Grace's Gold
Sweet Treats Bakery

Excerpt

“Mama, how come the cake’s called a gold cake?” Adam’s sweet voice drew Grace’s attention. She smiled as Adam scrambled onto a stool behind the pastry counter for a better glimpse into the mixing bowl. Eyes wide, he watched Grace add lemon flavoring to the creamy mixture of eggs, butter and sugar.

“Because it looks golden when I take it from the oven.”

Adam brushed a lock of blond hair from his blue eyes as he peered into the bowl. “Like gold coins?”

“No, honey, not shiny like coins.” Grace added milk and a pinch of salt to the mix. “Just a pretty golden-brown.”

“Can I help stir?”

“Sure.” She handed him the spoon. “Give it a go.”

He took the wooden spoon and scrunched his face as he blended the ingredients. Milk sloshed over the side of the glass mixing bowl, but Grace didn’t mind. This was merely a sample—a test to see if the recipe she’d found in her grandmother’s Danish cookbook was something she and her sisters could add to the growing menu at Sweet Treats.

“Is this good, Mama?” Adam glanced her way and grunted as he worked the spoon along the edges of the bowl. He caught his lower lip between his teeth, and the mannerism gave Grace’s heart a jolt. He looked so much like Dan—with his deep blue eyes and determined gaze. How long had it been since the accident…since she’d lost Dan? Grace shook her head, releasing the thought. She had no desire to dwell on sad memories this sunshiny autumn morning.

“It’s great, honey.” Grace plastered on a grin as she watched Adam scrape the bowl, and found herself amazed at how quickly he was growing. Summer had eased into fall as his kindergarten year began. Soon enough they’d slip into the heart of winter and plow right on into spring. The jeans she’d bought him for back-to-school were already too short, exposing battered tennis shoes and cotton athletic socks, and sporting holes at the knees. His tousled mop of hair needed a trim, too. “Just a little bit more and we’ll drop the batter into a loaf pan and pop it in the oven.”

He attacked the batter with the spoon. “Then we can see it all golden and gobble it up.”

“Yes.” Grace laughed. “Then we can gobble it up.”

The bell over the door chimed, and Brent Peterson ambled in. Grace did a double take at his faded jeans that hugged thighs toned from years of riding horses, and drank in a ball cap tugged down tight over hair the color of rich coffee. His boots were scuffed and splattered with mud, and the clean scent of evergreen clung to him. Grace knew he must have been riding near Cade’s Cove again. She also knew the back country around the Cove was his go-to place when a problem stumped him and he needed to clear his head. They’d ridden there together enough times for her to know his favorite spots, depending on his mood. She wondered what gnawed at him now.

“Hey, Grace.” He nodded and pulled off his cap. “Hey, Adam.” He reached over the counter to fluff the boy’s hair. “What are you mixing there, champ?”

The nickname tugged at Grace’s heart, and Adam’s chubby little cheeks grew flush with excitement. His smile widened, exposing a wide gap where two front teeth were missing. Grace felt a familiar pang as her heart sank just a bit. Adam’s excitement at seeing Brent made her realize just how much he needed a father. How was she going to manage as he grew into adolescence, with all the questions and emotions that went hand in hand?

Grace chased away the thought. With God’s help, she’d manage. She didn’t want—or need—a husband. Losing Dan had been hard enough. No point in traveling that road again.

“Hey, Mr. Brent.” Adam hopped down from the stool, taking the bowl with him. “I’m helpin’ Mama.”

“Is that so?” Brent knelt to Adam’s height and splayed a hand across his shoulders. “Well, whatever you’re making, it sure smells good.”

“It’s gold.” Adam tipped the bowl toward Brent and the batter nearly tumbled to the floor. “And it’s really hard to stir.”

“Wow.” Brent helped him steady the bowl. “Gold?”

“Gold Cake,” Grace corrected as she wiped her hands on a kitchen towel. “It’s a recipe from one of the cookbooks I found in my grandmother’s things. I thought I’d give it a try.” She came around the counter to join him, and the clean scent of aftershave and evergreen mingled with sugar and vanilla. His hair tumbled back in waves that framed dark eyes and a wide smile. “We’re doing a taste-test to see if we should add it to the menu.”

“Well, judging by aroma alone, it gets my vote.” Brent took the batter-covered spoon Adam offered and tasted the mixture. “Yum…yeah. How long ’til it’s ready?”

“Forty-five minutes.”

“You wanna wait with us?” Adam handed the bowl back to Grace. “We could play with my Legos. Mama let me bring them today, ’cause we gotta be here all day, since it’s a school holiday and Auntie Kate’s at the doctor.”

“The doctor?” Concern shadowed Brent’s eyes as he stood to face Grace. “Is she OK?”

“I’m not sure. She wouldn’t say.” Grace drew a breath. “I wanted to ride along with her, but she insisted she go alone.”

“Sounds fishy.” Brent rubbed his chin and a shadow of stubble bristled. “Do you want me to call Logan and see if he’ll shed some light?”
“No.” Grace shook her head. She had an inkling what the doctor’s visit was about and silently counted back on her fingers to verify the guess. “Kate will let us know what’s going on when she’s ready. You know how stubborn she can be—tighter than Fort Knox.”

“Oh, yeah.” Brent laughed. “I think it runs in the Spencer family.”

“Mr. Brent.” Adam wiggled between them. “You wanna lick the spoon after Mama pours the batter into a pan? I’ll share with you.”

“Not this time.” Brent shook his head. “I’ll wait for the finished product. You dig in. I have to talk to your mom a minute.”

“Then maybe you’ll play Legos?”

“Sure.” He offered Adam a high five. “Go ahead and set them up. I’ll be over soon. What do you want to build today—a castle or a fort?”

“A castle!”

Brent’s warm eyes caught the bakery lights as he grinned. “A castle it is.”