by Amber Crewes
Debbie bobbed her head up and down. “I do. I’ve seen a lot and I know a lot, and this place smells like success. I can just feel it.”
Meghan grinned. “Thank you for saying that,” she told Debbie. “That means so much! I opened this place to do something I enjoyed and to serve the people of Sandy Bay. If I’m even a local success, I’ll be happy.”
Debbie shook her head. “Forget local success, Meghan,” Debbie said matter-of-factly. “This place could expand as soon as next year. Like I said, I know potential when I see it. Anyway, I wanted to stop by and say hello! Aunt Karen has said so many nice things about you, and I wanted to let you know that if you’re ever interested in talking about the finances of this place, I would love to have a chat over coffee.”
Meghan beamed. “I might just take you up on that,” Meghan replied. “Thanks so much, Debbie!”
“Of course,” Debbie said, turning on her heel. “It’s been a pleasure. Like I said, any time you want to talk, just let me know!”
When Karen returned to the front of the bakery with the new-cleaned dishes, Meghan was still basking in the glow of Debbie’s praise. “Your niece was so nice!” Meghan gushed. “She thinks this place will be a success!”
Karen nodded earnestly. “She knows her stuff! Debbie is a smart cookie, and if she thinks this place is going to be a hit, I have no doubt that Truly Sweet is going to grow more and more and more!”
Karen’s words proved prophetic; within two weeks of its grand opening, Truly Sweet had grown even more popular, and Meghan was in desperate need of assistance.
“What should I do?” Meghan worriedly asked Karen over the phone one morning. “It isn’t even nine yet, and I have too many orders! I can’t handle this workload by myself, Karen!”
“Hire someone! I hear Lori, the at the tea shop, is looking for a new job.”
Meghan gasped. “The tea shop? Norman Butcher’s tea shop?”
“Yes! Have you been there?”
Meghan groaned. “Norman Butcher stopped by the bakery before the opening,” she said, recalling the tense visit from the stout, elderly gentleman. “He seemed angry that I was opening a bakery.”
“Oh, don’t listen to Norman,” Karen reassured Meghan. “Debbie tells me that he has been bad-mouthing your place all week, but clearly he isn’t hurting your business!”
“WHAT?” Meghan gasped. “What did Debbie say?”
“Debbie said that Norman has been talking poorly about Truly Sweet, but I think it’s funny,” Karen said dismissively. “That grumpy old geyser can say whatever he wants, but if it’s nine in the morning and you have too much work already, I think that his nasty words aren’t doing a lot of harm. Don’t think about him, Meghan. Think about your business! Think about talking to Lori. She’s a sweet girl, and she would be a great addition.”
“Thanks, Karen,” Meghan said as she hung up the phone. Her stomach churned. Despite Karen’s nonchalant feelings toward Norman’s attitude, Meghan was very hurt and offended. What had she done to him to warrant such scorn? Feeling frustrated, she removed her apron. After the last walk-in customer left, she turned the OPEN sign to CLOSED and marched out of the bakery.
“I’m going to the tea shop right now,” Meghan muttered to herself as she walked toward Norman’s business. “I’m going to offer Lori a job and give that man a piece of my mind!”
3
“AND SHE SAID she would think about it! Norman wasn’t even there, and Lori looked so pleased when I offered her the job!” Meghan gushed to Karen as the two women sipped on cinnamon tea in the dining area of the bakery.
“That’s fabulous!” Karen replied, her eyes bright with excitement. “Lori is such a good girl. She never really left town when she graduated from high school, and she’s a little green, but I think the two of you will get along nicely. She’s a hard worker; I remember when she was just a slip of a girl, she ran her own dog walking business! She worked all weekend walking dogs, and she’ll surely be able to take some of the load off of you, Meghan!”
Meghan smiled. She had been furious as she walked over to Norman’s tea shop, but her anger had quelled the instant she met Lori. Lori was tall and pretty, and Meghan guessed she was about twenty years old. Lori had a pixie cut that made her green eyes look enormous, and a smattering of sandy freckles across her cheeks. Her smile was genuine and warm, and it made Meghan feel hopeful that something good might come out of her tense relationship with Norman Butcher!
“What can I do for you?” Lori had chirped as Meghan walked into the tea shop.
“You’re Lori, right?” Meghan asked.
“That’s right! I’m Lori!” Lori’s smile was huge, and her dimples cut deep into her freckled cheeks. “Do we know each other?”
Meghan shook her head. “We don’t yet,” she began. “But I hope we can get to know each other a bit better! I’m Meghan Truman. I moved to Sandy Bay from Los Angeles to open Truly Sweet, the bakery on the square.”
Just then, a sturdy, muscular man walked past Meghan, his hat pulled down and his eyes fixed on the ground.
“Excuse me,” the man said, walking out of the tea shop and into the afternoon sun. Meghan noticed streaks of dirt on his overalls as he left, and she could smell the unmistakable odor of an unwashed man. Meghan nearly gagged as the man passed her, but Lori was unfazed.
“Bye, Jamie!” Lori called out, her voice friendly as she waved goodbye. “Thanks for your help! I couldn’t have fixed the sink by myself!”
Lori turned her attention back to Meghan. “That was Jamie, the handyman in town. I am just useless when it comes to fixing things, and he was sweet enough to come over in a jiffy to help me with our leaky sink! Anyway, so sorry. What were you saying?”
Meghan brushed her hair off of her shoulders and smiled. “Truly Sweet. The new bakery?”
Lori’s eyes sparkled. “Truly Sweet? Yes! I’ve walked by the shop a few times, and I just love what you’ve done with the place. I hear your apple pie is to die for!”
Meghan couldn’t help but to blush; she was thrilled that her little bakery was receiving such praise!
“Thank you so much,” Meghan said, tucking a lock of dark hair behind her ear. “I wanted to ask you something important, Lori. I’m swamped with work; I’ve never run a business before, and with all of the orders coming in, I need some help. Karen Denton, one of my friends in town, mentioned that you might be looking for a new job, and I was wondering if you had any interest in working with me at the bakery?”
Lori’s face grew pale, and the smile vanished from her lips. She looked left and right, and put a finger to her lips.
“Shhhh,” Lori whispered to Meghan. “The owner isn’t around today, but I don’t think this is something I should talk about here in the tea shop.”
Meghan defiantly placed her hands on her hips. “You mean Norman Butcher? I hear he’s been saying some unpleasant things about my bakery. If he’s treating me, a stranger, that way, I can’t imagine what it’s like to work for him.”
Lori looked down at her feet, her eyes filled with sadness. “Imagine what it’s like to be his daughter….”
Meghan mouth dropped open, but she quickly recovered her composure. “His daughter?” Meghan said, her eyes widening. “Do you mean….”
“Norman is my father. This is our family business.” Lori said, her voice shaking. “I’ve worked here since I was a girl, and now I work here full time.”
Meghan placed a hand over her mouth and took a long breath. Karen hadn’t mentioned that Lori was Norman’s daughter!
“You said that he said some nasty things to you? I’m so sorry. My father has been getting meaner and meaner lately, but I promise, it isn’t personal. He treats everyone like that.”
Meghan watched as Lori’s eyes filled with tears. Feeling sorry for the young woman, Meghan reached out to take Lori’s hand.
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Meghan said softly, trying to meet Lori’s gaze. “I’m sorry he isn’t nicer to you
. You seem like a very nice girl, Lori, and you don’t deserve that.”
Lori began to cry, and Meghan squeezed her hand. “Lori, think about working for me,” Meghan said. “Truly Sweet is a wonderful place, and maybe some time away from your father would be good for you! Absence can make the heart grow fonder, and maybe if you two have some time apart, you’ll be able to get along again!”
Lori sniffled. “It would be nice to have some time apart. Our house is so small, and spending forty hours a week in this little tea shop makes it even more tense.”
Meghan nodded, feeling as though she were getting somewhere with Lori. “Yes! See? Come work for me. I could even talk with your father about it. I had some things to say to him anyway, but this seems more important. Will you think about it?”
Lori wiped the tears from her cheeks and smiled weakly. “Yes,” she said, running a hand through her short hair. “I’ll think about it.”
Later that day, Meghan was excited to share the news with Karen, but as the two chatted about Meghan’s encounter with Lori, an unexpected visitor marched into the bakery.
“What do you think you’re doing? How dare you try to steal my employee away?” Norman Butcher shouted, waving a finger in the air at Meghan as the remaining customers in the bakery got up and left.
“You mean your daughter?” Meghan said calmly, though irritated that Norman had scared away customers. “I’m not trying to steal her away,” Meghan explained firmly as Norman glared at her. “I simply offered her a job. I have too much work for one person, and I need help.”
Norman clenched his hands into fists and glowered at Meghan. “You don’t have any business trying to steal what’s mine!”
Karen rose from her chair and wagged her finger at Norman. “Norman Butcher!” Karen said. “You are being fabulously rude. Meghan is new in town, and from what I hear, you’ve treated her terribly. Surely you have better manners than this!”
Norman tightened his jaw, and Meghan could see the thick, purple veins in his forehead growing darker. “Surely she has better manners than to steal my employee!” Norman said, pointing at Meghan. “Lori works for me.”
Karen rolled her eyes. “You’ve never treated that girl well, and everyone in Sandy Bay knows it. I had even forgotten she was your daughter because of the way you’ve acted toward her; I’ve been living in LA for the last few years, and when I was in the tea shop last week, the way you spoke to Lori was unforgivable!”
Norman rolled up his sleeves to reveal his pale, fleshy arms as if preparing for a fight. Karen did the same, and Meghan was impressed with the shape and definition of Karen’s sculpted biceps.
“Norman,” Meghan said quietly. “You’ve insulted me and you’ve insulted my business. I’m willing to let that go. I want to hire Lori to work here, and if she wants to, you can’t stop me. Your tea shop was empty when I went in today, and I think Lori’s talents could be of better use at Truly Sweet.”
Norman’s eyes narrowed. “Over my dead body,” he said, turning on his heel and storming out of the bakery.
The next morning, the tiny silver bells on the front door chimed as Lori walked into the bakery.
“Lori!” Meghan exclaimed. “I’m so happy you stopped by! Have you come to accept my offer?”
Lori hung her head, and Meghan knew what her decision was.
“That’s okay,” Meghan said, coming around from the back of the counter to hug Lori. “I enjoyed talking with you yesterday, Lori, and I hope that even if I can’t have you as an employee, I can have you as a friend?”
Lori stepped back from the hug, and Meghan could see the weak smile on her face.
“I really wanted to work for you, but I can’t. My father says I’m to have nothing to do with you,” Lori said sadly. “He told me to stay away from here. I’m sorry he came by last night. He’s horrible, Meghan.”
Meghan shook her head. “It’s not your place to apologize for him, Lori,” Meghan said gently.
“Well, I’m still very sorry for him,” Lori said. “I have to go now. He’s working today, and he’s expecting me soon.”
“Don’t leave just yet Stay here a minute; I have something for you!” Meghan said, dashing out of the front room. She soon returned with a large box. Lori’s eyes widened.
“For me?” Lori asked as Meghan handed her the box. Meghan nodded.
Lori slowly opened the box. “It’s an apple pie!” Lori squealed, her large eyes glittering. “Thank you, Meghan!”
Lori stuck a finger into the box and scooped out a tiny piece of the pie. She brought the morsel to her lips and closed her eyes, moaning in satisfaction.
“It really is to die for,” Lori said as Meghan grinned in delight.
4
“HE’S DEAD, AND IT’S YOUR FAULT!” Sally Sheridan shouted at Meghan, her brow furrowed and her hands shaking.
Sally, an elderly resident of Sandy Bay, also known as Sally Scary-den, or so Karen had told her, had marched into Truly Sweet in a rage only moments earlier. Meghan looked down at the wooden floor and bit the inside of her cheek, puzzled by this outburst from Sandy Bay’s grumpiest elder stateswoman.
“I’m returning this pie, and I want a full refund! I already had diarrhea after consuming this trash, and after what happened to Norman Butcher, I want my money back now.”
Meghan felt the color drain from her face. Mrs. Sheridan had thrown a Truly Sweet box with a half-eaten apple pie on the counter, and Meghan gasped as the remnants of the treat spilled all over the floor.
“Mrs. Sheridan!” Meghan cried out, watching the gooey, brown pieces of pie soak the floor.
“Serves you right! You killed Norman Butcher! Everyone in town knew he didn’t like you, and you went and killed him off! I’m not surprised, either. You people from California think you can do whatever you want.”
Meghan dropped to her knees and began to clean the floor. “I’m not even from California. I grew up in Texas,” Meghan whimpered, feeling hot, angry tears well in her eyes.
Mrs. Sheridan narrowed her eyes and tapped her cane on the wooden floor directly in front of Meghan.
“What are you talking about?” Meghan stammered, humiliated by Mrs. Sheridan’s outburst and embarrassed that a paying customer had been made ill by her pie.
“I don’t care where you are from, but I know where you are going. JAIL!” Mrs. Sheridan shouted, turning and hobbling out of the bakery. “And don’t think I won’t be back for my refund!”
Meghan stopped reaching for the pieces of the broken pie and sank down, resting her head on the floor of the bakery. She had been informed that Sally Sheridan had a reputation of being a difficult customer but to insinuate someone’s death to extract a refund seemed way below the belt. Sadly, cleaning the mess that Mrs. Sheridan had made would now be her top priority that morning.
Hours later, Meghan’s stomach was still churning over the unpleasant visit from Sally Sheridan; she could not believe how rude Mrs. Sheridan had been. Needing some encouragement, Meghan picked up the phone to call Karen.
“Hello?” Meghan winced as Debbie picked up the phone; she liked Debbie, but what she really wanted was one of Karen’s famous pep talks!
“Meghan? What’s up?” Debbie asked.
“Is Karen there?”
“She is swimming laps in the backyard; she’s been going for nearly two hours now, but I can get her if you’d like?”
Meghan sighed. “No,” she said. “Don’t interrupt her. I’ll call back.”
“What’s wrong? You sound upset!”
“Well,” Meghan began. “I just had the strangest visit from Sally Sheridan. She came into Truly Sweet demanding a refund for an apple pie. She was saying strange things too about Norman Butcher? It was just so off, Debbie. She was so nasty, and I just don’t know what to do!”
“Meghan,” Debbie said. “That lady is known for marching around Sandy Bay and trying to get money back. It’s shameful. Totally embarrassing. Everyone hides when they see her coming, and it s
ounds like you’re her latest victim!”
“So it’s not just me?” Meghan asked hopefully.
“No, absolutely not. Just ignore her. Sally Sheridan is such a cheapskate and would kill to get money back. Seriously. She would do anything.”
“But she said Norman Butcher was…”
“Don’t believe anything that woman says. It’s pathetic. Anyway, hey, I have to let you go, but trust me, Meghan. Sally Sheridan is a nasty old bat, but her bark is usually worse than her bite….”
Meghan smiled, relieved to have some reassurance.
“Thanks, Debbie. You’re the best!”
“Anytime!”
The next day, Meghan was startled when a tall, handsome police officer stopped into the bakery.