Kelly flushed. “Yes. The bride is a very picky eater. Vegan. You know the type.”

“Oh, heavens. I’m surprised she’s even having a cake.” Mom was teasing of course, being gluten-free and a vegan herself.

“A compromise, I’m sure.”

Mom smiled gently. “When it’s true love, compromise is easy.”

The last thing she needed right now was a lecture on love. “Want to try one of the peas?”

She waved her hand. “I think I’ll pass.”

“Oh, come on. Let me know what you think.” She lifted the tray in front of her face.

Mom picked one up like it was going to explode, hesitating before she put it in her mouth.

“Mom. Come on. Don’t be so dramatic. I’d never serve something that tasted awful. You know me better than that.”

“You’re right.” Her mom put the chocolate-covered pea in her mouth. With the pea still balanced on her tongue, she said, “You al-eady as-ed un, ight?”

Deciphering her words, she realized Mom was asking if she’d tasted one. “Of course I tasted one. You know I taste everything I bake. What are you doing?”

“Trying to forget it’s a pea,” she said in that open-mouth pea dialect.

“Stop it, Mom.”

Finally she closed her mouth and chewed.

“Oh, gosh.” Her eyebrows shot up. “This is really good. You’d never even know it was a pea. Let me have another one of those.” She plucked one from the tray. “I like these. A healthy snack. You could probably just sell little bags of these.”

“I’d say that’s a win,” Kelly said.

The front door of the bakery opened, and Andrew strode in. Before she could say a word, Mom was around the counter in front of him.

“Hi, Andrew. What are you doing here? Having a snack attack this early in the day?” Kelly asked.

“I was actually going to see if I could buy you lunch this afternoon.” He shrugged, looking hopeful.

“I can’t. I’ve got a lot to do.”

“That’s why I came early. So you could work it into your schedule. Even if you’re busy, you have to eat.”

Mom gave her a look of disapproval. What was she thinking? “Kelly, you should make him taste one of those peas.”

“Peas?” Andrews’s lips curled. “For breakfast?”

“Chocolate-dipped. I used them as decoration on a vegan dessert.” Which probably sounded ridiculous to him.

Mom grabbed his arm. “They’re so good. A little freaky when you know what they are, but so tasty.”

She dragged Andrew closer to the bakery case.

Andrew said, “I don’t know. That sounds like one of those crazy cable network food challenges.”

A tingle of delight coursed through her. Exactly what I was going for.