Chapter 20
“
B
axter has meetings all this week, so we’re going to get our Christmas tree on the weekend,” Lani said as she cored a row of cupcakes. “He found a place about an hour and half from here where we can chop down our own, go on a hayride, the whole thing.” She paused between coring out the centers of the rack of vanilla bean cupcakes in front of her. “You know, I definitely don’t miss the snow and the cold, but it’s not the same, buying your tree from some parking lot. Riley said she and Quinn are going to tag along, even bring Brutus. Can you imagine him on the hayride?”
“He could be the hayride.” Charlotte was filling pastry bags with almond buttercream frosting to top her cardamom chocolate cupcakes.
Everyone chuckled.
“Isn’t that waiting a bit long?” Alva asked. “I’ve had mine up since the day after Thanksgiving. A Liles tradition.”
“We were going to ask if you wanted to go with us,” Lani asked.
Alva scoffed. “My dear, not to put a damper on your own enthusiasm for those real trees with all their falling needles and watering requirements, but until you’ve seen the magnificence that is my seven-foot white tree, tipped with silver, you simply haven’t lived.”
“Well, no, that is true. Clearly, I have lived a life of neglect and deprivation,” Lani teased.
“Yes, well, dear, we can’t all be on the forefront of modern décor.”
“True,” Charlotte said. “Although, one year, when Lani and I still lived in New York, we did wrap a single string of lights around our very tiny and very pathetic fake ficus tabletop tree. We made sandwich baggie florets, which we spray painted and then used metal bread bag ties to affix them to the branches.”
“Yes, it was truly a . . . statement of some kind,” Lani added, “right up until the heat from the lights created a noxious fume from the spray paint that almost got the restaurant below us shut down by the health department.”
“Ho ho not,” Charlotte deadpanned.
“Well, dears, not everyone appreciates creativity. I’m sure it was . . . quite lovely.”
Kit hid her own smile, but she caught Lani and Charlotte exchanging grins and had to swallow a snicker. “I’d love to see your tree, Alva.”
That had Lani’s and Charlotte’s expressions instantly changing to ones of warning and chagrin. Charlotte tried the throat slash maneuver, but . . . it was too late.
Alva had already lit up like the proverbial Christmas tree. “Why, Kit dear, I’d love to show it to you.”
“Every ornament has a story,” Lani said brightly while shaking her head behind Alva’s back and crossing her eyes, as Charlotte pantomimed slowly choking to death.
“Every one of them,” Charlotte added with equal, overly enthusiastic cheer.
Kit determinedly did not look at either one of them and focused on Alva. “Sounds sentimental and lovely.”
“Every year I have a new theme.”
“Oh.” Kit struggled to maintain her smile. “Really. Themes. How . . . interesting. And every year has its own stories?”
“Why, yes. I wouldn’t put just anything on my tree. I have to be inspired. Usually, I decide right after taking down the old one, but it depends. Then I spend the whole year finding just the right things. Every ornament I choose has a reason for its inclusion.”
“Sounds really . . . amazing.”
“Seven foot tree,” Charlotte reminded her, working hard to keep the edge of snark from her tone. “So many ornaments.”
Kit sent Charlotte a quick glare as Alva came around the table to her side. “I have pictures of last year’s tree here on my phone. I got this last year, too. They call it a smart phone, but my goodness, it’s far more incredible than merely smart. Look.”
“What was last year’s theme?” Kit asked as Alva handed her the phone after she opened the photo file. “Oh. Look. Cats. Lots and lots of . . . cats.” She clicked through the first handful of photos. “Who knew cat ornaments came in so many . . . styles.”
Lani and Charlotte had to turn back to their worktables, but Kit could see their shoulders shaking with barely restrained mirth. Well . . . they’d tried to warn her.
“The year before that, it was pineapples.” Alva took the phone back and opened a new folder.
“Pineapples. Wow. Seems like it would be hard to find enough ornaments to really do the tree justice.”
“Oh, it was, dear. One of my biggest challenges. I had to make more than a few myself, just to keep it from looking sparse.” She handed the phone back to Kit. “See?”
“Oh . . . my. Yes.” Kit kept her attention on the phone and didn’t dare to so much as glance in Lani’s or Charlotte’s general direction. “How . . . unique.” She handed the phone back to Alva and asked the obvious question, but mostly so she could get those pictures out of her head. “So, what is this year’s theme?”
Alva clasped her phone in hands and propped them beneath her chin. “Angels.” She reached out and took Kit’s arm, and squeezed. “We’ve had a few more angels in heaven this year . . . and well, a few more have come to live with us right here on Sugarberry.” She looked up at Kit, her eyes a bit shimmery.
Kit’s were, too. “Oh, that’s . . . thank you,” she said, sincerely touched. She hugged the smaller woman, and saw Lani and Charlotte had turned around and were looking all sentimental.
For shame,
Kit mouthed over Alva’s head, wagging a finger at them.
For shame.
“I don’t think I’ll have any trouble decorating this season,” Alva said as she straightened and smoothed her apron. “If you’ve any you want to include, I think that would be wonderful.”
“I—I don’t have any of my family’s ornaments . . . or mine. My sister . . .” Kit trailed off, not wanting to go there, or she would start crying in earnest. “But I’ll start to look when I’m out and about. I’d like to contribute one if I can.”
“That would be lovely, dear,” Alva said. “Birdie is going to have one for the tree, too.”
Lani sniffled loudly. “Oh . . . group hug! Group hug!” She and Charlotte bustled around the tables and they all hugged in the center of the room.
“I can’t believe how much my life has changed in such a short time,” Kit said, sniffling, too. “I couldn’t have imagined this or any of you. You’ve all become so important to me so quickly. I don’t know what to say, except, thank you for taking me in like this, making me so welcome.”
“You were due,” Alva said, patting her on the back. “And we’re happy to have you.”
After another squeeze and a few self-deprecating laughs over their huddling in the middle of the kitchen, being all sniffly together, they each went back to their respective tables and back to work on their cupcakes.
Since only cupcakes made from Lani’s personal, original recipes were sold in her shop, Kit had asked the night of her first after-hours bake what they did with the cupcakes made in Cupcake Club. Mostly, they were donated to various groups and causes, spreading cheer and goodwill, and so it was a win-win thing all around.
Lani looked across the kitchen at Kit. “So . . . do you and Morgan have tree-buying plans? Want to join us?”
Kit girded herself for the latest round of “let’s out Kit and Morgan as a couple.” She should have kept Alva talking about her trees. “I have no idea what he and Lilly plan to do about a tree this year.”
As one, all three women paused, turned, and leveled her a look.
Really?
It was Alva who spoke up. “Dear, I don’t know why you insist on pretending you’re not seeing each other. It’s been a week since you all came that day and made pie together, right here in this kitchen.”
“Lilly wanted to see Babycakes,” Kit explained. “She was confused about how that business will work—still is. She really liked the peanut pie on Thanksgiving, so I thought it would be fun to teach her how to make it.”
“Like you were taught when you were a little girl,” Alva said pointedly.
“Yes, like I was taught.” Kit whisked flour and spices together, pretending to be oblivious to Alva’s meaning. “Lilly showed me some collages she made with Birdie—and isn’t that just the most wonderful thing?” Hoping to distract Alva from the conversation, she continued. “I think that’s all the Christmas present I need this year, seeing Lilly and her grandmother enjoying each other, especially after that rocky start.”
“Oh my yes,” Alva agreed. “Birdie is simply rhapsodic over it. I have never seen her so happy. She said to me the other day how it’s helped her begin healing after the tragedy of losing her poor Delilah.”
“It’s worked out to be a good thing for Morgan, too,” Kit added, relieved at the topic change. “With Lilly not in school yet, having Birdie spend time with her has really allowed him to get a leg up on starting his practice here.”
“Well, now, sounds like the two of you keep pretty well in touch, seeing as you know all about his day-to-day doings. ” Alva’s razor sharp gaze landed back on Kit, even as she kept an innocent smile on her face. “I think it’s wonderful you’ve overcome that silly misunderstanding.”
Kit sighed. She should have known better. Alva was like a pit bull. “You mean . . . about him being a Westlake? He is a Westlake.”
“Well, dear, I’m just glad it hasn’t stopped you from taking that first step together, that’s all. A man’s family, who he’s from, is important and all, but seeing what he’s done for himself and for his darling niece, I believe he’s become successful despite, rather than because of his roots, and he should be commended for that.” Alva pointed a spatula in Kit’s direction, flinging small bits of salted caramel in her general direction as she punctuated her comment.
“You could do far, far worse than that man, believe you me. Besides, the three of you look just darling together.” She sighed, clasping the sticky handle in both hands. “And the way he looks at you?” She fanned herself. “I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”
“They’re both googly,” Lani said. “I’ve said so since day one.”
Kit dropped her chin. She knew when to accept defeat. Since their day on the beach, she’d crossed paths with everyone, in and around the shop, and they’d each taken turns trying to wheedle it out of her. Collectively, she never stood a chance.
“We’re just . . .” Kit set her bowl and whisk down on the worktable and looked at their hopeful faces, thinking she was lucky Franco and Dre hadn’t made it over the causeway that evening. God only knew what they’d have gotten out of her. “We’re getting to know each other better.”
Immediately, their expressions brightened and they opened their mouths to say something all at the same time.
“But we’re trying to keep it low key,” she cautioned. “Lilly doesn’t need to get her hopes up about anything. She has made many friends here and, for now, I’m just one of them.”
All three women sighed quite happily.
“I’m so happy for you,” Lani said. “And yes, I know, I know . . . we’ll be careful with Miss Lilly, but that doesn’t mean we can’t tell you how much we like Morgan and you, and the two of you together is just really wonderful.”
Charlotte and Alva were nodding along with her.
“And isn’t life so much better when you’re having regular sex?” Alva asked.
Lani, Charlotte, and Kit choked a little at that. But Lani and Charlotte were snickering as they looked at Kit speculatively, and Kit knew her beet red cheeks defeated any possible chance she had of denying it.
Alva smiled sweetly. “I mean, it’s just us girls here. Surely we can be honest with each other.”
Lani turned her speculative gleam on Alva, tapping her corer against her other hand. “So . . . does this mean that you and Hank . . . ?”
Charlotte and Kit turned to Alva and gave her the same speculative look. Kit’s expression might have been extra twinkly. After all . . . fair was fair.
“Now, now, dears, a lady doesn’t kiss and tell,” Alva replied, but surprised them by adding, “And Hank . . . well, he’s not my Harold. No one could replace that dear man.” She sighed, then looked up at them. “But, I must admit, having the attentions of a nice looking gentleman does put a little lift in a girl’s step.”
She looked so cute and twinkly, all Kit and the other two women could do was beam right back at her.
“Well, I’m happy for both of you,” Lani said, then looked at Kit. “We had our doubts, too, you know. About his family. They certainly didn’t do right by Birdie, quite the opposite.”
“What do you mean?” Kit asked.
“Blocked her from seeing her own flesh and blood, like her kind wasn’t good enough to be seen around the fancy place they live in,” Alva explained. “When Delilah married into the family, Olivia about had a stroke, then immediately set about trying to train the girl to not be an embarrassment. Hounded her—shamed her, if you ask me—into leaving her poor mother behind.
“But now that we’ve met and gotten to know Morgan,” Lani continued, “and of course, seen how wonderful he is with Lilly, plus all he did to make sure Lilly and Birdie got together . . . I mean, he’s a good guy, Kit. A really, really good guy. He’s nothing like his family.”
“Ask me, I think it’s kismet,” Charlotte offered, her accent more crisp as they’d gotten their sniffling under control. “I mean, look at what happened with your family and Morgan’s. It’s an odd connection you share. And you both end up here at the same time? Starting your lives over? It’s the universe showing you your new path.”