polite things?
Grant couldn’t help it. He read the messages just above the thanks.
Cam: Hey, can you keep Grant busy at the office today? Josie needs some space. She’s got a plan hatching.
Whitney: Are you helping with the plan?
Cam: Kind of. More cheering her on.
Whitney: He’s definitely in love with her.
Cam: I know. She’s got this.
Whitney: Okay. I’ll do what I can.
Cam: Thanks.
Cam and Whitney were conspiring together to get him and Jocelyn back together? And Jocelyn had a plan?
He let all of that sink it.
Whitney stopped in the doorway and glanced back. “Oh, and don’t even think about rushing out of here to go be romantic or anything.”
“No?” he asked, laying her phone back on the desk. Maybe Grant could help nudge Whitney and Cam together too. She would have to come back in here later to find it. She might run into Cam then, and they could rehash their matchmaking.
“No,” Whitney said. “I need you to stay here in the office.”
Grant bit back a grin.
“We need to figure out what we’re going to do about this new snack cake now that Josie turned us down,” Whitney said. She suddenly froze. Then groaned. “Oh no.”
“What?”
“I suppose this means that crazy contest is back on?”
Grant laughed lightly. “Yeah. I guess so.”
“Ugh.” She looked at him. “Then you’re definitely staying here and helping me go over this with Ollie. I clearly don’t have enough willpower to say no to pony rides.”
“But pony rides at a cake tasting contest and bachelor auction are strange, right?”
“They are,” she said. “But think of the kids who will be there with their parents. Their impression of the new Hot Cakes will be fun and laughter and good times. A return to the simple things of childhood, like when you first tasted a Fudgie Fritter. It will take their parents and grandparents back too. We can have an old-fashioned lemonade stand set up, and maybe we can do some carnival games like a ring toss or a dunk tank.” Her eyes got wide. “Oh, we should totally put the bachelors up in a dunk tank!”
“Okay, I will definitely be sitting in on the meeting with you and Ollie,” Grant interrupted.
Whitney took a deep breath and nodded. “Thank you,” she said sincerely. “I feel like I’ve got a split personality thing going on. And Ollie is the little devil sitting on my shoulder, telling me how much fun this will all be.”
“Who’s the angel on your other shoulder?”
“Exactly. I don’t have one. That’s going to be you.”
This was good. This would keep him occupied while he gave Jocelyn some space. He wanted to go to her, but he was willing to let her figure out whatever her plan was. And he needed a little time to come up with a plan of his own. A plan to romance his ex-wife. The most romance-loving person he’d ever met, when he’d never really romanced anyone ever before. No pressure.
Still, he was grinning as he followed Whitney out of Cam’s office.
He couldn’t wait to see Jocelyn’s plan. He hoped it included whoopie pies.
“Whoopie pies, huh?”
Josie nodded, watching her best friend’s face carefully. “Whoopie pies. All flavors. I’m even going to play with the flavors of the cream filling.”
Zoe had arrived about thirty minutes ago. They were in Jocelyn’s kitchen, her center island covered with baked goods. None of them things that they offered at Buttered Up.
It was just after closing. Paige had been covering her shift all day, and Josie had called Maggie about two hours ago and asked if she could go help close up and do tomorrow’s prep. Maggie had been happy to. When she’d asked if everything was okay, Josie had simply said, “I hope it will be soon.” To which Maggie had replied simply, “Then I hope so too.”
Josie was realizing that she had a lot of people who really loved her and really did want her to just be happy. She knew Zoe was one of those.
She’d debated over having Jane join them. Or even Aiden. Or yes, Grant. Or all of the above. But in the end, she’d realized this was between her and her lifelong best friend. And boss.
“I love whoopie pies,” Zoe said.
It was clear from her expression and tone that she was still stunned by all of this. Jocelyn had come clean about the baking she’d been doing on the side. She’d also confessed that she wanted to keep doing it and expand. She wanted to do the naughty cupcakes, the healthy