The Perfect Mix (Keller Weddings Book 1) by Kenna Avery Wood

Beckett. She swallowed, preparing another protest.
    “This weekend,” Poppy persisted. “I’ll call Beckett and see if we can set it up.”
    “Poppy…”
    Her sister knew she’d won. She grinned. “We’ll have fun, you’ll see. Let’s check with Summer later this week and see if she has something new for us to wear.”
    Anna’s shoulders slumped. “Okay. Sure.”
    “Great.”
    Once Poppy set her mind to something, it was hard to change it. After a few more minutes of talking, Anna left through the front door and went to the main office, walking inside with a new plan in mind. She’d just see if Jillian had any extra events coming up. Then she could volunteer to help and use the excuse that she had to work.
    Beckett could find someone else to go with. It’s not like he didn’t have his choice of any woman out there. It was for both their sakes, really. Better all around.
    Inside, her mother sat on one of the four chairs in the lobby. They centered around a low table that held a tray with a coffee pot and dishes for cream and sugar.
    “A meeting?” Anna asked.
    Gale nodded. “In a few minutes. Jillian’s coming back from next door with some of those croissants you baked this morning.” She flashed a smile. “I’ve already had two.”
    “You always were my biggest fan,” Anna said.
    Gale’s eyes softened. “You always were my best chef. Even when you were little. Wouldn’t even eat macaroni and cheese unless it was homemade.”
    She’d heard the story before. More than once. But her mom liked to brag about her kids.
    “What was that?” Gale asked, standing.
    Anna focused on her before her thoughts could wander back to Beckett. “What was what?”
    “That look.” She walked to Anna and brushed a lock of hair from her cheek. “Poppy said you’ve been kind of down lately.”
    “Poppy has a big mouth.”
    Gale gave a gentle smile. “And a big heart. She wants you to be happy. Do you need a vacation?”
    Anna laughed. “No, I need Jillian to give me a job.”
    “A job?” Gale asked, looking confused.
    Jillian returned with a box and went straight for the tray. She unloaded the croissants into a basket and smiled at Anna.
    “What made you decide on croissants this morning?” she asked.
    Anna shrugged, but it had been a conscious decision. The bakery was specifically geared toward weddings, so she baked wedding themed cookies and cakes and desserts most often. Sometimes she just wanted to branch out–especially when lately, wedding themed anything was giving her a headache.
    “You’re welcome to sit in on the meeting if you want,” Gale said, concern still in her eyes. “Or Jillian can handle this, and we can go to lunch.”
    Anna forced a laugh and stepped back. “No. I’m fine. I’ll come back after the meeting.”
    Jillian glanced to the glass door. “There she is now.”
    When Anna saw the long blonde hair, she froze. It couldn’t be. But then she saw the face and her heart thudded. “Catrina Whitmore,” she whispered. “Shit.”
    Jillian jerked a glance at her. “How did you know?”
    “Mother fu–”
    “Anna!” Gale said, eyes wide.
    “I have to go. I need–” She needed to hide. It felt like the whole room was closing in around her. And Catrina was already coming through the door. She stumbled over her feet in her haste to get away. “Sorry, I’ll come by later.”
    She didn’t wait for a response, but raced down the long hallway, deciding whether to lock herself in one of the bathrooms or one of the meeting rooms. She rounded a corner and slammed into someone.
    “Whoa. Anna?” Beckett’s eyes narrowed as she yanked in a sharp breath. “What’s going on?”
    She didn’t answer, just grabbed his shirt, hauling him into the closest meeting room and shutting the door.
    “Anna–”
    “Shh.” She slapped a hand over his mouth before thinking. “Be quiet.”
    He pried her hand loose, but before he could say anything, she ducked to peer through one of the