Avery reached over Phoebe’s shoulder to refill empty wineglasses, and her aunt grinned up at her. “You managed to keep that little explosion between Tiffany and Nancy under wraps.”
Avery smiled, proud of herself. God, how long had it been since she’d truly been proud of herself? Years?
“They just needed to work out the bugs.” She smiled at Willow. “Getting excited to start?”
“Yes,” she said, her face alight with excitement. “Totally. I’ve been researching business practices to see how cafés run things differently than restaurants, and I’ve got some great ideas.”
“I can’t wait to hear them.”
“And I’ve been trying out some new recipes at home—”
“And I swear I’ve gained twenty pounds,” her scarecrow-thin mother teased, raising laughter around the table. “Just remember, Willow’s taking the job so she can stop working seven days a week at our restaurant. So you can’t work her the way you work, Avery, sixteen hours a day, seven days a week.”
Don’t work Willow too hard. Don’t take advantage of Willow’s experience. Don’t keep Willow at the hostess station. Don’t, don’t, don’t. Every time Avery saw MaryAnn, she got some kind of warning.
“You don’t have to worry about that,” Avery assured MaryAnn. “Willow and I have her schedule all worked out.” She smiled at Willow. “We should get together about a week before opening day. Sound good?”
“Perfect,” Willow said, her excitement palpable.
Tiffany tapped Avery’s arm and handed her the order form with a huge smile of relief. “Here it is.”
Avery stepped away from the table and glanced over the form. This cake was going to amount to a mint. And it would cost Avery at leas
t three sixteen-hour days of work, a mountain of stress, and very, very little sleep. Luckily, the wedding was a few months off, which meant she could have the café up and running smoothly before she tackled this job.
A little flutter of accomplishment winged up her chest, making her smile.
She could do this. She continued to have doubts daily. Hell, hourly. But right now, yeah, she could do this. And the sparkle of independence at the end of the tunnel gave her something to hold on to during these long workdays.
She grinned at Tiffany. “This is going to be one unforgettably spectacular cake.”
Tiffany wrapped her arms around Avery. “Thank you so much. This could have turned into such a fiasco without your levelheaded guidance.”
She hugged Tiffany back. “Thanks for taking a chance on me, Tiff. I won’t let you down.”
Tiffany leaned back. “I have absolutely no worries whatsoever. You have my two hundred percent confidence.”
Avery laughed and fanned her face. “If you make me cry, I’ll kill you.” When Tiffany only hugged her again, Avery pulled away. “Let me get you a total for this so you can get on with your night.”
As she turned toward the house, Nancy strolled up beside them, a glass of wine in her hand. “I have to hand it to you, Avery. When Tiffany said she wanted to use you as her wedding cake designer, I told her it was bad timing, that it wasn’t a good idea. But you’ve proved me wrong. You’ve outdone yourself, and I’m so completely impressed at how you’re handling your own situation and not letting it impair your work.”
This wasn’t a new sentiment. Since Avery had returned home, she’d gotten these backhanded compliments a lot. Everyone seemed stunned at how well she was functioning through the divorce, insinuating she should be falling apart, when she had always been the strong one. She was the one who had fought for their marriage long after David had given up.
But she did what she always did—she took the high road.
“David and I may have been married on paper for several years, but the divorce wasn’t a surprise.”
“Not the divorce, honey,” Nancy said, her voice sincere. “I meant David’s engagement.”
En—what?
Avery’s stomach dropped and her throat closed, leaving her speechless.
“And so soon after the divorce,” Nancy went on. “You know what that means. He had someone in the wings. Probably someone he worked with. Most likely someone he was deployed with. Both my sons are military. I know how it works.”
“Mom, stop it,” Tiffany said, her expression aghast.
Nancy waved her away. “Regardless, I’ve been divorced long enough to know that no matter how your marriage ended or how long ago it happened, news that your ex is getting remarried is always a blow. I just want you to know that, having been there, I applaud your ability to move on and stay positive.”