“You can always come back to Phoenix with us,” Virginia said. “You said you needed a vacation. While your building is being repaired, this could be it.”
After spending the last few days with her parents, she would have enjoyed going home with them. But that wouldn’t pay her mortgage or get her building repaired. “I need to be here, but I’ll visit you and Dad as soon as I can. It just won’t be for a few more months.”
Virginia smiled. “It might be better if we come to you. If Levi is still here, I might see if we can rent a bedroom off him. Zac’s house is stunning.”
“Does this mean that Sapphire Bay is growing on you?”
“As soon as we drove along Flathead Lake, I knew this area was special. Even your dad is impressed with the town.” Her mom looked through the bedroom window at the lake. “How would you feel if your dad and I stayed here for a few more days? After the fire marshal has gone, we could help clean the building and get everything ready for when you reopen.”
Brooke hugged her mom. “I don’t know when we’ll be allowed back in the building, but I’d appreciate your help. Just promise that you’ll do a few more tourist things before you leave. This was supposed to be a vacation for you and Dad.”
Virginia smiled. “I promise we’ll do some more sightseeing while we’re here. But if you find a kitchen to move into, I’ll be the first person lining up to help you make candy.”
“It’s a deal,” Brooke said. “I love you, Mom.”
Tears filled Virginia’s eyes. “I love you too, Brooke. And don’t worry about anything. Between all of us, we’ll have your store up and running in no time.”
Brooke hoped her mom was right. Even two weeks without any sales would have a huge impact on her mortgage payments, and that was the last thing she needed.
Chapter 16
Brooke stared across the table. For the last half hour, Levi and her parents had been suggesting ways she could continue to make her candy. But each suggestion created more problems than solutions. There were so many regulations around food handling, that nothing short of a fully-functioning commercial kitchen would work.
“What about Pastor John’s church?” Levi asked. “As well as running the café, they do a lot of cooking classes in their kitchen.”
Brooke’s eyes widened. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of the church. I’ve even planned Wednesday’s candy-making class and it still didn’t occur to me.”
Karl smiled. “That’s why we’re doing this together. Give Pastor John a call and see what he thinks.”
Before she talked to him, Brooke checked the time. With any luck, John would be at home and not involved in an event at the church. “If I start squealing, you’ll know he said yes.”
Levi took her cell phone off the kitchen counter. “Tell him the apprentices can help fix your building. That will keep them employed for a few more weeks and might sweeten the deal.”
Virginia took a sip of coffee. “He won’t be able to say no, especially if he’s smelled Brooke’s store when she’s making fudge.”
Brooke knew that if John could help, he would. But it was a big ask, especially when their café was so busy. Before she changed her mind, she looked through her cell phone for his number.
With Levi, her mom, and her dad listening, she called John.
“Pastor John McDonald speaking. How can I help you?”
“Hi, John. It’s Brooke Johnson.”
“Brooke! It’s good to hear from you. I was going to call you tonight and tell you how sorry I am about the fire. Is everyone all right?”
Brooke looked at Levi and her parents. “We’re okay. We were on a steamboat cruise when Mabel called to let me know what had happened.”
“I’m glad no one was hurt. Does the fire department know how it started?”
“Not yet. The fire marshal will be in Sapphire Bay tomorrow. I’m hoping their investigation won’t take too long. My parents and I are staying with Levi Montgomery at the moment.”
“If there’s anything I can do, don’t hesitate to ask. Are you still okay to do the candy-making class this week? We can postpone it if it’s easier for you.”
Brooke gripped her cell phone. “The class isn’t a problem, but I do have a question for you. I have a lot of orders I need to make in the next week or two. Would I be able to use the commercial kitchen at the church? I wouldn’t expect to use it for nothing. I could make a donation to—”
“Don’t be silly,” John interrupted. “Of course you can use the kitchen. When would you like to start?”
Brooke thought she would have been jumping up and down. But John’s kindness brought tears to her eyes. “I could visit the café tomorrow. If you have everything I need, it would be great to start baking tomorrow afternoon.”
“That’s no problem. I’ll call the café manager and our events coordinator and let them know you’re coming. If they aren’t in the church when you arrive, ask for me.”
She took a deep breath. “Are you sure it’s okay?”
“I’m positive. When we built the kitchen, we made it twice as big as it needs to be. Everything was built by our community, for our community. And you’re an important part of Sapphire Bay.”
“I don’t know what to say, except thank you.”
“You don’t need to say anything. Get a good night’s sleep, and we’ll see you in the morning.”
After Brooke ended the call, she looked at Levi and her parents and burst into tears.
Virginia rushed around the table. “Oh, Brooke. It will be all right.”
She leaned into her mom’s embrace. Brooke had believed she wouldn’t get through the next few weeks without losing her business. But now she had a kitchen. Her parents and Levi were here to help however they could. And, with a little luck, she would be able to fill all the online orders.
All she had to do was visit the church, make the candy, and stop the tears that didn’t want to go away.
Three days later, Levi sat at the back of the kitchen in Pastor John’s church, totally in awe of Brooke. Fifteen people, including himself, were learning the art of candy making.
No one listening to Brooke would realize that on Sunday, her world had fallen apart. She was animated and happy, drawing everyone into the process of making fudge as if they were already confectioners. After the last few days, he was surprised she was able to put a smile on her face and keep going.
As promised, the fire marshal had arrived on Monday. After spending most of the morning on site, he’d talked to Brooke for more than an hour, asking her questions about the building.
The police had also talked to her, wanting to know where she was, who she was with, and if she was in any financial difficulties. Apart from a big mortgage, Brooke was in the same boat as most people in the town.
Levi knew the police were only doing the job, but it wasn’t easy seeing her struggle with their questions. Not because she had anything to hide, but because was still trying to find a new way forward. The stress she was under was intense, and Levi was doing everything he could to make her life easier.
While Brooke and her mom worked around the clock to make the candy for the online orders, Levi and Karl had been moving heaven and earth to surprise Brooke. She needed somewhere more permanent than Pastor John’s church to make her candy, and they knew the perfect place.
Brooke cleared her throat, and Levi pulled his attention back to the class.
“Using a spatula, spread the fudge across your pan.” Brooke paused while she moved around the kitchen, making sure her students weren’t getting into any difficulty.
When she reached Levi’s table, she smiled. “You’re doing a great job, Mr. Montgomery. It will be interesting to see what your cinnamon and apple fudge tastes like.”
Levi had already tasted the fudge and it was good. Really good. “You might have to add this flavor to your menu. But I get to keep all bragging rights.”
“We’ll see.” She took a deep breath and sighed. “If it tastes
as good as it smells, it could be a great flavor for Thanksgiving or Christmas.”
“It would be a great flavor year-round,” Levi said.
Brooke’s smile widened. “Keep going. I want to see what Patsy is doing.”
The woman standing at the counter behind Levi, chuckled. “Levi is more creative than I am, but I might have the winning candy right here.”
Levi turned around and studied the pan of orange and brown fudge. Whatever was in Patsy’s fudge would have to taste better than it looked to beat his flavor. After all, Brooke had said this part of the class was a competition. And Levi loved a challenge.
“Don’t turn up your nose,” Patsy teased. “Anyone who likes orange and chocolate ripple ice cream will love this fudge. It melts in your mouth and leaves a lovely citrus flavor behind.” She handed Brooke a piece. “It’s a little warm, but you’ll still be able to taste the flavors coming through.”
The blissful sigh coming from Brooke’s traitorous lips wasn’t reassuring.
When Levi looked pleadingly at Patsy, she shook her head.
“You’re the competition,” she said mischievously. “You can’t have a piece until Brooke tells us who made the winning fudge.”
Levi wasn’t sure if Patsy thought he was going to copy the recipe or take credit for the flavor. Either way, she was wrong. He was more than happy with his apple and cinnamon creation.
“May the best person win,” he said confidently.
The gleam in Patsy’s eyes told him she was up to the challenge. “My thoughts precisely.”
By the time Brooke walked to the front of the room, Levi’s confidence had reasserted itself. He was sure his fudge would win the competition. Everyone else had stuck to well-known, traditional flavors that wouldn’t impress Brooke. But he had the inside scoop on what flavors she liked. And vanilla cream or coffee deluxe wouldn’t make her excited.
“If you haven’t already placed your fudge in one of the refrigerators, do so now.” Brooke waited while her students rushed across the room, trying to find a spare shelf to cool down their candy. When everyone returned to their seats, she showed them different ways they could gift wrap their fudge.
Levi wasn’t paying close attention to what she was saying. He was more interested in watching her move from one side of the counter to the other, smiling at her students and, for a while, forgetting about the turmoil in her life.
For the next week, he needed to focus on Brooke’s surprise. Being a successful confectioner was important to her. And if she couldn’t make that happen in Sapphire Bay, he was worried she’d leave. And if that happened, he didn’t know if he’d ever see her again.
Later that afternoon, Brooke used her forearm to brush a strand of hair off her face. After the candy-making class, she’d stayed to make a special order of fudge. Her mom had joined her, measuring and mixing ingredients as Brooke poured another batch into a pan.
Brooke had almost declined the online order for one hundred bags of strawberry dream fudge. It was hard enough keeping up with the smaller requests, let alone putting together bigger ones. But at this stage, she was grateful for any income she received. With Sweet Treats potentially closed for months, she desperately needed every order she could get.
She didn’t want to go back to nursing, but she might not have a choice.
Virginia took a pan of fudge out of the refrigerator. “Where is this fudge going?”
“Orlando. I don’t know how they found my website.”
“Well, I’m glad they did. It feels good to help you.”
Brooke smiled. “It’s not quite a bakery, but it is a commercial kitchen. Can I ask you a question?”
“Of course you can. But I think I know what you’re going to say.”
“Why didn’t you change careers and become a baker?”
A sad smile drifted across her mom’s face. “By the time I had the confidence to think about becoming a baker, it was too late. Your dad and I had a mortgage and other commitments that needed two incomes to support. So I kept my accounting business going and tried to find time to bake.”
“It must have been hard to go into work each day.”
“Sometimes, but I made the most of the times when I could bake. That’s why I’m so proud of you. You didn’t let what your dad and I said stop you from following your dreams.” Her mom looked at the heart-shaped cookie cutter on the counter. “I copied what your grandfather said to me—and that wasn’t fair.”
Brooke didn’t want her mom to be upset about something that had happened years ago. “You wanted me to be happy. Being a nurse and helping people who were sick was a privilege. Besides, if I hadn’t been working at the hospital in Phoenix, I wouldn’t have met Levi.”
Virginia smiled. “Your nana was a firm believer in silver linings, too.” She placed six large pieces of fudge in a cellophane bag and wrapped a pink ribbon around the top. “I can still remember the first time we met Levi. He was taking you to an ice hockey game. You were both so nervous that I wondered what was going on.”
Brooke smiled. After going on three dates, Levi wanted to meet her mom and dad. But, at that stage, the symptoms of his PTSD were unpredictable. When he was feeling stressed or tired, they were worse.
But Levi had enjoyed every moment with her folks. He’d appreciated her dad’s sense of humor and her mom’s no-nonsense approach to life.
She hadn’t realized just how important that first meeting was until after she’d left Phoenix. Her parents enjoyed his company and Levi had found a home away from home. Regardless of what had happened between them, that had never changed.
Brooke’s cell phone rang. She glanced at the caller display and frowned. “It’s Megan.”
“Have you told her about the fire?”
Brooke shook her head. “I didn’t want to upset her.” For a moment, she considered not answering the call. But if Megan had heard about the fire from someone else, she would be beside herself with worry.
“Hi, Megan. It’s Brooke.”
“When were you going to tell me about the fire?”
“You should be enjoying your honeymoon, not worrying about the store. Apart from some smoke and water damage, the downstairs kitchen looks okay. By the time you get home, all of your cake decorating equipment should be ready to use.”
“I’m not worried about that. What about the rest of the building? One of William’s friends sent him the link to the newspaper article about the fire. Your apartment looks terrible.”
Brooke pushed aside her own worries. Megan should be enjoying her time with William and Nora, not thinking about the fire. “It’s not as bad as it looks. Levi and Frank visited the building yesterday. A lot of the work is superficial and will only take a few weeks to fix.”
“What about you. Have you got somewhere to stay until you can move back into your apartment?”
“Mom, Dad and I are staying at Zac’s house with Levi. Once my insurance is sorted, I’ll rent a house in town.”
“Why don’t you stay with William and me,” Megan said quickly. “There’s plenty of room for you and anything you want to store. The money you would have paid in rent can help pay your mortgage.”
Brooke was grateful for Megan’s offer, but she didn’t want to intrude on her friend’s life, especially after she’d just gotten married. “I’ll be okay, but thanks for the offer.”
“Do you know how stubborn you are?”
Brooke’s lips twitched. “I’m asserting my independence.”
“That’s what everyone who’s stubborn says. The article in the newspaper said you’re making candy from the kitchen in Pastor John’s church. Is that working out okay?”
“It’s not as good as having all my equipment around me, but it’s fine. Mom’s helping with the online orders and some of the students from my candy-making class will lend a hand if we get behind.”
“What about the income from the store? How are you managing to pay your mortgage?”
Out of everything that had
happened, paying her mortgage was Brooke’s biggest worry. “I spoke to the bank yesterday. I’ve switched to an interest only loan, which takes some of the pressure off me. But the interest still needs to be paid. I’ll have to open another store or go back to nursing.”
“Oh, Brooke. I’m so sorry this happened.”
“At least no one was hurt.”
Megan sighed. “As soon as I arrive home, I’ll come and see you. If there’s anything you need before then, just call.”
Brooke leaned against the counter. “I will. How’s the honeymoon?”
“It’s wonderful. Nora loves Disney World, and she swam with the dolphins in Discovery Cove. Orlando is a lot different from Sapphire Bay.”
Brooke smiled. She’d been to Orlando a couple of times and knew what Megan meant. It was a beautiful area, but nothing could beat the breathtaking beauty of Flathead Lake or the pretty streets of Sapphire Bay. “I’m glad you’re having a great time. Don’t worry about the store or my building. In a few months, it will look better than ever.”
“I hope so. Give your mom and dad a hug from me.”
“I will. Enjoy the last few days of your honeymoon.” After Brooke ended the call, she stood at the counter lost in her thoughts. Sorting through everything that needed to happen after the fire had been time-consuming and heartbreaking. She didn’t know what she would have done without her family and friends to support her.
She took a deep breath and focused on the here and now. Finishing this order, then baking the next batch of fudge was her priority. Tomorrow would take care of itself, even if it wasn’t the future she had imagined.
Levi unpacked another box of kitchen equipment that he’d brought with him from Brooke’s store. For the last few days, he’d been working with Karl to convert the garage in the property Brooke owned back into a commercial kitchen.
When the family who’d rented her house heard about the fire, they were happy to move their storage boxes into another garage. Without their help, Levi and Karl’s surprise for Brooke wouldn’t be happening.
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