I shook my head and clucked. “He’s going to get into trouble doing that.”
“That’s what I told him.”
We gathered everything up and headed out to my car.
***
When we got to the catering company, Della was at the desk behind the counter going over some paperwork. She looked up and smiled when she saw us.
“Good afternoon, ladies,” she said. “How are you today?”
I nodded and set the bag on the counter. “We’re doing great. And I have a business proposition for you.” Before I continued, I took out the containers that I had put the desserts in and set them on the counter.
Her eyes went to them, and she looked up at me. “A business proposition? That sounds interesting. What did you have in mind?” She took a sip from the cup on her desk and then got up and came to the front counter.
“That shake looks good,” I said, when she set the cup down.
“It’s a protein shake. It’s not bad. What did you have in mind?”
I removed the lid from the container that held the carrot cake and pushed it toward her. “You’re a caterer. And I bet every catered affair that you handle has at least one or two desserts. Right?”
Her eyes went to the carrot cake, and she nodded. “Oh yes, we do. We make lots and lots of desserts around here.”
“That’s what I thought. So I brought you a variety of some of my best desserts so that you could taste them. I thought that if you got too busy with your catered affairs, you might need a backup source of desserts.”
“I like how you think,” she said, nodding. “Sometimes we’re so pressed for time that making the desserts is a last-minute thing. It’s a lot of work.” She took a step forward, looking at the cake.
“I should have brought forks and paper plates so you could try this.” I glanced at Lucy.
Jodi and Lisa came out of the kitchen. “Hi, Allie,” Lisa said and came to look at the containers sitting on the counter. “What are you up to?”
“I had a great idea. I thought that since you all work so hard catering so many events around here, that you might like a backup source of desserts. So I brought some samples for you all to taste.”
She grinned. “You make the best desserts. I would love to try some of these. Oh, look, you’ve got that carrot cake that my husband and I tried at Henry’s. It is excellent.” She looked at Della. “Seriously, Allie makes the best carrot cake in the entire world.”
Della nodded. “I’m sure she does. It smells delightful. Why don’t you go back and get some plates and forks, and we’ll try out what she brought?”
Lisa nodded and hurried back to the kitchen.
Jodi frowned and stepped forward to look at the carrot cake. “Oh gosh, that smells so good. I bet it’s wonderful.”
“Well, you’re about to see just how wonderful it is,” I said.
She shook her head. “I can’t. I’m—I’m diabetic. And I don’t eat sugar.”
“Oh?” I asked. She had neglected to tell me that she was also diabetic. “You don’t want even a taste?”
She shook her head. “No, I have such difficulty keeping my blood sugar under control. I sure would love to, though. Have you ever thought about making sugar-free desserts?”
What was on my lips was, heaven forbid, but instead, I said, “you know, I bet there would be a real interest in that. I’ve never made anything sugar-free, but I might look into it.” I would probably never do that. I loved my sugar.
“I bet you could sell a lot of sugar-free desserts,” she said, glancing at Della.
Lisa came back with the plates and forks and set them on the counter. I wasn’t sure what to make of this. Jodi had said it was Della who was a diabetic, but now she was admitting that she was also diabetic. Had she lied?
Lisa had brought a small knife, and she cut a piece of the carrot cake for herself and one for Della and looked at us. “Would you both like a piece?”
I shook my head. “No, we’ve got the rest of the desserts at home. I just want the three of you to take a taste and tell me what you think.”
“Allie makes the best desserts around,” Lucy said, nodding. “Honestly, it would save you all so much work if you farmed out some of the dessert making to her.”
When Lisa handed Della a plate with a piece of the carrot cake on it, she hesitated, her eyes glued to it. Then she took the plate from her and smiled at me. “Jodi’s not the only one that’s diabetic. I’m also diabetic. But unlike Jodi, I will test out your desserts. I usually try to avoid sugar, except when testing new recipes, but sometimes I just can’t avoid it. So, I’m going to try this.” She cut into the cake with the side of her fork and took a bite. She grinned as she chewed and nodded. After she swallowed, she said, “this is excellent. This is the best carrot cake I’ve ever tasted.”
“Thank you,” I said, beaming. “I use only the freshest ingredients. They’re more expensive, of course, but they’re worth it.”
I glanced at Jodi, and she looked away. Why hadn’t she mentioned that she was also diabetic?
Della nodded. “I would expect only the best from you, Allie. All I’ve ever heard is how wonderful your desserts are. And honestly, this really takes the cake.” She chuckled. “Get it? It takes the cake.”
Lucy and I laughed. “I do get it. And I’m glad that you appreciate my baking.”
She nodded. “If the rest of
