When she came out of the bathroom, Maddie was laughing, leaning against the room’s doily-covered desk, and Stuart was back at the foot of the bed, chuckling at whatever they’d been talking about. They looked her way, and she gave them her best boardroom smile. Stuart, clearly recognizing its phoniness, stood, arms out, and pulled her into a crushing hug.

“Maddie’s sorry and so am I. I didn’t mean to reveal our antics to an outsider. I forgot you two don’t know each other yet.”

He pulled back a little, surveying her up and down. “You’re a little skinny, sugar, but you look really good in this outfit.” He fingered the edge of her blouse. “Lovely. I can’t remember the last time I felt silk like that.”

She swatted him once and stepped away. “Maybe you should get out of town more. I can’t help it if apparently the only thing you can buy in this town is flannel.”

“Hey!” Maddie said. “I resemble that remark.”

She glanced Maddie’s way, meeting her eyes for the first time this morning. Maddie winked, which immediately caused her face to heat again, and she looked away, embarrassed once more to be so transparent.

Stuart had apparently seen this exchange, and his head turned back and forth between them, eyes narrow.

“What is it with you two?” he asked. “Did something happen last night that I need to know about?”

“Nope,” Maddie said, emphasizing this “p” sound by popping it.

“Not a thing,” Ryann said.

Stuart didn’t seem convinced, but he eventually sighed. “Okay, fine. Be mysterious. Anyway, you guys have two tasks to take care of today.” He reached into his pocket, pulling out a folded sheet of paper. He handed it to Ryann, gesturing for Maddie to join them. Maddie stood up from her perch on the desk, walking closer, and Ryann once again caught a strong whiff of vanilla when she neared. The scent reminded her of the mini-breakdown she’d had yesterday in the lobby—the friendly mug of hot chocolate that had thrown her for a loop. She opened her mouth slightly to avoid inhaling the scent.

“First up is flowers,” he said, pointing at the top of the list. “Those are our colors—red, pink, and white. You two have an appointment for ten, so you’re going to have to leave in like fifteen to make it on time. Then you have a break until two, which is the first of the bakeries.”

“There’s more than one?” Ryann asked.

Stuart stared at her, putting one hand to his chest, aghast. “You know how I feel about cake, girlfriend. It has to be exactly right.”

“Shouldn’t you choose it, then?”

“No time today,” he said. “I’ll try to make it to the next one. Just choose the best-tasting one. We’ll take care of the design.”

“How many bakeries are there?”