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Chapter Twenty-Three
"Hi, Andi!" Caleb said happily as he stepped in front of her.
She chuckled. "Hi, Caleb." She smoothed a hand over his hair. "How are you today?"
"Fine. We met Callie's mama today. And then Mama and Callie and me looked at the names and found some funny ones, but I don't remember them now. Can we come inside your big, pretty house?"
She smiled and nodded. "You may."
"Hi, Andi." Katniss said kindly. She grabbed Caleb's arm before he ran inside. "Thank you for having us."
"I'm happy you're here." She said. She wrapped her arms around Katniss.
After a shocked moment, Katniss returned Andi's embrace. The other woman held her out at arms-length. Caleb ran inside.
"I think Lexie would be happy you were in Callie's life."
"I'm very happy to be in her life. So that means a lot to me that you think that." She looked over her shoulder at Peeta as he talked to Al. "I think I need to find Caleb."
"Callie went with him. It's fine." Andi walked with her toward her husband and Peeta. She placed her hand on the younger man's back and he slipped his around hers.
"I want to tell you both something." He said. "We went to Alex's grave. And I let her go." He found Katniss's eyes and held them as he calmed his churning thoughts.
Andi pulled him into a hug and patted his back as she cried into his shoulder. "You'll be okay."
"Yeah." He closed his eyes tightly.
Caleb came running out. "Mama, you gotta see this bathroom. It's as big as my bedroom!"
"In a minute, baby." Katniss said softly.
"Why is Peeta sad?" Caleb asked in a loud whisper.
Peeta let go of Andi and kneeled in front of Caleb. "I'm not sad, Caleb. I'm happy. I did a big thing today that I will explain to you when you're bigger. But what it means is that my life is changing."
"And it's a good change?"
"Very good." He pulled the boy into his arms and whispered, "I love you, Caleb."
"I love you, Peeta." He said as he hugged back.
Peeta stood and caught Katniss's eyes again. He wanted to tell her, too, but he'd keep it in for a while.
They sat around talking for the afternoon around the grill as Al cooked. Peeta tried to help, but was waved off. As the table was being set, Peeta's phone went off.
"It's the bakery. I'll be right back." He answered his phone. "Hello?"
"Peeta, it's Delly. I'm sorry to bother you. I know you wanted your whole weekend, but I need some help with something."
"What's going on?"
"A customer came in and said she had ordered a cake. But I have no order in the computer or written down and she says she needs something today."
"How big did she need it?"
"A quarter sheet."
"Is there not one in the cooler? We usually make a couple of those just in case."
She paused. "Oh, there is one back here."
"Fantastic. Give her a five percent discount and apologize. I may have taken down an order and forgot about it or someone took one over the phone and the memo got misplaced. If she needs a message, get Chip to do it. He's good with lettering and knows where all the piping bags are."
"Okay." She paused. "Hey, Peeta, have you thought about that dinner?"
He looked toward the deck. Katniss laughed at a story Al was telling. "I don't think I can, Delly. You're my employee. It would be inappropriate."
"Oh. Yeah, that makes sense. I'm sorry I bothered you."
"No, it's fine. And I'm sorry about the dinner thing." He finished the phone call and went back to the rest of the group. "Sorry about that, guys. Bakery drama."
Katniss absently rubbed his knee underneath the table.
He chuckled. "And my manager asked me on a date."
"Did you say yes?" Katniss asked. "Like I told you you should?"
"I said no, like I told you I would." He answered. "She's not my type."
"And what is you type?" Al asked.
Peeta cut his eyes to Katniss a moment and then pushed her hand away. "She has to like Callie, be smart and funny, know what she wants in life." He shrugged. "Delly meets only a couple of those requirements. Also, she's my employee and that's not appropriate."
The kids started chasing each other after lunch. Peeta leaned close to Katniss and started playing with her braid.
She moved her hair over her opposite shoulder. "Stop."
He smiled and dropped his hand to her shoulder. "I should probably check in on the bakery." He danced his fingers over her shoulder and tickled the back of her neck.
"Peeta, stop." She moved away. "Go call your girlfriend and make sure the bakery isn't burning down."
He laughed. "Yeah, she may have done something after I rejected her." He tickled the back of her neck again.
She batted at his hand. "It's always the nice ones you have to look out for."
He tickled her again.
She laughed and poked his side. "Get away from me."
He stood up and stuck his hand quickly under her arm and then ran away as Katniss threw a napkin at him.
"You better be glad I don't have my bow, you jerk." She called after him.
Andi smiled. "He's so sweet."
Katniss nodded. "Yeah. He's been great for Caleb."
"Does he have no other men in his life?" Andi made an embarrassed face. "That is not my business. I'm sorry."
"No, it's fine." Katniss assured her. "My brother-in-law is a big part of his life. He stays with him and my sister quite a bit. And Finnick Odair? Do you know him?"
"Oh, yes! One of Lexie and Peeta's high school friends. He married Annie Cresta, didn't he?"
"Yes. Finnick and Annie are like another aunt and uncle to him. Finnick works at my camp every summer."
Al asked, "Doesn't he do home repair?"
"Yes, he's great at it too. Jack of all trades. He fixed a leaky shower for me that my brother-in-law thought he could fix and only made worse." Katniss chuckled. "There were a few other projects he did for me, too."
Peeta dropped into the chair beside her again. "Nothing's broken yet. Either that or Madge lied to me."
"Madge? What happened to Delly?" Katniss was concerned.
"Seems she suddenly got sick." He said.
"That's too bad. Does Madge have a boyfriend? Since you screwed the other one up."
"Don't make me tickle you again."
"Right, you don't date." She said.
"I don't date employees." He argued.
She shook her head. "You're driving me nuts."
"How about I drive you home instead?"
"Time to go?"
He nodded. "There was a call for a cake consult and they can only come in today. So I have to get back there."
"Okay." She got up and called, "Hey, kids, time to go."
They groaned and trudged up the steps. Caleb hugged the older couple after Callie did. They both welcomed his hugs and Katniss had to hide her face. Caleb would never know the man who bore his name before. And he'd only met his grandmother on a Christmas several years before. She always volunteered for the holiday shifts so that young people with families could spend time with them.
"Thank you for lunch, Mr. Al." Caleb said.
Al said, "Just call me Al. And you are very welcome for lunch."
Andi assured him, "You are welcome any time."
Peeta leaned toward Katniss and asked, "Are you okay?"
She nodded. "I'll tell you tomorrow."
"Okay." He patted her hand. He bid farewell to his parents-in-law and led everyone toward the car.
"Can I get your number, Katniss?" Andi asked before they got too far.
"Um, sure." She waited until the older woman took out her phone and then rattled off her number.
"I'd like to have the kids over for an afternoon. I'll give you a call to set it up."
Katniss said. "He's never really stayed with people who weren't family or close friends. So I'll have to think about it."
"He stayed with me that once." Peeta pointed out, wrapping an arm around her waist.
She stepped out of his embrace. "I was desperate. And he was at the bakery. You weren't the only one there."
"True."
"Speaking of the bakery, you need to get back there. And you have to drop Caleb and me off first."
He hugged the others once more and led Katniss to the car. She slipped her hand in his a moment and squeezed.
"Callie can stay with me for a while."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. I mean, if she wants to. And if you want her to. I'll bring her back to you later."
"Okay. Sure." He looked in her face and whispered, "I want to kiss you so much."
"Tomorrow. You can have all the kisses you want tomorrow." She got in the car and waited for him to make it around to the other side.
Peeta stepped into the bakery and was greeted with a crush of customers. Madge led him toward the consultation table to a woman with close cropped hair and another that looked like a beauty pageant contestant.
"I'm Johanna." The first woman said. "My father said he spoke with you about a wedding cake."
"Haymitch's daughter?"
"That would be my old man." She said with a fond smile.
"Okay, I actually have a couple sketches I did for you. Hold on and I'll be right back." He walked to the back and found a folder. His phone buzzed with a text from Finnick.
"Dinner with the Odairs? Heard a rumor you were with a certain archery coach and we need details."
He quickly replied, "I'll let you know. Working."
He sat down in front of the brides again and laid out two sheets of paper. "So your dad said you weren't very traditional. With that in mind, this first is definitely not traditional. We have square tiers, but off-center and sort of wobbly. And the other is the traditional tiers, but it can be any color you can imagine."
The two exchanged a look. Johanna said, "Actually, we really were looking for something traditional for the cake. Everything else is going to be sort of out there and we wanted everyone to be at least a little comfortable with this part. So we'd like to go a little…I don't want to say boring, but that's kind of what we were thinking."
"I can do that."
"Vanilla cake, white frosting."
"Flowers?"
Glimmer asked, "You can put flowers on it?"
"We watch those shows, baby." Johanna rolled her eyes. "She's pretty, but sometimes she's not that bright."
Peeta was a little shocked to hear the woman say that. But his shock didn't last long.
Glimmer said, "She talks like that because she thinks being blunt is okay with everyone. Used to hurt my feelings." She draped her arm over the back of the other woman's chair. "I meant like what kind of flowers? Like roses or pansies or can you do anything? And how much will it cost?"
"My dad is paying for it." Johanna said.
"Jo, you're dad isn't a bank. And he's not a super rich guy. You know that."
"Yeah, well, he's not happy I'm marrying you. I'm bleeding him dry."
"Stop." Glimmer looked across the table. "So flowers?"
Peeta smiled. "I'm talented. I can get you pretty much anything you want."
"Calla lilies?" Johanna asked.
"I definitely can." Peeta started taking notes as they worked out the rest of the details.
"Okay, so here's the thing." Johanna leaned forward. "The wedding is in Roanoke."
"In Virginia?"
"Yes. Can you deliver a cake there?"
"That's four hours away. I'll have to assemble on site if you want it all in one piece."
"We can put you up in a hotel. Part of the payment." Johanna said.
"Out of our part of the budget." Glimmer said to her fiancée.
"Sure, babe."
A few minutes later, the arrangements were made. Peeta sent the women on their way and went in the back to call Katniss. "Hey, can you spare an overnight trip at the start of November?"
"I don't know. Depends."
"Caleb can come, too. I have a cake to put together in Roanoke."
"I guess. Yeah. We could make a weekend of it and spend time all of us together."
"Sounds like a plan."
"Want me to make you something for supper? Or do you want to order out? Or we could eat this leftover spaghetti?"
"Finnick actually invited me for dinner with them. Want me to see if you can come along?"
"You don't have to do that."
"Why not?"
"Because then Finnick will think we're sleeping together."
"We kind of are." He whispered.
She chuckled. "Well, they don't have to know that. I think I'll pass. Mostly…" She paused and whispered, "I want to push you against the wall and kiss you until you can't breathe whenever I'm with you and we've been together almost three days."
Peeta looked over his shoulder and moved farther into the back room. He pressed the phone close and said softly, "Tomorrow, I will be at your house as soon as you drop Caleb off at school. And I am going to meet you at the door. I'll walk with you inside. Then I will sit you down on the couch…"
"Don't stop there." Katniss demanded. He could hear her ragged breath through the phone.
He chuckled. "What do you want me to do?"
"I'm not saying! The kids are right here."
He laughed again. "I guess we'll just have to see tomorrow, won't we?"
"Yeah, tomorrow. I'll bring Callie back to you." She whispered, "After you're done with me on the couch, I think a shower would be in order."
He groaned. "You're killing me, Katniss."
"And what do you think you're doing to me?" She laughed. "See you in a few minutes."
"Not soon enough." He murmured.