Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 60487 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60487 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 302(@200wpm)___ 242(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
Grayson, bless him, obliged immediately.
“I really have to thank you,” Carl murmured.
“Thank me?”
“When you talked earlier in the ute about intellect not equalling attraction, it got me thinking maybe you had a point, and now—” he gestured to the table and the trivia still flashing on the iPad. “After that show. I really believe it.”
Grayson rubbed a palm over his jaw. “Not even a little attraction?”
“God, no.”
Carl headed across the road and after a moment Grayson moved as well, catching up beside him. “What would be attractive?”
“Good question. Not sure. But I’d be far more turned on by a guy showcasing some physical skill.” The image of Grayson mowing the neighbour’s yard shirtless flittered to mind. Carl gave himself a little slap on the cheek to keep his thoughts clear as Grayson got the door.
Inside, the bakery was empty of customers but full of delicious scents. One glance into the kitchen showed two tables of un-iced cupcakes. Poppy was leaning against the counter umming and ahhing over a tray of pink and blue frosted ones. Sage stood opposite him, gnawing on her bottom lip, and in the corner by the windows Leo was messing around on an iPad and hadn’t noticed them come in.
Grayson sidled up to the counter beside Carl, and Carl groaned. Once again he’d become the third wheel between these two guys with history. He trained his gaze on Sage, who caught his eye with a nervous twinkle in her own. “I’m doing a practice run for the charity event. I wanted to make the cupcakes special to the occasion, but I’m not sure I like these.”
Carl stared at the beautiful, classic-style cupcakes sprinkled with tiny silver balls.
“These look wonderful.”
“I wouldn’t waste your time trying to please those mothers,” said Grayson.
Sage looked between them all and landed on Carl. “What do you think?”
Carl thought . . . he understood why it was important to Sage to prove to the witches she was worthy of being on the volunteer team. To show she had what it took, not for them to dismiss her abilities. For that, Sage wanted cupcakes that stood out. That said ‘I can organise things as well as you can’. “What if they were iced in the school uniform colours? Green and yellow?”
“Ohhh, that would be brilliant,” Poppy said immediately.
Even Grayson was nodding.
Carl side-eyed the two flanking him and shifted in the weird air between them. They seemed to be gazing in his direction, as if trying to see each other through him.
Before he could step back, Sage reached over the counter and clamped a hand on his shoulder. “Great idea. You. You’ll be the ultimate judge.” She swung her gaze between her cousin and Grayson. “You two, add colouring to the icing, fill the piping bags, and do three designs each. The winning one will be used for the event.” She waved a hand at all the cupcakes behind her. “We can practice on these.”
“That’s an awful lot of practice,” Carl murmured.
Sage grinned. “The volunteers and teachers will practice eating them for morning tea. Let’s get this done.” She laughed. “See which of you bakers is best.”
“You bake as well?” Carl asked Poppy.
A slick smile tipped his lips. “I come from a family of bakers. I grew up icing cupcakes.” Poppy threw Grayson quite the look of challenge. “I’m a master.”
Grayson shoved up his sleeves and threw Poppy an apron, hairnet and gloves; Poppy caught them hard against his chest with a laugh.
Sage sidled around the counter to join Carl as the guys fussed around adding dye to the icing. She talked a steady stream into her phone—lists of ingredients, reminders of things to do that morning. At Carl’s quizzical look, she showed him her screen of notes. “Voice to text. Saves time and typos.”
Carl played around with it, speaking into the phone and watching his words appear on the screen. “That’s kind of brilliant.” He scrolled down the list Sage had curated and paused. “Uh, you have to deliver the cupcakes at the same time you have a doctor’s appointment?”
She winced and plucked the phone from him. “I didn’t put in a reminder.” Her shoulders slumped and her nervous excitement fizzled. “Silly me. I wanted to take part in the meeting. Show I’m reliable. But I also really need that appointment . . .”
Carl felt his chest sort of puff up in sympathy. Here Sage was, doing her absolute best—totally able to pull this off—and now those witches would have the smug satisfaction of having their assumptions about her failings confirmed. That was . . . frustrating. It sparked in him the same kind of feelings as ‘Dead End’ did.
He banged a fist on the counter, making Sage’s first cupcakes jump. “How long’s your appointment? Where?”
“Fifteen minutes. It’s always on time too, and just down the road. I’d only be 20 minutes late but those mums . . .”