Saving Sandcastles

by Meredith Summers

  Jane frowned. “Huh?”

  “You said Rob was at Tides…”

  “He had promised to bring the pamphlets on the memory care facilities the other day, so he was dropping them off. He didn’t bring any flyers though.” Jane took the flyers from Claire.

  “And he said we were working together?” How presumptuous. Claire specifically remembered saying she would think about it before she’d turned him down outright earlier in the day. He must have visited Tides before that.

  Jane scrunched her nose. “No, not exactly. He said that he’d offered and you seemed as though you were coming around to the idea.”

  Claire crossed her arms. “Well, I’m not.”

  “Why not?”

  “I’m just not sure about him.”

  Jane’s eyes softened, the crease between her eyebrows gone. “Well, I am. He’s a good man. He didn’t have to do all the kind things he’s done for me and my mother, but he has.”

  He might seem nice to Jane, but she didn’t know how he made a habit of putting bakeries out of business. “Peter and Sandee came into the shop earlier. They told me about a bakery he put out of business in Bar Harbor. He acts nice then steals the very things that make a bakery successful, implements them, and out-advertises them until they can’t afford to compete anymore. I won’t fall into his trap.”

  Maxi scoffed. She had frosting on her nose from eating Claire’s cupcake mistake, so it was a little hard to take her seriously. “Claire, consider the source. When has Sandee or Peter ever done a thing to help you? I bet they’d say anything just to chip at your confidence, including driving a wedge into what sounds like a good business decision.”

  “You say that, but…” Claire hesitated. Maxi had a point, and last night Rob had seemed so sincere, not to mention that Tammi thought teaming up was a good idea. But then there was the water pressure issue.

  “But what?” Maxi asked.

  Claire stifled a sigh. She studied the horizon as she recounted what had happened last night. “I was at the store late, and one of my pipes started leaking. I wouldn’t be able to open the store without fixing it, and Sally was out of town. Rob showed up practically out of nowhere. He said he was working late too.” She turned, picked up another cupcake, and started to apply the frosting. “He fixed the pipe, and I thought everything was fine, but now the water pressure is lower than it was this morning. What if he did something to the pipes to put me out of commission tomorrow? It’s not as though I have enough experience to tell either way.”

  “Impossible,” Jane pronounced. “I don’t think he could do something to the water pressure from the bathroom sink. That would only affect that sink. You’d have to do something to the main line. And anyway, Rob isn’t that sort of man.”

  “Weren’t you just complaining that the pipes are on their way out?” Maxi asked. “I’m sure you mentioned something about it and the cost it would be to fix them. Ralph told you they had to be replaced, didn’t he? I don’t think it’s right to assume Rob did something.”

  “Yes,” Claire admitted begrudgingly. She sighed and rubbed her forehead. What if she had made the wrong call in not teaming up with Rob? When she’d told him she’d changed her mind, he hadn’t acted angry or smug like she’d thought a competitor trying to sabotage her might act. He’d acted hurt. “I suppose you’re right. It’s not fair to make assumptions about Rob, but I still think I’m better off running the sale on my own.”

  A deep groan sounded from the pipes, as if the very building disagreed, and they all looked at the ceiling. They went back to frosting their cupcakes. It was time for a change of topic.

  “So did you find any facilities you liked? Are you really considering that?” Claire asked.

  Jane’s expression turned grim. “I’m afraid I might have to. I’m finding it so hard to care for her and run the inn. Both are full-time jobs, and I’m stretched so thin.”

  Claire had been careful about the advice she’d given Jane on the subject. She knew it was too much for one person to handle, but never being in that position herself, she didn’t want to push Jane into anything she wasn’t comfortable with. Jane was coming to the same conclusion on her own, and Claire was there to support her.

  “I don’t know how much longer I can do this, but it feels so awful to put Mom into a facility,” Jane echoed.

  “We know you want what’s best for her,” Claire said.

  Maxi piped up. “And her well-being is important. This is about her health. If she’s going to hurt herself without meaning to, she needs help.”

  With a heavy sigh, Jane brushed a short strand of hair out of her face. “I know that. But I feel like a terrible daughter for wanting to make her somebody else’s problem. I feel like I should be trying harder.”

  “That’s not fair on you. You can’t do everything yourself,” Maxi answered.

  Claire understood her friend’s thought process far better. It was difficult to trust someone, difficult to hand over work that she could be doing better herself. She was learning that this week too. Although a small voice in her mind still whispered that she would be able to bake and frost all these cupcakes better, she couldn’t do it as fast. She had made a sacrifice.

  Maybe Jane needed to make a sacrifice too.

  “I think you should really consider the way it would lighten the burden if Addie was taken care of by professionals. I know it isn’t what she wants, but she isn’t of sound mind, or you wouldn’t be in this situation.”

  Every other time Claire had made the suggestion, Jane had dismissed it. Sometimes casually, sometimes with more heat. Today, she only nodded wearily. “I know. I am considering it. Rob stopped by today with some pamphlets and other information and walked me through the best choices for her. I know it’s the right thing to do, but there’s something inside me that just feels like a failure.”

  In a small voice, Maxi asked, “Wouldn’t you feel like a failure if she hurt herself badly? If she had to go to the hospital or even died because she wasn’t able to care for herself the way she used to and you were stretched too thin to do it yourself?”

  Jane nodded. “You’re right. I would. So you guys don’t think I’m being selfish?”

  Claire’s brows shot up. “Selfish? You’re anything but. You’ve given up your retirement to run Tides the way your mom wants and take care of her. It’s not selfish to put her in a place where she’ll be safe and well cared for. If you continue the way you are, you’ll probably burnout and not be able to do either job.”

  “Claire’s right,” Maxi said. “And remember, no matter what you decide, we’re behind you one hundred percent.”

  Claire nodded her agreement. If anyone was selfish, it was Claire. Maxi and Jane didn’t think Bradford Breads was a threat, and she valued their opinions very much. Yet there she was, worrying over the store across the street when Jane had real issues to deal with. Claire picked up the next cupcake, determined to think things through more objectively just as soon as the big sale was over tomorrow.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Claire woke to sharp pinpricks of pain on her scalp. She winced, swatting at the offender. Her fingers met soft fur as Urchin climbed off her head with a disgruntled meow. The cat swiped at her hand with his sharp claws.

  “All right, all right, I’m getting up.”

  The words were not enough to convince the tomcat. Claire groaned as she sat up, much harder to do with Urchin now crouched on her stomach.

  And then it hit her. It was Saturday, the day of the cupcake sale.

  Claire jumped out of bed and hurried to feed the cat before he mutilated her further. She treated the scratch on her hand, combed her hair, and put it back in a clip. Her stomach was doing somersaults with excitement and nerves as she finished, looking herself in the eye in the mirror.

  “You prepared for this. You can do this.”

  And she had prepared. Last night, they’d frosted two-hundred and forty of the cupcakes, the rest she had left unfrosted on purpose
so she could do them fresh in the afternoon. She had bought special tiered racks to display them on, which she would put on top of the glass display case. She had Hailey and Maxi coming in to help her with the influx of extra customers she expected. She had cardboard boxes at the ready to put the baked goods in. She had done everything she could to promote the sale.

  As she scooted to work in her Vespa, she thought about Rob. She felt guilty about the way she’d treated him, but it was too late to turn back now. Or was it?

  The lights were already on at Bradford Breads. The shades were up, revealing the interior. Claire hesitated mere feet from her store, but curiosity overwhelmed her. Had he taken her advice and done something to the arrangement inside?

  He would never know if she peeked. Checking the street—devoid of people or vehicles that early in the morning—Claire hurried over to the window. She cupped her hands and peered through the glass.

  Rows upon rows of bread, buns, and bagels awaited customers. They were stacked neatly on shelves taking up the bulk of the inside space, forming makeshift aisles with a clear path to the front counter and the register there. To the left was a table with yet more buns placed in baskets the way she’d wanted to do yesterday before she’d thought better of it. On the other side was a cozy little cluster of four tables arranged at an angle to one another with red napkin holders to match the color of the logo. Claire couldn’t help but smile. He had taken her advice, after all.

  Then her gaze caught movement. Rob had just come out of the back, presumably the kitchen, and had a loaf of bread in either hand. Her heart pounded at the prospect of being caught. She turned on her heel and fled across the street.

  She felt ridiculous. Would he ever want to be business associates or friends after the way she’d treated him? She didn’t have time to feel sorry for herself. Today was the big day, and she had work to do.

  She worked quickly, pulling the cupcake containers out of the fridge, gingerly opening the tops, not wanting to disturb the frosting. She brought them out front and arranged them on the tiered displays. The pipes made an ominous clanking overhead. Claire winced but tried to ignore it. She had work to do. As long as the groaning of the pipes didn’t scare off her customers, she would be fine.

  What next? Maybe she should cut up part of the sandcastle cake today and give out pieces as free samples. She could cut from the back and leave the front as a display. She removed it from the glass case carefully, not disturbing any of the artfully arranged turrets. She placed it squarely in the middle of her cupcakes, two tiers on either side, and rounded the counter to see how they looked from the front.

  Beautiful. She couldn’t help but smile, an expression that shrank quickly as the pipes clanged again, the groaning increasing. That one sounded different than the other groans.

  Claire tilted her head up and squinted.

  There was a new rust stain on the tin ceiling, and…

  Wait, were those drops of water?

  Drip. Drip.

  Claire followed their descent to the floor, where a small puddle had formed.

  Oh no!

  Pop. Pop. Pop. More leaks opened in the ceiling, bigger this time. And then…

  Crash!

  One section of the tin ceiling smashed to the floor, a torrent of water behind it soaking the bakery floor, the tabletops, and the cupcakes on display.

  “No!”

  Everything was ruined. The pastries in the case, the cupcakes, the sandcastle cake, and Claire’s dreams.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  With twenty minutes left until Rob opened the doors of his newest bakery to the public, he paused and surveyed his shop. Bread lined every available surface, including the table he’d initially allotted for Claire. That table still knotted his stomach. All morning, he’d caught himself glancing across the street, hoping she would come over to tell him she changed her mind. He’d seen a shadow outside earlier, but no one was there, only a glimpse of her opening the side door leading to the kitchen in her bakery.

  Unable to help himself, he stared across the street again. The cheery Sandcastles sign over the door looked the same as ever, but something wasn’t right. He frowned. Where was Claire with her sandwich board promoting the sale? Why was her bakery still dark? And who was that hammering on her door? A familiar-looking petite blonde in a pencil skirt, cupping her hands around her eyes as she peered inside. Surely the town wasn’t that eager for a cupcake sale.

  Rob didn’t like the feeling in his stomach. Wasn’t that blonde one of Claire and Jane’s friends? The one he met briefly when they searched for Addie?

  It didn’t matter that Claire might not welcome his presence—especially this morning. He needed to check it out. As he headed across the street, a second figure joined the first. This one, he recognized: Claire’s assistant, Hailey. What were they looking at in the window?

  “Is something wrong, ladies?”

  Both of them jumped at the sound of his voice. Hailey turned, her face as white as a sheet. She pointed mutely at the window.

  Frowning, Rob leaned forward and squinted through the sunlight reflecting off the glass. The interior of the shop was a disaster. Cupcakes were strewn everywhere. Frosting blobs marred the glass case. Part of the tin ceiling lay on the floor, an inch or more of water covering it. A slow drip rippled the water from overhead.

  The bakery was in a sorry state, but…

  “Where’s Claire?”

  The blonde, he couldn’t recall her name, frowned and shook her head. “I don’t know. I was supposed to meet her here this morning to help open for the sale. People will be arriving soon.”

  He turned to her assistant in the hopes of finding an answer. “Do you know where she is?”

  The younger woman shook her head, looking every bit as distressed and lost.

  He tried the front door—locked. Maybe Claire was around back. He rushed around to the side kitchen entrance, the two women trailing after him.

  The kitchen wasn’t in much better shape. Although the bulk of the water had hit the front of the store, enough had rained down here to cause a damp sheen over the tiles and ruin the frosting on the neatly arranged cupcakes on the table.

  Claire sat on a stool, a cupcake in her hand. She looked over at them clustered in the doorway. “At least I was able to save a few.”

  She looked so forlorn that he wanted to take her in his arms, but he couldn’t do that. “What happened?” he asked.

  Claire unwrapped the cupcake and took a bite. “I should have listened to Ralph and replaced the pipes.” The words were muffled because she’d shoved a big piece of cupcake in, but Rob understood.

  The blonde pushed past him and rushed to Claire, hugging her. “What happened?”

  “Pipes burst.” Claire took another bite. “At least I found the main valve and shut it off. Sally would be proud.”

  “Are all the cupcakes ruined?” Hailey asked, making her way to the fridge.

  “There are still several dozen in there, but the place is ruined, so I guess the sale is ruined.” Claire’s flat tone pinched Rob’s heart. Suddenly, he had an idea. “The cupcake sale isn’t ruined.”

  Claire looked up. She was still frowning, but a spark of hope flared in her eyes. “What do you mean? Of course it is. I can’t open the shop. Most of the cupcakes are soaked.”

  He pointed at the containers in the fridge. “But not all of them. These are still perfect. There must be five or six dozen here.”

  She pressed her lips together and shook her head. “But the shop…”

  The blonde turned, assessing Rob with curiosity. “What are you getting at?”

  Rob met the blonde’s gaze. “I’m not sure we were introduced during the search for Jane’s mother. I’m Rob.” He stuck out his hand.

  “I know.” She smiled, placing her hand in his. “I’m Maxi.”

  He nodded, feeling a bit out of place. “Well, Maxi. Do you think you can take Claire home and return here in—” He checked his watch. “Fiftee
n minutes? I think she’s going to want to change out of those wet clothes.”

  That stirred Claire to a bit of her normal luster. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean you have a cupcake sale to run.”

  “Like I said, I don’t have a store.”

  “No, but I do. We’ll move all these containers and the tiered displays to my store.”

  “I couldn’t.”

  He ignored her protests and carefully pulled the containers out of the fridge, piling them one atop another. “I already offered you a table in my store. You’re going to use it. We’ll put up a sign sending your customers across the street.”

  “You don’t have to do this,” Claire said in a small voice. But the color had returned to her cheeks and the spark to her eyes. “Your offer applied when I had a space to offer you as well. Cross-promotion, remember? Now I have nothing, and I don’t want to take away from your sale.”

  He smiled at her, teasing a smile out of her in return. “But you forget. If we send all your customers to my store, I’ll be benefitting too.” He nodded to Maxi, spurring both women into action. “Come on. We have customers waiting.”

  She hesitated a moment before turning to follow her friend out of her store. Hailey had already grabbed the sandwich board and was making a sign.

  At the door, Claire paused and turned to look at him. “Thank you.”

  He needed nothing else.

  Hailey watched Rob Bradford as he gathered the cupcakes. This was the guy Claire had seen as the enemy? More like a knight in shining armor. He didn’t have to help them out. He could have just stayed over in his bakery and let the disaster put them out of business. Hailey was sure their customers would have found their way across the street without a sign at Sandcastles.

  “So, what’s your plan?” Hailey asked.

  “I’m going to set up some tables for the cupcakes, and you guys can sell from there. Does that sound good? If you have a better idea, I’m all ears.”