”

Lauren let out an exhausted breath. “I’ll call your job, and we can threaten legal action for unlawful termination if you’d like?”

“I would love to, but I don’t want my job back. I don’t think I could go back to work for those assholes after this. Especially since I’d have to look at the manager and work with her. I have a feeling she’s the one who has been pocketing the cash.”

Lauren leaned over and gave Chloe’s hand a pat. “We will figure something out, and we’ll find you another job.”

My eyes lit up. I had an idea.