Take the Cake by Sandra Wright Page A

at the fence for an inquiring sniff, and she would extend her hand, fingers curled into her palm for their inspection before rubbing them behind their ears. Eventually she followed the fence line down toward the gate and let herself in, exchanging smiles with some of the dog owners exercising their pets. Kate wandered around, squatting as some of the smaller dogs trotted over for a hello pat, which she happily obliged.
    Kate laughed as a golden retriever snuffled at her ear then swiped his long wet tongue from her hair to her jaw. She gave the dog a quick hug, looking up as a shadow fell across her. She looked up to see an older woman regarding her with interest.
    “You got a dog here?”
    Kate looked up, squinting against the sunlight and trying to fend off the enthusiastic affections of the retriever. “No, I don’t. I just come here when I’m having an off kind of day,” she explained.
    “Ah.” Comprehension dawned on the woman’s face. “And there’s no better cure than some unconditional canine love.”
    “You got it.” Kate smiled back, and then grabbed the retriever affectionately and gave it a hug. The dog turned and before she could react, had swiped his long wet tongue against her face, making her flinch and laugh. Kate left the park half an hour later, her expression considerably lighter.
    ~~~
    Michael stopped at a newsstand for a quick purchase, and then continued on his way to the bakery. He arrived in good time and made a point to stop to check out the chalkboard swinging from its brass hooks.
    Live life one cupcake at a time.
    He smiled and moved over to look at the window display. The bell jars held cupcakes that were sweet in their simplicity: vanilla frosting with rainbow sprinkles. One of the bell jars held a small framed photo. Michael leaned forward for a closer look. It was a younger looking Kate and a man that was obviously her father. They were leaning against a truck, the man’s arm hugging Kate to his chest as they both grinned at the camera. Beside the frame sat a solitary cupcake and a small hand-written sign. Jack’s Favorite . Now he knew why she had looked so sad. He went inside and sat at a table to wait.
    “Psssst, Wren!” Emily hissed.
    Wren bobbed up from the display cabinet that she had been restocking. “What?”
    Emily jerked her head toward the front of the store. “Sir Galahad’s back.”
    Wren followed Emily’s gaze and saw him sitting at a table near the front door. The morning sun shone through the front windows, highlighting his auburn curls. He half-sat half-sprawled in his chair, flicking through a copy of the New York Times with careless grace. He was, Wren had to admit, glorious.
    “Let’s hope Kate gets back soon,” Wren whispered to Emily as the two women regarded him with what they hoped were covert glances, along with every other woman in the store. Wren shook her head in admiration; he truly had no inkling that he was the center of attention. She found that very attractive, as her extensive dating history had revealed that attractive men often tended to rely on their looks and fall quite short in other departments.
    “Michael Forrester, you reclusive son of a bitch,” a voice drawled from the doorway.
    Michael looked up, pushing his newspaper aside as he stood up with a broad smile to greet his friend. David had changed little over the years they had known each other, although his body had filled out into a muscular grace that showed his ongoing pursuit of fitness. He had come from work today and so was dressed in more business-like attire than Michael was used to seeing him in. His white blond hair was its customary scruff, however, and a tattoo could be seeing peeking out over his shirt collar.
    “Watson, ’bout time you showed up,” he replied as the two men enfolded each other in an enthusiastic back-thumping embrace.
    “Oh, no.” Emily pulled a disappointed face. “The good ones are always gay.”
    “Uh-uh,” Wren replied, shaking her