by Olivia Miles
“I like the middle one,” she eventually said. She knew she could have run next door, asked Candy or Amelia for their opinions. Candy would of course be all too happy to speak her mind. But Amelia was busy, and Amelia had her own business and paint colors to think about. Or not. She made those decisions quickly, and didn’t second guess any of them.
Trust your gut, she thought, remembering Amelia’s advice.
Cole nodded once. “Good.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” she asked, sliding a glance at him.
His mouth quirked a little as he walked over to a stack of paint cans she hadn’t even noticed when she’d arrived. He picked one up. “Because I took a gamble and loaded up on these this morning. Figured I’d get a start on it while I wait for the rest of the supplies to arrive.”
She shook her head, but she couldn’t help but laugh. “And what would you done if I’d chosen another shade of yellow?”
He popped the lid on the can with a tool from his pocket. “I knew you wouldn’t.”
She narrowed her eyes, not quite sure if she was annoyed with his confidence or just surprised by it. The boy she’d known growing up had been broody and sullen and a loner.
But then, maybe she hadn’t really known him at all. She’d just observed the side of him that he let people see.
“You have good taste,” he finished, and she blinked at him in surprise, more flattered than she probably should be.
“Oh.” She ran her tongue over her lips to hide the thrill of such a compliment. “Thank you.”
“What’s with the box?” he asked, motioning to the dishes.
She picked it up, deciding to move it to the small storage closet in the back for safe keeping. There was a lot going on in this bakery and she’d be better off keeping the dishes unpacked until she was closer to her opening, she realized. The dust alone would make washing them now pointless. One more thing that she hadn’t thought of initially. All part of the learning curve, she supposed. “These are the dishes for the bakery.”
She didn’t know why she felt the desire to show some of what she’d found, but she unwrapped a tea cup anyway and showed it to him. It was one of her favorites: robin’s egg blue with sweet little yellow and white butterflies painted in a whimsical pattern around the edge.
“My mother had china from her grandmother that she always brought out for special occasions. I wouldn’t want to use that here, of course, but it made me think of collecting pieces at antique shops around the area.”
“So none of them match?”
Maddie carefully rewrapped the cup and set it back in the box. “Nope. Each piece is different. That way you never know which one you’ll get. Each visit to the bakery is its own sort of surprise.”
She could imagine Robbie’s little girl Keira liking that.
“Interesting,” Cole said with a funny look.
Maddie bristled as she closed the lid. “Interesting? I don’t know if that’s a compliment or not.”
“Just an observation,” he replied.
Maddie bit back a sigh. The man was impossible to read, and not exactly willing to reveal his inner thoughts. She thought back to that silent, scowling boy at the bus stop, who had simply walked away when she extended a moment of kindness.
Some things didn’t change.
Deciding not to let his lack of enthusiasm for her idea ruin hers for it, Maddie collected the box and carried it out to her car, breathing in the breeze coming off the lake as she slammed her trunk closed. There was a chill in the air and she pulled a sweater from the backseat. It would be sweater season soon. She could almost imagine the people from town sitting at tables that lined her window, looking out over the lake, while the warm smell of cinnamon rolls filled the air.
She smiled to herself as she walked back inside.
She had planned to tell Cole that she would check back later, but the truth was that her afternoon was free. The appliances had been ordered. The cabinets and other supplies, too. And now, thanks to Cole, the paint color had been selected.
The light fixtures were already ordered and set to arrive any day now. She still had to order the furniture, and get a help wanted ad written up for the paper. But she didn’t feel ready to commit to either of those items on her task list right now. She was stalling. But she was also strangely drawn to the man who was spending nearly as much time in her new establishment as she was. Who was putting just as much effort into bringing it to life.
She walked back into the shop, where Cole was hunched beside the paint cans. A slip of brown hair had fallen over his forehead, shielding his eyes.
“Anything I can do to help?” she asked, expecting him to gruffly dismiss her, tell her that he had it all under control.
To her surprise, he said, “You know how to paint?”
She nearly laughed, recalling the time that she and Cora had begged their father to let them repaint their rooms, and Maddie had stepped on an upturned paint can lid and tracked marks all over the wooden floors of her bedroom, which she’d then frantically scrubbed for hours until every last bit of evidence was gone.
“I’m not very good at it.”
He slid her a glance, showing he wasn’t convinced.
“I mean it,” she said, lest he think she was trying to get out of something. “I’m sort of…clumsy.”
“Well, you’re going to need to get over that once you’re running your own business,” Cole said. He picked up a brush and stood, facing her, his hand extended, waiting for her to step toward him. “You can do the trim. Tape’s in the toolbox.”
“I actually have a bunch of pies to make for the market on Sunday,” she said, knowing that this was a pretty bad excuse, and an outright lie, considering she always baked those pies on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning.
“The market is forty-eight hours from now,” he said, and for some reason she was surprised that he was even aware of her family’s market, or that he knew when it was, even if it was a major weekly event in Blue Harbor. “You telling me you sell stale pies? Something tells me that sort of thing won’t work once you get this place up and running.”
Despite herself, she couldn’t refrain from grinning. Begrudgingly, she stepped forward, her fingers skimming his when she reached for the brush, and a bolt of excitement shot through her. His skin was warm, even smooth. And his eyes were deep and unwavering when they locked on hers.
She swallowed hard and backed away. Now wasn’t the time to be getting sidetracked. Maddie held the brush in her hand and considered Cole’s words. It was true, that owning her own business meant that she’d have to do more than just bake in the kitchen as she’d done at the café. She’d have to step out of her comfort zone, deal with all sorts of business issues that she’d never even considered before.
She pushed back another burst of panic as she picked up a can and got to work.
*
By Saturday afternoon, the entire bakery had been transformed into a warm, sunshine yellow, not that she could thank herself for it. After seeing just how poor of a painter she was, Cole had banished her from the premises for the day—not that she would have come anyway. She had pies to bake for the market tomorrow, and an extra one for her book club meeting this evening. The brownies that she was still trying to get just right in time for her opening were cut into thick squares; Maddie had tasted the batter but not the final product, and she hoped that they turned out moister than the last time she’d experimented with the recipe.
Now, she set the bakery boxes down on the folding table, noticing that in addition to the walls being finished, the space had been cleaned up. Cole had swept. And put away all his paint supplies. The entire space felt clean and bright.
Maddie stood in the room, taking in the fresh color, as the reality of it all took hold. It was no longer the stationery store. It was her bakery, with its fresh yellow walls. Soon it would have chairs and tables and a counter filled with her creations.
She pulled in a breath, realizing tha
t it was shaky. As much as she had longed for this and wished for it and thought that she was ready for it, now she couldn’t stop thinking of just how much it was. Work. Money. Time.
Amelia made it look so effortless, even though Maddie knew firsthand just how hard she worked. Still, she had it figured out. When a problem arose, she didn’t panic; she simply solved it, and moved on. She knew her busy hours, and she knew her customers’ favorites. She knew how much of which ingredients to order without having to worry about getting it wrong. What if Maddie ran out of sugar the first week? What if she had more customers than she could tend to and ran out of everything before the day was half over?
What if she had no customers at all?
She closed her eyes and pressed her fingers to her temple. She couldn’t think about any more of this. She was supposed to be stopping by, to see how things were progressing, not stand here once again wondering if she had made the biggest mistake of her life.
She locked the door behind her and hurried up the gravel path to Main Street, training her eye on the bookshop in the distance. It was run by Bella Clark—Gabby’s cousin on her mother’s side—and Maddie passed it daily but didn’t have a chance to drop in as often as she would have liked.
The sky was overcast and there was a threat of rain in the air as she approached the storefront, which boasted a flowerbox full of golden orange mums at the base of its wide, bay window. There was a display set up of mysteries—something that seemed fitting for the season—and already Maddie could see that the room was filled with women from town, all of whom she knew, of course. That was small-town life for you. A few new people came in, like Candy, but otherwise, it was family or friends that you’d grown up with all your life.
And guys that you’d grown up with, she thought, considering the lack of new faces in Blue Harbor.
Still, for some reason she wasn’t thinking of the possibility of new faces. She was thinking of an old face. One she’d grown up with, but maybe never properly looked at before.
Ridiculous. She shook away any strange sort of fond thoughts of Cole and pushed through the paned front door on which hung a quaint little sign. Maddie made a mental note to look for something similar for her own door—something that wasn’t just functional, but showed that she took pride in the small details. And Bella definitely took pride in that.
Inside the room was warm and smelled of autumn-scented candles. The lamps on the end tables gave an inviting glow and a circle of mix-matched chairs had been arranged near the back of the room. On another table, wine and coffee were set up. Maddie set down her offerings and helped herself to a glass of red wine.
“Oh, this smells good,” Gabby said as she bent down to smell the pie. Noticing the brownies, she said, “And you did bring these!”
“I do know how to bake more than just pies,” Maddie joked. Her cinnamon rolls were a big seller, and she had an arsenal of cookie and cake recipes, too. Still, part of having her own establishment was the perk of experimenting with new recipes and flavors. She’d always loved spending her free time creating new ideas, but now she had a purpose.
“Well, these won’t last long,” Gabby said. “And for sure you’ll be invited back.”
Maddie grinned, happy that she had taken Gabby up on the offer to attend the meeting tonight. She glanced around the room, noticing Bella talking to the town librarian, Helena. Over in the corner was Gabby’s youngest sister Jenna chatting with Mila, who ran an art studio not too far from town. Her long, red hair was always a giveaway, and Maddie had longed for such a unique feature when she was younger. Something to set her apart. Or make her feel special.
Growing up as the youngest of four sisters, she often didn’t just feel like she was living in their old clothes, but also following in their premade footsteps. It was easier that way, but as she grew older, she yearned for something of her own.
She just hadn’t realized how difficult it would be to have it.
“You’re frowning,” Gabby pointed out.
Maddie startled. She forced a little smile. “Was I? Sorry, just looking out for Candy.”
“Candy must be over at the café, right?” Gabby asked, and Maddie felt a wave of nostalgia bloom. Of course. It was still a busy time of year for Blue Harbor. Tourism was usually steady through October. With the summer help gone, Amelia would of course need Candy’s help to pull off a Saturday evening service. She wondered if she should have volunteered…until she remembered that Amelia had all but banished her from the café within days of Matt approving the building permit.
Clearly, Amelia was aware of Maddie’s doubts. Or maybe she just knew that it would be so tempting for Maddie to go back to the tried and true path. The one her sisters had already walked on, and carved out. The one that was safe.
“Besides,” Gabby said, giving her a little grin. “Candy likes to take her books out of the library. And then forget to return them.”
Maddie laughed at this. “I seem to recall that Amelia paid her late fee last month.” It was a kind gesture, and she knew that Amelia was starting to see the good in their father’s girlfriend, as Britt had done too—and that was shocking. Of all of them, Britt had been the most protective of their mother, the most hurt by her loss. Candy had been a surprise to her, and not a welcome one.
But then Candy had won them over the way she had their father. Maddie thought back to her father’s words, insisting that Candy just wanted to help, and be included.
And then she thought of the way Candy had helped. Sly. Very sly.
But still. Cole was working out; Maddie couldn’t deny that, not she was entirely ready to forgive Candy. Yet. The last thing she needed was the woman thinking it was okay to meddle when it so was not okay.
Gabby motioned to Bella, who had come to the refreshment table. “I brought a newcomer.”
“So I see!” Bella smiled warmly. She was in Amelia’s grade, and at this age, two or three years rarely made a difference, yet somehow, it did. Like Maddie’s sisters and cousins, Bella had her own business, this lovely little bookstore that she’d transformed over the years, from a dusty old space into a charming place on Main Street. Her window displays were always fresh. She was ambitious with her events—finding local authors for readings, hosting this book club, and story hours for children. She even had a poetry circle and a writing workshop once a month. She was forever hanging up a new poster, and her store was always busy, yet never cramped.
Maddie hadn’t made time to read lately, she realized. “Once I get the bakery up and running, I need to stop in here more often.”
Bella just tipped her head and took a sip of her drink. White wine for her. “How’s it coming? I saw Cole’s truck down near the lakefront earlier today, loaded with supplies.”
Maddie felt her heart skip at the mention of his name, though she wasn’t sure why. “He’s my contractor,” she said, as much as it was a reminder to herself. He was a contractor. He worked for her. Though oddly, she was starting to feel like he was running the show.
“So he said,” Bella said. Then, perhaps seeing the confusion on her face, Bella added, “He stopped in here yesterday. He usually does on Fridays.”
Maddie stared at Bella as her mind processed this information. “Cole comes to the bookstore?”
Bella shrugged. “Once a week, sometimes more. In fact, I stock the mystery section just for him. Though lately, he’s been buying more romance.”
Maddie felt her eyes bulge as she glanced at Gabby, who looked equally stunned. “Romance?”
“For his mother.” Bella laughed. “Sweet, huh?”
Sweet wasn’t the word that most people in town associated with Cole, but Maddie didn’t comment on that. She was beginning to realize that there was more to Cole than he’d let on. Or that people saw.
Bella glanced at the brass clock on the wall and sighed. “Looks like we should grab a seat. Honestly, it will be good to sit down. But first, I might need one of these brownies.”
Maddie held her breat
h as Bella took a small bite, waiting for a knit of the brow, a small frown, or a polite gesture that she was too full too finish. Maybe she’d put in too much sugar, or not enough. Chocolate could be bitter without the right ratio.
Bella’s eyes lit up as she took another, larger bite. “There’s only one problem with you opening a bakery, Maddie.”
“What’s that?” Maddie nearly whispered. Her heart was beating so loudly, she was nearly sure that Gabby could hear it beside her.
“I’ll need to double my daily squats to make up for all the extra calories I’m going to consume!”
Maddie felt herself visibly relax. It was silly, she knew. She knew how to bake. She had done it every day, for years, long before her mother was gone.
But those were her mother’s recipes. Like Amelia’s café, or the orchard, it was safe. Established. And tonight’s offering was something entirely her own.
She added a brownie to her plate and took her seat, in between Gabby and Jenna, and smiled at Mila across the way.
They began discussing the book that Maddie had only skimmed, but even if she had read it in its entirety, Maddie knew that she wouldn’t have been able to contribute to the conversation right now. Her mind was on something else.
Or rather, someone else.
Cole came in here once a week. Bella seemed to think nothing of it. And Cole bought romance novels. For his mother.
Bella was right. That was sweet. Even sweeter than her brownies tonight, she thought, taking a large bite.
6
The market was busy for a fall weekend, and Maddie sold out of her pies within the first hour. She regretted not saving one for her father, but she also knew that she wouldn’t have a chance to see him tonight, even though she tried to pop over whenever she could on Sunday evenings—pig roast or not. But today there was too much to do with plans for the bakery, and she still had the Harvest Fest to prepare and shop for, too. She knew how many ingredients she needed on hand for her pies each week, but the festival would be much bigger, with higher demand.