No Matter What (The Billionaires of Sawgrass #4) - Delaney Cameron Page 0,13
my resignation, my manager suggested I interview for an opening in the bakery.
“It turned out to be the best advice I’ve ever received. The lady in charge was the female version of Gordon Ramsay. You either did what she said, or you were shown the door. Oddly enough, that didn’t bother me. Mrs. Eller was the first person I’d ever met who was really passionate about something. She loved baking, and she got me to love it, too.”
Maxine nodded. “There’s nothing more satisfying than being able to make a living doing what you love. Work doesn’t seem so much like work then.”
“You’re right. I enjoy being part of the most memorable events in people’s lives, the ones that bring families and friends together. Of course, that doesn’t mean everything is always smooth sailing. Sometimes no matter how well I plan and prepare, things happen I could never have foreseen. As an example, a few weeks ago I was setting up a wedding cake for a couple at The River Club. The mother of the bride approached me about replacing the cake topper her daughter picked out with a much larger, heavier one. I explained that a cake is designed and built according to the size and weight of the decorations. She insisted I make the substitution and became angry when I refused.
“Twenty minutes after I left, I got a frantic call from the woman. She’d ignored my warnings and replaced the cake topper herself. As I predicted, the topper had sunk into the cake and was leaning sideways. Luckily, it was my only wedding that day otherwise I wouldn’t have had time to fix the cake.”
“She almost singlehandedly ruined her daughter’s wedding.”
“I know. All I could think about was how that poor bride would feel when she walked into the reception and saw her mess of a wedding cake.”
“I wonder if the woman ever told her daughter about it.”
Robin laughed. “Let’s hope not.”
The rest of the evening passed in a similar fashion. By the time she and Wade were ascending the stairs to the second floor, Robin had almost forgotten those few moments when she’d come so perilously close to disaster.
Outside the door of the guestroom, Wade’s arms slid around her waist. “In case you didn’t realize, you were a big hit with Mom. Not that I had any doubts about it.”
He couldn’t know how much she needed to hear that. She’d struggled with acceptance most of her life. “I’m so glad.”
“I think you even managed to impress Reece, and we all know he’s hard to please.”
“So I’ve heard.”
Wade picked up on the irony in her voice. “You sound like you disapprove of my stepbrother. That doesn’t happen very often.”
“Do you mind?”
His arms tightened around her. “Not at all. It’s in my best interests that you only have eyes for me.”
She pressed closer to him. “You don’t have to worry about that.”
“That’s all I needed to hear,” he said, taking her lips in a lingering kiss.
Chapter Five
The sun was just starting to rise when Robin woke the next morning. Her gaze focused momentarily on the lace canopy above her head before roving over the rest of the room. Talk about feeling like a princess. These exquisite furnishings hadn’t come from any department store. This was the work of a talented interior decorator who knew how to tastefully blend sophistication with comfort and had the added luxury of no budget restrictions.
Robin pushed back the silvery-green satin comforter and walked over to a pair of French doors leading to a private balcony. The view of the river was lovely, but it was also a reminder of something unpleasant. Kait maintained that Wade would understand. His remarks last night raised some doubts about that. Would he want to continue spending time with someone who couldn’t share in something so important to him?
Her apprehension eased a little when she stepped into the bathroom. The freestanding tub surrounded by greenery and candles offered an experience she didn’t have at home. Only after the water cooled did she reluctantly get out. Once she was dressed, she reached for her phone to text Wade.
‘Awake yet?’
Twenty seconds passed before he responded.
‘Barely. I assume you were up with the roosters. You don’t have to wait for me. I’ll meet you downstairs. Jeanette will have the coffee on.’
When Robin stepped into the spacious kitchen, the only occupant was Reece. He was seated at the opposite end of a long island. Before she could beat a hasty retreat, he looked up