Miss Delwin's Delights by Raine Cantrell

Author:Raine Cantrell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FICTION/Romance/Short Stories
Publisher: Diversion Books
Published: 2014-06-12T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

Bridie didn’t cry on the way home. She couldn’t even curse Kit. She had learned one more lesson. Next time she would trust her inner feelings that Kit was up to no good.

She didn’t for a minute believe that Jamie had told her the truth. Even if it was a brag the likes of which Kit would make. There was something more.

A bet. About her. How could Kit, a man so handsomely packaged, have such a wicked turn of mind? She had never done anything to harm him. Why would he deliberately seek her out to hurt?

She put up the horse when she reached home. She mashed the boiled egg yolks left from the frosting, and mixed it with bread and warm milk for Cinders. If she hadn’t already loved the puppy, she would take her right back to Mr. Gallager.

Bridie lost heart to finish her fancy cake. But ingrained practicality refused to allow her to waste it. She didn’t bother to drain the pecans but crushed them right along with the bourbon they had soaked in. She sprinkled them on each layer.

She hadn’t eaten anything since morning and the liquor’s fumes went straight to her head. The frosting had been left sitting too long and it was stiff and dry. With the bottle handy, she poured in a small amount of bourbon and worked it in. She wouldn’t think about what Jamie said. But that frosting got a beating that additional liquor helped to make creamy smooth. Foolishly, Bridie tasted it. Not a little finger lick, but a whole wooden spoon full.

“A little thinner or I won’t have enough,” she muttered and tilted the bottle over the bowl again.

Bridie didn’t know if she had any tolerance for liquor. She never drank any, but within minutes of the throat-burning, eye-watering mouthful going down, she had another taste.

Warmth slid inside her with all the comfort of eating hot porridge on a cold winter’s morning.

By the time she placed the last liquor-soaked layer on top there was no frosting left. Bridie wasn’t feeling any pain as she viewed her four-layer creation through blurry eyes.

“Cinders, any man eating this cake is gonna need gallons and gallons of coffee to sober him up. His head’ll feel like he stuck it in a hot oven. Just like mine,” she added with a moan.

“Liar, liar, set your tongue on fire.” The childish taunt was anything but to Bridie. She hoped that Kit won her cake, won it and ate every crumb and nut by himself. She hoped he’d make a fool of himself, too. Let everyone have a laugh at his expense for a change.

Having such spiteful thoughts didn’t sit well with her. The tears came, and kept on coming as she stumbled her way through evening chores. By the time she returned to the house a haze settled on her and she felt like she was floating.

She played tug-of-war over a rag with the puppy, grinning and laughing far more than her antics called for, but Bridie had never felt so free and cared so little.

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