He's a jerk. Don't forget it!

My gut flips. I had forgotten to bring in the cupcakes. What will his family think of them? Will they react how he did when I first brought them into the office?

"What did you bring us?" Emma asks.

"You have to wait and see," I answer.

"No fair!" she whines.

"Tell us!" Isabella demands, tugging on my arm.

I laugh, saying one of my grammy's phrases. "Patience gets rewarded."

Sebastian returns, carrying the boxes. Instead of his normal scowl, his face radiates something I've not seen on him before. I want to say it's pride, but that would be foolish. Sebastian Cartwright has nothing but mediocre thoughts about my cupcakes.

Isabella claps. "Ooh, Uncle Sebastian. What's inside?"

He sets the boxes on the table, announcing, "These are the world's best cupcakes."

I should be happy he said something nice about my cupcakes, but I don't trust him after what he did to me.

"Forgiveness, forgiveness, forgiveness," my grammy says in my head, which is what she used to always tell me whenever I'd get upset with someone.

Yet I'm having a hard time figuring out how to let this one go. I can't stay mad at him all month, but I also refuse to be his doormat.

Sebastian opens the box and takes a caramel apple one out. He holds it close to Isabella's mouth.

She shrieks, "I get the first one!"

Sebastian unpeels the wrapper. But instead of giving it to her, he takes a big bite. With his mouth full of cupcake, he says, "Sorry, I get the first one."

"Uncle Sebastian!" She laughs, then adds, "I want the pink one!"

He chuckles and hands her a strawberry-lemon one.

"What kind are they?" Ruby asks.

I point to each cupcake. "Caramel apple, pumpkin with cream cheese frosting, peanut butter chocolate, and strawberry-lemon."

"They look amazing," Alexander states and snatches a peanut butter cupcake.

Everybody chooses what they want and begins raving about how wonderful they taste.

Joy fills me just like it does whenever anyone claims they love my desserts, but relief also fills me. It hits me how much I want the Cartwrights' approval.

Sebastian announces, "Georgia's going to open a cupcake bakery."

"Really? That's amazing," Willow states.

I nod. "It's always been my dream."

"These are amazing. What's the secret?" Ruby asks.

"They're my grammy's recipes. I've never told anyone. Although, soon I'll have to, I guess. I mean, if I'm going to go commercial with it."

"But you'll tell me, right?" she says with a hopeful look on her face.

I laugh, and offer, "Yeah, I can do better than that. I'll show you how to make them while I'm here."

"Ooh. Can I help?" Isabella asks.