Still Crazy

Chapter 11

"June first, and all I want to do is stay home and work in my garden. But I can't. Every bride out there wishes to get married with a summer breeze," I said as I tied my sneaker. "Did I tell you, we have twenty-eight wedding cakes to deliver this month, thirty-two graduation cakes, and then there are the people who still insist on blowing out candles on their birthday?"

"Julie, come on, are you ready?" Dan hollered from the other side of the door.

"I'm coming, I'm coming." I said and closed the door behind me. "You didn't hear a word I said, did you?"

"It's nice out this morning. Nice breeze."

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, it is nice."

Lady trailed behind us. "Come on, girl. Get up here." I didn't like it when she trailed behind me. I was always scared something would get to her before I could save her, although she thought she was the one protecting me.

A few minutes later, Dan stopped short in front of me, kissed me on the lips and asked, "Do you have plans this weekend?"

"Yeah. Delivering about a thousand cakes."

"I thought maybe we would go out to eat."

"To the Millbrook Café?" I asked, hoping he would say yes. I loved the Millbrook Café.

"I was thinking about this Thai restaurant down in Patterson. Jesse and I went there for lunch the other day. I think you'd like it."

"Let me check with Lynnae and see if she can work later on Saturday. Lady! Stop." Lady ran past Dan and I was afraid to see what she was chasing.

"She's fine. It looks like a balloon," Dan said.

I moved past him and picked up the Mylar balloon. It was in the exact spot the last one had been.

"What does it say?" he asked.

"Nothing. It's a cartoon character, Superman." I poked a hole in it and stuffed it in my pocket, same as before.

Dan and Lady left for work. He was clearing a building lot, which meant they would be gone all day. I was in my car on my way to work and I could not get the balloons out of my head. I drove past my own bakery. When I reached the traffic light, I pulled over and shut the car off.

How did two balloons land in the exact same spot? I looked up, as if God Himself would give me the answer. I started the car. Looked in my rearview mirror and pulled back onto the road. Maybe I should ask God, how many times does a woman have to forgive her husband before she loses her mind?

At the bakery, Lynnae was dancing, and singing so loudly she must not have heard the bell on the front door. When I tapped her on the shoulder, she jumped ten feet in the air.

I laughed so hard I almost fell into the table and chairs. "What's got you so jumpy?"

"I'm not watching any more damn scary movies with him. Last night, we watched a movie about a deaf-mute writer. Her old boyfriend was stalking her. Of course, she was living alone in the woods. Damn movie scared the crap out of me."

"I'm glad you have someone to cuddle with."

"Yeah, and that is all we are doing."

"When do I get to formally meet this Barry character?"

"Soon. I promise. So why were you late this morning?"

"I drove right by. Didn't realize it until I got to the light."

I looked up at the clock. Brooke and Stephanie were due any second. "Come on, we have orders to fill."

Tuesday, July 3rd, and everyone wanted the same thing – a red, white and blue sheet cake. "Good morning, Karly."