The Sea Star Bakery: A Willa Bay Novel

by Nicole Ellis

  Cassie’s chest filled with pride. “Thank you.”

  “I’d better get this to my husband before I eat it, but it may be missing a bite or two by the time I get to him.” Denise grinned conspiratorially at Cassie. “Have fun today with the kids.”

  “Thanks! Oh, I almost forgot.” Cassie grabbed a coupon off the stack on the table. “This will get you fifty percent off a coffee and pastry when we open.”

  “Thanks, Cassie.” Denise accepted it. “See you when you open.” She turned, and was swallowed up by the crowds milling around the vendor booths.

  “Hey, Jace,” Cassie said to her son, who was busy playing a game on his tablet. “You’re supposed to be in charge of handing out coupons.”

  He looked up briefly and scanned the area in front of their table. A woman Cassie didn’t recognize had approached the table and was chatting with Amanda. “I have been. I didn’t see anyone here.”

  Cassie shook her head, but smiled. Honestly, as long as he was behaving himself, she didn’t care too much about him focusing on his game. It was her weekend with the kids and she could see how sitting at their mom’s booth at a fair wasn’t the most exciting thing to do. The woman Amanda had been talking to left with a coupon in one hand and a cupcake in the other.

  “Mom?” Amanda asked. “How much longer do we need to do this?”

  Cassie assessed the number of cupcakes that were left and did some quick calculations. She’d always been good at math, a skill that came in handy when baking. “Maybe another hour? We should have given them all out by then.”

  Amanda sighed dramatically. “But all of my friends are here already.” She looked over at a gaggle of giggling preteen girls standing off to the side of the park. “I want to go hang out with them.”

  Cassie stifled a grin. “You’ll survive.” She glanced at the girls, then back at her daughter. When she’d been Amanda’s age, she’d been exactly the same, always wanting to be with her friends. “Oh, all right. You can go now.”

  Amanda’s face lit up. “Really?”

  Cassie smiled at her daughter’s excitement. “Yep. But don’t leave the park. When we’re done here, we’re going to join the Briggs family for a picnic, okay?”

  “Okay.” Amanda nodded vigorously. “Thanks, Mom.” She ran off before Cassie could change her mind.

  Cassie scanned the crowd. She knew about half of the people there, but the other half were tourists. It seemed somewhat pointless to be giving away cupcakes to people who wouldn’t be in town when the bakery opened, but you never knew who was going to need a custom cake someday. She caught sight of Kyle, and her breath caught.

  He was standing at the deli booth, sampling a pastrami sandwich, his favorite. But it wasn’t what he was eating that had caught her eye. He was holding hands with Dana Timonds.

  Cassie pressed her lips together. While she knew Kyle had been dating, she hadn’t known it was Dana. Kyle and Dana had been co-workers for as long as Cassie could remember. Had he always had feelings for her?

  Cassie pushed away the nasty thought as soon as it crossed her mind. He’d never given her any reason to suspect he’d been cheating on her when they were married. Now that they were divorced, he was free to date whomever he wanted. Still, it stung to see Dana smiling up at him adoringly. Dana wiped a crumb off Kyle’s face, and a pang of white-hot jealousy swept over Cassie.

  Cassie forced herself to look away, but not before memories of previous Willa Bay Fourth of July celebrations flooded her thoughts. The first Independence Day she and Kyle had spent together as teenagers, they’d snuck away from their families and found a quiet place down by the river to hang out. Over the years, it had become one of their favorite spots to be together, away from all the noise.

  Later, when they’d had Amanda and Jace, they’d experienced the celebrations as a family, with a picnic in the park and an evening capped off by watching the fireworks display over the bay. Her stomach twisted. They’d had so many good times together, just the two of them and as a family.

  But that was in the past.

  She busied herself with moving the remaining cupcakes to the front of the cake stand and straightening the stack of coupons. She’d only been there for a little over an hour, and more than half of the samples were already gone. If the interest in her bakery translated into actual sales, she may very well make a success of this business.

  “So, which of these do you recommend?” A deep voice asked.

  Cassie looked up to see Chase Flaherty standing in front of her, flashing her a toothy grin. “They’re all good, but I’m partial to the German chocolate.”

  He selected one of the chocolate cupcakes and slowly pulled the wrapper off one side, then took a huge bite. Cassie held her breath, waiting for his verdict. He chewed and swallowed, then gave her a thumbs-up. “These are delicious. I think I’m going to have to be a regular customer when you open.” He winked at her, and she blushed and looked away.

  “Have you found out anything new about the mural?” she asked, trying not to stare as he wiped chocolate cupcake crumbs from his lips. He’d been in the bakery once last week to take more photographs of the mural. She hadn’t been around when he stopped by, so Andy had let him in.

  He shook his head. “Nothing yet, but I’m not giving up. I’ll let you know as soon as I do.” He disposed of the napkin and grinned at her. “Maybe we could grab coffee this week to talk about it?”

  Her stomach flip-flopped. Libby had been right. He didn’t have anything new to tell her about the mural, so this had to be a date. Did she want to go out with him? He seemed like the playboy type, something she normally wasn’t attracted to. Then again, she and Kyle had started dating in high school, so she didn’t really know if she even had a type.

  “I’m not sure about this week because I have a lot going on with the bakery remodel, but maybe next week?” Cassie smiled back at him. She didn’t want to say no, but the idea of saying yes to a date with Chase practically made her hyperventilate.

  “Sure. Sounds good.” Chase flashed her a smile that put a serious crack in her defenses.

  A man walked up to the table and began asking Cassie questions about the bakery. Although he’d interrupted her conversation with Chase, she was grateful for the distraction.

  “Cassie,” Chase said. “I’ll see you later, okay?” He winked at her again, and her stomach fluttered.

  She nodded. “Have fun tonight at the celebration.”

  “Oh, I will.” He sauntered off toward the next booth.

  Chase was an attractive man, there was no arguing with that, but something was holding her back from returning his advances. The memory of Dana brushing her hand across Kyle’s mouth returned, and Cassie grimaced. He’d moved on, and she needed to do the same. The next time Chase asked her to coffee – if there was a next time – she was going to accept his invitation.

  “Excuse me?” The man standing in front of her said. “Can you tell me about the cupcakes?”

  She shook her head slightly and smiled apologetically. “I’m so sorry, my mind was elsewhere. What can I help you with?”

  She stayed at the booth until she’d given away the last cupcake, then rolled up her display sign, the crumb-littered cake tier, and her stack of coupons. “Jace,” she said. “Can you please help me bring these to the car? We’ll have to make a second trip back here for the table.”

  After a few seconds, he looked up from his tablet. “Can we go to the playground afterward?”

  She studied him, surprised that he’d voluntarily give up his tablet. “Sure. We need to get the picnic stuff out of our car and bring it to the park first, though.”

  “Okay.” He put his tablet in his backpack and slung it over his shoulder before helping her carry everything back to her minivan, which she’d parked nearby. They folded up the table, each taking an end of it, and carried it to the van.

  “Thanks, honey. I would have had a hard time managing all of that without your help.” She gave him a hug, wh
ich he tolerated. She hadn’t been kidding, though – at the age of nine, Jace being able to lift his end of the table and help her maneuver it back to the car saved her a lot of time and energy. Soon, he’d shoot up in height and turn into a young adult. Cassie sighed inwardly. Her baby was growing up.

  She retrieved the wheeled cooler containing their food and a folded picnic blanket from the back of the van and set it on the ground. Before shutting the rear liftgate, she grabbed the leftover coupons. Might as well hand them out for the rest of the day.

  She and Jace walked down to the park, located where the Willomish River entered Willa Bay. Earlier, Amanda had asked if she could go with her friend and friend’s parents to the park and Cassie had agreed. Now, Cassie had a little time alone with Jace, something that didn’t happen very often. Although Kyle took the kids on his weekends, Cassie didn’t normally get to spend time with each kid individually. It was nice to talk to Jace about his current interests – Minecraft and sea life – without Amanda interrupting.

  The big, grassy picnic area at the park was packed with people. Cassie held her hand up to her forehead as a makeshift sun visor and scanned the groups seated on colorful blankets. Libby saw her and jumped up to wave from a patchwork mosaic of blankets laid out together near the beach. Libby’s sister, Meg, was already there, along with their mother, Debbie, and father, Peter.

  Cassie smiled and waved back, then turned to her son. “Jace, we’re over here.” She pointed in the direction of Libby’s family.

  “Where?” He looked right at them without seeing.

  “Over there. Near the beach.”

  He narrowed his eyes as he followed the line of her hand and pointed finger, then his expression cleared with recognition. “Oh, I see them.”

  They dragged the cooler over to the Briggs family and added their blanket to the others.

  “Can I go play now?” Jace asked.

  Cassie glanced at the playground across the lawn. Children were climbing all over the giant toy’s slides and ladders like ants on a log. It wasn’t right next to where they were sitting, but she could see it well enough to supervise him.

  “My kids are all over there right now. William’s keeping an eye on them. He’s pretty responsible for an eleven-year-old,” Libby reassured Cassie. “They know Jace, and he’ll be fine with them.”

  Cassie nodded. He was old enough that she didn’t need to worry too much about him going off with strangers, but with his autism and ADHD, his behavior wasn’t always predictable. Still, he’d never given her any cause for concern when they were at a playground.

  She touched Jace’s arm to make sure she had his attention. “You can go play. Let William know you’re there.”

  He nodded vigorously, then trotted away at a fast clip.

  Cassie sat cross-legged on her blanket, and Libby slid over the ground coverings to sit next to her. “How’s it going?” Libby asked. “Did people like your cupcakes?”

  “I think so. They disappeared quickly, and I got a lot of questions about when the bakery will open.” Cassie’s stomach grumbled as she reached into the cooler for a ham and cheese sandwich she’d made that morning, and set it on a paper plate next to a bag of Doritos.

  “Good.” Libby grabbed a Dorito and popped it into her mouth. After crunching on it, she said, “You don’t have anything to worry about. Your bakery is going to be a success.”

  “I hope so.” Cassie bit into her sandwich. With Celia’s generous offer of start-up capital and funds for renovating the bakery, Cassie hadn’t had to put her house up for collateral on a small business loan, which was what had previously kept her from pursuing business ownership. Knowing that their family home was on the line would have been more stress than she could handle. However, the loan from Celia came with its own issues. Cassie didn’t want to let Celia down, so the bakery had to reach profitability within a reasonable period of time.

  “Do you want a sandwich?” she asked Libby.

  “No, I’ve got a bunch in my cooler. I filled up on some fruit and cheese earlier.” She stared down at the soft blanket, picking at a spot of lint that had stuck to it in the wash. “I was hoping Gabe would join me for lunch, but he hasn’t shown up yet.”

  Cassie cocked her head to the side, her heart sinking. Her friend was hurting and there was little she could do about it. “Was he planning on coming today? Don’t you usually do the Fourth as a family?”

  Libby nodded. “My whole family spends the day together. It’s a tradition we’ve done since I was a little kid.” She gazed out at the bay. “Gabe used to love seeing the kids playing on the playground and making sandcastles on the beach. I don’t know what’s happened to him.”

  “You haven’t talked with him yet?” Cassie asked. Libby had told her she was going to have a talk with her husband, but something must have happened to keep her from doing so.

  “He’s barely been home,” Libby whispered. “And when he is, he locks himself in his office.” She glanced at her parents and Meg, but they were busy getting supplies out for barbecuing hamburgers later. Her shoulders slumped in defeat. “I’m afraid this is the end for us.”

  Cassie moved closer to Libby and wrapped her arm around her friend's shoulders. Libby leaned in, furtively wiping away tears before her family could see.

  “You’re so lucky that at least you know things are over with Kyle,” Libby said. “You can move on from that relationship and find the person you’re meant to be with.” Her voice cracked. “I always thought Gabe was my person.”

  Cassie didn’t say anything, but she gently squeezed Libby’s shoulder as they looked out at the waves lapping against the shoreline. She’d always thought Kyle was her person, too, and although they’d been divorced for years, she wasn’t sure she was at a place yet where she wanted to move on from him.

  15

  Zoe

  “When the potential clients get here, meet them in front of the Inn and linger by the gardens so they get the full effect of the property.” Zoe paused in the Inn’s circular driveway to make sure Tia had written down her instructions.

  Tia nodded, scribbling furiously in a notebook she’d balanced in the crook of her arm. “Got it.”

  “Then, show them around the grounds so they can see the different areas where we can host weddings. For now, that’s the area in front of the gazebo, but eventually I hope to add in some other options, including beach weddings.”

  “Okay.” Tia looked up. “Do we have chairs available for weddings, or will clients need to rent their own?”

  Zoe looked at her appraisingly. Although she’d begrudgingly allowed Shawn to hire Tia as her assistant, she’d doubted Tia would be much help. It wasn’t that she wasn’t qualified, it was just that Zoe preferred to oversee everything herself. Tia was asking the right questions, though, so maybe she’d be more help than Zoe expected.

  “We have two hundred white chairs on order, which should be here by the end of July.” Zoe looked at her watch, her stomach twisting. The first of August was only three weeks away. How could they possibly get everything done on time?

  Having Tia to help was supposed to take some of the pressure off, but the time Zoe was spending to train Tia would have been better spent on working through her to-do list. Zoe had hoped that Meg quitting her job and coming to work at the Inn full time would decrease Zoe’s responsibilities, but Meg hadn’t been there enough to know the full breadth of everything going on with the renovations. Shawn did as much as he could, but his talents lay in managing the contractors they’d hired and performing construction work himself.

  “Can we take a closer look at the gazebo?” Tia asked. “I’m sure it will be popular with potential clients, and I’d like to familiarize myself with it.”

  “Sure,” Zoe said. “I know Shawn gave you a quick tour of the property, but let’s take a more in-depth look at everything.”

  She spent the next two hours showing Tia around and then turned her loose to explore on her own. After Celia had spread
the word that the Inn at Willa Bay would be open for weddings at the beginning of August, they’d received many phone calls inquiring about availability. Several of those had come from displaced clients of Danville Hall. Zoe had tried to take on as many of the showing appointments as she could, but Tia would need to handle some of them, including the first one later that afternoon. The person who’d made the arrangements hadn’t been super enthusiastic about seeing the Inn, so Zoe wasn’t too concerned about letting Tia meet with them as her first appointment after starting the job.

  Zoe was busy recording measurements for the kitchen when Meg stomped into the living room, her dark brown hair tangled and littered with tiny pieces of tree bark. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and she looked like she’d rather be at the dentist’s office, undergoing a root canal.

  “The next time we find a fallen tree blocking one of the walking paths, it gets left there,” Meg announced as she removed her pitch-stained leather work gloves. “We’ll build a step over it or something.” She grabbed a glass cup from the counter and filled it from a pitcher of water, draining it in three long gulps. “I never want to move another tree trunk in my life.”

  Zoe grinned. “So you’re giving up your dream of becoming a logger?”

  Meg glared at her. “Haha. Very funny.” She sighed. “Shawn made rolling away the cut pieces look so easy, but it was ten times harder than lifting weights at the gym.” Meg eyed her with suspicion. “Hey, how come you don’t have to help with clearing the trails?”

  As if she hadn’t spent countless hours over the last two months pulling weeds, tearing out blackberry vines, and, yes, clearing the trails. Zoe put down her pen and stared at Meg. She tried to keep her voice cool as she answered. “I’ve put in plenty of time on the trails. Today, I had to finish up the plans for the kitchen. If we want to host weddings here in a few weeks, we’ve got to get this place put back together.”

  “I could help you inside,” Meg said. “I’ve spent half my life in kitchens, remember?”