“Awesome. I’ll see you around six-ish then? Finish up whatever you’re doing, and hopefully I won’t hit too much traffic.”
Caitlyn finished making plans with Harper and then hung up the phone, her gaze landing on her to-do list. The anniversary party was the biggest event she had in the next month—and she was taking over where someone else left off. The yacht the party would be on sounded amazing, and she had to admit she was looking forward to seeing everything come together.
Despite herself, her heart fluttered in her chest. Maybe one of the officers at the event would know Troy, her mystery Navy SEAL from the beach. It seemed kind of far-fetched, because she knew there were multiple SEAL teams and more than likely, others who were directly involved in their command. But stranger things had happened. Someone there probably did know Troy and his friends.
She had a feeling something big was on the horizon. She might not know what, but one way or another, she felt like her life was about to change.
Chapter 6
Caitlyn tapped her foot impatiently as the caterers brought food aboard the yacht. They’d be preparing the main course in the kitchen, but some of the appetizers had already been made. They’d be chilled and then served along with cocktails when the guests arrived. She watched as cases of champagne and carts of food were brought on, mentally going over what else needed to be done.
“Nice boat!” Harper called out, wheeling a massive cake along the pier toward them. Two men in uniform were walking beside her, and Caitlyn tried not to laugh. Her best friend was in her element, surrounded by handsome military guys. And from the way Harper had their complete and utter attention, they seemed fascinated with her as well.
“That looks amazing,” Caitlyn said, eyeing the white concoction. “And much bigger than what fifty people would need.”
She shrugged. “Ms. Rice wanted something extravagant. The buttercream frosting and raspberry filling are to die for. It’s popular with my wedding cakes, too, but she wanted something light yet decadent for their party.”
Caitlyn nodded at some of the wait staff that had been hired for the event. They rushed toward Harper and took the cart, wheeling the cake onboard. The two military men went back to their posts, watching the entire area.
“Those two were dreamy,” Harper said with a grin. Her dark hair was pulled back in a messy twist, and she had on snug black jeans, a trendy top, and denim jacket. Caitlyn felt almost frumpy compared to her best friend. She’d worn simple black slacks, flat shoes, and a lightweight blouse. She couldn’t exactly get away with a cute dress. She never knew what type of last-minute tricks she’d need to pull. Past events had her crawling under tables when cords were pulled from the outlet, helping to quickly clean up place settings off the floor, and worse. She needed functional clothes for events like this, and jeans wouldn’t exactly cut it.
“You and your military guys,” Caitlyn joked. “But seriously, the cake looks amazing. Dear God, I think I gained weight just looking at it.”
“Right—you who never gain an ounce. I’m tall and slender, but you’ve got the killer curves, girl. I think those guys were practically drooling over you.”
Caitlyn resisted the urge to roll her eyes. With her freckles and red hair, she was usually called cute, not sexy. Not that she needed to be ramping up the sex appeal at a work function. She had flat-ironed her red waves to tame them, but she didn’t exactly stand out at her best friend’s side.
“I’ve got so much to do before the party starts.”
“Well, I can help if you need something. I had a wedding cake to deliver this morning and then bridal shower cupcakes earlier. This is my last stop.”
“I thought you hired someone for deliveries,” Caitlyn said as the women walked aboard the boat. The catering and waitstaff were all rushing around, and the florist was setting up arrangements on the two-top tables aboard the deck. It was a gorgeous evening, and she couldn’t wait to see what Evelyn Rice and her husband thought. The original event planner hadn’t gotten to the smaller details like tablecloths, candles, and decorations, and Caitlyn hoped they’d think it was elegant and celebratory.
“I did,” Harper said, pausing to fix her hair in the slight breeze. “He bailed on me though. I had to fire the guy, so it looks like I’ll be needing a new delivery person.”
“Geez, that stinks. At least you made all your deliveries today.”
“Yep. I was planning to get started on some other things though, so I’ll be baking early tomorrow morning. Not exactly a relaxing Sunday, but….”
“The joys of owning your own business,” Caitlyn joked. The two women had commiserated many times before on what it was like starting from the ground up.
Harper caught sight of one of the military guys who’d escorted her down the pier and waved. “Too bad those guys are working,” she said. “That tall one was pretty cute.”
“You’re relentless,” Caitlyn teased. “Let the poor man do his job.”
“Who are those suits hanging around?” Harper asked, catching sight of a man and woman off to the side.
“NCIS agents, I think. It’s a little unusual, but Ms. Rice had two agents with her when they visited my office a couple of weeks ago, too. Apparently, there were some issues with security and the admiral.”
“Great. Hope no one crashes the party tonight.”
“Seriously. I think it’s just a precaution. Don’t all high-level military types have security? Or maybe that’s just high-level government officials? I don’t know. They can handle it, and I’ll handle the party. I’m not too concerned.”
“Man,” Harper said, grinning
