The Sea Star Bakery: A Willa Bay Novel

by Nicole Ellis

“Hey,” Shawn called out from where he was taking a break on the back porch. He got up and strode across the lawn to her. When he reached her, he leaned down to sweetly kiss her lips, sending pleasant tingles down her spine. He gently caressed her arm. “Are you excited about seeing Luke and your grandfather?”

  She grinned. “I am. I can’t wait to show them everything we’ve done.”

  “Me too,” Shawn said. “I have to admit, I’m a little nervous about Luke visiting, like we’re showing a term project to our teacher.” He chuckled, but his words rang with truth.

  Zoe hugged him, looking up into his eyes. “He’s going to love it. You have nothing to worry about.” She left one arm around his waist, but pivoted to scan the property. “Is Meg here? I wanted her to meet Pops too.”

  “She’s around here somewhere. When we finished moving the table and chairs back into the kitchen, she said she wanted to spend some time in the old barn.” Shawn lifted his hand to shield his eyes from the sun and peered in the direction of the barn. “I think she’s getting antsy about remodeling it.”

  Zoe laughed. “Well, it’s not going to be anytime soon. We’ve still got work to do on the main building.” She knew Meg felt a little adrift, and Zoe hoped they’d be able to get to the restaurant portion of their master plan sooner than expected.

  “Yeah, Meg knows that,” Shawn said. “She just wants to use this time to let some of her ideas for a restaurant gel a bit.”

  Zoe nodded. “I get that. Sometimes I feel bad that we’re all working so hard to make my dreams for the Inn come true, and she has to wait for hers.”

  He turned to face her and planted a kiss on the top of her head. “It will all come in time.” He glanced at his watch, and then at the men walking around on top of the Inn. “And speaking of time, I need to check in with the roofers. I’m going to be so glad when that’s finally finished.”

  “Me too,” Zoe said. “I’ll come find you when my family arrives, okay?”

  “Sounds good.” He took off toward the side of the building where the roofing company had piled their supplies.

  Zoe turned back to her list, prioritizing the remaining tasks. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a woman in a turquoise tank top and jeans walking around the corner of the porch. “Tia? What are you doing here?” Tia wasn’t scheduled to work that day, and an appearance from her on her day off couldn’t be good.

  Tia got closer and stopped in front of Zoe, her face drawn. “I’m afraid I have some bad news.”

  Zoe’s heart skipped a beat. She should have known things were too good to be true. “What is it?”

  “Apparently, the string quartet we hired for most of the August weddings accidentally double-booked themselves.”

  “You’re joking, right?” Zoe’s eyes drilled into the other woman. “How is that even possible? And why didn’t they call me?”

  Tia sighed. “They tried calling you, but they said you didn’t answer.”

  “What?” Zoe fumbled in her pocket for her phone, but it wasn’t there. “Shoot. The battery was almost dead this morning, so I plugged it into the charger. With Luke and Pops coming, I totally forgot to grab it.” It hit her that she might have missed a call from them as well, and she started walking briskly toward the Inn’s back door.

  Tia followed close on her heels. “So, what are we going to do about the string quartet? It was a big selling point for some of our clients.”

  Zoe frowned. “I don’t know. Let me think about it.” She opened the back door and stepped into the utility room where she’d plugged in her phone. The red message indicator on the phone blinked furiously, and she groaned. “I can’t believe I forgot my phone.” She unlocked the phone to check her messages. Six missed calls – two from Luke, and four from numbers she didn’t recognize.

  She quickly listened to the two voicemails from unknown callers. The leader of the musicians had called to explain the mix-up, and the other had been a call from someone trying to sell her something she didn’t want. Luke had left a message telling her they’d be in Willa Bay around one o’clock, which meant they’d be there any minute.

  Zoe looked at Tia. “I guess one of the musicians accepted a booking in Portland for the entire month of August and forgot to tell the others until now.”

  “Don’t we have a contract with them?” Tia asked.

  “Yeah, but I don’t think it’ll help much.” Zoe stared out at the trees from the small window in the utility room. “The Portland gig is full time, so I don’t think we’re going to get them back. We can’t realistically sue them, and I don’t want to sever our relationship with them either. We’re new to the wedding business, and we can’t afford to cut off potential vendors. Besides, he was really apologetic about it.”

  “So, what now?” Tia leaned against the wall. “I guess we could use pre-recorded music for the ceremony. Most of our clients have already hired a DJ for the reception.”

  “Ugh.” The idea of using canned music for the ceremony made Zoe’s blood curdle. She wanted the Inn at Willa Bay to be known as a premiere wedding venue, and the string quartet had added an elegant touch to their ceremony packages.

  “Oh!” Tia exclaimed. “I have an idea. My brother played in a musical ensemble while he was in college. It’s summer, so maybe we could see if one of the local colleges has a lead on one for us.”

  Zoe regarded Tia. Her assistance had proven to be invaluable over the last few weeks. Her problem-solving skills and can-do attitude had come in handy as they helped potential clients navigate their cancelled contracts with Danville Hall, and assisted them in moving their dream wedding to the Inn. At times like this, Zoe had a hard time remembering why she’d objected to Tia in the first place.

  “That’s a fantastic idea,” Zoe said. “Can you make the calls when you come in tomorrow?” If it didn’t work out, Zoe wasn’t sure what they were going to do, but she’d cross that bridge when they came to it.

  Tia nodded vigorously. “I’ll do it now. I don’t want to lose out on finding replacement musicians because we waited an extra day.”

  Zoe shrugged. “If you don’t mind, that would be great.”

  “No problem.” Tia was already surfing the Internet to locate contact information for the local colleges.

  From the other end of the house, someone knocked on the door.

  “That’s probably my brother,” Zoe said. “I’ll check in with you later. Thanks again for coming to the rescue.”

  Tia grinned widely. “No problem.”

  Zoe walked down the hallway to the front door, swinging it open. The first face she saw belonged to Pops, and happiness washed over her.

  “Hi, sweetie,” he said, opening his arms.

  “I’m so glad to see you.” She stepped forward into his embrace. Unexpectedly, tears filled her eyes.

  “Are you okay?” he asked.

  “Uh-huh.” She sniffled and wiped her face with the back of her hand. “I just can’t believe you’re actually here.”

  “Hey, what am I? Chopped liver?” Luke joked from behind Pops.

  Zoe reached past to hook her brother into their hug. “Nope, I’m happy to see you too.” She looked past him. “Is Charlotte with you?”

  “No, she really wanted to see you and all of the renovations, but something came up at the gallery, and she couldn’t make it. She told me to take a lot of pictures of the Inn though.” Luke held up his phone and made a point to turn around to take a photo of the gazebo.

  Zoe laughed. “Well, there’s plenty to document. I feel like we’ve already redone at least half of the property.”

  “I can tell.” Luke gestured to the porch. “It looks brand new.”

  “Thanks.” Zoe hugged him again, then turned to Pops. “Do you want to come in for a few minutes first, or do you want to see everything?”

  “That was a long ride, and I had too many cups of coffee this morning,” Pops said. “Can you point me in the direction of the men’s room?”

  “S
traight down the hall and to the left,” she said.

  He nodded and disappeared through the front door.

  Luke and Zoe stood on the porch together, gazing out at the bay. “I can’t believe you’ve pulled this off,” he said.

  “Hey.” She slugged his arm. “I thought you said you believed in me.”

  “I do. But this transformation is nothing short of amazing,” he said. “I can’t believe the three of you have accomplished so much in so little time.”

  A warm glow washed over Zoe. Luke’s praise meant the world to her. “Thank you.” She impulsively hugged him again.

  “I’m ready to see the rest of the resort,” Pops said as he neared the front door. “With all you’ve told me about the place, I feel like I already know it.”

  Zoe grinned. “I’m so excited to show it to you in person. I don’t think anything I could say could do it justice.”

  She showed them around the resort, and they were properly impressed. Seeing the Inn through their eyes gave her even more of an appreciation for the history of the old building, and the resort as a whole.

  They were coming back up the stairs from the beach when a truck’s engine started up. The roofers were finally leaving, and a huge item could be checked off her to-do list. Tia waved frantically at her from the porch, and Zoe jogged over to her.

  “What’s up?” Zoe paused with her hands on her hips, catching her breath.

  “I have the best news.” Tia wore a huge smile on her face. “I located a string quartet for the August weddings.”

  “Really?” Zoe’s eyes widened. “Where did you find them?”

  “One of the local colleges came through. Apparently, they’re really good, but they don’t play many gigs in the summertime. They’re excited to have the chance to play here.” Tia handed her a piece of paper with the contact info for the musicians. “I told them they might need to audition first, and they said they were happy to do so.”

  Zoe looked around the grounds. The renovations hadn’t all gone as planned, but everything had still come together because she had a team that she could trust. “Nope. If you’ve vetted them, I’m good with hiring them.”

  Tia’s eyes lit up. “I’ll let them know.” She turned and went inside, dialing her phone as she walked away.

  While Zoe was talking with Tia, Pops and Luke caught up to her.

  Luke raised his eyebrows at Zoe. “You let someone else manage a big decision for a wedding?” He shook his head. “Now I’ve heard it all. My sister, the control freak, is learning to be part of a team.”

  “Hey,” she laughed. “I resemble that remark.”

  Pops gave her a hug. “Sweetie, I’m so proud of you. This place is wonderful, and I can’t wait to see it in full swing. Your grandma and parents would have been proud too.”

  She swallowed a lump in her throat. “Thanks, Pops. That means a lot to me.” Her parents had died when she was only a toddler, and her grandparents had raised her and Luke.

  She pulled both Pops and Luke in for a big group hug. “Thank you both for everything.”

  “Ah, sweetie,” Pops said, tears glistening in his eyes. “We love you.”

  Luke squeezed her shoulder, “Love you, sis.”

  Zoe dried her own tears and smiled at Pops. “Now, let’s go find Shawn, Meg, and Celia. I want to introduce you to some of the other important people in my life.”

  She took a deep breath and surveyed the resort, admiring the gazebo that was a symbol for the Inn at Willa Bay’s rebirth. All of her life, she’d sought approval from Pops and Luke. While she still loved them and valued their input, making the resort come alive again had given her a sense of purpose that had renewed her own faith in herself.

  It didn’t matter how many roadblocks they’d encountered in renovating the property, she and her trusted team had conquered everything. When they officially opened in ten days, she had no doubt that the Inn would quickly become the most sought-after wedding destination in the Pacific Northwest. Everything she’d worked for her entire life was finally coming together.

  20

  Kyle

  Kyle tucked the tails of his blue button-down shirt into his khaki pants and checked out his appearance in the mirror. He’d never been to the grand opening of a bakery before, so he might be a little overdressed, but he wanted to make a good impression on Cassie. This was it – the day that he’d tell her he still had feelings for her.

  Based on what she’d said in the pizza parlor about wanting her independence, he may very well walk away from the bakery with his heart crushed, but he had to try. If there was any chance of getting Cassie back, he didn’t want to lose it.

  He winced at his reflection. His face was pale, an outward display of the butterflies in his stomach. He was more nervous now than he’d been on the day he’d asked her to marry him. At least on that day, he’d had a pretty good idea that she’d say yes.

  It was now or never. He straightened his collar, squared his shoulders, and walked out the door. When he arrived, the bakery was overflowing with customers. Some patrons relaxed around the outside patio tables, and even more were inside, chatting with friends or standing in line to order.

  The bakery was only open for a few hours this afternoon, in preparation for a full day tomorrow. Cassie had told him she was getting together later with the Wedding Crashers, her group of friends in the event industry, but Kyle hoped he’d have enough time to whisk her away for a surprise after the bakery closed.

  Cassie stood behind the register, wearing a blue dress and white apron, her face glowing as she rang up purchases. Amanda waited next to her, ready to fill their orders. Nearby, Jace folded cheery yellow boxes and stacked them in front of his sister.

  Kyle’s heart swelled with pride as he stood back, watching them. His family was operating like a well-oiled machine. Only he was missing from the picture. With a flash of guilt, he wondered if he should have offered his assistance. However, he soon realized that Cassie’s friends, Meg, Libby, and Zoe, were helping out as well. Even Celia had a part and was stationed near the door, greeting customers with a warm smile.

  Cassie saw him leaning against the wall and beamed at him. He smiled and waved back at her.

  “She’s doing great, isn’t she?” Zoe said. With all the crowds, he hadn’t noticed her approach.

  “She is,” he said softly. He couldn’t take his eyes off Cassie. She looked so happy and excited, something he hadn’t seen in a long time. With all of the stress from the kids, she’d needed something like this in her life, something that was hers alone.

  “You care about Cassie, don’t you?” Zoe asked.

  He pulled his attention away from his ex-wife and turned to look at Zoe. He paused, wanting to choose his words carefully. “I do care about her. A lot.”

  Zoe peered into his eyes, then hesitated. “I don’t know if I should say anything to you about it, but I think she still has feelings for you.”

  He stopped breathing for a moment, not sure if he’d heard her correctly. “She does?”

  Zoe narrowed her eyes. “Yes. And judging by the way you can’t stop looking at her, you feel the same way about her.”

  He took a deep breath. “I do.” His words fell out of his mouth in a jumble. “I’ve tried to move on, but I can’t. She’s the only woman I want to be with.”

  Zoe nodded, then broke out into a smile. “Good.” She poked her index finger into his chest. “But if you ever hurt her again, you’ll answer to me. Got it?”

  He glanced down at her finger, then met her gaze. “I’d never hurt her.” He looked over at Cassie and the kids. “Would you be willing to do me a favor? I have something planned for Cassie after the bakery closes. Could you watch the kids for us for an hour or two?”

  “I’d be happy to,” Zoe said. “I can take them back to the Inn with me. We can always use more laborers.” She winked at him. “Seriously, though, Celia and I will get them something for dinner, if that’s all right with you. We’ll bring them a
long with us to the Wedding Crashers meeting, and you can pick them up there. How does that sound?”

  “That’s perfect. Thank you so much.” He cast another glance at Cassie. “I hope this works.”

  “Me too.” Zoe smiled and lightly touched his arm. “Cassie deserves to be happy.”

  “I know.” He checked his watch. “I’m going to finish getting things ready for my surprise. Could you let Cassie know I’ll pick her up after the bakery closes?”

  “Sure.” Zoe eyed him. “I can’t wait to hear more about this surprise from Cassie later.”

  “I’m sure you will. With any luck, you’ll hear good things, not bad.” His stomach churned with nerves. So much was riding on the next few hours.

  “Just be yourself and listen to her. That’s all Cassie wants.” She gave him a little wave, then disappeared into the back room.

  Kyle peeked at Cassie, but she was immersed in her work, smiling broadly the whole time. He gazed at her for a moment, memorizing her look of joy. He hoped his surprise would make her just as happy. He waved to Jace and Amanda, then wove his way to the door through the groups of townsfolk.

  When Kyle returned to the bakery, the crowds had dispersed, and the sign on the door had been flipped to Closed. He knocked on the door, and Amanda unlocked it for him.

  “Hey, Dad,” she said. “Zoe said you were going to take Mom somewhere, so Jace and I get to see what they’ve done at the old Inn.” She peered at him. “Where are you going with Mom, anyway?”

  He paused, not sure how much to tell his daughter. If things between him and Cassie didn’t work out, he didn’t want to get her hopes up. “I just want to take her out to celebrate,” he said finally. “She’s been working hard, and she deserves some fun.”

  “Hmm.” Amanda eyed him. “Okay. But next time, I want to come with you.”

  He grinned. “Next time, we’ll all do something together.” At least, he hoped they would. If his plan backfired, he could accidentally ruin the peace that he and Cassie had worked so hard to attain. Was he doing the right thing in telling Cassie how he felt?