Part 7 (2/2)

Kim's face brightened. ”Thanks, Rachel.”

A band played on the music stage as Jake helped Mike unload the tables and bakery equipment from the back of the Cupcake Mobile. The ovens were already there, supplied by a local used appliance store. When everything was in place, there were two identical makes.h.i.+ft kitchens set up side by side.

The head of the Sunday Market approached a microphone on the stage. ”Welcome to Astoria's first Sunday Market Cupcake Contest,” he said. ”This year we have Creative Cupcakes competing against Hollande's French Pastry Parlor.”

Cheers rose as the crowd drew in to watch.

”Everyone take a slip of paper,” he continued, ”and at the end of two hours we will distribute samples from each shop. Vote for your favorite flavor, and the winner of the contest will take home this glorious golden trophy!”

The trophy had been set up on a pedestal between the two kitchens, and Rachel caught Gaston staring at it.

Both bakery teams immediately set to work. While pouring ingredients into the large mixing bowls, Andi found herself mesmerized by the sparkle of diamonds.

”Did you see the ring on that woman's finger?” Andi drew in her breath. ”Three full carats at least.”

”I didn't notice,” Rachel said, hustling to mix the next bowl of cupcake batter.

”How could you not?” Andi continued. ”The s.h.i.+ne sent a rainbow of color onto our baking table.”

Rachel took Andi's left hand, touched the fourth finger, and smirked. ”Gee, Andi, something seems to be missing here. What could it be? I'll have to mention this to Jake.”

”Don't you dare!” Andi s.n.a.t.c.hed her hand away and grinned.

Rachel held up her own bare hand. ”I'll marry someday. I just need to find the right groom.”

Andi nodded toward Mike as he approached. ”Here he comes.”

Rachel glanced at Mike and couldn't help but smile.

”I brought you the extra ingredients you asked for,” Mike told them. ”Is there anything else you need?”

”Rachel needs another kiss for good luck,” Andi teased.

”Fine by me,” Mike said and leaned over to place a quick kiss on Rachel's lips.

Beside the baking table, Mia and Taylor giggled and crooned, ”Eww!”

Jake walked over to join them and made the two five-year-olds giggle once again when he kissed Andi.

”I did some research on Monsieur Hollande,” Jake informed the Creative Cupcakes team. ”He lied when he said he won the trophy on Extreme Bake-off. He got kicked off in the final week, and according to the press, he was extremely angry.”

”That's why he's obsessed with being number one,” Rachel said, dropping her voice so Gaston wouldn't hear.

”He set up a shop in Portland but couldn't outbake the city's compet.i.tion, so he packed up and moved to Astoria,” Jake added. ”He thinks Creative Cupcakes and the other bakeries in town are an easy conquest.”

”We won't be so easy to beat with these,” Kim said, holding up one of her new crystallized sugar and water floral sculptures decorating the frosted top of a white chocolatemacadamia nut cupcake.

”It looks like gla.s.s,” Rachel exclaimed, leaning in to take a closer look. ”Like the blue gla.s.s flowers we saw in Danielle's gla.s.s shop.”

Breaking apart, the group worked to finish baking the required 200 cupcakes by the two-hour deadline.

”We have only thirty minutes left,” Andi reminded them as the contest drew to a close.

”Going as fast as I can,” Rachel replied, pulling another batch out of the oven.

Mia called to Andi across the zoned off bake area, ”Taylor said I took her candy, but I didn't. She took mine.”

Taylor pulled Jake by the hand and came toward them.

”Taylor wouldn't lie,” Jake told Andi.

Andi stopped icing the cupcakes and looked him in the eye. ”Mia wouldn't lie either.”

As their voices rose and the squabble continued, Rachel turned her head to find Gaston next to their table, where they had placed a large bowl of cupcake batter. He smiled and turned away.

Rachel walked toward the bowl and looked inside. Nothing looked wrong, but she figured she'd better be sure. Taking a spoon, she scooped some of the batter and lifted it to her mouth.

”Ugh!”

Andi turned toward her. ”What's wrong?”

”Salt.” Rachel scrunched her nose and wiped her tongue with a nearby towel, but the sharp taste remained.

”Did you mix up the ingredients?” Andi asked.

”No.” Rachel shook her head and pointed to the label on the container of salt, which now had an uneven cap. ”It wasn't me. I think it was Gaston. He dumped salt into the batter.”

Kim came toward them and pointed to her watch. ”Do we have time to make another batch?”

Andi shook her head. ”Worse. We're out of ingredients.”

Rachel called Mike over to them. ”Can you go back to the shop and bring us the extra batter I put in the refrigerator?”

Mike nodded and dashed off to the Cupcake Mobile.

Ten minutes later he was back, bowl of batter in hand. Andi, Rachel, and Kim scooped the cream-colored mixture into the last tray and put it in the oven.

”Five minutes to ice and decorate these,” Andi called when the cupcakes were finished baking.

Kim nodded. ”Ready and waiting.”

The announcer began counting down the minutes over the microphone, and Rachel held her breath. Her fingers had never worked so fast. She, Andi, and Kim plopped icing onto the last dozen cupcakes, spread the mixture with a knife, and finished placing Kim's sugar sculptures on the tops just as the final whistle blew.

Rachel narrowed her gaze at Gaston as the cupcakes were distributed and people placed their votes in the ballot box. He gave her a smug look, then turned to converse with his two helpers.

Members of the Astoria Fire Department had been chosen to count the votes, and after twenty minutes, the announcer stepped up to the stage and took the microphone in his hand.

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