“I’m so glad Jillian has you to help make her wedding day special. She has been through so much, and I pray that the day my sister and Ben are married goes as well as she so richly deserves.”
“I hope so, too, Sister,” said Piper. “I’ve got to tell you that you’re making my life so much easier! With you baking the cake, all I have to do is decorate it.”
The nun smiled. “We are going to need you, Piper, to show us how to assemble it. When the layers are as large as I think you’ll want them to be, I would think you can’t just stack them one on top of the other.”
Piper nodded. “No, we’ll need supports, but it won’t be hard to do.”
“All right, then,” said Sister Mary Noelle as she gestured to a door at the rear of the room. “Let me show you our kitchen.”
Piper and Irene started walking.
“Oh, Irene,” said the sister, “I’m sorry, but Mother gave permission only for Piper to enter.”
“Surely she wouldn’t mind if I joined you,” said Irene.
The nun looked uncomfortable. “I’m sorry, but Mother isn’t available right now, and I’d never presume to amend the specific permission she gave me.”
Irene’s face registered disappointment, but she quickly composed herself. “No problem,” she said. “I’ll wait out in the garden for you, Piper.”
N o one else was in the kitchen.
“All the sisters are having their dinner, and after that they will observe an hour of silence for midday rest and contemplation,” explained Sister Mary Noelle.
Piper looked around. Everything looked familiar. The kitchen was outfitted in much the same way as her mother’s bakery. A large refrigerator and stove, an industrial-size electric mixer, sacks of flour and sugar waiting to be opened, and shining stainless-steel bowls stacked neatly on long worktables. Just like The Icing on the Cupcake.
“I think the only things we’re missing are the large round baking pans,” said Piper after she had checked out the cabinets and drawers. “And I’ll also get the wooden dowels to support and fasten the graduated cake layers. I’ve brought my piping tips and other paraphernalia with me from New Jersey. Other than that, all we need to decide is whether you sisters will amend your recipe or if we’ll go with the original pumpkin bread. I had some this morning, and it definitely tastes good enough to be cake.”
Sister Mary Noelle opened the refrigerator door, took out a shopping bag, and handed it to Piper. “The sisters have tried a few variations,” she said. “There are samples inside. Would you take them to Jillian and Ben? All three of you can taste and decide.”
Just as they were about to leave, an older nun appeared at the kitchen door. Sister Mary Noelle introduced Piper to the prioress.
Mother Mary Dominic nodded and smiled pleasantly. “Nice to meet you, Piper. I hope that we’ll be able to help you. The Abernathys have been very generous to us, and we are happy if we can help in some small way.” She turned to Sister Mary Noelle. “Is that Mrs. Abernathy I saw waiting outside?” she asked.
“Yes, Mother, that’s my father’s wife.”
“Well, you certainly know, Sister, that she would be welcome in our kitchen, too.”
Sister Mary Noelle’s face reddened slightly. “We’re finished here anyway, Mother,” she said.
Chapter 33
N ice work, Anastasia. Your story was great and the pictures and video were terrific. We’re blowing everybody away on this thing.”
Still in her terry-cloth robe, Anastasia lounged on her bed, propped up with a pile of down pillows. There was a copy of the L.A. Times on her lap. She had already read her story on the murder of Esperanza Flores three times. She held the phone to her ear and smiled with satisfaction at the praise coming from her editor.
“Glad you’re pleased, Tim,” she said. “I have to tell you that it’s a thrill to see my byline on the front page. That’s a first for me.”
“Yeah, well, keep up the
“I hope so, too, Sister,” said Piper. “I’ve got to tell you that you’re making my life so much easier! With you baking the cake, all I have to do is decorate it.”
The nun smiled. “We are going to need you, Piper, to show us how to assemble it. When the layers are as large as I think you’ll want them to be, I would think you can’t just stack them one on top of the other.”
Piper nodded. “No, we’ll need supports, but it won’t be hard to do.”
“All right, then,” said Sister Mary Noelle as she gestured to a door at the rear of the room. “Let me show you our kitchen.”
Piper and Irene started walking.
“Oh, Irene,” said the sister, “I’m sorry, but Mother gave permission only for Piper to enter.”
“Surely she wouldn’t mind if I joined you,” said Irene.
The nun looked uncomfortable. “I’m sorry, but Mother isn’t available right now, and I’d never presume to amend the specific permission she gave me.”
Irene’s face registered disappointment, but she quickly composed herself. “No problem,” she said. “I’ll wait out in the garden for you, Piper.”
N o one else was in the kitchen.
“All the sisters are having their dinner, and after that they will observe an hour of silence for midday rest and contemplation,” explained Sister Mary Noelle.
Piper looked around. Everything looked familiar. The kitchen was outfitted in much the same way as her mother’s bakery. A large refrigerator and stove, an industrial-size electric mixer, sacks of flour and sugar waiting to be opened, and shining stainless-steel bowls stacked neatly on long worktables. Just like The Icing on the Cupcake.
“I think the only things we’re missing are the large round baking pans,” said Piper after she had checked out the cabinets and drawers. “And I’ll also get the wooden dowels to support and fasten the graduated cake layers. I’ve brought my piping tips and other paraphernalia with me from New Jersey. Other than that, all we need to decide is whether you sisters will amend your recipe or if we’ll go with the original pumpkin bread. I had some this morning, and it definitely tastes good enough to be cake.”
Sister Mary Noelle opened the refrigerator door, took out a shopping bag, and handed it to Piper. “The sisters have tried a few variations,” she said. “There are samples inside. Would you take them to Jillian and Ben? All three of you can taste and decide.”
Just as they were about to leave, an older nun appeared at the kitchen door. Sister Mary Noelle introduced Piper to the prioress.
Mother Mary Dominic nodded and smiled pleasantly. “Nice to meet you, Piper. I hope that we’ll be able to help you. The Abernathys have been very generous to us, and we are happy if we can help in some small way.” She turned to Sister Mary Noelle. “Is that Mrs. Abernathy I saw waiting outside?” she asked.
“Yes, Mother, that’s my father’s wife.”
“Well, you certainly know, Sister, that she would be welcome in our kitchen, too.”
Sister Mary Noelle’s face reddened slightly. “We’re finished here anyway, Mother,” she said.
Chapter 33
N ice work, Anastasia. Your story was great and the pictures and video were terrific. We’re blowing everybody away on this thing.”
Still in her terry-cloth robe, Anastasia lounged on her bed, propped up with a pile of down pillows. There was a copy of the L.A. Times on her lap. She had already read her story on the murder of Esperanza Flores three times. She held the phone to her ear and smiled with satisfaction at the praise coming from her editor.
“Glad you’re pleased, Tim,” she said. “I have to tell you that it’s a thrill to see my byline on the front page. That’s a first for me.”
“Yeah, well, keep up the
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