Free Always A Bridesmaid (Left At the Altar) by Jana Richards Page B

. Just what she needed.
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Chapter Six
    They followed the GPS's directions to the bakery, parked and went inside. A glass case displayed a mouth-watering selection of cupcakes frosted with thick chocolate and vanilla icing. Beside the cupcakes were arranged three different kinds of cheesecakes and a mile-high chocolate fudge cake. Dani felt her stomach growl in reaction.
    Close your eyes and think of England.
    "Hi, we're here to pick up a wedding cake for Fiona Campbell," Zach said.
    The cashier behind the counter grimaced. "We didn't expect you quite so early. We're not done decorating it."
    "How long will it be?" Dani asked.
    "At least half an hour, maybe forty-five minutes."
    He checked his watch. "If it's any longer than that we won't make it in time for the rehearsal."
    The cashier nodded. "I'll ask the decorator to put a rush on it." She excused herself and hurried into the back.
    "Do you want to wait here, or should we try to find a coffee somewhere?"
    Dani swallowed, and forced her gaze away from the cupcakes. Unfortunately, it landed on the cheesecake. "I think we should get out of here." Before I jump over the counter and make a fool of myself.
    He followed her gaze, then steered her out the door. "Are you okay?"
    She felt her face flame in embarrassment. What a joke he must think she was. Too weak to be in the same room as baked goods.
    "I'm fine."
    "Hey, I was pretty tempted by the cupcakes too."
    "Yeah, but you probably would have stopped at one." She hadn't felt that kind of over-powering temptation for a long time. But then, it had been a particularly stressful weekend, complete with large doses of Chantal. And Zach. And it wasn't over yet.
    "There's a coffee shop across the street," he said, gently guiding her with a hand on the small of her back. "Why don't we sit down for a few minutes?"
    They claimed a table in front of the sunny window and a young waitress took their order for coffee. Dani sat facing the window, glad she didn't have to look at the muffins and doughnuts in the display case.
    Their coffee was delivered and she stirred a small plastic container of low-fat milk into hers. She sipped the hot liquid carefully, grateful the craving for cupcakes had subsided. It usually did if she managed to delay long enough without giving in.
    "Are you okay?" he asked again.
    "Yes, I'm fine." She made herself smile, even though she knew she was blushing. "Just battling old demons."
    "I know what you mean. I used to smoke."
    "You smoked?" Somehow he didn't strike her as a person who would willingly fill his lungs with carcinogenic substances. He was too smart for that.
    "You don't have to look so horrified," he said with a grin. "It was stupid, I know. I started smoking in university because I thought it helped me deal better with stress. Before I knew it I was hooked."
    "How did you manage to quit?"
    "I joined a smoking cessation group. The first few weeks were hell, and then finally the cravings started to weaken. But every once in a while, even after being smoke-free for five years, I'll see someone smoking, and I'll think how great it would be to light up again. So, I can relate to the cupcake addiction."
    She felt herself relax. "I appreciate you telling me. Unfortunately, unlike smoking, I can't give up eating entirely. Every day I have to face the pastas and breads and all the other things I love that tend to put an extra layer of padding on my butt."
    "You must be winning the battle. You look great. Especially your butt."
    She looked away, her face heating with her blush. She wished he'd stop saying things like that when they weren't true. It only embarrassed her and made her feel patronized. Worse, it made her doubt the truth of everything he told her.
    How would he react to the news that he'd inspired her greatest weight loss? Until his wedding last year, her diet had hit a plateau. But after the humiliation of popping out of her dress in front of him, she had redoubled her efforts to lose weight.