Tuesdays also brought in a donation,
as did the parents of all the children involved in the kids’ cupcake camp that Andi
had started as an afternoon program. The dateless women who commiserated with each
other at the Saturday Night Cupcake Club and friends from the local police station
also gave money.
“Can’t have our favorite cupcake shop go out of business,” Officer Ian Lockwell told
them.
“No, we can’t,” William Burke agreed.
Kim jumped back with a jolt of surprise. She hadn’t seen her father drift in with
the crowd.
“Dad!” Andi exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”
Kim watched her father fiddle with his wallet, turning it over in his hand, while
looking around at the shop filled with people.
Finally, he cleared his throat and looked right at her, his eyes moist. “Your mother
loved to dream. My dream was to keep you all safe, even if that meant talking you out of things you
wanted to do from time to time. I tried to steer you toward what I thought was best.
I was wrong when I tried to discourage you from opening the cupcake shop. You’ve worked
hard for this, and . . . I’m proud of you.” He shifted his gaze to Andi. “I’m proud
of all of you.”
“So am I,” Rachel’s mother said, drawing near. “You’ve all inspired me to pursue my
own dream. Since I took out the old Singer sewing machine to alter Rachel’s wedding
dress, I decided I liked it so much I want to open a bridal shop!”
“That’s wonderful,” Andi said, her voice excited. “Maybe you can work on my wedding
dress, too.”
“And mine,” Kim said and blushed. “I didn’t mean a wedding dress for me, but a bridesmaid
dress. I’ll need two of them, one for each wedding.”
Kim thought she saw a glimmer of warmth pass through her father’s eyes as he looked
at Rachel’s mom. But Sarah Donovan locked her gaze on Guy, who stepped forward, took
her hand, and drew her away with a bigger grin on his face than Kim had ever seen.
“Do you have enough money to buy the shop?” Kim’s father asked, turning his attention
back to them.
Kim looked at Andi, who hesitated, then shook her head.
“We’re still short.”
“I’ll make up the difference,” he told them, “and you can repay me when you can.”
Kim looked at her sister. “We can buy the building!”
“I—I don’t know what to say, Dad,” Andi said, tears welling in her eyes. “Except—thank
you.”
He took a step closer and draped an arm across each of their shoulders in what Kim
thought he meant as a hug. This was a huge step for a man who had nearly strained
their relationship beyond repair.
“Yes,” Kim said and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”
“Dream big,” he told them. “And make Creative Cupcakes a success.”
A FTER SIGNING THE papers transferring ownership of the building into their names the following morning,
Kim, Andi, and Rachel took one of their biggest chocolate chip cupcakes with chocolate
butter cream frosting to the hospital for Grandpa Lewy.
“The doctors said they may have misdiagnosed your grandfather,” Bernice told them,
her hand intertwined with Rachel’s grandfather’s. “He has a severe bladder infection,
which often produces the same characteristics of Alzheimer’s. They say it must have
been building in his system for several months.”
Rachel’s mouth popped open. “Do you mean he can get better?”
“What do you mean, ‘get better’?” he asked. “What’s wrong with me now?”
“You’ve been hiding our cupcakes in your memory box and taking them out of our store,”
Rachel told him. “We lost a lot of money.”
Grandpa Lewy opened the memory box covered with photos of Rachel and her parents,
and some older ones of the time he spent as a young man with Bernice. “You mean this
money?”
Everyone in the room drew in their breath as they all stared at the assortment of
fives, tens, and twenties.
“I didn’t eat
as did the parents of all the children involved in the kids’ cupcake camp that Andi
had started as an afternoon program. The dateless women who commiserated with each
other at the Saturday Night Cupcake Club and friends from the local police station
also gave money.
“Can’t have our favorite cupcake shop go out of business,” Officer Ian Lockwell told
them.
“No, we can’t,” William Burke agreed.
Kim jumped back with a jolt of surprise. She hadn’t seen her father drift in with
the crowd.
“Dad!” Andi exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”
Kim watched her father fiddle with his wallet, turning it over in his hand, while
looking around at the shop filled with people.
Finally, he cleared his throat and looked right at her, his eyes moist. “Your mother
loved to dream. My dream was to keep you all safe, even if that meant talking you out of things you
wanted to do from time to time. I tried to steer you toward what I thought was best.
I was wrong when I tried to discourage you from opening the cupcake shop. You’ve worked
hard for this, and . . . I’m proud of you.” He shifted his gaze to Andi. “I’m proud
of all of you.”
“So am I,” Rachel’s mother said, drawing near. “You’ve all inspired me to pursue my
own dream. Since I took out the old Singer sewing machine to alter Rachel’s wedding
dress, I decided I liked it so much I want to open a bridal shop!”
“That’s wonderful,” Andi said, her voice excited. “Maybe you can work on my wedding
dress, too.”
“And mine,” Kim said and blushed. “I didn’t mean a wedding dress for me, but a bridesmaid
dress. I’ll need two of them, one for each wedding.”
Kim thought she saw a glimmer of warmth pass through her father’s eyes as he looked
at Rachel’s mom. But Sarah Donovan locked her gaze on Guy, who stepped forward, took
her hand, and drew her away with a bigger grin on his face than Kim had ever seen.
“Do you have enough money to buy the shop?” Kim’s father asked, turning his attention
back to them.
Kim looked at Andi, who hesitated, then shook her head.
“We’re still short.”
“I’ll make up the difference,” he told them, “and you can repay me when you can.”
Kim looked at her sister. “We can buy the building!”
“I—I don’t know what to say, Dad,” Andi said, tears welling in her eyes. “Except—thank
you.”
He took a step closer and draped an arm across each of their shoulders in what Kim
thought he meant as a hug. This was a huge step for a man who had nearly strained
their relationship beyond repair.
“Yes,” Kim said and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”
“Dream big,” he told them. “And make Creative Cupcakes a success.”
A FTER SIGNING THE papers transferring ownership of the building into their names the following morning,
Kim, Andi, and Rachel took one of their biggest chocolate chip cupcakes with chocolate
butter cream frosting to the hospital for Grandpa Lewy.
“The doctors said they may have misdiagnosed your grandfather,” Bernice told them,
her hand intertwined with Rachel’s grandfather’s. “He has a severe bladder infection,
which often produces the same characteristics of Alzheimer’s. They say it must have
been building in his system for several months.”
Rachel’s mouth popped open. “Do you mean he can get better?”
“What do you mean, ‘get better’?” he asked. “What’s wrong with me now?”
“You’ve been hiding our cupcakes in your memory box and taking them out of our store,”
Rachel told him. “We lost a lot of money.”
Grandpa Lewy opened the memory box covered with photos of Rachel and her parents,
and some older ones of the time he spent as a young man with Bernice. “You mean this
money?”
Everyone in the room drew in their breath as they all stared at the assortment of
fives, tens, and twenties.
“I didn’t eat
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