Takes the Cake by Lynn Chantale

nontraditional in what I want. Actually, a themed wedding wouldn’t be out of the question.”
    “You mean something like a cake shaped liked the TARDIS?”
    Liz gasped. “You’re into Doctor Who?” The show was one of her favorites, and often she could never get him to watch with her.
    “Ever since I discovered the series during my therapy sessions. The show has just enough to keep me guessing about everything.” He ducked his head. “And watching it reminded me of you.”
    “Yeah?”
    He nodded.
    She studied him with renewed respect. “Yeah. I’d go for something like that big blue police box.”
    “All right.”
    “What type of cake would you like?”
    He opened his mouth and then closed it.
    “Think about that while I find out what Martha wanted.”
    KEEGAN WATCHED THE sexy sashay of her hips as she left the kitchen via the back door. He placed a hand over his heart as he exhaled. The woman was pure dynamite. He’d love to take her out after the wedding and resume their prior relationship.
    Was that what he wanted? To pick up where they’d left off? How stupid could he be? He’d had the perfect woman in his life, and he’d let her go without a fight. He figured he could easily replace her with another pretty face. He’d been so wrong.
    He stared at the wedding cake on the counter. Liz had raised some valid points. Maybe he was a tad envious that his little sister was getting married. Sure, he’d thought about marriage, but he could never seem to find the right woman. Or at the least the one or two he’d found hadn’t struck him as till death us do part, but Liz…
    He turned to study the cake. The smooth, white layers rose majestically from the counter like a miniature feat of architecture. Scrolls and climbing vines crept along the sides as if a careful hand hadn’t placed them there. Delicate five-petal flowers mingled with the greenery. Maybe the cake design wasn’t as plain as he’d originally thought. This was very detailed and very beautiful.
    A stab of remorse sliced through his gut. He owed Liz an apology and so much more. Actually, he owed his sister one too. And speaking of Caro, he needed to find her and tell her what a huge mistake she was making by marrying David.
    * * * *
    Liz sat on a stone bench staring at the menu changes. She wiped a hand down her face, hoping the words would rearrange themselves. When they didn’t, she blew out a long, slow breath. Lamb chops instead of chicken. Asparagus in addition to the green beans. And now Caroline wanted to add macaroni and cheese? That would have been fine if it hadn’t been the day before the wedding. Another exhale. She could do this. All she had to do was check where they were with the prep and then go shopping for what they didn’t have. After she finished the cake.
    On top of all that, she had to play keep-away from Keegan, which wasn’t working. Her pulse raced just thinking about their interlude in the kitchen and then nearly being caught by Martha. Liz shook her head. That definitely wouldn’t have made a good impression on the event planner. No sense in wasting any more time. She stood, brushing pollen from her slacks, and then tucked the folded page into her pocket.
    Murmured voices and a lilting giggle captured her attention. She swiveled in that direction. Curious, she followed the sounds until she caught a glimpse of white skin.
    She ducked behind a nearby tree. The coarse bark scraped her palms and grabbed at her clothing as she pressed against the wood. Leaves rustled and twigs snapped on the bush to her left as the noises grew a little more amorous. Heat touched her cheeks as she realized she’d stumbled into a very private tryst.
    As quietly as she could, she stepped away from the tree, intending to make a fast getaway. The next words stilled her.
    “Christian, we’ve got to tell David.”
    Liz pressed closer to the tree, hoping her ears deceived her. She peeked around the wide base and caught a glimpse of