moved on. “What’s with her abrupt
attitude change?”
“She must be up to something,” Kim warned. “I don’t trust her.”
“I don’t either,” Andi admitted, “but what can she possibly do to us here?”
A line of customers formed in front of their booth and Rachel turned toward her with
a frown. “This guy has a coupon for a free cupcake. What do I do?”
Andi looked at the slip of paper Rachel handed her. “The people in charge of the fundraiser
may have issued a few coupons to the public. Go ahead and give him one.”
However, a short time later they were inundated with dozens of these coupons.
“Why wasn’t I told about this?” Andi demanded.
Kim served four more free cupcakes to the kids lined up in front of them. “You made
sure we get to keep the money we spent on supplies, right?”
“That’s what I was told,” Andi assured her.
“We won’t recoup any money for supplies if this keeps up,” Rachel complained. “And
we aren’t raising any money for cancer research.”
“Look there!” Kim pointed. “The Zumba dancers are the ones handing out the coupons
to everyone. They’re trying to sabotage our efforts!”
“Not if I can help it,” Andi said, pulling off her disposable food handler’s gloves.
Marching up to the stadium stands where a jazz band had just performed, she took the
microphone. “I’m sorry to announce that due to a misprint, the Creative Cupcakes coupons
are invalid. The purpose of the fundraiser is to raise money. Please stop by and buy a sampling of our many different flavors, only a dollar
each for a mini cupcake.”
D ESPITE THE INITIAL loss, Andi, Rachel, and Kim quickly recouped the money with continuing sales. And
although they made sure to include health-conscious varieties like carrot and gluten-free
espresso, the fastest selling were the chocolate caramel, cream-filled s’mores, and
Easter candy cupcakes topped with jelly beans.
“Andi, look at that woman’s victory sword.” Kim nodded to the celebration for cancer
survivors taking place at the center of the field. “It looks like a shiny gold cake
cutter.”
“I’ll have to ask her where to get one,” Rachel said with a grin, “so we can celebrate
our own victory.”
Andi smiled, but her stomach remained tight. It was a little early to claim any kind
of victory. Two weeks remained in the month, and their profits hadn’t been enough
to even cover expenses. And she still needed to pay her back rent.
“The day we don’t have to work sixteen-hour shifts will be success enough,” Andi said,
her tone weary.
“My only complaint,” Rachel teased, “is that most of the single men at this event
are in high school. Not a great place to pick up a hot date.”
“Sorry, Rach—” Andi looked up, straight into Jake’s eyes, and it was almost as if
he could look right through her and see her exhaustion. The compassion on his face
made her heart flutter.
“Can you take a break to walk around the track with me?” Jake asked.
“Of course she can,” Rachel said, giving her a little push. “We can handle this crowd.
Right, Kim?”
“It seems to be winding down,” Kim agreed. “Everyone’s getting ready to light up the
luminary bags to honor the cancer victims.”
“Thanks, you two,” Andi said and whisked off her apron.
Jake wore jeans and an emerald green sweatshirt over a white T-shirt, and to Andi,
he’d never looked better. The clothes could not hide the fact he had a great athletic
build, with toned muscles in all the right places.
“I knew you must exercise to look so good.” She caught herself and corrected, “I mean—look
so fit.”
Jake’s lips twitched as if he were suppressing a grin. “I don’t walk as much as I’d
like to,” he said and shot her an earnest look of appeal. “Maybe if I had someone
to walk with, I’d find the time. Would you like to walk with me on Sunday?”
She cocked her head to
attitude change?”
“She must be up to something,” Kim warned. “I don’t trust her.”
“I don’t either,” Andi admitted, “but what can she possibly do to us here?”
A line of customers formed in front of their booth and Rachel turned toward her with
a frown. “This guy has a coupon for a free cupcake. What do I do?”
Andi looked at the slip of paper Rachel handed her. “The people in charge of the fundraiser
may have issued a few coupons to the public. Go ahead and give him one.”
However, a short time later they were inundated with dozens of these coupons.
“Why wasn’t I told about this?” Andi demanded.
Kim served four more free cupcakes to the kids lined up in front of them. “You made
sure we get to keep the money we spent on supplies, right?”
“That’s what I was told,” Andi assured her.
“We won’t recoup any money for supplies if this keeps up,” Rachel complained. “And
we aren’t raising any money for cancer research.”
“Look there!” Kim pointed. “The Zumba dancers are the ones handing out the coupons
to everyone. They’re trying to sabotage our efforts!”
“Not if I can help it,” Andi said, pulling off her disposable food handler’s gloves.
Marching up to the stadium stands where a jazz band had just performed, she took the
microphone. “I’m sorry to announce that due to a misprint, the Creative Cupcakes coupons
are invalid. The purpose of the fundraiser is to raise money. Please stop by and buy a sampling of our many different flavors, only a dollar
each for a mini cupcake.”
D ESPITE THE INITIAL loss, Andi, Rachel, and Kim quickly recouped the money with continuing sales. And
although they made sure to include health-conscious varieties like carrot and gluten-free
espresso, the fastest selling were the chocolate caramel, cream-filled s’mores, and
Easter candy cupcakes topped with jelly beans.
“Andi, look at that woman’s victory sword.” Kim nodded to the celebration for cancer
survivors taking place at the center of the field. “It looks like a shiny gold cake
cutter.”
“I’ll have to ask her where to get one,” Rachel said with a grin, “so we can celebrate
our own victory.”
Andi smiled, but her stomach remained tight. It was a little early to claim any kind
of victory. Two weeks remained in the month, and their profits hadn’t been enough
to even cover expenses. And she still needed to pay her back rent.
“The day we don’t have to work sixteen-hour shifts will be success enough,” Andi said,
her tone weary.
“My only complaint,” Rachel teased, “is that most of the single men at this event
are in high school. Not a great place to pick up a hot date.”
“Sorry, Rach—” Andi looked up, straight into Jake’s eyes, and it was almost as if
he could look right through her and see her exhaustion. The compassion on his face
made her heart flutter.
“Can you take a break to walk around the track with me?” Jake asked.
“Of course she can,” Rachel said, giving her a little push. “We can handle this crowd.
Right, Kim?”
“It seems to be winding down,” Kim agreed. “Everyone’s getting ready to light up the
luminary bags to honor the cancer victims.”
“Thanks, you two,” Andi said and whisked off her apron.
Jake wore jeans and an emerald green sweatshirt over a white T-shirt, and to Andi,
he’d never looked better. The clothes could not hide the fact he had a great athletic
build, with toned muscles in all the right places.
“I knew you must exercise to look so good.” She caught herself and corrected, “I mean—look
so fit.”
Jake’s lips twitched as if he were suppressing a grin. “I don’t walk as much as I’d
like to,” he said and shot her an earnest look of appeal. “Maybe if I had someone
to walk with, I’d find the time. Would you like to walk with me on Sunday?”
She cocked her head to
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