Muffins & Moonbeams: An Arcadia Valley Romance (Baxter Family Bakery Book 2)

by Elizabeth Maddrey

  “Love you, too. Get to work. And let me know how things go.”

  Ursula ended the call and opened up the files she’d been working on for the bakery. If she could get it working well enough to upload to her test server, she could walk over and pull it up for them to look at. And maybe snag a muffin. Or was that too much if they had a date tonight anyway?

  A date. She grinned. Now just had to figure out how to keep from messing it up like she usually did.

  Ursula wiggled into the floaty blue and white skirt and tugged on a pale yellow top with a gathered scoop neck. She frowned at her reflection in the mirror. It was summery but...too casual? Too dressy? Ugh. A glance at the clock showed that she had about five minutes. Whatever it was, she was wearing it. She slid into a pair of semi-dressy sandals, grabbed her purse, and leaned closer to the mirror to swipe gloss over her lips as the doorbell rang. That would have to do.

  She opened the door and stopped, catching her breath. “Wow.”

  Red stained his cheeks, but he smiled. “I could say the same. I brought you these.”

  Ursula took the sunny gerbera daisies and sniffed. They were wrapped in the distinctive paper of Blossoms by the Akers. Her eyebrows lifted. Classy. “These are lovely. Come in, will you? I want to put these in water. Do we have time?”

  He nodded. “There’s no rush.”

  After hesitating for a moment, Ursula stepped in, wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. Leaning back so he could see her lips, she said, “Thank you.”

  Heat warming her cheeks at her brash action, she turned and strode to the kitchen. Triton looked up briefly from his dinner bowl then continued munching. She took her grandma’s Waterford vase down from the top of the fridge and rinsed it before filling it with water and dumping in the fertilizer packet that was rubber banded around the bottom of the daisy stems. She quickly snipped the ends and dropped the flowers into the vase with a promise to do a better job arranging them soon.

  “You’re good at that.”

  She started and turned. “Dad brings my mom flowers every week. She’s big on seeing how long they can last. The key, she says, is plant food and trimming the stems. I guess we’ll see.”

  Malachi nodded and held out his hand. “Ready?”

  Her tongue darted between her lips as she clasped his hand. “Yes.”

  Electricity sizzled up her arm. It wasn’t unpleasant. If anything, it made her hyper-aware of their points of contact. Outside on the porch, she checked the door and paused when she saw his car.

  “I thought we could head into Twin Falls and see what there is to see.”

  “That sounds...perfect. It’s such a nice town. Do you get down there often?”

  He shook his head and held open her door. “Nope. But that’ll be changing next week. In fact...do you mind if we scout out one spot?”

  “No. Spot for what?”

  He held up a finger before closing her door and rounding the car. Seated in the driver’s chair, he turned so he could see her. “We’re starting deliveries once a week. I’ve been on the phone most of the day tracking down a parking lot that doesn’t mind me setting up shop, so to speak, for an hour or so one day a week. It’s easier if people come to pick up from a central location rather than driving all over town to do deliveries at their homes. Plus with weather and so forth, I’m not sure how we’d work out the logistics of keeping the bread safe. But if they know I’ll be at the back of the parking lot at Main and Gooding at a certain time, it’s easier for them to get over and collect and save themselves the trouble of driving into Arcadia Valley.”

  “Smart.”

  He grinned and started the engine. “I thought so. My brothers took some convincing. So I guess we’ll see how it pays off.”

  9

  The parking lot was perfect for setting up a pickup location. And so was walking, hand in hand, with Ursula. Since they were right in the middle of downtown, it made sense to leave the car and stroll. She’d said she wasn’t starving yet, so they could browse Main and see if something struck their fancy. He chuckled to himself as Ursula tugged her hand free and worked to sign while she talked. It was sweet. And so he signed in return, even though the other people on the street were obviously trying not to stare.

  “Doesn’t it bother you?”

  Ursula looked confused. “What?”

  “People are gawking. At us.” Malachi checked the traffic at the stop sign and tugged her into the crosswalk.

  “So? It’s probably because you’re so handsome.” Her hand flew to her mouth as the words finished. Red spread across her cheeks.

  Malachi grinned. “Am I now?”

  She jabbed his ribs with her elbow. “Now that we’ve accomplished your mission to find a good, central location for Slice of Heaven pickups, you said something about dinner?”

  “I did. Let’s see what sounds good.” Now his cheeks heated. “Should I have chosen something and planned on it? I’m...rusty when it comes to dates. I’m sorry.”

  “Don’t be. How rusty?”

  When they reached the curb, Malachi glanced down the street. It was pathetic. She’d laugh. And then...he shook his head and pointed. “What’s that?”

  A slight frown marring her expression, Ursula followed his pointing finger. “Oh fun. There’s live music. The banner...” She squinted, raising a hand to shade her eyes. “Looks like it’s an every Wednesday thing in the summer. Do you want...never mind. That was dumb.”

  “We can, if you want to? I don’t mind.”

  Ursula shook her head. “Doesn’t start for another hour. And it wouldn’t be any fun for you, would it? Let’s just find dinner.”

  They strolled along, looking at the store fronts. There was only one sandwich shop and a sushi place before they’d gone three blocks. Malachi stopped. “This is ridiculous. I should’ve planned better. I’m sorry. Why don’t we head back to the car and we can look something up.”

  “It’s okay. I enjoyed the walk.” She pressed her lips together. “You know what I could really go for?”

  “What?”

  “Mexican.”

  He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and opened a browser. There were several choices, but the car was probably still the first place to start. He tipped the screen toward her. “Choose what sounds good.”

  She dragged the map with one finger until Arcadia Valley came back into view and tapped on a purple dot. “This one.”

  His heart sank. She wanted to head back home. It was probably some hole in the wall that would get them in and out in ten minutes. Tacos that were a shaky step up from Taco Bell. Not that he’d eaten at a Taco Bell in a while. But still. He gave himself a firm mental kick. He was going to have to refresh himself on dating protocol. Provided Ursula gave him another chance. And that didn’t seem overly likely. “Okay. You’re sure you don’t want to stay in town?”

  Something in his tone must have given away how he felt. Ursula stopped and stepped in front of him, her gaze locked to his. “I just want to be with you. I’m out of practice myself. I think the last date I went on was at Christmas when my mom set me up with the visiting son of a friend of hers from church. It...did not go well. This is already so much better. I like the food at El Corazon and, last time I was there, they mentioned they might be transitioning to a more farm-to-table menu. I don’t know for sure if they’ve done that yet, but even if they haven’t, it’ll be a good meal.”

  His spirit lightened a fraction. Maybe...maybe this wasn’t a complete disaster after all. He nodded. “Okay.”

  Ursula’s lips twitched and she raised her chin, leaning forward to brush her mouth to his. Malachi froze, the air clogging in his chest. Tiny bolts of electricity skimmed through him at her brief touch.

  He swallowed. He should say something. Anything. But there were no words left in his brain. She was watching him. Waiting? Hand trembling, he brushed a strand of hair away from her cheek and, his eyes searching hers, brought their lips together once again.

  “Yo
u’re awfully cheerful for someone who’s looking at a spreadsheet.” Jonah dropped into the chair next to Malachi’s desk and chugged from a water bottle. “You can’t possibly know how well the muffins and cookies are doing already, can you?”

  Malachi shook his head but couldn’t keep the grin off his face even if he wanted to. Which he decidedly did not.

  “I take it the date went well?”

  “Had some great Mexican food. We should go as a family. You know how Micah loves good shredded beef.”

  “Mmmhmm. Where is this shredded beef that put you in such a good mood?”

  “The rice was good, too. El Corazon.”

  Jonah snickered. “My Spanish might be a little rusty, but I’m pretty sure it’s the restaurant’s namesake, not their food, that’s got you in a good mood.”

  Malachi lifted a shoulder. His brother was right, his heart was responsible for the good mood. Of course he was. But there was no need to encourage the knowing, slightly smug, gleam in his eye. “Did you need me?”

  “Nope. Just taking a break. Although...if you’re hungry, I have a new recipe coming out of the oven in about five. Wanna taste test for me?”

  “Sure, bring it in when it’s ready.” He turned back to the spreadsheet. He’d emailed all of the Twin Falls customers individually. The response to the pickup location was overwhelmingly positive. Now he just had to get the time figured out. For those it absolutely didn’t work for, he could possibly arrange to-the-door delivery for a higher fee. But he’d rather avoid that if he could. While he didn’t mind driving, you couldn’t leave bread sitting on someone’s front step for very long and still guarantee it tasted the way you intended. Even in plastic, it could end up dried out or soggy or just...off. And that said nothing about animals. Better to control the conditions as much as possible.

  Malachi hit save and closed out the customer list. They’d probably need to upgrade to a database. Sooner rather than later, as it was always easier to migrate small quantities of data than big ones. And it really seemed like things were going to take off. The bonus of being a CSB instead of a CSA was the year-round nature. They weren’t really dependent on crops. Sure, the wheat, oats, whatever all grew in the summer, but they kept well enough with the right storage techniques. And since Jonah only ground the flour as they needed it, they didn’t have to worry about that spoiling, even though they weren’t adding preservatives to it. It was more labor intensive, but anyone who tasted their products could tell the difference, even if they didn’t know exactly what they were tasting.

  He drummed his fingers on the desk. A database. The website would probably have a database on the back end for the online sign ups. Was it possible to have it go directly into the same one that he’d use and save a step? He’d never seen Ruth moving information from the online reservations to her reservation system. But was that because it was a professional product? Or could Ursula tie into something he put together? The only way to find out was to ask. He typed out a quick email and sent it. No point struggling through a database design until he knew the answer. Or maybe there was a product that would do what they needed...he’d research that.

  “Here we go.” Jonah came back in with a steaming muffin on a plate. “Don’t be shy, okay? Like I said, it’s an experiment.”

  Malachi sniffed the warm, nutty steam that rose from the treat. His mouth watered. He broke it in half and sniffed again. Why did he smell apples? He bit into one half and chewed thoughtfully. Oats, definitely apple of some sort and... “Are those hazelnuts?”

  “I should’ve known you’d figure it out. Micah had no idea. Good?”

  Malachi nodded. “Where are the apples from?”

  “Caught that, too? It’s applesauce, but yeah. There’s a good apple growing region—small—near Boise. I figure grown in Idaho probably still counts as local. Or at least local-ish. After all, I still have to get some of the savory ingredients from organic wholesalers. The filberts are local, too.”

  “Huh. It’s good. That’s today’s flavor?” Malachi polished off the first half of the muffin and bit into the second. “Could use a touch of butter.”

  Jonah nodded. “That’s what Micah said, too. And no. Tomorrow, I think. Speaking of that...”

  Malachi cocked his head to the side.

  “Seems to me a weekly flavor makes more sense all around. Commit to something for six days.”

  “Why?” Malachi finished the muffin and reached for the cup of cold coffee that sat next to his computer monitor.

  “Lot of reasons. First off, your newsletter. What if Twin Falls folks want a flavor but it doesn’t happen to be on delivery day? Kind of stinks to be them. And us. ‘Cause we’re losing out on their add-on business and if that happens too many times, I’m not sure they’ll stick around.”

  “That’s fair. What else?”

  Jonah flipped the cap back down on his water bottle. “Next biggest is ordering. Easier to order a week at a time than a day. We’ll get better breaks for the bulk that way, too.”

  “Okay. Weekly it is.”

  “That was easy.” Jonah punched Malachi’s arm. “Micah said you were going to give me a hard time about it.”

  “Why?”

  “Dunno. He’s in a mood.” Jonah checked his watch and stood. “Gotta run.”

  Malachi frowned, his gaze darting to the clock on his monitor. Then he chuckled. Almost three. He could stand to stretch his legs. It was always entertaining to watch his brother pour on the charm.

  Pushing through the swinging door that led to the front of the bakery, he fought a smile. The woman was like clockwork. Plus she teetered on the edge of gorgeous, and the standard blue police uniform couldn’t do anything to change that. She didn’t appear to notice it. She breezed into the bakery and stopped, as she always did, to close her eyes and breathe deeply.

  “Hey, guys. Wow. You’re all out front today? Slow day in the kitchen?”

  Jonah turned and frowned at Malachi before stuffing his hands into his pockets. “I guess those two decided to take their break out front. How’s your day, Officer Sinclair?”

  “You can call me Gloria, Jonah. I promise not to leave a review online saying you’re overly friendly with your clientele. Though that might be a bonus in some folks’ minds. It’s been...pretty low key. So I guess that’s a good day. What do you have that’s new? I’m feeling adventurous.”

  Malachi ducked back into the kitchen and scanned the area where Jonah usually set items to cool. Aha. There were the oat-nut muffins. He snagged two and set them on a plate, carrying them out front. He tapped Jonah on the shoulder and handed him the plate.

  “What are those?” Gloria leaned across the counter and sniffed. “They smell amazing.”

  Red crawled up Jonah’s neck. “I’m not sure they’re ready yet. They’re just something I’ve been playing with...”

  “Nope.” She wiggled her fingers. “Hand ‘em over.”

  “I...” Jonah cast Micah a helpless look.

  Micah shrugged and rang up two muffins.

  “Don’t charge her. Geez.” Jonah pushed the plate across the top of the display case. “On the house. I’m told they need butter. We aren’t set up with those little packets yet though. They’re still on order. The whole muffin and cookie thing is a recent and rather spontaneous decision.”

  Gloria beamed. “Those are usually the best kinds. You’re sure I can’t pay? I’m positive I’m going to enjoy these.”

  “I’m sure.” Jonah sent Micah a pointed look.

  Micah huffed out a sigh and voided the transaction.

  “Well. Thank you.” She angled her head to the side. “Care to join me?”

  Malachi tugged on Micah’s sleeve and nodded toward the kitchen.

  “What did he say?” Malachi crossed to the muffins and tossed one to his twin.

  “I don’t know, you dragged me out of there too fast for me to catch it. Hopefully, he’ll realize someone has to be out there and I am now, officially, on break.” Micah c
rossed to the office and flopped into the extra chair. “How was the date last night?”

  Malachi fought the urge to roll his eyes. Sure, it had been a long time—like high school—since he’d asked someone out. That didn’t mean he wanted to dissect every little thing with someone. “Good. What’d you do?”

  “Went to bed early. Earlier. This schedule...we may have to rethink how long we’re open every day.”

  Malachi nodded. “What if we opened later? We aren’t getting the early morning crowd like we originally expected. If we opened at say, nine, you could get here to start baking at six, maybe even seven. ‘Cause you just need the first batch of orders to be ready for the folks who pick up in the morning. We basically know who that is at this point. Most people are picking up in the afternoon on their way home from work. No one really wants to have their bread sitting in the car all day.”

  “That’s a thought. But if we decide to add donuts, those are a morning impulse. You don’t think they’ll draw an earlier crowd?”

  It was possible. On the other hand, it might not. Some are likely to be just as happy to buy a box of donuts the night before. It wasn’t as if they’d be stale in twelve hours. He shrugged. “Better to change the hours now and just have people work around it, than to end up with a morning crowd and two bakers who are dead on their feet.”

  “Or you could take the whole shooting match on at say, one, and Jonah and I could go home and nap.”

  Malachi scoffed. “Right. Like Jonah’s going to miss out on Gloria every day?”

  Micah grinned. “You have a point.”

  Malachi stretched out on his bed with his laptop and logged into Orion’s Quest, eager to see Ursula again, even if it was only her alter ego. He was halfway through a negotiation for an engine upgrade when her chat request came though.

  “Got a second?”

  “Gimme one—need to finish this.” Malachi frowned at the price. He could probably get the guy down another thousand credits, but how long would it take? He had the money. Fine. He accepted and transferred the in-game cash. The upgrade would be installed on his ship in three hours. Most days, the fact that they tried to make the game more realistic with wait times for certain upgrades was annoying. But tonight...well he could just chat with Ursula. He typed back. “Okay. I’m here. What’s up?”