Chapter 10
The inside of Grammy’s Goodies smelled like graham crackers and frosting.
Lucky wanted to dip her face in a trough of whatever it was and never come back out. She also noticed a ridiculously large pizza on one of the family-size customer tables.
It was heart shaped.
The godmothers took the kids over to a table and sat down. Brittany was attached to Jonquil, having decided that Jonquil was now her fairy godmother, and Steven sat between Petty and Bluebonnet.
Crayons and coloring books were found, and the group seemed quite happy to carry on as they were without a thought for the pizza.
“Now that’s what I’m talking about! That is for us, right?” Ransom headed straight for the pizza.
“Yes, it’s for you.” A redheaded woman came out from around the counter. Her skin was pale as milk and she was ample hipped, just like a purveyor of sweets should be. She had a warm smile, and her hands were covered in flour. She wiped them on her apron before reaching out to shake Lucky’s hand.
“I’m Red. Grammy will be here in just a minute. She had a late night last night.”
Lucky shook her hand. “Lucky.”
“That’s a cool name. I can tell we’re going to be friends. Red and Lucky. We’re going to start some shit, I can feel it.”
Everyone laughed and Lucky was immediately at ease. She already liked the woman. Rosebud had been terrifying in a sugar-coated kind of way, but there was something about Red that just clicked for her.
Gwen reached out a hand as well. “Gwen.”
“So glad you’re here. And is that the groom?”
Ransom grinned at her. “Sure is. It smells great in here.”
“By all means, have some pizza. I had a feeling you were going to be hungry for real food. I want you to really be able to taste this cake. I’ve been experimenting with a new frosting, too. One with ruby cacao.”
Lucky perked. “You are definitely speaking my language!”
“Oh, have you had it?” Red asked.
“It’s my new favorite thing. Ransom works in chocolate,” she said.
Gwen tapped her shoulder and whispered, “I’m going to set the kids up with some pizza. The godmothers, too, while you guys talk. Just don’t forget us when it’s time for cake.”
Lucky laughed. “Of course not.”
“No one in here goes without cake,” Red promised. “So you were saying Ransom is in chocolate?”
“I own Heart’s Desire Chocolate.”
“Oh, how marvelous. Do you source your beans from Ecuador, Brazil, or the Ivory Coast? Or a mix?”
“Ecuador. I have farms.”
“This is just brilliant.” Red beamed. “I thought I was going to have to talk you into this, but you’re already there.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Lucky saw movement at the table with the godmothers. Roderick had gotten a chair to join them, and Steven had shifted to sit next to him.
Interesting.
She turned her attention back on Red.
“Why don’t you have some pizza? Then we’ll get started on cake.”
“If you have some of the ruby frosting ready to go, I’m good to start there.” Lucky grinned.
“Of course! I’ll be right back.”
All of a sudden, it felt like she and Ransom were alone. She was intensely aware of his presence. If she didn’t know better, she’d swear she could feel his touch on her skin, even though he wasn’t touching her in the slightest.
He leaned down, and his breath made the shell of her ear tingle. “I was right to think of you with the ruby cacao.”
“It’s perfect for our fake wedding, isn’t it?” she said.
“There won’t be anything fake about the memories I’ll be savoring with that flavor on my tongue.”
She shivered. “You . . . that’s not fair.”
“What’s not fair? Remembering the best night of my life or telling you about it?”
“Both!”
He laughed.
“And it wasn’t the best night of your life. Surely, making your first million was better.”
“Nope,” he said, confidence radiating from him like the rays of the sun. “Not even my first billion.”
She pretended she didn’t hear it.
Because it didn’t matter. This just wasn’t going to work. Even if they both wanted it to.
Red came back smiling with several spoonfuls of the cherry blossom–colored frosting.
Lucky accepted hers gratefully and much to her everlasting chagrin, as soon as the sugary spread was on her tongue, she flashed back to the night before.
To when she was alone with Ransom and the ruby chocolate on his fingers had been in her mouth and then . . .
Then.
She’d gotten as close to heaven as she believed she ever would. It wasn’t just about the orgasm, it was about the connection. Lucky wouldn’t lie, the orgasm was really, really good. Only, there was more.
Lucky had been connected to Ransom in a way she’d never felt with another person. She’d remember it every time she tasted this chocolate.
That made the slight sour undertones of the chocolate that much sharper.
She looked up at Ransom to see he watched her. His blue eyes were as stormy as a churning sea, and something hot and forbidden passed between them. It was the jolt of the memory they shared like an electric spark.
“I think I can say without a shadow of a doubt that this is the frosting we’d like, no matter what we choose for the cake,” Ransom said.
“Fantastic! Let me just run back and get those samples. I have some for everyone.”
“No worries, Red! Grammy is here!” A voice called out from the back of the shop.
Grammy was nothing like what Lucky had expected. She was tall, solid, and she looked as strong as a lumberjack. She wore a red flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up past her elbows and underneath a band T-shirt that Lucky couldn’t quite make out. With them, she had on torn jeans and shiny red Doc Martens boots.
Her hair was shock white but had streaks of green, purple, and blue at each temple. Her eyes were a strange amber color, and Lucky found herself both in awe and entranced by the woman.
Lucky hadn’t even noticed that Grammy carried a massive tray of cake, she’d been so enraptured by the woman. There was something otherworldly about her. Something that made Lucky want to paint her.
She hadn’t felt this in so long, that urge to create. To pluck a scene from her mind and create it on canvas with oil and brush.
“Are you all right, child?” Grammy asked her.
“You’re not at all what I expected.”
“I get that a lot.”
“If you have time after the wedding, I’d love to paint your portrait. I’m an artist,” she said, tripping over her words.
At least it was only her words and not her feet.
Grammy smiled. “Well, I can say that would be a new experience. Sure. I’d love to. But first, there must be cake.”
She put the platter down and handed cake all around for everyone to try. There were all the old mainstays like chocolate, vanilla, and carrot, but there were also new and unexplored concoctions. Like rosewater, chai, lemon, and maple-bacon. Lucky also tried pistachio, pumpkin, and clove. Each bit of cake was better than the last, and they were all so delicious.
Gwen was the first to speak. “They’re all delicious, but if you want to go with the ruby frosting, I think a lemon cake would be the contrast.”
Ransom agreed. “I could eat that forever.”
“Be careful what you wish for,” Bluebonnet reminded him.
Red grinned. “My mouth is watering just thinking about it. I can whip up a few samples. Maybe with the chocolate, too.”
“Or, what if we did chocolate macarons with the ruby filling?” Gwen suggested.
“That is absolutely brilliant!” Grammy nodded. “Would you like to come by when you have some free time? The godmothers mentioned you might be interested in managing the shop, or maybe taking it over. I’d like an opportunity to get to know you better. Let you get to know us. Maybe bake together.”
“And brew some lavender lemonade,” Red added.
“I’d love that. Thank you.”
Lucky was pleased to see that things were falling in line for Gwen.
“Darlings, I do believe our work here is done,” Petty said.
“Yes, we’re tired. I do need to get home to my stories,” Jonquil said.
“Mm-hmm,” Bluebonnet agreed.
“You gotta power up to fairy godmother,” Brittany said knowingly.
Jonquil patted her on the head and tapped the tip of her nose. “Yes, we do.”
“All this meddling wearing you out?” Lucky teased.
“Too right.” Petty didn’t even try to deny it. “Plus, we need to make sure your things are moved up to the castle for tonight, since we need to repair the ceiling.”
“The ceiling?” Gwen asked.
“It’s a long story.” Lucky sighed.
“Can we go to the park, Mama?”
“Yes, Mama. Can we?” Steven asked.
“How about if Ransom and I take the kids to the fountain? I hear there’s a really big frog that’s actually a prince,” Roderick said.
The kids’ eyes widened and they were on the edge of their seats.
Ransom scooped Brittany up, and Roderick helped Steven to climb on his shoulders. “Please, Mom?” Roderick asked.
“I suppose if you really want to.” Then to the kids, she said, “You two behave, okay? Don’t ask to do things you know that I wouldn’t let you do.”
“Wow, she’s pretty specific about the rules. I guess you kids are pretty smart, huh?” Roderick asked.
“Calling me smart doesn’t make you not a . . . butthead,” Brittany said.
Lucky noticed it was progress. She wasn’t calling him an asshole. Baby steps, she supposed.
Gwen cast her a quick glance and Lucky nodded.
“Have a good time. Let’s meet back at the castle for dinner when it gets dark,” Gwen said. “Or sooner if you’re tuckered out.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
Roderick led the charge out the door, and Ransom flashed Lucky a wink. “See you later, wifey.”
She rolled her eyes and snorted before turning to Grammy and Red. “You guys do know this isn’t a real wedding.”
Grammy and Red gave her the same answer Rosebud had. “Just because it’s not a real wedding . . .” Red began.
“Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a real and delicious cake,” Grammy finished. “A good tip from an old lady like me. Always take the cake. Every opportunity.”
“This is exactly what I’ve been telling her!” Gwen cried. “Listen, I need to know what happened with the ceiling.”
Lucky blushed so hard she thought her face was going to break.
“I think we can all figure it out,” Grammy said.
“Well. Out with it.”
“We did everything but,” Lucky blurted. “Um, with a full finish.” She coughed.
“And?” Gwen prompted.
“The freaking floor collapsed and the bed dropped like an anchor down into the living room. It took a full five minutes before the bed itself collapsed. And Ransom slept on the couch.”
“That’s not the worst that could’ve happened.”
“That’s kind of bad. What’s the worst, if that’s not it?” Red asked.
“I’m cursed. I have worse than bad luck. Every time Ransom and I have tried to . . . have relations, bad things have always ensued. Leeches. A pack of feral hogs. Mutant wasps. A tornado. Oh, and after he kissed me, possessed cherries.”
“Tell me more about the cherries!” Grammy said excitedly.
“The cherry tree in the godmothers’ backyard was bare-assed, but for a single bloom. Until we kissed under the tree and the whole tree erupted in blooms that turned into kaiju fruit.”
“Well, dumplin’, I don’t know how to tell you this, but that’s wonderful.” Grammy clapped her hands together.
“It is?” Red and Gwen asked at the same time.
“Why, yes. You know Ever After is . . .” She paused, seeming to look for the right word. “Special.”
“Uh-huh.” Lucky waited for her to continue.
“Ever After has a special relationship with love. Sometimes, the most unexpected things happen here when love is true and strong.”
“You don’t believe that, do you?” Gwen asked.
“Of course, I do. And our Lucky saw it for herself. She saw the force of love bring life into the world. What a gift to see that with your own eyes.”
“One of the cherries gave Ransom a concussion,” Lucky said.
“What? You didn’t tell me about all of this,” Gwen interjected.
“Well, no one said love doesn’t hurt.” Grammy winked. “Although, one thing that all my years on this earth have taught me is that you must take love whenever it comes to you. It’s always worth it.”
“Leeches and feral pigs, too?” Lucky asked.
“Definitely.”
“It’s all fine and good for me, because my unluck is always with me. He doesn’t have to carry that burden and I don’t think it’s fair of me to ask him to. Especially since we don’t get the best parts,” Lucky said.
“What do you mean by the best parts?” Red put her chin in her hands.
“Sex.”
“But you said you . . .” Red trailed off.
“Penetration. They can’t even attempt it or bad things happen. The last time they got close, well . . .” Gwen sighed heavily. “It’s something that’s followed Ransom a long time. The press made a huge deal about it.”
“The press?” Red ended on a vocal note high enough for dogs to hear.
Grammy winced and pressed a finger against her ear and shook her head. “So what happened? You can tell us, child.”
“He missed.”
“Oh no,” Red said.
“Oh yes,” Lucky replied. “Yes, we fought about it and I said something in anger. I called him The Boy Who Missed, and the rest of the student body picked it up and . . . that is, as they say, history.”
“And he still wants to be with you? Lucky. That’s amazing,” Red said. “When people find out what kind of baggage I’ve got, they usually run screaming in the other direction.”
“We won’t,” Gwen rushed to reassure her.
“We promise.” Lucky already felt a kind of steadfast loyalty to Red. She just knew that they were going to be friends for a long time.
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” Red said softly.
“I said the same thing to Ransom.” She bit her lip and then put another piece of cake in her mouth. “The turd of it is, I mean it. I don’t think there’s anything you could tell me that would make me not want to be your friend. Weirdmaste, dude. The freaky curse in me acknowledges the freaky baggage in you.”
“We’ll see if you feel that way after the wedding,” Grammy said.
“That sounds ominous. You’re not going to shit in the cake or anything, are you?” Gwen asked.
Grammy spat out her coffee. “Lands no, child. Where would you get such an idea?”
“Well, you were saying after the wedding like something scary was going to happen. What else could it be?”
“In time, darlings. In time.” Red nodded. “So what are you going to do with your free afternoon? Do you want to bake?”
“I would love to bake!” Gwen said. “How does the bride-to-be feel about baking?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never been able to do it. I tried once and I set the kitchen on fire. I could paint and watch you?”
Grammy put her arm around Lucky. “You can do anything you want to do. You are the mistress of your own fate. At least in Ever After.”
“I know! Let’s make those cupcakes and maybe Lucky could put her art on the frosting?” Red suggested.
“That’s a fabulous idea! I think you’d love it,” Gwen encouraged.
“I don’t know. What if I mess it up?” Lucky really wanted to try baking with Gwen and their new friends. It was something a lot of people took for granted, but Lucky couldn’t get near a stove without something going horribly, heinously wrong.
“You just eat it,” Grammy said, as if it were the simplest answer in the world.
So that afternoon, Lucky Fujiki decided to step out of her self-imposed unluck bubble and tried baking with her friends.
She only set herself on fire once.
It occurred to Lucky that even though she was a walking disaster, Gwen, Grammy, and Red wanted her there anyway.