Free Fool for Love by Beth Ciotta Page B

cause by compiling a recipe book and securing a major publisher. This wasn’t about “their charitable efforts.” This was about Tasha’s ten minutes of fame and glory. Unfortunately, she’d snowed the rest of the members.
    Pasting on a welcoming smile—because, hey, what if it wasn’t Tasha?—Rocky opened the door. “Gram!”
    “Wait’ll you get a load of my new recipe,” she said, waving a blue index card as she breezed inside. “Chloe says it’s a winner! And she’s a professional. This one will make our book for sure! If it doesn’t, she said Tasha’s a pinhead.”
    Smiling, Rocky watched as the Caddy zipped away from the curb. She had to meet this woman.
    Before Rocky closed the door another car pulled into the drive. Her cousin Sam. Several other members trickled in over the next few minutes. Ethel Larsen, Helen Cole, and Judy Betts, three of the senior members aside from Daisy. All of whom had husbands, brothers, sons, or grandchildren who’d fought overseas in one or another war. Rachel Lacey, the day-care assistant who’d moved into town at the beginning of the year, and Casey Monahan, a local artisan who’d introduced Rachel into the club. They both had siblings stationed in the Middle East. Most but not all of the members had a personal tie with someone in the military. Just as the original members who’d started Cupcake Lovers back in the Forties had. To this day, one of the club’s steady projects was to send cupcake care packages to various military troops. Tasha had introduced her recipe book project as a fund-raiser as well as a way to inspire people to bake cupcakes for good causes. Noble. Too bad she had ulterior motives. Too bad she’d infected the membership with her visions of glory.
    Traditionally, meetings opened with casual gossip. Some of it long distance. Much of it local. “Have you heard from so and so or how’s so and so doing? Did you hear about this person or that organization and their troubles? How can we help?”
    If tonight had been typical, someone would’ve inquired about Ethel’s recent battle with insomnia. Or asked Rachel about the status of the day-care school grant. Someone definitely would’ve asked Daisy how she liked her new companion! But this meeting opened with, “Did you see the burly guy from that specialty bakery in Connecticut and his amazing creation on Cupcake Wars ?”
    Rocky blamed Tasha.
    To think Dev had actually dated the self-absorbed manipulator. Granted, Tasha had seduced him at a vulnerable time. Still, even thinking about that short-lived affair made Rocky shudder. If Tasha had had her way, she would’ve finessed Dev into marriage. “Ick.”
    As if on cue, the curvy, cosmetically enhanced, brunette blew into Dev’s house with only the briefest of knocks. “All right, people. You are not going to believe this. I was flipping through two of the newest dessert books at the library and what do you think I found? A recipe for Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Butter-Cream Frosting!”
    Helen, who’d been baking cupcakes since the outset of the Vietnam War, perched her plump hands on her chunky hips. “Are you saying I submitted a poached recipe to the club?”
    “I’m saying your recipe isn’t original enough, Helen. Not for our book. If we’re going to keep it, you’re going to have to punch it up. A unique ingredient or a whimsical design. Did any of you catch this week’s episode of Cupcake Wars where that fat hairy guy—”
    “Who wants tea?” Rocky interrupted, desperate to interject some portion of the club’s normal routine.
    Everyone raised their hand but fell over one another talking about the latest episode of the cable food show. Even Sam! “The use of blueberry jam and tequila was inspired,” he said.
    “And what about the presentation round?” Casey asked.
    “ That’s what I’m talking about,” Tasha said.
    “Style over substance,” Rocky mumbled under her breath as she escaped into the kitchen. Typical of