Taryn eyed him suspiciously. “It’s one of her favorites at Christmastime. Only since it’s July, I replaced the peppermint mousse with raspberry.”
“I don’t need to taste it.” She’d given him an out, and he would take it. “Callie will love it. Especially if you add chocolate shavings and a raspberry on top.”
“Oh, perfect additions.” Margot picked up her pencil. “I’ll write those down. I had no idea you knew so much about desserts, Garrett.”
“Me, either.” Taryn’s laughter-filled gaze, however, told another story.
Did she remember making him a similar dessert at her house? Or that he’d scooped out the mousse and eaten the shavings, raspberry, and chocolate cup, instead?
“It’s a gift.” One Garrett hoped got him through the next few days of helping Taryn, or his sister’s wedding might become an uncomfortable try-to-avoid-each-other event.
Chapter Six
After Margot left to pick up her dogs, Taryn sat with Garrett. His blue polo shirt and khakis made him look more like someone taking a late lunch during his workday than a person on a summer vacation. The way he dressed so well had caught her eye in December. Most guys in town thought dressing up meant showering and wearing aftershave.
Not Garrett.
The only differences between winter and summer were the short sleeves and his hair, something she hadn’t noticed yesterday. Ends curled and brushed his collar. The style wasn’t as corporate as before. It suited him.
Not that she cared how he dressed or looked now.
But the same care he took with his appearance seeped into everything he did—from inviting her out to dinner the first time or helping decorate her Christmas tree when he realized she hadn’t gotten around to it. Did his more carefree style mean that had changed?
“Do you need to know anything else for the dessert buffet?” he asked.
She glanced at the sheets with his and Margot’s notes. “We should be good. Ideas are swirling in my head. Plus, I want to make sure the items won’t melt in the backyard.”
“I forgot the rehearsal dinner is outside.”
“I’ve done plenty of outdoor events in the heat, and I have a week and a half to figure it out. Now the booth…”
That was another story. Taryn slumped before straightening.
No getting discouraged, or she might as well give up.
He said nothing. Neither did she.
Did that mean he wasn’t going to help her?
Taryn needed help, but she didn’t want to need his help.
Ugh. She couldn’t make sense of anything right now.
Her temperature rose. Taryn fought the urge to fan herself to cool down.
Thick tension hung in the air, intensifying the silence and increasing the distance between them.
Her desperation or his regret? A combination of both?
Taryn needed to find out, but she would give him an out. That was the polite thing to do. “I appreciate you wanting to help, but I know your time is limited. You’re on vacation and have wedding stuff to do with Callie.”
His jaw tightened. “I wouldn’t have offered if I couldn’t do it.”
“Great. I mean, thank you.” She paused for a moment to breathe. “It’s…”
So much for knowing what to say. Taryn bit her lip.
“This feels weird after how comfortable things were between us before,” he said finally.
She was happy he said it and not her, but at least he felt it, too.
“It does.” When Garrett had first offered, something inside Taryn screamed N-O! Until she remembered her injured hand. That would slow her down when she needed to speed up. “As much as I want to build the booth myself, I can’t do this on my own.”
That should have been harder for her to admit, but pretending wouldn’t make things better. Accepting help—Garrett’s help—was the only way to finish on time.
His gaze met hers. “You don’t have to.”
“I appreciate that.” But knowing she wouldn’t be all on her own didn’t ease her knotted muscles. Her future was at stake. That was another reality she couldn’t ignore.
Still, working with Garrett was better than relying on Rachelle’s friend, who was more of an unknown quantity beyond his love for apple fritters and macaroons. At least, she hoped that was the case.
Taryn needed to make sure she could count on him or she was calling the paramedic. “I didn’t want you to feel obligated just because Margot was here.”
“I don’t.” Amusement flickered in his eyes.
Taryn didn’t know what was so funny unless it was her.
She gathered the two pieces of paper notes and pens off the table, nearly snapping off the lid on one pen. “I’ll put these away and get the plans for the booth.”
“I can’t wait to see what you came up with.”
The sincerity in his voice had to be a good sign, right? Or he was using the acting skills he’d honed during trials.
No. She should think positive, but after a string of bad luck, it was difficult, which was why she second-guessed everything, including herself.
“How long did you say it took you to put the booth together the first time?” he asked.
She crinkled the papers in her hand. “Every night for two weeks.”
“And we have three days.” No judgment sounded in his tone, but lines tightened around his mouth.
His “we” sent warmth flowing through her. “I’ve brainstormed ways of simplifying the original design. I…we can’t redo it the same, or it’ll never be ready in time.”
“Sounds smart.”
“More like a Hail Mary pass.”
He laughed. “I forgot you were a big football fan.”
She shrugged, not wanting to care he hadn’t remembered that when they’d watched games, as in plural, over the holidays. “It will only take us a few minutes to go over the plans.”
Garrett stretched out his legs. “I’m in no rush.”
Unfortunately, she was. “I won’t be long.”
Part of the reason she’d hurt her hand was not sleeping last night. If she’d had the materials, Taryn would have worked on the booth. Instead, she’d lain in bed, going over what she needed to do and simplifying the design without affecting the quality too much.
Thinking won’t get it done.
She hurried into the kitchen. Jayden and Brecken stood at the stainless steel table working. Typical. But the usual chatter was subdued. That happened on Carl’s day off. That guy was a regular magpie. Finley would be there to work from six until close so she could stay home tonight.
“How’d the tasting go?” Jayden held a pastry bag full of chocolate buttercream icing.
“Great. Margot and Garrett both loved your brownie bites.”
“Score!” He pumped his free fist. “So glad I remembered brownies are Brandt’s favorite.”
“Yep. I need to grab stuff from the office before I head home.”
“Good luck.” Jayden winked. “And the hammer.”
“Not funny.”
Brecken laughed. “Yes, it is, Boss.”
“I’ll laugh when my hand doesn’t hurt.” Taryn headed into her office. She glanced at the plans on the bulletin board before picking up the copies she’d made at lunchtime so she’d have a set at home, too.
Clothes were in her locker, but she would change out of whites—Lawson’s uniform for the past fifty years—when she got home. That way, Garrett didn’t have to wait longer. She removed her hat and hairnet before grabbing her purse.
“The specials are on the board and ready to go outside.” That was the only task she’d needed to complete since Carl was off. He had the best handwriting, so he usually wrote that night’s menu. “Take care.”
“Good luck with the booth.” Brecken glanced up from the bread he’d pulled from the oven. “We’ve got everything under control.”
“I know.” And why Taryn could turn off her cell phone if she wanted. “But if you get slammed wit
h customers—”
“Finley will be here later.” Jayden shooed her away. “Go build us the winning booth.”
“On my way.” She adjusted her purse strap before heading out of the kitchen.
As soon as she saw Garrett at the table, her hand tightened around the plans, crinkling the paper. He sat as if being the only non-bakery employee in the place was normal at two o’clock on a Tuesday. At least her parents weren’t there to see it.
Taryn swallowed a sigh.
She loosened her grip. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“It’s fine.” He glanced at the empty tables. “Slow day?”
A lump burned in her throat, and her breath hitched.
Do. Not. Cry.
After exhaling, she placed the plans on the table and sat.
“Yes,” her voice cracked.
She cringed, but the emptiness of the one thing she loved wholeheartedly pressed all her buttons and not in a good way. No one had stopped in to purchase a loaf of bread or rolls for dinner. No one had popped by for a cookie or a cupcake. No one had ordered a special dessert for a celebration in the upcoming days.
Taryn’s stomach churned. She couldn’t remember the last time that had happened.
Even with the patio’s grand opening this past weekend, business was getting worse. People might visit during evening hours, but that wasn’t generating any day traffic.
“Are you okay?” The concern in Garrett’s voice matched the look in his eyes.
Taryn would kill for a hug. Instead, she raised her chin.
You can do this.
She didn’t have a choice unless her father decided otherwise. “Yeah, a lot’s going on.”
He glanced around. “Margot mentioned a new bakery in Summit Ridge.”
“They opened a few months ago. We’ve taken a big hit.” Taryn glanced at the door, willing for someone to enter to show the situation wasn’t hopeless, but no one did. “Now the booth is ruined, and it feels like everything is going wrong.”
“My showing up didn’t help.”
No.” Heat rushed up to her neck. She squirmed in her seat. “I mean…”
“I know what you mean.”
Did he? Because Taryn wasn’t sure she did. “I appreciate you offering to help. There’s no way I could do this on my own.”
“Then let’s get this done.”
His confidence gave her a much-needed boost.
With a closed-mouth smile, he leaned forward. “Show me your plans.”
The plans, right. She pushed the design toward him. “My theme is A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
Garrett glanced up at her. “From Tchaikovsky at Christmas to Shakespeare in the summer.”
Taryn shrugged, but not out of indifference. She took the business association’s competitions seriously and had filled a notebook with ideas for themes.
“Lawson’s Bakery has never won the booth competition, so I wanted to come up with something extra special. I did this without knowing the other bakery would open this year. The booth resembles the woods outside of Athens. The goal is to make it appear whimsical and magical, using edible decorations.”
He paged through the sheets of paper. “You put a lot of thought into this.”
“I did. Last fall, I spent every night after work and all day on Sundays working on it. There isn’t time to replicate the exact design, but I’d like it to be as close as possible.”
“So before we talk about the actual plans, what is the booth for, and where will it be set up?”
Oh, right. This was only Garrett’s second time visiting his sister. “The First Avenue Business Association sponsors events throughout the year. The Silver Falls Summer Fair is one of the bigger ones. It starts on Friday afternoon and runs through Sunday in the park. There are booths. Food trucks come in. There are rides and games and entertainment. It’s a big draw with visitors from here and nearby towns.”
“Sounds fun. So your booth is for the bakery.”
She nodded. “Each First Avenue business is given space to showcase their products or services and interact with the public by giving samples or having a giveaway. The association offers a prize for the best booth theme to make sure businesses don’t show up with only a table and pop-up tent.”
“So this is like the Christmas window contest Callie won.”
“Yes. But unlike the Christmas window competition, the public votes for their favorite booth. The winner is announced on Friday evening, so they have bragging rights over the next two days.” Taryn wrung her hands before placing them on her lap. “The prize isn’t as big as what your sister won in December, but a first-place win gets exposure on the town’s website and social media. Winning would get our name out there so we can draw in new customers.”
“And bring back old ones.”
She straightened, fighting the urge to square her shoulders. This wasn’t a battle, even if saving the bakery felt like one. “My focus is on finding new ones.”
He opened his mouth before closing it. His eyebrows furrowed. “Will that be hard in a town this size?”
“Yes, especially since we’ve been in the same location for fifty years. I thought we had a loyal customer base, but I see now they bought here because we were the only bakery nearby. They left for the lower prices in Summit Ridge, not caring the gas money they spend driving there makes the savings a wash.” She grimaced at her harsh tone. But her dad blamed her for the losses, not the competition, even though they’d had their best year ever before the other bakery opened. “Sorry if I sound bitter. But to be honest, I am bitter.”
“Understandable.” He tilted his head, his gaze never leaving hers. “You also sound tired.”
“I am.”
“There’s nothing wrong with wanting loyal customers. That’s how businesses thrive.” Garrett leaned forward, nearly pressing against the table’s edge. “The design looks cool but complicated.”
“There are many pieces, but the yellow highlighted lines are the simplified version.”
“The original looked more like a frame with tree-trunk sides.”
“Yes, I wanted it to be like a painting with a display of samples in the center.” She pointed to a drawing. “The trees are staying, but tulle, garland, fairy lights, and a sign hanging off the pop-up tent’s frame will replace the top portion. It’s simpler but should give the same effect. We’ll add the final layer of decorations, which are baked goods that resemble flowers, animals, and birds, to those. But that won’t happen until the booth is at the park.”
“How much have you redone?”
Her knee bounced. She pressed her unbandaged hand against it. “I ordered the supplies yesterday and picked them up from the hardware store this morning. I was working on the front piece when the hammer met my hand up close and personal.”
He grinned wryly. “Hate when that happens.”
“Me, too.”
Her gaze collided with his, only this time something passed between them. Not tension. Almost a current of some sort. Attraction.
Nope. No way.
Lesson learned. She would not go that route with Garrett again.
His help and good looks wouldn’t sway her.
She swallowed before refocusing on the plans. “Things will make more sense when you see the actual pieces.”
He looked over each of the pages again. “When do you want to start?”
“I’m going home now to work on it. Jayden and my staff are covering for me the next few days until it’s finished.”
Garrett glanced at his phone. “Callie’s hosting a family dinner tonight, but I’m free for a couple of hours this afternoon.”
“That’s fine. Great.” The words flew out of Taryn’s mouth. “I mean, there’s no set schedule, and you’re doing me a favor. Stop by when you have time. If you don’t have as much as you originally thought, no worries. You’re in town to help your sister with the wedding, not build a booth.”
Oh, no. She was rambling.
“I
want to help, Taryn. And I will.”
Tears welled behind her eyelids. She blinked them away.
“But Callie is my priority,” he added.
The words pierced Taryn’s heart with bull’s-eye precision. Someday, she wanted to be someone’s priority. “I know. And that’s how it should be.”
“But I’ll do as much as I can between now and Friday.”
“I appreciate it.”
As she stacked the pages, her hand bumped against his. Tingles shot up her arm. Taryn needed to avoid him as she did the hammer. “I’ll give you my address.”
His eyebrow creased. “I remember where you live.”
Oh, right. He hadn’t forgotten. “See you there.”
“It won’t take me long. I need to run to Margot’s and change into shorts and a T-shirt.”
Taryn nodded.
“This doesn’t have to be so awkward.” He brushed his hand through his hair. “I’m a friend helping another friend.”
She’d never thought of him that way, but if it made things more comfortable when they were together, she would give “friends” a try. “That’ll work.”
“If it doesn’t, I have a feeling we’ll be so busy we don’t notice,” he teased.
His grin brightened his face, showing off sun-kissed skin that intensified the color of his eyes. So handsome.
Her heart kicked up a notch.
Uh-oh. Taryn’s breath caught. Maybe she should have asked Rachelle’s paramedic friend for help instead.
Chapter Seven
An hour later, Garrett stood on Taryn’s porch, his finger hovering in front of the doorbell. The welcome sign hanging on the door mocked him. The hair on his neck lifted as if agreeing that he shouldn’t be there.
He wanted to make up for what he’d done, but he’d forgotten sometimes that wasn’t possible. He was older and wiser than he’d been as a summer intern, but would his wanting to help Taryn turn out the same way that experience had?
Garrett hoped not, but doubts grew, swamping his desire to make amends, and he lowered his hand. Except…
Taryn had appeared to be on the verge of tears at the bakery.
Walking away wasn’t an option.
A Slice of Summer Page 6