A Slice of Summer

by Melissa McClone

  “Not really, but I should.” She took another breath. That didn’t calm her. She wiped her clammy palms against her shorts, destroying the napkin still in her hand, but she felt a little better, so totally worth it. “This is embarrassing.”

  “Life is full of embarrassing moments. They’re only as bad as we make them.”

  That was true. She would try again. “Remember when I told you my reason for reacting the way I did when you came to the bakery the first time and then later that night?”

  “I remember.” His Adam’s apple bobbed. “You didn’t appreciate being dismissed so easily.”

  She nodded, surprised he remembered. “I thought of that happening again.”

  Garrett sat ramrod straight, his shoulders squaring as if ready to spring into battle.

  Oh, no. He was taking this the wrong way.

  Taryn took a seat. “Not by you. It has nothing to do with you. It’s me. And my parents. Well, my dad. He makes me feel so inadequate. I hate feeling I’m less.”

  “I’m sorry I made you feel that way, too. I won’t repeat my mistake. I’m not like your father. I see how smart you are and how hard you work to make the bakery a success. You are more than enough.”

  His words filled her up the way his kisses had. “Thank you.”

  “I don’t want to go back, but I would like to move forward. As friends, we can call ourselves that this week, and as two people attracted to each other.” Garrett’s tone was full of compassion. He squeezed her hands. “And are equals.”

  She wet her swollen lips. “Logically, I know I’m not less, but a part of me can’t let go of those thoughts. I mean, he’s my dad.”

  “You want to make him proud.”

  “So much.” Her shoulders sagged. “But I’m afraid I can’t. And if that’s the case, I should let it go and do my own thing, whatever that might be. Ever since I was little, I dreamed about making the bakery my own. Not to erase the past, but to build upon it for the next generation of customers. I have so many ideas. A vision board. Plans.”

  “I’d love to see them sometime.”

  Heat pooled on her face. The designs were in the office, but no one had ever asked her about them, including her father. “That has nothing to do with kissing you.”

  “You wanted to kiss.”

  No sense in denying the obvious. She nodded. “But I got scared. You and the bakery have become entwined in my mind. The patio was doing well, and the booth thing happened. Now, we’ve rebuilt a new theme, and we kissed.”

  “You’re waiting for the next shoe to drop.”

  “And prove my dad has been right all along that I’m not capable.”

  Garrett held her hands in his. “Your dad must be a decent guy, or he wouldn’t have such a wonderful daughter like you. But he’s wrong. You won’t prove anything other than you’re capable and exactly what Lawson’s Bakery needs to thrive. If kissing makes you feel—”

  She kissed him hard against the lips. “Kissing you makes me feel good. But I freaked out a little. Or a lot.”

  “You’ve had a rough week.” Garrett raised her chin with his fingers. “Please know, I’m not here to make you feel bad or hurt you. Our situations haven’t changed since December, and you heard your friend mention trying to date long-distance.”

  Taryn nodded. “I don’t want that.”

  “Me, either.” His tone was soft and his gaze compassionate. “What I do want is to help you. I also want you to see the beautiful, creative, intelligent woman I see, okay?”

  She nodded, wanting that, too.

  “It’s my turn.” He lowered his mouth to hers, pressing gently, almost teasing. “Now, let’s finish the booth because we have a long weekend ahead of us.”

  Her pulse skittered. “Us.”

  He flashed her a lopsided grin. “You don’t think I’m going to let you have all the fun at the fair by yourself, do you?”

  Chapter Twelve

  “You need to sleep.” Garrett didn’t have to glance at the time to know it was late. Taryn kept yawning. She would fall asleep sitting up if they kept going. He also wanted to kiss her good night. That had been on his mind since they locked lips earlier. He’d glimpsed her dimples, but he wanted more. “We’re pretty much finished.”

  “It’s the ‘pretty much’ that worries me.” As she studied each section, she stifled another yawn. “I want to make sure we haven’t forgotten anything.”

  “The only missing pieces are the baked goods.”

  “Jayden texted me photos. The guys have those under control.”

  Garrett figured as much based on the notifications buzzing on her phone tonight. “That means there’s no reason not to call it a night.”

  Still, she hesitated. Taryn rubbed her arms. The temperature had dropped.

  “Something’s on your mind.” He wanted to know what.

  “Nerves,” she admitted, but she didn’t lower her arms. “I pinned my hopes on the patio opening and winning the booth competition. Now…”

  “You don’t know what’s going to happen.”

  “No, but a worst-case scenario litany is playing on an endless loop in my head.”

  “You need to sleep.”

  “I know.” She sighed. “Otherwise, I’ll be like the walking dead for the next three days.”

  “You don’t want to scare the small children.”

  Taryn grimaced. “That’s not the type of picnic or slices we want people to associate with Lawson’s Bakery.”

  “Though I bet they’d never forget it.”

  She laughed. “For sure, especially after the nightmares.”

  “That’s why we won’t let that happen.”

  “Sleep.”

  “Sleep.” He walked toward her with purposeful steps. “No one knows what tomorrow or any day after that will hold. That’s part of the fun.”

  She eyed him warily. “Says the trial attorney who preps nonstop for a big trial.”

  “Nothing wrong with preparing, which is what we’ve been doing, but at some point, you have to tell yourself you’ve given it your all and call it.”

  Her expression softened. “You’ll be an excellent uncle someday.”

  Something in his chest shifted. He froze.

  “Thanks.” Garrett didn’t know what else to say, which wasn’t like him.

  “I guess it’s time for good night.”

  “It is.” Except he would rather turn on a movie, cuddle on the couch, and kiss. Taryn, however, needed sleep more than she needed kisses. Unfortunately. “But I’ll be here in the morning.”

  “I’ll be ready.”

  He moved closer. All he wanted was to kiss her until the worry disappeared from her eyes. “Get some sleep.”

  “I might check—”

  “No.” He kissed her forehead. “Good night.”

  “Are you this bossy with your clients?”

  “Worse. I tell them what to wear, how to sit, and what to say.”

  “Guess I’m lucky.”

  “The luckiest.” He brushed strands of hair off her face. “You need to go inside and forget about stuff for the rest of the night.”

  And somehow, Garrett would do the same. But shutting down his brain and thoughts about Taryn wouldn’t be easy-peasy tonight. “Text me when you’re ready for me to come over tomorrow.”

  *

  In the morning, Garrett woke early and took the dogs for a walk. His phone remained silent—no text notifications or calls from Taryn. She must have slept late. Good, because she needed it. Now, he wanted to make sure she didn’t overdo it during the fair.

  Not his job.

  Not really.

  But while she looked out for the bakery, someone needed to watch out for her. He was happy to take on the task.

  “It’s what friends do.”

  Sadie stopped sniffing a bush and glanced at him.

  “What?” Garrett didn’t appreciate the dog’s head tilt. “We’re friends. Friends kiss.”

  Sadie remained unco
nvinced. Another scent must have caught her attention because she stuck her nose against the grass.

  “Fine, be that way.”

  He grinned, thinking about kissing Taryn again. But beyond kisses, he enjoyed being with her. Only next week would be crazy busy. At least they would have this weekend. His brothers arrived tomorrow, and they would help Callie. But come Monday, his sister’s needs were his priority. Garrett prided himself on his time management skills. They would need to be dialed in if he was to see Taryn and not only at the wedding.

  The dogs led him up the walkway to Margot’s house. Their tails wagged faster.

  He laughed at their excitement. “You guys know it’s treat time.”

  Inside the entryway, he unclipped their leashes and hung them on hooks next to the door. They darted to the kitchen.

  “Give Mama a minute, and I’ll get your treats.” Margot called to the dogs from the dining room, where she laid out a quilt.

  “New project?”

  “It’s our booth’s giveaway for the summer fair. Our theme is Homespun and Heartfelt.” She ran a fingertip over the colorful fabric as if it were a precious work of art. “The employees at the quilt shop contributed squares, and I pieced them together. It turned out well.”

  “It’s beautiful.”

  “Thanks. And thank you for taking Angus and Sadie on a walk. I’ll drop them off at your sister’s before I head over to the park.”

  “Do you need help?”

  “No. My manager and her husband have it all covered. This is the first year I haven’t done it myself, and I must admit it’s a relief only to have to deliver the quilt and candy.”

  “Callie mentioned her booth would have dog biscuits and magnets to giveaway, but she didn’t make it sound like she spent much time on it.”

  “Her theme is Dog Days of Summer. It’ll be cute. Some First Avenue business owners put a lot of effort into their booths and windows at Christmastime. Others don’t. Pippa, who recently purchased the flower shop, hasn’t competed in an event, so everyone’s curious about what she’ll do.”

  “A dark horse.”

  “Exactly, but it’s the perfect way for a florist to showcase their skills, so I expect Pippa won’t disappoint. The same as Taryn with her summer theme.”

  “Given the circumstances, the bakery’s booth turned out great.” He took pride in that and contributed to her theme name, which he would let her unveil, but it was all Taryn. He was only an extra pair of hands. His smile grew. “She is amazing.”

  “You’re sweet to help her.”

  “It’s the least I can do while I’m here.”

  Margot’s gaze sharpened. “Why is that?”

  Oops. He didn’t want to go there. “Taryn’s employees need to be at the bakery. Her parents are out of town. She has no one else.”

  Margot wagged her finger. “Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed she’s attractive, smart, and single.”

  He held up his hands. “I won’t deny it, but it’s no different from me walking the dogs or running errands for you.”

  She harrumphed. “Well, it should be.”

  That made him laugh. “No matchmaking.”

  “I remember, but I don’t like it.”

  His cell phone buzzed. He glanced at it.

  Taryn: Awake. Guess I needed the rest.

  Garrett reread the message.

  “That must be from Taryn, your friend.” Margot emphasized the last word. “Based on the goofy grin on your face, you define friend differently than I do.”

  He wasn’t about to answer that. The phone went into his pocket. “I have some time before I help her. Need anything done?”

  “Now that you mention it, I’d love for you to take the dogs to Callie’s. That’ll save me a trip.”

  “I’ll do that.” He would also pick up coffees for them from Tea Leaves and Coffee Beans. Not iced ones this time. But the caffeine would be a nice pick-me-up to start what would likely be a long day.

  But a good one. Any day he got to spend with Taryn would be.

  He only hoped the fair worked out the way she planned.

  *

  On Friday at noon, Garrett helped Jayden load everything into a borrowed pickup truck. Taryn had left for the park with all the smaller décor pieces, ice chests, cases of water bottles, and other smaller items. “That should be all the booth parts.”

  “Great.” Jayden closed the gate. “Carl is bringing the baked goods over.”

  “You guys are a well-oiled machine.”

  “Yep, and this is nothing compared to putting together a Christmas window. We start after we close on Saturday and work all day Sunday. But we finish, while others keep at it for a few days or more.”

  Garrett climbed into the passenger seat.

  Jayden slid behind the wheel. “Thanks for helping Taryn. I didn’t mean to give you a hard time.”

  “Yes, you did.”

  “Okay, fine, but she’s like a sister to me.”

  “I get it. I do the same with Callie.”

  “Please be careful.”

  “We’re friends.” The words shot out a little too quickly, but Garrett didn’t know if Jayden noticed.

  “Friends can still hurt each other without meaning to.”

  “We’ve talked.” And kissed before talking. “I won’t make the same mistake again.”

  Though the ending would be identical after he returned home. There was no way around that.

  “Glad to hear it. I worry about her.”

  “Me, too.” Garrett didn’t know how much Jayden knew about Taryn’s relationship with her parents, so he didn’t want to bring it up. “But she’s strong and smart. She’ll figure this out.”

  Jayden turned the key in the ignition. The engine roared to life. “She is. And once things click into place, the Summit Ridge Bakery had better watch out.”

  The guy seemed on the level and caring, but someone was passing on info to their competitor. The question was, who?

  Ten minutes later, they unloaded the pieces in the spot marked for Lawson’s Bakery.

  He glanced around at all the pop-tents and folded tables being set up in two rows with an ample space in between. “It doesn’t look like much yet.”

  Jayden snickered. “Just wait. The booths will go up quickly, and soon, the aisle between them will be crowded. It’ll stay that way each day. People enjoy the entertainment and the rides, but this part always gets a lot of traffic, too.”

  Jayden pulled out the pop-up tent from the case. “She ran to the bakery to help Carl get the next load. She’ll be here soon.”

  Together, they put the tent in place. That not only marked their spot, but the canopy also provided shade. Garrett set up the table in the front. There was another, but he would wait for Taryn for that one.

  “Look at all this stuff.” Margot came up to them. She wore a quilted vest with long fringe on the bottom. That would be cooler out in the temperature that hovered in the eighties today. “Impressive.”

  Garrett nodded. “It’s just like our favorite baker.”

  “You mean me,” Jayden teased.

  Margot laughed. She appeared to have grown two, possibly three inches, and her face beamed brighter than a streetlight on Main Street. Her eyes twinkled. “You like her.”

  Garrett glanced around. “Who?”

  Margot winked. “Taryn.”

  “Shhhh.”

  “I heard nothing.” Jayden adjusted the pop-up tent legs.

  “You tried fooling me this morning, but I see through ‘friends.’”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  She raised her chin. “Nice try, but I always knew the two of you would be good together.”

  They were. Garrett’s smile felt as if it was spreading wide enough to fall off his face. He’d had his reasons for not calling her before. But this time would be different. And friends, even ones who kissed occasionally, was better than nothing.

  “Don’t look now, but your favo
rite baker has arrived.”

  “Jayden’s here,” Garrett deadpanned.

  Margot rolled her eyes. “Go make yourself useful and hug her nerves away. Better yet, kiss her.”

  With that, she turned and walked to her booth as if she were the queen bee of the hive. And in Silver Falls, Margot Winslow kind of was.

  “It’s coming together.” Taryn carried a box. Nerves poured from her like heat waves off the asphalt.

  A man dressed in white followed her with another box. That must be Carl, who she’d mentioned as a long-time employee.

  Garrett wanted to do what Margot had said—hug and kiss Taryn—but he settled for touching her shoulder for now. “Now that you’re here, we can put up all the fun decorations. It’s going to be great.”

  She nodded, though it appeared as if she were trying to convince herself.

  He squeezed. “It doesn’t matter what happens when they announce the winner. You pulled this together when most people would have given up. You did it.”

  Taryn lowered her gaze almost shyly. “Not me. We did this. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

  His chest swelled at her words. He wanted to do more for her—whatever she needed.

  Jayden whistled. “Come on, you two. It’s time to show off your hard work.”

  Garrett bumped his shoulder against hers. “Let’s finish this.”

  She glanced at the other booths coming to life, but her expression didn’t tell him if she worried about the other competitors or not. The Summit Bakery appeared to be on the opposite end from hers. That had to be a good thing rather than right next door.

  Her smile was fleeting with no dimples, but at least it was there.

  In his forties with thinning hair and a calm demeanor, Carl set his box on the table. “That’s my cue to get out of here. Let me know when you run low on samples. I’ll keep Finley and Brecken baking them, so we’re set for the weekend.”

  “Thanks.” Jayden slapped Carl’s shoulder. “Be there soon. It’ll be rough rotating between the bakery and fair with only five of us—”

  “Six,” Garrett chimed in. “I’ll help, too. But I’m better suited for the booth.”

  Jayden’s posture relaxed. “Even better.”

  “Yes. That’ll be an enormous help.” Taryn’s grin made Garrett feel as if he’d given her a million dollars, not a few hours of his time. “The bakery’s usually closed on Sundays, but today and tomorrow will be rough, so thanks.”