The four ibuprofen she’d gulped down with a Diet Coke didn’t do much to help the pinched nerve in her back. Grandma Edna had warned her that once she turned forty, everything would go kaput. Melvina now had to wear glasses to drive and to read. She could see great as long as nothing was too close or too far away. She had managed to jump the weight hurdle to land on the ladies-who-wear-glasses train, and now she was on the back-out-of-whack bus for the second time this year. Her chiropractor said it was all the time she spent hunched over a bowl of muffin batter, kneading bread, and hauling heavy racks of baked goods.
She wanted her own bakery, so the over-the-hill ailments would have to wait. Maybe Mona would have something in her medicine bag to get her through the night.
Melvina parked her car under the awning over the circular drive. All the guests would have arrived by now, so it wasn’t like she was blocking the way. She wobbled on the strappy silver heels that sparkled in the chandelier lights of the hotel lobby. She might look snazzy in her new designer dress, but if she walked any stiffer, someone would check her rear to see if a stick was protruding.
As she made the turn down the last corridor, she spotted Mona walking swiftly toward her. She heard a round of applause as Mona gave her the hurry-up wave.
“He’s just gone up. You haven’t missed anything except Celia’s boring accolade about her cake-bake ribbon.” Mona rolled her eyes. “Everyone knows your red velvet was way better, and besides, her daddy was one of the judges. Celia left that jellybean in the center of her carrot cake on purpose. Everyone in Magnolia knows her affinity for green jellybeans.”
Celia’s boasting was the least of Melvina’s concerns at the moment. She tottered behind Mona into the grand ballroom and skirted her way around the white cloth-covered tables.
Damn, I missed dinner.
Her empty stomach growled in protest. The tables boasted what looked like a chocolate mousse cheesecake with whipped cream and raspberries dotting the side. The fire chief nodded at Melvina, and she smiled in return. Mona elbowed her and Melvina winced, biting her lip.
“That bad?” Mona’s stage whisper earned her a glare from Celia, who was seated at the next table. Mona made an ugly face after the strawberry-blonde woman turned her attention back to the stage.
Melvina groaned softly and murmured, “And then some. Got anything in your bag stronger than Advil?”
Mona groped beneath her seat, grabbing a silver sequined bag. Pulling out a Pez dispenser with a piglet head, she popped out a pink pill and set it next to Melvina’s wine glass. A moment later, a waiter came out of nowhere and filled their glasses to the rim with white wine.
Picking up the pill, Melvina thought about the time Mona’s mother took them to a Pez store at the mall. She had bought them each a dispenser and a package of candy refills. Melvina made a Pez-filled cupcake that admittedly looked fun but tasted terrible. Heck, she’d had many a failed recipe along the way before she’d learned to perfect her baking style. She popped the pill into her mouth—the bitter taste on her tongue warned her the pill wasn’t Pez candy. Melvina grabbed the wine glass and took several large gulps. Droplets of wine escaped the corners of her mouth, and she dabbed at them with a napkin, trying to avoid splashing the liquid onto the maroon satin of her gown.
Melvina tried to focus on the handsome chef speaking at the podium.
“…and I also would like to thank the firefighting men and women of this wonderful community for putting their lives on the line every day to ensure the safety of others,” he went on. “It is because of you that we are gathered here to raise funds for the much-needed new firehouse. Magnolia is a growing community, and with growth comes responsibility. I am honored to have helped oversee the preparation of tonight’s dinner. I hope you will enjoy my contribution to this occasion, and I appreciate each and every one of you who donated here tonight. The plates weren’t cheap,” Riley Nash said in a sexy, southern drawl. He grinned, as laughter filled the ballroom over his quip.
It was a one-thousand-dollar-a-plate event. Luckily, Melvina had received a deep-discount rate because she’d coordinated the engagement and baked cupcake baskets to donate for the silent auction. Mona had been eligible for the discount rate as well, since she was technically Melvina’s “plus one.”
Melvina had paid for their dinners with the second-place prize money she’d won last month at the cake auction. She wanted to contribute more, but her finances were tight at the moment. Not to mention she’d donated a lot of time planning the event along with all the other volunteer work she did. As treasurer of the Blossoms, Melvina was considered Celia’s “right-hand man.”
She brushed off her guilty feelings over the discounted tickets.
You deserve to be here as much as anyone else.
Riley put his hand up to quiet the crowd. “Also, I want to acknowledge the little lady responsible for planning this dinner tonight and innocently telling my brother she didn’t know what she was going to do to entertain you people.”
Celia started to stand when Riley announced, “Let’s give a warm round of applause to Miss Melvina Banks. My brother swears she makes the best cupcakes in all of Texas, so make sure you bid high tonight on those delicious baskets.”
Celia sat back down and stared daggers in Melvina’s direction. The president of the Magnolia Blossoms offered a light golf clap and a stiff smile.
Melvina blinked in confusion as Mona elbowed her. “Get up,” Mona hissed.
Whatever Mona had given her had made Melvina’s back feel better, but her legs were like noodles. She gripped the table and stood nodding politely at the other guests in the ballroom. Smiling in the general direction of the super-hot man-chef who called her cupcakes the best in Texas, she gave a little wave, not knowing what else to do. She knew her baked treats were good, but praise and affirmation were always the sweetest reward.
“And what a lovely lady she is,” Riley said with a wink before turning to address the attendees. “Everyone enjoy the rest of your dessert. My brother Ran Nash and the Tomball Cats are going to start the night off with a little music. It would be my honor if Miss Banks would join me for the first dance of the evening.”
Melvina felt Mona pop her on her derriere with her dinner napkin. “You go, girl.” Mona pulled her chair away and gave her a gentle shove in the direction of the handsome man in the black tux.
Riley placed the microphone in the stand and walked toward Melvina with a beaming smile that exuded confidence. A warm feeling of ease washed over her, and she was surprised at how light she felt—like she was floating on a cloud.
“May I?” It was a redundant question but seemed appropriate nevertheless as Riley extended his hand to the woman standing before him in the middle of the dance floor. Melvina Banks gave him a glorious smile.
His brother Raphe had told him about the lady at the café who was the sweetest thing he’d met this side of Louisiana, but he hadn’t mentioned how beautiful she was. Melvina’s long blonde hair shone in the candescent light of the chandeliers sparkling overhead—someone took it upon themselves to dim the light before he could determine the exact shade of her green eyes. Her skin was smooth, and she wore a gown that pushed her breasts together, distracting him for a moment as his eyes slid down to his feet.
He wasn’t the world’s best dancer, but he could cut a rug when the time called for it. His mother had insisted on dance classes a few years back when one of the country club hens decided to throw an annual family gala.
He was in high school and had protested at first until he met the private instructor his mother had hired. Leena had taught him more than how to dance, and for that, he was grateful. She had taught him about sex, love, and the difference between the two. He thought he had loved Leena. The dance instructor was gentle with him, and he didn’t have any scars from their parting, just sweet memories from his seventeenth summer.
Melvina’s eyes glinted and she lifted her chin in a slight challenge. “I’m a big girl,” she said simply.
Riley tried not to let his jaw drop. He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry—” he began, wanting to apologize. Had he been that obvious in his admiring appraisal?
“It’s okay,” she interrupted him, holding up her hand. “I’m sure you’re used to skinny model types like Celia. I won’t hold you to it if you don’t want to dance.” She glanced around the room, clearly looking for an escape even though every eyeball in the room was focused on them.
Shoot! His face flushed with heat. Melvina had it all wrong! Yes, her breasts were voluptuous, but he was staring because she was a knockout. “Are you crazy? And miss out on dancing with the prettiest lady at the ball?” Riley knew he was laying the charm on thick, but she really was the loveliest woman he’d ever seen. He loved the way her dress hugged her curves, and if it wasn’t politically incorrect to say so, he’d tell her he never trusted women who only ate salad.
He also knew all about Celia and her type. He’d done some digging and found out she usually took full credit for all the Magnolia Ladies’ fundraisers and events. Riley’s younger brother Raphe, who was a firefighter in Houston, had made the initial connection with Melvina. Riley had gotten some of his best recipes from the brotherhood of firemen. Those hardworking men graced his kitchen the first Sunday of every month for the barbecue he hosted. Firemen really knew how to cook. And, they appreciated good food.
A friend had stopped by Raphe’s firehouse with a pink box full of cupcakes. Raphe asked about the lady who’d baked the delicious sweet treats, and his friend told him about Melvina baking for her father’s café, and how much she did for the community as a whole. When visiting their brother Ran in nearby Tomball, Raphe stopped by the café to buy cupcakes to take back to the station—he also got a chance to meet the cupcake lady herself. He overheard her chatting with a customer at the lunch counter about needing entertainment for the fundraiser. Raphe told Ran, who volunteered his band that same day.
Riley had been looking forward to meeting Melvina after his brother told him all about her. Evidently, Melvina was an event dynamo, and was always organizing charity dinners for firefighters, bake sales for the elementary school, and promoting literacy at the local library. Not only was she kind, but she made the most scrumptious cupcakes in Texas. Pastry and desserts weren’t his forte, but Riley made a pretty good red velvet fluff cupcake, a special recipe he’d invented himself. He had a hankering to challenge her to a bake-off just to watch her in action heating up his kitchen. Right now, she was heating up the ballroom in her wine-colored gown.
No way would he let her get out of dancing with him. As she began to step away, he took her by the hand and pulled her into his arms. Coaxing her around the dance floor, he felt her body relax against his. Smiling as other couples soon joined in, he silently thanked Ran for starting the music with a slow, soulful bass. They moved around the floor at an easy pace.
Riley’s eyes met Melvina’s and her smile almost made him forget the steps to the waltz. The kind of smile that told him she knew something he didn’t. A dimple graced one of her rounded cheeks. Damn! Melvina was sexy, but not like the kind of gal you might see shopping in Gucci at the Galleria. She was beautiful and wholesome, like the leading ladies on Lifetime. Not that he watched the channel, but his mother and sister were suckers for romance, so he usually found himself absorbing the innumerable movies that played non-stop over the holidays.
Right now, Riley was having a hard time concentrating on the waltz as he stared at Melvina’s sparkling green eyes. She winced as he missed the step and accidentally clipped one of her toes with his black, hand-tooled leather cowboy boots. “Oh no, sorry. I’m usually much better at this.”
“Don’t worry,” she said, a pretty blush highlighting her cheeks.
Trying to redeem himself, he righted his step and twirled her around. Unfortunately, he’d caught her off balance and Melvina gasped as she stumbled back. Too late! Her curvy backside bumped the mayor and his wife, who then stumbled into the new doctor and her new husband, who then crashed into Celia, who grabbed a hold for dear life to the fire chief before falling into the trio of chocolate fountains.
The domino effect sent the elaborate fountains spinning as Celia’s spiky heels caught the corner of the tablecloth. Chocolate flung in all directions like a literal shit-storm hitting the fan. Dancers spattered in milk, dark and white chocolate stood in varying displays of shock, anger and disbelief. The Tomball Cats fumbled a few notes but played on, switching quickly to a line dance that was directed to pick up at the front of the stage. It drew a greater portion of the guests away from the mess and helped to curtail the waves of laughter that rippled around the ballroom.
Riley had tightened his hold around Melvina’s waist to ensure she didn’t fall. “Are you okay?”
“Oh my god, I can’t believe what I’ve done.” Melvina moaned with sheer embarrassment.
“That wasn’t all you, sweetheart. I think my momma would be covering her eyes if she saw what I just did. After all, it was my toe stepping on your toe that started the whole affair.” He had to take credit for the mishap, since he was staring at her cleavage when he missed a step and sent their balance off kilter.
Riley spotted Raphe wiping chocolate off his dance partner. When his brother’s gaze locked with his, Raphe tossed the dirty napkin on top of the chocolate fiasco and made his way over to Riley. “Hey Bro, what up?” Raphe sounded like a country rapper, hip-hop, thug wanna-be. Riley smiled at the outdated meant-to-be-amusing slang. Raphe’s catlike smile revealed his barely disguised amusement.
“Glad you made it. I see you missed my speech.” Riley had seen his younger brother enter through the side door sometime after Melvina’s belated entrance. He was in the company of a hot date and had a smudge of red lipstick on his collar, so Riley understood the where and why for the delay. The dinner was paid for, so it didn’t matter that Raphe was tardy. “Can you escort this lovely lady to our table and get her a glass of champagne? I need to help clean up this situation.” Raphe nodded and took Melvina by the arm. She darted a glance over her shoulder as she was led away to Riley’s table. He noticed her cheeks were still stained pink in embarrassment from the accident.
He was such a klutz. Blowing out a breath, he strode to the group wiping chocolate from their evening attire.
“Sorry, folks. Not sure what happened there, but it might have just been my fancy two-steppin’. I’d like to pay for the dry-cleaning of everyone who got dipped or dabbed, and champagne is on the house for anyone who wants it, plus a room at the hotel is on me to use tonight or any other future night if you already have plans. Just tell Lonnie at the front desk that Riley Nash sent you.”
The expressions on the faces of the guests transformed from annoyed to appeased in a manner of seconds. A few folks told him it wasn’t necessary, but still pinched the proffered business cards and headed toward the lobby. In his experience, it was rare that anyone turned down free when he was the one offering. His celebrity chef credentials carried a lot of weight, and the swank new hotel that just opened in the Galleria of Magnolia was nothing to snub your nose at. The elegant outdoor shopping, apartments and dining mixed developments were making a hit all over Texas, and Magnolia was one of the wealthy areas of Houston’s overflowing housing markets. The Woodlands was nearby, and the Texans’ famous quarterback frequented the hotel on several occasions.
A milk-chocolate-spattered Celia approached him but waved away his apology and offer. “I know it wasn’t you. Melvina is a bull in a china shop. She might be good at baking and making a couple reservations, but she can’t handle the attention of a man like you, Riley Nash.” Her eyes darted over the length of his tux and back again. The calculating gleam in her eye spelled trouble.
Celia would be considered quite a beauty by most, but he didn’t like her style. She wore her sleek strawberry-blonde hair in a tight chignon at the base of her neck, and her ivory skin was flawless. Her lips were a perfect shade of pink, but her words angered him. He hated her casual dismissal of Melvina’s hard work, and how she instantly blamed Melvina for the chocola-tastrophe. By all rights, he knew the mess was his own doing. He couldn’t believe he had accepted Celia’s invitation to dinner next week. Damn! She’d cornered him before the event had begun. Before he’d met Melvina in person.
Now what?
He thought of a million things he wanted to say, but then thought about the contract he had just signed with his publicity agency. Reaching out, he wiped a dab of chocolate off Celia’s cheek. “Trust me, the mistake was all mine.” He tasted the chocolate on his finger, sizing her up with a cool stare…. He tried not to laugh at her bedraggled appearance. “Yum, I think there is a little Amaretto in here.” Winking at her pinched expression, he turned and walked away.
Lord have mercy, I’m on a roll tonight!
Melvina’s hand shook a little as she downed the champagne that Riley Nash’s brother had handed her. She scanned the room for Mona, who was currently in Jorden McBride’s arms being whirled around the room. They’d known Jorden since they were kids before his parents shipped him off to his relatives in New Hampshire. He’d returned recently for his work in the oil patch. They had seen him a few times at Pop’s Café, but he seemed to be in Houston most of the time. Melvina suspected Mona was head over heels, but their old schoolmate had grown up to be a quiet sort of man—hard to read.
Riley’s brother cleared his throat. “I’m Raphe. You probably don’t remember me, but I bought a couple dozen cupcakes from you a while back.” He grinned.
“Oh, wonderful! I hope you liked them. You must be the brother who told Riley about my cupcakes.”
“Yes’m. I heard you telling someone you needed entertainment, and so I told Ran.”
“Well bless your heart. I really owe you one. We have a set budget for this charity dinner, and I have to be a wizard sometimes to make the balance sheet work out for the treasury.” Melvina was happy that she got to meet the nice brother who helped her complete the event, but he was wearing at least three Hershey bars worth of chocolate on his lapels as she spoke with him, and his date was currently marching back from the ladies’ room looking none too happy with the stains on her white silk gown.
“Well now, darlin’, don’t you look good enough to eat.” Raphe’s smile was devilish as he snaked his arm around the model-thin redhead. The corners of her mouth were tilted down, and her lips pressed together so hard that she could have been Mona’s younger sister.
Trying to apologize, Melvina set her champagne flute down and stood up from the table, but the room began to spin. She grabbed onto the table and knocked Raphe’s champagne flute over, splashing it onto his date’s dress. The redhead squealed, and Raphe tried to blot her down with a napkin until she stamped her foot and spun around in disgust.
“I am so—so—sorry,” Melvina wasn’t sure why her words were coming out slurred. This was only her second drink of the night and she never even finished her first.
Raphe’s voice rang with good-humored laughter. “She’ll get over it. I bought the dress for her anyway and I’ll buy her another. It’s not a big deal. If you ask me, I thought the whole scene was a hoot! All that chocolate flying and those uptight people squawking like a bunch of chickens with a fox in the henhouse.”
Melvina clutched her spinning head. What was in Mona’s Pez dispenser?
There was no glimpse of her cheeky friend anywhere. She would have to call Eli to drive her home. Even though she’d done her part as treasurer, coming to the event had been a disaster. Outside of the chocolate fiasco and her own clumsiness, the fire department should benefit nicely from the event. Melvina reminded herself that getting a new fire station was more important than her own problems.
She searched for her small evening bag but couldn’t find it. Then she remembered she was at Mr. Nash’s table, not hers, way in the back. A wave of self-consciousness assailed her as she thought about walking the long distance between their tables to find her handbag. Raphe must have read her look.
“I can walk you back to your table if you left something there, but I think my brother, Riley, wants to see you again.”
Melvina’s eyes widened. She certainly didn’t want to be stumbling around in front of Riley Nash. “I’ll be okay. You have your date to attend to. Tell your brother I’m sorry, but I’m not feeling very well.” She didn’t wait for Raphe’s response and was saved by the return of his date. The handsome younger brother was too caught up soothing the redhead’s ruffled feathers to stop Melvina’s retreat.
Uh oh! Here comes trouble.
Melvina spotted Celia making a bee-line toward her as she reached her table.
“That was not funny! I hope you learn something from all this.” The stick-thin woman waved her arms, encompassing the chocolate-covered mess on her dress.
Melvina gaped at the usually aloof ice princess with her daggers out. Of course, she’d never seen Celia drenched in chocolate, either.
“Yes indeed, I have.” Melvina tried to bite back the thousand retorts crawling up the back of her throat like soldiers storming the beaches of Normandy.
Uh-oh! Those aren’t words.
Before she could make a move to the bathroom, she projectile-vomited all over Celia Lockwood’s shoes, the only part of the Blossom President not covered in chocolate. Celia’s screeches echoed around the room, but Melvina couldn’t be bothered by the woman’s antics. The night had turned into a fiasco.
Melvina’s skin felt hot and her head was spinning. She wiped her mouth with a random napkin and turned to leave.
Mona found Melvina before she reached the lobby, cackling about the whole event, but Melvina couldn’t focus. Her friend’s voice was disturbing her inner peace, of which she had very little right now. She needed to get to the parking lot before she soiled another part of the hotel.
“Mona, I have to get outside quick. I’m going to be sick again, and I don’t think I have anything left to throw up. I didn’t have much to drink, and I haven’t eaten since noon. What was in that Pez dispenser?”
“Just a little Xanax—” Mona took in a whoosh of breath. “You aren’t preggers, are you?”
“Geez Louise, Mona,” Melvina muttered, pressing her hand to her stomach. “You know all about my love life. It would have to be an immaculate conception if I were. Now get out of my way so I can get out of here.”
Mona tittered but took Melvina’s arm in a supportive grip and led her out the door. Melvina’s car was parked in the circular drive a few feet from the entrance.
“Wow, the valet must be psychic,” Mona marveled.
“I left it here.” Melvina rolled her eyes at her friend’s outrageous remark.
“There wasn’t any valet when I arrived. Must have been on break, so I left the keys under the mat. Look, I hate to ask this, but since you’re the one who roofied me, you can drive me home.”
Mona slapped her leg. “Melvina Rayanne, I never did such a thing! You asked me for a painkiller, and I gave you one.”
Melvina’s voice found clarity as she opened the passenger side of the car and threw the keys to Mona. “You gave me a sedative, not a pain reliever.”
Mona got in the driver’s seat, glancing back wistfully at the twinkling lights of the hotel lobby, probably looking for Jorden. “When I got divorced, I took them all the time for pain.”
Melvina winced and rolled down the window, hanging her head out like a terrier. “You took them for emotional pain, not back pain. You can’t mix Xanax with alcohol! It makes you sick, or worse.”
Mona stepped on the gas, speeding toward the 249 freeway. “I don’t know what you are talking about. I took those with three martinis every night before bed and it did me a world of good.”
