There was an intricate layered dessert in a parfait glass. Layers of mousse and the thinnest almond cookies she’d ever had. There may have been a little hint of cayenne in the chocolate fudge layer, but if it was there, she couldn’t taste it. The conversation hearts had been crushed and layered between the chocolate and cookie layers. On top, a dollop of thick-whipped icing with a conversation heart that read 4EVER YOURS.

“Try this one,” she said, handing it off to Brenda.

The next dessert was a chocolate-almond petit four in a non-traditional rectangle shape. A bright red cayenne chocolate drizzle added the slightest hint of heat in contrast to the rich cake, and a chocolate disk lay flat in the center of the cake with a gold 50 dusted on it.

“This one is so good.” Kelly loved the presentation too. “You have to try this one.”

Brenda took it and pushed her fork into the cake. “You’re right. This one is really good. Pretty too.”

“I might be in trouble.”

“You only have to beat one of these to stay in the round.”

“True,” Kelly said. “Okay. Then I can admit I love this one.” She pointed to the petit four. “I’m begging someone for this recipe after the show.” She picked up the third competitor’s entry. Heart-shaped cookies. “These hearts are pretty, but they just don’t seem enough to celebrate fifty years of marriage.” She bit into one of the dark chocolate shortbread cookies. Frosted with a glossy chocolate icing that was spicy with not only the cayenne, but it tasted like paprika or some kind of seasoning salt too. “An interesting contrast.”

“Interesting isn’t always good.” Brenda took a bite of that one. “I’m not sure of that one.”

“It’s not going to be easy though.”

“Which one do you think you would eliminate?” Brenda lined them up. “We’re not even considering you in the elimination round.”

“I think I’d probably eliminate the parfait. It was good, but I didn’t get the heat from the cayenne at all.”

“I think I’d eliminate the last one. The shortbread thingy. It had more of a Valentine’s than anniversary look to it.”

“Yeah, and that was tricky, because my mind kept wanting to go to Valentine’s Day too. I mean, that’s what the show is called.”

“Right, but you need to listen carefully to what they’re asking for. You don’t want to be eliminated for that kind of mistake.”

“I don’t want to be eliminated at all.” Kelly’s hair was wet against her neck. She wasn’t sure where she stood with this group, and that was amping up her nerves.

Kelly recognized the whistle ring tone she used for texts from Sara, then realized she didn’t have her phone.