Max lifted a brow. “Because I’m gay?”

Didi looked surprised. “You’re gay?”

“I am.”

“Huh.” She seemed to think about that. “No, I meant because you’re a big, bold personality,” she said. She studied him for a moment. “But if you wanted to put rainbow chips in something I suppose that would—”

“Grandma!”

Finally Whitney arrived in front of the stage.

Didi looked down at her. “What?”

“That’s… enough.” Whitney’s cheeks were bright pink.

“I’m being supportive,” Didi said. “If Max wants to express his sexuality—”

“He is a baker. Not everything has to be about his sexuality,” Whitney said. She cast an apologetic look at Max. “I’m sorry.”

Max shrugged one big shoulder. “It’s okay, Whit. This is how people learn.”

Whitney visibly sighed. “Grandma, let’s just focus on the baking.”

Didi put her hands on her hips. “Listen up,” she said. “Talking is how people learn. So I’m going to teach you something about baking. Baking because it matters to you is when it’s the best. If you’re making caramel crunch bars because they are your favorite, or because they were what your favorite uncle always brought on road trips, or because they were what your mom tucked into your lunch box, then that’s one thing. But if you’re doing it because other people told you to, they are going to lack something. If you want to make something with rainbow chips because it makes you happy because rainbows are beautiful representations of gay love and you want to help people see that in their everyday life, then that’s wonderful. Or if you want to make a dark chocolate raspberry cake because, dammit, people might need something more than chocolate and vanilla and strawberry cake with vanilla icing!”

Everyone, including Whitney, was completely quiet, staring at Didi.

“Buttered Up bakery does better baked goods,” Didi said. “They are made from scratch and are made with care and love. But Hot Cakes are a part of everyday life and little moments that people don’t even think about until later. They are just the cake that your dad pulled out when you were out fishing or the cakes that your mom put out on the little plates in your tea set when you had picnics in your backyard. Until one day you’ve outgrown those fishing trips and picnics, or your dad or mom is gone, and then you’ll pull out one of those cakes and suddenly it means something. So Hot Cakes have the potential to be important too and that’s something you better keep in mind as you’re going forward adding to the list of cakes we… I mean you… offer.”

Didi sniffed, lifted her chin, and then started for the steps on the end of the stage opposite of where she’d ascended.

After a stunned moment, Whitney seemed to shake herself and hurried after her to help Didi down the wooden steps.

Didi paused at the top and looked back. “And the caramel crunch bars win,” she said. Then she looked at Cam. “I’ll meet you beside the Roadster. I’m actually in the mood for pie.”

Then she descended the steps regally.

Piper turned wide eyes to Cam. “Um, wow.”

“Yeah,” Cam agreed. But he was already covering his pan of bars with the aluminum foil provided.

“So…” Piper said, clearly expecting Cam to fill in some blanks.

But he had no idea how to do that. Didi Lancaster was a force and it seemed that giving up Hot Cakes wasn’t something she was blasé about. He had to admit, the idea of spending a little time talking with the woman was intriguing. He’d never had a one-on-one conversation with her and she surely had some interesting stories.

Dax finally turned to the crowd. “Well, that’s that. The new Hot Cakes snack cake will be a caramel crunch bar!”

The crowd applauded on cue.

“Thank you all so much for joining us for this important event,” Dax went on. “We hope that you had some fun and that you know how much it means to us to be a part of the Appleby community,” he said. “We hope to be here for many, many years to come.”

More applause.

“Be looking out for the name announcement for the new snack cake and our big kick-off event for that!” Dax said. “You all, of course, will be the first to get a taste!”

Cam lifted a brow. They hadn’t talked about next steps. But now it looked like they’d be having a kick-off event. Well, okay, then.

But Cam was going to put his foot down about having alpacas at that event.

7

“I promise that I tried to talk her out of it.”

“Why’d you do that?” Cam asked Whitney as he helped Didi into the passenger seat of Dax’s Roadster.

“Because this is crazy,” Whitney said. She was standing by the front bumper of the car, watching them with a very worried expression.

Cam shut the door and turned to his ex-girlfriend. “Crazy because she’s your grandma? Crazy because she was my grandma’s nemesis? Crazy because she’s paying five thousand dollars for a conversation she could have had just by asking me?”

Whitney studied him for a moment, then said, “Yes.”

He chuckled and walked toward her, stopping right in front of her. “Maybe those are all the best reasons for us to have this conversation,” he said.

Whitney frowned. “What do you mean?”

He shrugged. “I think I need to explain to her that she could have just asked to talk if she wanted to. I’m sick of this feud, Whit. I think everyone is. Zoe and Aiden have started the healing process and I can do my part.”

The wrinkle between her eyebrows got deeper. “Because you think Appleby needs it to be over?”

“Because I need you to be over it,” he told her honestly.

She looked surprised. “You do?”

“You’re going to be a lot more amenable to the idea of us dating if you know that our families don’t hate each other and that we don’t have to sneak around this time and that the town isn’t whispering about us.”

Her eyes were wide. “I told you I’m not going to date you.”

“You did. And I’m working on convincing you otherwise. One way to do that is to remove as many barriers as possible. Like the fifty-two year feud between our families.”

“That’s not why I said no,” she told him.

He didn’t even think twice about lifting a hand to Whitney’s face. He smoothed the pad of his thumb over the crease above her nose. “Then you have nothing to worry about with me taking your grandma out for dessert.”

Whitney’s breath caught as he touched her, and she stared at him even after he slid his hand down her cheek and then dropped it.

“The business is more important to me than a relationship,” she said. It was clear she was warning him. “If I have to choose, I choose Hot Cakes. Why would you set yourself up to be hurt again by that?”

He gave her a slow smile. “Because you don’t have to choose.”

She swallowed hard. But it was clear from the look in her eyes that she didn’t believe that.

Well, he’d have to deal with that later. Because he had another woman waiting in the car for a date with him at the moment.