by Cindy Kirk
“You know me.” Clay shrugged. “Always the show-off.”
It was something their father used to say about Clay, and not always in a complimentary way.
“You liked to test the limits.” David kept his tone even. “Nothing wrong with that.”
“Do you have time to grab a quick lunch?” Though Clay was on a year-round contract, his schedule was more flexible when school wasn’t in session during the summer months.
David hesitated for only a second. Granted, there was work waiting for him at home, but he was on target with his deadlines. His sister and Brynn were likely still busy perusing vegetables and flowers at the farmers’ market in the town square.
“Sure. Where do you want to meet?” David saw the flicker of surprise in his brother’s eyes at his easy acquiescence.
“Muddy Boots?”
“Works for me.”
As he drove to the café, located in the heart of Good Hope’s business district, David thought of unfulfilled hopes and dreams. When he and Whitney had moved here, it had been with high spirits.
Though he no longer had a wife, he was blessed. He had a child, family, friends and a job he loved. And a home that was big enough to share with a huge dog and, hopefully, a new temporary nanny.
Hadley’s lunch break usually consisted of climbing the steps to her apartment over the bakery and having a salad. Or perhaps a bowl of soup. Today, she was at Muddy Boots with Ryder Goodhue and determined to keep it strictly business.
They ordered, and while the temptation was strong to simply get right down to contract terms, she resisted. The years she’d spent as a corporate marketing exec had taught her casual conversation came first.
She tucked the menu back in the metal holder on the table and found Ryder staring.
“Do I have something on my face?” Hadley resisted the urge to pull a mirror out of her purse.
“No.” Ryder grinned. “I’m surprised to be negotiating this contract with you.”
He wasn’t the only one. Hadley hadn’t known what to say—or think—when Ami had approached her. While she understood her boss wanted to devote more time to her family, this contract could make or break her business.
“Beck drew up the agreement.” Hadley kept her tone friendly. “All you and I have to do is agree on the particulars.”
“That’s all?”
“And enjoy our lunch.” Hadley struggled to find common ground. There was none of this awkwardness with David. It was always so easy between them.
It felt good to brush up on her skills, Hadley told herself. A lifetime ago, she’d been frequently complimented on her ease with clients.
Hadley glanced idly around the crowded café. Her gaze came to an abrupt halt when she spotted David. He sat at a table by the window with his brother. Her eyes locked with his for a second before she refocused on Ryder.
“I’m curious.” She studied Ryder. “You have a chain of successful coffee shops in the Pacific Northwest. Why come back to Good Hope?”
“Most of those shops are franchises.” Ryder smiled at the waitress with the orange hair who brought their drinks. “Only a few are corporately owned. Even those I can manage from anywhere.”
Hadley lifted her glass of tea. “That didn’t answer my question.”
“Boomerang.”
She’d heard the term. People might leave Good Hope, but they always returned.
“This is home,” Ryder continued, his brown eyes assessing. “Didn’t you ever want to go back home?”
Hadley thought of Cincinnati, where she’d grown up. Her dad had tried his best once her mother left. Yet none of the apartments they’d lived in had ever felt like home.
“Not really.” Fearing she might have been too abrupt, Hadley smiled and gestured with one hand. “Then again, I’d probably feel differently if I came from a town like Good Hope. There’s something special about it here.”
Ryder took a sip of cola. “Do you plan to stay?”
“Right now, I have no plans to leave.” She lifted a shoulder in a noncommittal gesture. “Of course, that could change.”
Ryder raised his glass in a mock toast. “To the master of evasion.”
Though irritation surged at the cocky grin, Hadley only chuckled. This was a business meeting. Her duty was to secure favorable rates.
She would not betray Ami’s trust.
Deciding the chitchat had gone on long enough, Hadley got down to business. “From information I’ve gathered, your shops always contract with a local bakery to provide pastries and desserts instead of doing their own baking.”
“That’s correct.” Ryder sat back. “The model for our shops is we specialize in coffee and premium teas. We are not bakers.”
“Unlike other national chains, there is no uniformity in the bakery items provided at each location.”
“True.” Ryder paused when the waitress set a burger and fries in front of him and a salad before Hadley. “That’s the beauty of our stores. You can meet the local needs in each shop.”
Hadley thought about pulling a few papers from her briefcase for reference, but having food on the table had her discarding the option. “One consistency I noted was your shops on the West Coast all carry coffee cake squares. While I know Blooms Bake Shop has on occasion provided those for your location here, specific items haven’t been part of the contract.”
“I’m glad you brought that up.” The appreciative gleam she’d seen earlier in Ryder’s eyes had been replaced by the keen edge of business. “Our analysis shows that, regardless of location, coffee cake is always a top seller. Though I don’t have multiyear data yet, it appears cherry Danish and kouign amann are tops on the peninsula.”
“That’s in line with what we’ve seen in the bakery.” Hadley tamped down a surge of excitement. She thought she’d left the business world when she moved back to Good Hope.
Thanks to the baking skills taught by her Scandinavian grandfather, she’d landed a job at Blooms. Now, Ami was giving her the opportunity to blend her business savvy with her baking skill.
“I’d like you to modify the existing contract and include the proviso that those three baked goods are always included.” Ryder swirled a fry through ketchup, his gaze firmly focused on her.
“If you’re agreeable, I think it’d be simpler to do a new contract, one that includes your business in Good Hope and the new shop you’re opening this fall in Sturgeon Bay.”
Ryder popped the fry into his mouth and nodded.
“Of course, the rates we agree upon will apply to both locations.” Hadley offered a smile, stabbed a piece of endive.
When Hadley had seen what Ryder was paying the bakery, she’d been shocked. Though she understood Ami had wanted to help Ryder build his business and help hers during the slow winter months, what Ryder was paying now barely covered costs.
That needed to change.
“I’m agreeable to keeping the rates Ami and I discussed last year.”
“The previous rates are a good starting point for negotiation.” Like a racehorse poised at the starting gate, Hadley felt herself quiver.
She would do right by Ami and Blooms Bake Shop.
By the time she finished, Ryder Goodhue would have his contract, and Ami Bloom Cross would have a fair rate.
Hadley wouldn’t have it any other way.
“The difference to the interior since Beck bought the place is staggering.” David had spent enough time in the “old” Muddy Boots as a kid and young adult to appreciate the changes.
Gone was the unattractive wallpaper, which had been a coffeepot pattern in harvest gold and mud brown. The scarred and stained linoleum had been replaced with shiny hardwood. The yellow vinyl on the backs of the chairs and booths was now a bright cherry red.
“The place has a happy vibe.” Clay lifted a hand in greeting to Etta Hawley, a teacher at the high school. His gaze sharpened. “There’s someone you rarely see in here.”
David set his open menu on the table. “The
summer months are probably Etta’s only chance to eat out.”
“Not Etta.” Clay smiled his thanks when a waitress dropped off two glasses of water then promised to return for their order. “I was speaking of the delectable Miss Newhouse.”
David followed the direction of his brother’s gaze. It was Hadley all right, and she appeared totally absorbed in her lunch companion. A knot formed in the pit of David’s stomach.
Hadley had spiffed up for the date. Her summer dress, the color of ripe cherries, left tanned shoulders bare except for two thin straps. She’d done something different with her hair, twisting it into a complicated knot at the nape of her neck.
“Looks like she’s giving Ryder some serious attention.”
His brother’s gaze narrowed on the couple. “Nah. It’s business.”
“How do you know?”
“She’s totally focused on him.” Clay’s tone was matter-of-fact.
“Maybe she’s into the guy.”
Clay shook his head. “Rumor is Blooms Bake Shop is vying for a contract for Ryder’s new coffee shop in Sturgeon Bay. I bet that’s what they’re discussing.”
Perhaps Clay was right. Not that it mattered. David had no claim on Hadley. She was free to date whomever she wanted.
“She came over Saturday night.” David cursed himself when Clay’s eyes lit up.
“You had a date?”
“Not a date.” David spoke firmly, so there could be no misunderstanding. “She helped Brynn with her history project for Founder’s Day.”
Clay took a sip of water. “Are you interested in her?”
“Didn’t you hear what I said?” David fought to keep his tone casual. “Hadley was there for Brynn, not me.”
The realization was a punch to the heart.
Clay picked up the menu. “What are you having?”
Instead of looking at the selections, David found his eyes drawn once again to Hadley. This time, her gaze wasn’t focused on Ryder.
It was on him.
Their eyes locked.
She smiled before turning her attention back to Ryder. But the brief contact had been enough.
The knot was gone. David was suddenly ravenous.
“You eat here more than me,” he told his brother. “What do you recommend?”
Chapter 6
Despite feeling foolish, Hadley had to admit the filmy white dress topped by a wide-brimmed straw hat with a blue ribbon held a certain charm.
Ami had insisted that Blooms Bake Shop get into the spirit of the old-fashioned ice cream social held on Wednesday in the town square. She’d furnished her employees with dresses fashionable young women would wear at the turn of the twentieth century.
“I can’t believe I let you talk me into dressing up.” Hadley touched the brim of her hat.
“You know you wanted to do it.” Ami flashed a bright smile. “You’d have said no otherwise.”
It was a true statement. Hadley knew how to say no. Just as she knew the reason for her blue mood didn’t have a thing to do with today’s event.
Once the setup was complete, Ami and college-girl Karin worked like a well-oiled machine. They stood in the center of two long tables offering a tantalizing display of cookies, muffins and pastries.
Several nearby ice cream stations, manned by members of the Cherries and the rotary, did a brisk business. Donation-only stands, staffed by Seedlings and Saplings, part of the local scouting organization, served lemonade and iced tea at scattered locations in the square.
Despite the complimentary offerings, the coffee cart directly across from the bakery stand had been busy all evening. Cassie Lohmeier had been working alone since Hadley had first arrived. Color rose high in the tall blonde’s cheeks, and perspiration dotted her brow as she struggled to keep up with orders.
Hadley frowned. Where was Ryder? Didn’t he realize that one person, no matter how hardworking and experienced, wasn’t enough to handle the crowd?
Squaring her shoulders, Hadley placed a hand on Ami’s shoulder. “I’m going to see if Cassie needs help.”
“Good idea,” Ami murmured without breaking stride.
Like most of the adults working the event, Cassie had dressed for the bygone era. Her simple red A-line dress hung to midcalf, accentuated by the red-and-white-striped ribbon woven through her straw hat.
She’d pulled her sun-streaked blond hair back into a messy twist that managed to look stylish.
Hadley stepped forward. “Need help?”
Cassie flashed a smile. “Do ducks like water?”
Working as a barista in college had given Hadley serious skills. Once she found her rhythm, it was like stepping back into Starbucks time.
Thirty minutes later, when Pastor Dan Marshall ordered a coffee, she and Cassie were caught up.
“It’s good to see you, Cassie.” Dan offered both women a warm smile. “You, too, Hadley.”
Hadley couldn’t recall the last time she’d been to church, other than for a wedding. She certainly didn’t go weekly. The pastor at her grandparents’ church in North Dakota had preached hellfire and damnation.
She could only imagine what God thought of the mess she’d made of her life.
“It’s nice to see you, Pastor.” Cassie filled the cup and snapped on a lid.
“Is, ah, is your sister around?” The minister’s voice might be offhand, but the way he gripped the cup told Hadley this was no simple inquiry.
“I haven’t seen her.” Though a muscle in her jaw jumped, Cassie kept her voice equally nonchalant.
Hadley busied herself making lattes for a couple of teenage girls. Everyone in town was aware that Cassie’s sister, Lindsay, had broken off her engagement to the minister at the last minute.
Though Dan and Lindsay had gone on with their lives, it appeared the minister still hadn’t fully gotten over the youngest Lohmeier sister.
When he strolled off, sipping his coffee, his gaze scanning the crowd, Hadley turned to Cassie. “That was awkward.”
Cassie lifted a thin shoulder and let it drop. “He doesn’t normally ask about Lindsay. He was probably being polite.”
“Maybe.”
“He comes into the shop every Monday to work on writing his sermon for the next week.” Cassie’s tone remained even. “We talk, but never about Lin.”
“That’s probably a relief.”
The crowd had dwindled to a handful of tourists as the free concert by the Good Hope Brass started in the bandstand.
“Do you enjoy working for Ryder?” Hadley fixed herself a cappuccino and made one for Cassie.
“He’s a great boss. Very accommodating.” Cassie smiled her thanks and took the drink. “It’s difficult to work with a two-year-old, especially during the school year. The older boys watch Axl in the summer while I’m at work. If I have to pay for childcare, it pretty much eats up any money I make.”
Hadley knew Cassie had gotten pregnant at fifteen with her daughter, Dakota, who was now in college. She had two sons by another guy. Those boys were now in high school. Axl’s father was in prison, convicted of a string of burglaries in Good Hope.
Cassie’s life could have been hers, Hadley thought, if she’d made different choices.
Almost as if she knew the direction of Hadley’s thoughts, Cassie flushed. “Ryder gave me a chance when almost everyone else in town—including my mother—had written me off.”
“Our past doesn’t dictate our future.” As she spoke the words, Hadley felt herself steady.
“I’ve taken many wrong turns.” A profound weariness filled Cassie’s voice. She gazed into her cup.
“I’d wager we all have things we’d do differently given the chance.” Hadley’s lips twisted in a rueful smile. “But we can’t change the past. We can only change the present and the future. You’re making positive changes, Cassie. You should be proud.”
Tears filled Cassie’s eyes. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me.” This time, it was Hadley’s turn to let he
r gaze drop. “Like you, I’m not going to let the past define me. Not anymore.”
“Looking for someone?”
David turned so quickly the lemonade in his cup sloshed over the rim. “Dan. I didn’t see you.”
The steaming coffee the minister held looked more appealing than David’s lukewarm lemonade. He made a mental note to ask Dan where he’d gotten it.
“I don’t normally see you at these events.” Dan sipped his coffee.
“Brynn is a Seedling.” This fall, his daughter would move up to the next local scouting level and become a Sapling. “Her troop is working one of the drink stands.”
“Doesn’t Camille usually bring her to these types of events?”
“She used to.” Emphasis, David thought, on the past tense. Though he considered himself to be an involved father, over the past couple of years, he’d turned over more of the parenting to his longtime nanny. “Camille is married now and living in Sturgeon Bay.”
The minister’s brows lifted. “Will she continue to care for Brynn?”
“I’m afraid not.” David finished off the lemonade and crushed the tiny cup between his fingers.
“I imagine that’s been difficult for Brynn.”
David started to nod, then paused. “I broke the news Saturday night. She was upset at first, but then seemed to be okay. Still, I’m concerned that maybe it hasn’t really sunk in yet. She’s had a lot of hard knocks this year. First her mother, then Mindy—who she considered her best friend-and now Camille.”
“You’ve built a solid foundation for your daughter in Good Hope.” Dan’s gaze met his. “Brynn has her grandmother, her aunt, her uncle and lots of friends here. While Camille’s absence will undoubtedly be felt, Brynn will be fine.”
Thanks in large part to Ruckus. Hadley had been right about the dog.
“Just remember.” Dan rested a hand on his shoulder. “God has a plan.”
With those parting words, Dan left to greet fisherman Joe Lyle and his wife.
Recalling seeing a coffee cart across the square, David headed in that direction. He paused when his path crossed with Tim Vandercoy’s.
A successful real estate agent, Tim brokered most of the deals on the peninsula. Short, with thinning brown hair and a salesman’s smile, he held out a hand to David.