The Benefits of Baking by Harvey Diamond

Ramsey and Newt helped Lacey climb up the outside stairs and into the cabin's sunroom. Whitney abruptly stopped in front of them, sniffing the air. She hurriedly whipped open the door leading into the main cabin. The smell of fresh bread wafted out to greet them.

Entering the cabin, Whitney noticed Rachel Stratton, Gabriela Lockett, and Fredrick Singer sitting at the dining room table, watching the kitchen's activity. Turning, she saw her father and surprisingly Skye Willows in the kitchen hard at work. "Dad, you're baking?"

"Of course, I am, pumpkin," answered Harvey with a grin. "I would nev--what happened?" he abruptly asked, noticing Lacey limp into the room with help from the other two teens. Seeing her daughter hurt, Rachel moved to get on her feet.

"It's okay, Mom. I just twisted my ankle a little. You can stay there; I just need to get off it," Lacey explained, not wanting her mother to get too upset over her injury. Rachel reluctantly sat back down, unsure if she should listen to her daughter.

"I'm so sorry, Lace. I never meant for you to get hu--," Ramsey apologized for possibly the hundredth time until she was interrupted.

"I think she knows that by now, Ram. You can stop," an annoyed Whitney stated as she watched Ramsey and Newt lower the petite redhead onto the nearest kitchen stool. Newt backed away several feet, unsure if he needed permission from Whitney to leave. Ramsey stayed near her injured friend's side, fretting.

"Will someone please tell us what happened?" Harvey asked again.

"I slipped and fell near the pond. I--," Lacey started to explain.

"It's all my fault! Lacey was teasing me, so I pushed her, and that's how she got injured," a guilt-ridden Ramsey broke in to take the blame.

"I know you would never mean to hurt Lacey, sweetie. Although, Lace should not have been teasing you enough to make you lash out," Rachel stated.

Lacey looked sheepishly at her mother after her admonishment. Feeling a presence at her side, she turned her head to see Skye standing there. The young woman held a baggy filled with ice.

"I thought you might need this," she said softly while handing it over.

"Th-thanks," Lacey managed to get out, surprised at the thoughtful act. Reaching down, the redhead realized she wouldn't be able to apply the ice to her ankle while sitting on the stool. "Rammy, could you give me a hand over to the table?"

Her friend rushed over to do whatever she wanted. They had just taken a couple of steps when Fredrick spoke up, "Hold it, girls. Look at what you're standing under."

"Fred, this isn't an appropriate time for that," Rachel frowned at him. The two girls looked up to see that they stood under a twig of mistletoe.

"Dad, where did that come from?" asked a surprised Whitney.

"I brought a few of them with. I thought it might create fun memories. We just put them up a little while ago," her father explained with a lopsided grin.

"We're both girls! Do we have to?" an anxious Ramsey asked.

"No, you don't. There's no rule th--," Rachel started to say.

"Now, Rach, I don't think that's your call," Gabriela said, interrupting her best friend. Noticing the girls' tension over Lacey's ankle, she thought using the mistletoe would be an excellent way to shake up their attitude. "Harvey is the king of this castle. His rules should be the ones followed. What say you, King Harvey?"

The cabin owner had a hunch over Gabriela's support of Fred's suggestion and decided it might help. "Well, not to sound too unenlightened, but I'm not interested in kissing another man anytime soon. So no two men should be **** to kiss under the mistletoe during this stay. Everything else goes."

"Everything!" Ramsey wailed out. Harvey nodded gravely.

"Fine! Let's just get this over with. I need to sit down," an irked Lacey expressed. She leaned forward slightly and gave her best friend a quick, soft kiss on the lips. Lacey attempted to get her shocked best friend to help her move again, but Ramsey stood frozen in embarrassment.

"Boo!" Fred Singer hollered out. "We want our money's worth!"

"At Diamond Cabin, that weak effort is unacceptable," Harvey solemnly added before he had to turn away when he cracked a smile.

"That really was a disappointing performance, girls," Gabriela told them as she stood up to help Lacey, who had started to hop over on one foot.

"Like the girls need to hear your advice on kissing each other," Rachel told her best friend.

"Hmm...Skye, could you be a dear and hand me a bottle of water for Lacey?" the dark-haired woman asked, taking a few steps closer to the kitchen.

"Sure," the breathtaking young beauty replied, already turning to reach into the refrigerator. Retrieving a bottle, she moved to hand it over to the older woman.

"Oops...would you look at that," Gabby said, pointing above to the mistletoe that she and Skye now stood under. "Guess it's our turn, Skye."

Before the younger woman knew what hit her--Skye only managed to squeak out an eek-- Gabriel lunged forward, grabbed her face with both hands, and gave an exaggerated smooch. The funny over-the-top kiss didn't turn into a quick one-off as Skye recovered her bearings and kissed the older woman back. Breaking off their contact, the two women moved their faces back just inches and stared at each other. Gabby licked her lips, Skye bit hers before an unseen **** pulled their faces back together.

Gently they kissed, exploring each other's lips. Gabby moved her right hand to caress Skye's cheek lightly. Incrementally they turned the temperature up, alternating on sucking and gently biting their counterpart's lips. Skye's hands were no longer hanging at her side but now gripped Gabriela's waist. Silence filled the kitchen and dining room but for the soft sounds of their kiss until they took it up a further notch. A faint whimper from Skye signaled the increase in passion, then a moan from Gabby. A whimper, a moan, a whine, a groan, would've told anyone not looking that the kiss had turned downright steamy. Except that not one pair of eyes had turned away from the arousing sight.

Skye's hands had slid down at some point, now firmly gripping and groping the MILF's toned-ass. Gabby's right hand had moved upwards until it intertwined in the young model's blonde-streaked brown hair. The two sexy women's bodies ground together, bringing them closer and closer to the breaking point.

THUD

All eyes swung over to see Sean standing just outside the dining room, his mouth gaping open in shock, the book he had dropped lying on the hardwood floor at his feet.

All around the room, people slowly recovered from the sizzling scene. Lacey's and Ramsey's hearts raced as they imagined themselves kissing passionately, although the latter teenager felt guilty and confused by her thoughts. Newt stood in front and off to the side of Sean, painfully aware that anyone could see his rigid dick. He decided it was time to skedaddle and headed downstairs. Harvey, too was hard as a rock. With his large girth almost impossible to hide and his daughter on his side of the island, he slid down to the sink and turned his back to everyone. Fortunately for her father, Whitney didn't move, mesmerized by the kiss. Excited and jealous, she wanted to experience a kiss that passionate. A flustered Skye felt **** to sit on a stool across the island from Whitney before she tumbled to the floor. Gabriela, breathing heavily, turned to look at Rachel, trying to catch her breath in order to tell her something. For her part, Rachel sat lost in thought, remembering her younger days when she and Gabby had kissed like that to excite guys.

"Hot damn! That was one hell of a kiss," Fred loudly commented. The elder Singer already plotted how to see a private version of that kiss again and more. He knew it might be possible as Jeff and Gabby were open to sharing. It was Skye he would need to convince and fast enough to enjoy on this stay.

"Rachel, you should know, I don't give advice; I set an example," Gabriela stated, finally able to catch her breath.

"I think you two girls need to give it another try now," Fred suggested to the two teenagers, giving them both the creeps.

"I think that's enough out of you, Fred. How about you go find my husband and let him know his daughter hurt her ankle," Rachel half-suggested, half-ordered with a hard look.

Grumbling, Fred got up from his chair to get Clive. He never finished as a new voice spoke from the great room.

"And what have you done now, baby brother?"

Whitney broke into a grin at the new voice. Her father shuddered. Everyone else turned to view the new arrivals.

An athletic woman with neck-length light-brown hair and brown eyes flashed an impish grin. The painted-on jeans showcased a firm ass, while the tight sweater gave away the large bust underneath. Behind her, a teenage girl with long, curly light-brown hair and brown eyes started to smile at the older woman's comment before clamming her mouth shut in a fruitless effort to hide her braces. Her more comfortable sweater and jeans hide well her medium-sized breasts and firm butt.

"Baby brother? I'm only a year younger than you," Fred grumbled. "And you do know it's rude to walk into a person's home without knocking."

"I earned the right to barge into any Diamond property," Sybil Gettinger declared, earning a shake of the head from brother.

"How so?!" Fred demanded, glancing over into the kitchen. Harvey still stood near the sink, appearing to stay out of sight on purpose.

"I had to put with horny, little Harvey barging into my room or bathroom for years. He definitely got his eyeful," Sybil remarked.

"Now hold up," Harvey spoke, walking briskly to the edge of the kitchen. "I never once walked in through a closed door. You're the one that always left doors at least half-open when you changed."

Noticing the distraction, Sean hurriedly sat down at the end of the table to hide his erection. Unfortunately, the movement caught the eye of Rachel. She asked if he could instead go find her husband. Reluctantly, Sean stood up, hiding his hard-on the best he could, and fled out of the room.

"Silly me. I do get forgetful about closing doors. I hoped I didn't scar you for life," Sybil smirked at her fake apology. "Polly can back me up on this."

Behind Sybil, her daughter shook her head quickly.

"You can walk right in anytime you want," Whitney greeted the older woman with a hug. Fred's older sister had always impressed the teenager with her confidence and charisma. Throw in her flawless figure, which looked a solid decade younger, and Whitney wished that Sybil had been around more in her life.

"Hey, short stuff. Break any hearts lately?" Sybil moved back to study the blonde. Liking what she saw, she added, "I bet you have."

"You know it," Whitney agreed with a grin. "But I'm not short anymore. You better think up a new nickname."

"Ah, but I like calling you that."

"Hey, Jaws, get over here and give your uncle a hug," Fred gestured to Polly. The teen girl's face blanched at the reference to her braces.

"Freddy, that's uncalled for," Sybil said, swinging around to glare at her younger brother. "Do you want me to list all your physical abnormalities? Unlike my daughter's braces, they won't go away soon."

"Geez, I'd ask if you woke up on the wrong side of the bed, but you've always been a bitch," Fred said, moving toward his niece. "Sorry, squirt. I forget you're not the devil like your mom at your age."

Polly shrugged, accepting her uncle's hug. Across the room, Sybil moved on to greet the other adults. Then her eyes met Harvey's again, causing another mischievous smile to form.

"Nice place, Harv. You miss me?"

Usually unflappable around women, Harvey fought back another shudder. As the older sister of one of his best friends, Sybil had been the ultimate tease growing up. She seemed to get a kick out of flirting, flashing, and occasionally touching the teen when she knew he couldn't and wouldn't reciprocate. As Fred's older sister, she was off-limits to Harvey. A situation he never had an issue with. Yet, the awkward situation threw off his usual charm and confidence around her.

"Not really," Harvey responded, finding his feet again. "How's Randy?"

"Off traveling again for work. He actually had the nerve to expect me to drive him down to the airport in Blackbridge this morning," Sybil recounted with an annoyed face. "Um, no! I'm not spending all day in the car because he doesn't like taking a smaller plane from our airport."

"So he took a flight from Honey Hollow?"

"No, he conned one of his nephews into driving him. What you making here?" Sybil inquired, scanning the kitchen island.

"The muffins!" Harvey suddenly exclaimed. Rushing over to one of the two ovens, he hurriedly pulled out a tray. "Whew, any longer and they would have started burning."

"I thought you forgot about us baking," his daughter flashed him a pout as she spoke.

"Pumpkin, I would never forget about our cabin tradition. I missed us not being able to do it for the last few years."

"But you started without me," Whitney whined.

"I wanted to surprise you, honey. Plus, I wanted to get the biscuits and muffins out of the way first. Of course, I missed having my little assistant at my side. Fortunately, Skye bakes herself, so she was able to lend me a hand," explained her father.

"I hope you don't mind my helping. I didn't know it was a father-daughter tradition," Skye softly explained to Whitney in an apologetic tone.

"Oh no, I'm glad my dad had some help," the teenager politely told her, hiding that she did feel a little miffed over it.

Ramsey, deciding that she needed a little time alone after all the events so far, announced she was off to work on an article for the school newspaper. Harvey offered her the use of the den so she wouldn't be bothered.

"So, how long are you staying with us?" Gabby asked Sybil.

"Only two nights. I wanted to spend some time with my brother and nephew this week," Sybil replied, her face clouding over before immediately brightening. "Of course, I'll see all of you on New Year's Eve."

"Hey, cupcake. I heard you twisted your ankle," Clive Stratton said to his daughter as he walked over and knelt to get a look at her injury. Sean followed him into the room, his head turning to watch Ramsey walk away.

"Speaking of cupcakes, that's what I was waiting on you for, pumpkin. I know that's your favorite to help with, " Harvey informed Whitney, quickly brightening her mood back up.

"I never knew you were so handy in the kitchen, Harvey," Clive admitted.

"Only with baking. I don't know much about cooking actual meals. Larry's mom taught me just enough that I survived college, but I've never had the time to learn much more. I'm always on the run, having dinner meetings at restaurants. And I believe most of you have experienced Frida's cooking," Harvey said, referencing the Diamonds' longtime cook. "Why in the world would I attempt to poison myself when I have a genius like her in my home."

"Even with Dad's busy schedule, he's always made time since I was little to bake for me when we're at the cabin," his beaming daughter proudly told the others.

"I have to give all the credit for this family tradition to my grandmother. She knew how our life was at home and tried to make the cabin a warm, loving home for Graham and me. I think that's why I always considered the old cabin to be my true home. If it had been closer, I would have run there instead of Larry's house whenever my father's criticisms started up. Which was a lot."

"Grammy was the best. I miss her so much," Whitney said fondly of her great-grandmother, who died when she was a little girl.

Smiling, Harvey thought back to some of the life lessons his grandmother taught him. "When I hit puberty and thought baking wasn't cool, she told me that the way to a girl's heart is through her stomach. For a young teenager who only thought of girls, that renewed my interest considerably. Of course, I've used that advice many times in my life."

"I'll say, I still remember the story about the day you showed up at Bev's house. You brought a basket of homemade muffins, chocolate chip cookies, and...," Gabriel recalled with a laugh but unable to remember the final item.

"Banana bread," Harvey filled in with a laugh. "Her mom practically adopted me that day," he added with a huge grin that slowly faded into a frown.

Oh hell! Gabby, why did you have to bring up Bev! Rachel screamed in her head.

"It might have been overkill, but it certainly worked," Gabby continued, not picking up on her friend's subtle motion to stop.

"That it did, that it did," Harvey softly said, more to himself than anyone else.

Whitney's interest had perked up at conversation. Who's this Bev? Why haven't I ever heard of her? Feeling his daughter's questioning look, Harvey glanced at her but refused to meet her eyes.

"How about we decide what to do for today? If no one has any ideas, I have a suggestion," Harvey said, looking around to the others. Getting nothing but shrugs and negative replies in return, he continued. "I had originally planned this trip for tomorrow, but with the weather forecast looking mixed, I thought we could change plans to today. Anyone up for a long walk over to the Thriae Hot Springs?"

"Ooh, I can try out the new swimsuit I bought," Gabriela eagerly announced, causing Sean to groan in fear and anticipation.

Sybil nodded in agreement, turning toward her daughter. "You see, Polly, this is why I insisted you bring a swimsuit with."

"I don't know. Honey, do you think your back is okay enough for the long walk?" Rachel asked Clive.

"It's been alright this morning. Might as well give it a try," he responded.

"I never knew there were hot springs in the area," Skye quietly admitted.

"They are exceedingly rare in the region. The Thriae springs are quite a small number of pools, deep inside the park. That's led to them to be an almost unknown treasure of the park," Harvey informed the younger woman.

"They're to die for," Sybil added.

"I would love to see them; count me in," she told her host.

"Great, how about after Whitney and I finish baking the cupcakes, we make some sandwiches for a quick lunch and head out," he suggested to others. "Does anyone want to go ask the others if they're interested in going too?"

"I will. I should also check in with Bridget and see if they will be arriving soon," Rachel offered, standing up.