She placed a sprig of real holly on the end and walked toward the blast chiller. She’d raced back to the bakery around four. The new piece of foundational gingerbread was adhering to the cracked piece of the foundation. They’d know more in the morning. Regardless of how well the fix appeared to hold, there was now a real problem in the foundation. So much for feeling excited about the Christmas castle ceremony. For the next week, she’d worry the castle might fall. If the castle could just make it until the end of next Thursday, Christmas Day, then she and Hans could begin deconstructing it. Brinn opened the blast-freezer door and slid the Yule log into the chiller. She’d go home, shower, do her hair, and even put on makeup. Her stomach tightened. Her nerves. She couldn’t shake her nervousness about dinner with the entire Emerson family. She’d pick up the Yule log on her way to Tyler’s house. She shut the freezer door, and there stood Ma. Brinn pressed her lips together. She hadn’t seen Ma since the incident with Dom.
