Raspberry Kisses (The Bakery Romance Series Book 1)

by Cecelia Dowdy

  He raised his arms, quickly dropping them. Had he been getting ready to give her a hug? No way he’d be thinking about doing that. He peered into her face. “Do you really mean that?”

  She nodded, scratching the back of her neck, glancing toward the floor. How in the world had she found the courage to tell him that? So far, she’d kept her feelings bottled inside, but, it was becoming too hard to keep things locked within. Sometimes, she felt that if she didn’t say what was on her mind, she’d explode. She needed her best friend, Taylor, to return from her business trip to Japan. She needed some one-on-one girlfriend time so that she could discuss these weird, sometimes nice feelings she had about Martin.

  “Hey, Rhea. Good to see you again.” Candy came from behind the counter. “How are things going at the law office? I’ve missed seeing you around here during the day.”

  “Things have been busy.” Rhea started toward her office in the back of the bakery. “I have to change.” She still wore her yellow dress and high-heeled shoes.

  “You look nice in that dress.”

  She paused, glanced back at Martin. “Thanks.” He’d just given her another compliment. Heat rushed to her face as she scurried into her office, dropping into a chair. This was harder than she thought it would be. Her heart continued to thump, so, she took several deep breaths. She needed to calm down. Martin was just a man who was trying to help her. That was it. She needed to do her best to ignore her attraction and focus on her business. Lord, help me focus, Lord help me focus. She chanted this to herself while getting changed into her bakery uniform, pulling her hair back into a tight bun.

  After making sure she’d composed herself, she finally returned to the entrance of the bakery.

  “I like your bakery,” Martin commented as he sat. Wow, that was nice to hear. Since she considered Martin an expert, his praise really mattered. Since he liked her bakery perhaps that proved that she was on the right path to turning a profit. She grinned, pouring him a cup of coffee, adding a generous amount of cream and sugar.

  “Thanks. I’m glad you like it.” She served coffee for herself and joined him at the table. Candy had stepped outside to take a phone call. Rhea spotted the white bag on the table. “What’s in there?”

  “Lunch. I figured you wouldn’t take time to eat on your way over here.”

  Curious, Rhea opened the bag and found three thick subs and bags of chips. “I bought a sub for Candy, too.”

  Rhea’s mouth watered. “Thanks.” They each unwrapped a sub and opened a bag of chips. The aroma of fresh oregano and basil exploded from the sandwich. “This smells wonderful.”

  “Glad you like it. There’s a sub shop near my house that uses fresh herbs in their sandwiches.” After they’d said grace, they dug into their food.

  While they ate, Rhea tried not to be embarrassed. Only one customer came in and all they purchased was a donut. Martin could see first-hand that she did not get many customers. It was a Saturday and she should have people coming in to purchase her baked goods, but, it was evident that was not going to happen.

  “Have you ever thought about changing the name of your bakery?”

  “No. Why would I do that?”

  “Well, you want to draw more customers. You might need to change the theme of your business. Maybe you could call your place a café.”

  A café? Was he kidding? There was no way she’d be changing her cute bakery into a café. Popping a chip into her mouth, she chewed, figuring out what she needed to say. “I’m not changing my place into a café. Besides, my kitchen is made for baking, not cooking food.” Did he not understand how dire her situation was? She didn’t have the money to make alterations to her kitchen so that she could cook and serve food. Besides, she’d have to hire more staff if she were going to run this place as a small restaurant. There was no way that she could hire more workers, she barely had enough funds to pay Candy.

  “So? You just need a way to set yourself apart from the grocery store bakery. I’ve already started redoing your menu.”

  The nerve! He’d started re-doing her menu without consulting her? What was his problem? She dropped her head into her hand. Lord, give me the strength not to lose my temper. “You can’t just redo my menu without telling me about it first.”

  “It’s not a final menu. They’re just suggestions for changes that might help gain more customers.”

  But, it was her menu. She’d taken great pride in selecting the desserts she’d serve to customers. Now, he wanted to sweep in here and change things without clearly explaining his reasons. She breathed deeply, closing her eyes. If she concentrated, she could keep her cool and not raise her voice.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “I feel like things are moving too fast. You’re talking about changing my menu, making my place into a café…it’s just too much for me to process right now.”

  “Sorry. I wasn’t thinking. Sometimes I take over, thinking my way is best. We’ll do this together.”

  Together. The two of them making her bakery profitable, working as a team, the idea sounded nice. She could get mighty comfortable working side by side with Martin, in spite of her not agreeing to all his suggestions.

  “I don’t understand the concept of turning my place into a café. I can’t do that now, plus, I’m working at the law office full time.”

  “It’d be a gradual change. Once your temp assignment is over, we’d probably have the changes in place.”

  She threw her hands up into the air. “How?” He was doing a terrible job explaining how they’d turn her beloved bakery into a restaurant. “I just said I don’t have the facilities to run my place as a café.”

  “The café changes are minimal. I was thinking cold sandwiches and salads would be added to the menu. You could also serve chips.”

  “Martin, I don’t know…”

  He raised his eyebrows. “Well, you have to do something.”

  “I like my bakery just as it is.”

  “But, you’re broke.” He leaned toward her. “You need changes.”

  She needed changes, but, did she necessarily need his changes. Did he really know what he was doing? Granted, he’d owned a successful bakery, but, maybe his advice for her situation was not sound.

  She didn’t want to talk about the café idea right now.

  “You don’t like my idea?”

  “No.” She hated it. There was no way she was doing that. “Do you have any other ideas?”

  “I do, but, before I tell you, you have to promise me something.”

  “What?”

  “Think about the café idea.”

  “But--”

  “Just promise me.”

  She glanced out the window. A woman strolled by, pushing a baby carriage. “But, I’m a baker.”

  “You’d still make your desserts, sandwiches and salads would be added to your menu.”

  So, she could still bake, but serve sandwiches and chips? The foreign idea took root in her mind. She poked another chip into her mouth, took her time. She didn’t want to make a promise unless she knew she’d keep it. She gave him a tiny nod. “Yes, I’ll think about it.”

  He grinned, dimples winking on his brown cheeks. Good gracious, he was gorgeous. Her heart skipped when he stood, leaning toward her. She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. She licked her lips. Was he going to kiss her?

  “I’ll be right back.” He scurried out the door and her heart continued pounding. For goodness sake, she was acting like a lovesick teenager, actually wanting Martin to kiss her! He returned, holding a glass container filled with what appeared to be a sourdough starter. The jar had a hinged top.

  She finished her sub, staring. “Is that what I think it is?”

  “Probably. This is pretty old. It’s been in my mother’s family for decades.”

  She’d never used one before. She realized the yeast kept growing as long as it was fed with water and flour, and a well-fed starter could be kept indefinitely. “Isn’t keeping the sta
rter a lot of work?”

  He shook his head. “Just feed it regularly.”

  She eyed the container. Her daily routine was going to change drastically.

  “How do you feel about serving a unique dessert?”

  A unique dessert? She’d already shown him the raspberry cupcakes, and those were pretty original. She continued experimenting with the recipe. She’d tried yet another version of the raspberry cupcake recipe one night earlier this week. She’d had trouble sleeping and she’d gotten up and baked a small batch of cupcakes. For some weird reason, when the raspberry scent filled her kitchen, thoughts of Martin kissing her slammed into her mind.

  She’d been shocked that the tangy, sweet raspberry scent caused her mind to fill with thoughts of love, romance, and kisses. Perhaps thinking of Martin’s beautiful smile, and his words of encouragement when he’d tasted the cupcakes, prompted her to think of him whenever she baked the treats.

  She’d even taken the cupcakes to the law office and the staff had gobbled them up in minutes. A few of the secretaries had begged her for the recipe, but, she wasn’t sharing her secret. She still had to tweak her recipe a bit more before serving it in her bakery. And when she did, she’d be sure to contact the folks at the law office to let them know where they could purchase her raspberry treats.

  She forced herself to stop thinking about her cupcakes and focus on Martin’s advice. He’d mentioned serving a unique dessert. She’d already told Martin that the people in Maple Grove did not have eclectic taste. Wasn’t he listening? She shrugged. “What did you have in mind?”

  “Remember I mentioned the fruit cookies when we spoke on the phone?”

  “Yes?”

  “I have a recipe that could work with just about any kind of fresh fruit. You could use whatever’s in season and the cookies are tasty, but they’re not offered in the grocery store. That’ll give you a huge edge over your competition. The key is to take advantage of your niche by baking what they don’t or can’t because of their business model.”

  He finished his sub and Candy was still outside on the phone. Normally, Rhea would go out and make her come back inside, but Candy had been working by herself extra hours so she deserved a break.

  “After we’ve put my suggestions into place, and decide on a new name for your business, you could have a grand opening.”

  A new name for her bakery? Was he kidding? There was no way she’d change the name of her bakery. And, what was he talking about, a grand opening? How could you have a grand opening for a business that already existed? She needed to make sure he understood. “I’m not changing the name of my bakery.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I don’t want to.”

  His mouth dropped open. “Rhea, I’m trying to help you but you’re making this difficult.”

  She really didn’t want to make things difficult, but, she really couldn’t understand why he’d want to change the name of her business and have a grand opening. It made no sense. If she did these things, would customers return to her bakery? Would she begin making more money? She turned away. “I’m sorry.” She probably sounded petty and childish, refusing his suggestions. She needed to be truthful. “I guess I just don’t understand why you’d change the name of my business and have a grand opening.” Maybe once he explained his motives for the changes, she could better understand how his suggestions might help her. “You want people to view your bakery as a new business. With a revamped menu, new name, maybe even new décor, they may be intrigued enough to come back. When they do, and try your food, they’ll be so amazed that they’ll keep returning.”

  Wow, she’d not thought of it working like that.

  He continued. “Restaurants have done this before. If they’re making a major change in their food or management, they have a grand opening, as if the place were new. Remember the friend I told you about who lives in Baltimore, the one whom I advised?”

  She nodded.

  “Well, that’s the tactic he used, and it worked.”

  Hmm. Maybe she needed to give these ideas serious thought, just like the café idea.

  “I’m thinking, once we decide the changes you want to make, we’ll have the grand opening in about a month.”

  Could her small bakery really become a new place in a month? The idea wrapped in her mind. “Why don’t we start with the cookies?” he requested.

  They may as well begin with something she was familiar with, cookies. Introducing a new cookie into her menu didn’t sound like a bad idea. If the cookies were as good as Martin claimed, then she might be able to bring in some more sales next week. “That’s fine.”

  “I’ll show you the recipes that I’ve been working on. After we’ve made these new recipes, you can serve them tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow?” Sunday was her day of rest, and she hadn’t planned on working tomorrow.

  “I know you’re not open on Sundays, but I figured you might have some people in your church who’d try your cookies. Do you have a Bible study before services?”

  Actually, she did attend Bible study every Sunday before church. Her cookies might make a great addition to the coffee social time after the study ended. “That sounds like a good idea.”

  “If you want your business to thrive, you need to tell others about it, let them sample your treats. You don’t have to take my suggestions. It’s up to you as to what you want to do.”

  “You might want to place an ad in the paper about your new bakery—maybe have a coupon printed, letting customers have a free cupcake or cookie on opening day. It’ll get traffic into your place—and then the people will see that your baked goods are better and more sophisticated than the grocery store food.”

  “Okay.” She followed him back into the kitchen. He showed her the fresh strawberries he’d brought with him. “Let’s chop up these berries, first.”

  Both of them took a knife from the block and worked side by side. Soon, the scent of fresh berries filled the air. Making a new recipe always filled her with glee, especially when it turned into a tasty concoction.

  Whenever the bell tinkled, she left the kitchen to serve customers.

  The sound of the knives slicing the fruit created a nice atmosphere. She glanced over at Martin. Having him help save her business almost seemed too good to be true. She really appreciated his giving her advice, but, it was just so hard to take his suggestions. But, she’d do as she’d promised and mull over his ideas. Their arms bumped while slicing, and sparks of warmth heated her skin. She stepped away from him, dumping the sliced berries into a bowl.

  Candy rushed into the kitchen. “Rhea, is it okay if I take the afternoon off? I got some stuff I need to do.”

  Rhea put her knife aside. “Okay.” She’d been depending on Candy to run the bakery all week. Like her extended break, she deserved an afternoon off. “Martin brought you a sub for lunch. It’s on the table.”

  Candy’s eyes sparkled. This was the first time Rhea had seen Candy look happy in months. “Thanks, Martin.” She left the kitchen.

  They gathered the rest of the ingredients for the cookies. Martin placed the block of butter on the counter. “It’s best to use cold butter for this recipe.”

  “Okay.” The tangy fruit scent of the berries caused her mouth to water. Hopefully these cookies would be the catalyst that would push her bakery into a new, profitable business. Would people now flock to her bakery, just to taste this new recipe? If they did, then she’d have the money she needed to pay bills.

  She also needed to pay Raven.

  Her sister had not breathed a word about the loan, so, Rhea wondered if her mind had been so preoccupied with recuperating that she’d not given the loan much thought. She glanced over at Martin. Should she mention her sister? No, she didn’t want to talk about Raven right now. She didn’t want to spoil the comfortable atmosphere in her hot kitchen.

  After they’d made the base for the cookies, they mixed the fruit in some of the batter and then working together, the
y scooped the cookies onto the pans and Martin placed the pans into the hot oven. Afterwards, they chopped apples for apple cookies and Martin shared his recipe for apple tarts. Around four o’clock, Rhea went into the front of the bakery and placed the “closed” sign on the door. After the cookies and tarts were done, Martin showed her how to make the sourdough bread. It was simple and he told her that she’d be making the dough the night before, leaving it to rise overnight, and then baking it the next morning. Winded, Rhea wiped sweat from her brow, glancing at the clock. “It’s almost midnight.”

  Martin nodded, removing the last tray of treats from the oven. His biceps bulged while he placed the cookies onto the cooling rack. “I have to go soon. I’m doing a sermon at the early service tomorrow.”

  Rhea frowned, selecting another cookie to sample. The sugary cinnamon and apples filled her mouth with an explosion of flavor.

  Martin touched her face, flour clinging to his fingers. “Why’re you frowning?”

  Her face heated, and she took a few steps back, bumping into the counter, still clutching her cookie. Suddenly the kitchen felt too warm. Should she go outside and escape Martin’s probing gaze? No, she wanted to be near him, even though she had second thoughts about being attracted to a preacher. He stood so close, and the scent of his cologne wafted toward her, mingling with the aromas of baked goods. He smelled delicious, and she imagined him holding her in his arms, kissing her with his full lips.

  “When I mentioned preaching tomorrow, you looked upset.”

  She turned away from his probing gaze, brushing crumbs from the kitchen counter. Could she tell him about Stan and her experiences of being a first lady at the church? Did he really want to hear her opinion about pastors? Maybe in time she’d feel comfortable enough to tell Martin about Stan. She doubted he’d want to hear her negative feelings about being a first lady.

  She beckoned Martin toward the back of the bakery. “My office is back here. I’d wanted to talk to you before you left.” She was more drawn to Martin as the days passed, and she wasn’t sure what to do about it. She knew he didn’t have romantic feelings toward Raven, but, how would Raven react if she ever discovered that Rhea had a crush on Martin?