Cupcake Explosion (Cupcakes 4)

“Yeah, when was that?” she asked.

“Mom took us to the cabin to meet him, and he and Rufus were waiting for us outside. He looked so big, like what you think a mountain man would look like, but he wasn’t scary. His eyes were nice and he was smiling at my mom like she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. And, when he talked to Elin and I, you could tell he was really listening. Like

he cared what we had to say, and he wasn’t just around us to get close to my mom. I liked that.”

“Oh, precious girl,” Cade’s mom said, her eyes filling as she kissed my daughter on the forehead.

I wiped my own wet cheeks and cleared my throat.

“He loves you guys,” I told Lena softly.

She nodded, and I knew she’d already known, because Cade was very good at showing them his love every chance he got.

I looked around the room at my friends, who all looked as touched by Lena’s story as I was, and said, “I think I’d better go to bed. Any more memories and my eyes will be all puffy in the morning. Thanks so much for coming and being with me tonight. I’ll see you all in the morning . . . at my wedding!”

Everyone started clapping and cheering, then began to rise and we all started cleaning up.

I said goodbye to everyone, told Amy May I couldn’t wait to see the cake the next day, and closed the door with a sigh when the last person left.

“Want to lay in my bed and watch a movie until I fall asleep?” I asked Mom, Alani, and Lena.

“Yeah,” they all agreed, so we went upstairs to get ready for bed and try and calm down enough to fall asleep.

I WOKE UP before the sun, excited and anxious.

I padded downstairs to make coffee, then went out onto my back porch to enjoy it while I watched the sun rise.

There wasn’t one doubt in my mind. I wasn’t sad about losing my single status, or worried about getting married again, even though my last marriage had ended so horribly. I was ready, and so happy to be marrying Cade.

I just wished it was time, so we could just do it already.

Once the sun was up and my cup was empty, I went inside to make breakfast. Clarice would be coming in the next hour to do our hair and my makeup, and then Mom and Alani would be heading back to the cabin to finish getting ready and to get the food going.

I thought it would be nice for us to all have breakfast together first.

By the time they came downstairs, I had eggs, bacon, toast, hash browns, and pancakes ready.

“Wow, what’s all this?” Cade’s mom asked, crossing to put her arms around me. “Couldn’t sleep?”

“I slept great, actually,” I replied with a smile. “But I was too excited to stay in bed.”

She grinned at that and let me go.

“Let’s eat before it gets cold.”

We were finished eating and putting everything away when the doorbell rang.

I went to the door and opened it to see Clarice standing there with all of her things.

“Good morning,” she greeted happily. “It’s your big day.”

I squealed in response, then moved aside to let her in.

“Where do you want me?”

“The kitchen or the living room, what would work best do you think?” I asked.

“The living room should be fine. I’ll bring a chair in from the dining room and get my stuff set up. Are you or Lena going first?”