Page 25 of Cadenbury Town Does Halloween

“Hey Cal,” I say, smiling at him.

“If you want coffee and cake, have cake quickly as Clarence is in the back stock taking,” he tells me with a grin.

My delightful Ma spoke to Clarence a while ago about restricting my cake intake. I can now only have two small slices a day, and when I say small, they really are, they are slithers, basically crumbs on a plate, so small you can see daylight through them. Okay maybe not that bad but close enough.

“In that case, a slice of lemon cake please and a latte.”

Cal laughs and serves me up a large slice and makes me a large latte.

“Can you join me?” I ask him, as I pick my refreshments up.

He nods and makes himself a drink and we walk to an empty table, sitting down.

“So what’s new?” I ask him.

Cal laughs. “Not much thank goodness. Do you like the lemon cake? It’s the first time I’ve made it.”

I swallow the bite I had just taken. The lemon flavour burst over my tongue. “It’s lovely. You sure can make good cakes.”

Cal smiles. “I want to try cake decoration. I’m watching these videos online, some look complicated. I want to give them a try. But what if I can’t do it?”

I look at Callum. “Did you ever think you’d be able to make cakes?”

He shakes his head. “No, I never gave it a thought until I saw Clarence making one and asked if I could try.”

“And your cakes are amazing. I know full well that if you try cake decoration you’ll be just as amazing.”

“Thanks, Ernest.”

“Just try it, baby boy. You’ll never know what you can do until you try,” Clarence said, walking over to join us, laying a hand on Callum’s shoulder, and dropping a kiss on his head, before sitting down next to him.

Cal nods. “Okay, I’ll order the basics online tonight and give it a go.”

“And you know, if you can do cake decoration you could always sell your cakes, for weddings and birthday parties and the like,” I tell him.

Cal grins. “Let me just see if I can do anything recognisable first.”

Clarence looks at my plate frowning. “How big was that slice?”

“Tiny,” I say, eating the last bit. “I’m cake restricted remember.”

Cal laughs and before Clarence can say anything the bookshop bell jingles.

“Got to go. See you later,” and quick as a flash, I pick my drink up and practically run back into the bookshop before Clarence bans me from any more cake this week.

I’mbusy serving customers when Alfred and Adhan come walking in, both wet as it’s still raining. I smile Adhan’s way and Alfred spying the queue, rushes over to help, taking his wet coat off and hanging it on the coat stand behind us. It doesn’t take uslong to serve those waiting, but there are more people looking around. This shop is always busy, no matter the day of the week.

“You arrived just in time,” I say to Alfred.

“Glad I could help, Pops,” he replies grinning.

I groan and look at Alfred. “Are you going to keep calling me that?”

Alfred laughs. “I think I will. You did claim me as your stepson after all.”

I shake my head. “My bad. It was a moment of weakness.”

“Bad luck, sweetheart, I think you’ll have to get used to it,” Adhan says, walking over to me, before kissing me hello.