Free Recipe for Love by Darlene Panzera Page A

already there, supplied
     by a local used appliance store. When everything was in place, there were two identical
     makeshift kitchens set up side by side.
    The head of the Sunday Market approached a microphone on the stage. “Welcome to Astoria’s
     first Sunday Market Cupcake Contest,” he said. “This year we have Creative Cupcakes
     competing against Hollande’s French Pastry Parlor.”
    Cheers rose as the crowd drew in to watch.
    “Everyone take a slip of paper,” he continued, “and at the end of two hours we will
     distribute samples from each shop. Vote for your favorite flavor, and the winner of
     the contest will take home this glorious golden trophy!”
    The trophy had been set up on a pedestal between the two kitchens, and Rachel caught
     Gaston staring at it.
    Both bakery teams immediately set to work. While pouring ingredients into the large
     mixing bowls, Andi found herself mesmerized by the sparkle of diamonds.
    “Did you see the ring on that woman’s finger?” Andi drew in her breath. “Three full
     carats at least.”
    “I didn’t notice,” Rachel said, hustling to mix the next bowl of cupcake batter.
    “How could you not?” Andi continued. “The shine sent a rainbow of color onto our baking
     table.”
    Rachel took Andi’s left hand, touched the fourth finger, and smirked. “Gee, Andi,
     something seems to be missing here. What could it be? I’ll have to mention this to
     Jake.”
    “Don’t you dare!” Andi snatched her hand away and grinned.
    Rachel held up her own bare hand. “I’ll marry someday. I just need to find the right
     groom.”
    Andi nodded toward Mike as he approached. “Here he comes.”
    Rachel glanced at Mike and couldn’t help but smile.
    “I brought you the extra ingredients you asked for,” Mike told them. “Is there anything
     else you need?”
    “Rachel needs another kiss for good luck,” Andi teased.
    “Fine by me,” Mike said and leaned over to place a quick kiss on Rachel’s lips.
    Beside the baking table, Mia and Taylor giggled and crooned, “Eww!”
    Jake walked over to join them and made the two five-year-olds giggle once again when
     he kissed Andi.
    “I did some research on Monsieur Hollande,” Jake informed the Creative Cupcakes team.
     “He lied when he said he won the trophy on Extreme Bake-off. He got kicked off in the final week, and according to the press, he was extremely angry.”
    “That’s why he’s obsessed with being number one,” Rachel said, dropping her voice
     so Gaston wouldn’t hear.
    “He set up a shop in Portland but couldn’t outbake the city’s competition, so he packed
     up and moved to Astoria,” Jake added. “He thinks Creative Cupcakes and the other bakeries
     in town are an easy conquest.”
    “We won’t be so easy to beat with these,” Kim said, holding up one of her new crystallized
     sugar and water floral sculptures decorating the frosted top of a white chocolate−macadamia
     nut cupcake.
    “It looks like glass,” Rachel exclaimed, leaning in to take a closer look. “Like the
     blue glass flowers we saw in Danielle’s glass shop.”
    Breaking apart, the group worked to finish baking the required 200 cupcakes by the
     two-hour deadline.
    “We have only thirty minutes left,” Andi reminded them as the contest drew to a close.
    “Going as fast as I can,” Rachel replied, pulling another batch out of the oven.
    Mia called to Andi across the zoned off bake area, “Taylor said I took her candy,
     but I didn’t. She took mine.”
    Taylor pulled Jake by the hand and came toward them.
    “Taylor wouldn’t lie,” Jake told Andi.
    Andi stopped icing the cupcakes and looked him in the eye. “Mia wouldn’t lie either.”
    As their voices rose and the squabble continued, Rachel turned her head to find Gaston
     next to their table, where they had placed a large bowl of cupcake batter. He smiled
     and turned away.
    Rachel walked toward the bowl and looked inside. Nothing looked wrong, but she