Being single felt strange after twenty-three years. In their younger years Kurt and Sam had worked around the clock to build the business. Now in her early forties, Sam didn't feel that same urgency. How delightful it would be to pick up apple tarts at eight o’clock tomorrow, instead of settling in at the dining room table to answer emails.
The streets of Charlevoix were very still when she left Sunnycrest early the next morning. Sam enjoyed the peace of the quiet scene as she drove toward Coffee and Cupcakes. It was just past eight o’clock and she wouldn’t run into anyone she knew. The homes and shops all looked so tidy. In fact the orderliness made her slouch down in the seat. She hadn’t bothered with makeup and her hair was swept into a messy bun on top of her head. The thought of sweet apple tarts had drawn her from bed. She loved them and Skipper’s were the best. He knew just which spices to use and how to dust the top crust with sugar.
“Wherever are you going at this hour?” Aunt Cate had asked. Seated at the kitchen table, her aunt was enjoying her morning coffee with theWall Street Journalspread out next to her steaming mug.
Two words had been Sam’s response. “Apple tarts.”
Her aunt's eyes had sparkled with anticipation. “Bring some back?”
“Of course.” This living together definitely had its plus points. One of those was seeing her aunt every morning. She’d been their mother figure ever since Sam was seventeen. And she'd done a darn good job at it. Bringing home a box of tarts for Aunt Cate was a no-brainer.
Since it was so early, she easily got a parking spot in front of the bakery. Sam slipped out of the car. Head down, she scurried toward the door of Coffee and Cupcakes. The bell rang overhead when she pushed the door open. The delicious aroma of baking apple pastries welcomed her. Oh, what heaven.
“Hi, Sam. You're an early bird.” Debbie was arranging the display case. Sam’s eyes skidded over the almond pear tarts, molasses cookies and chocolate croissants to land on the apple tarts. Probably fresh from the oven, the tarts looked as if they were still breathing. She could almost taste them on her tongue. The apples would be warm under that flaky sugared crust.
“Apple tarts.” Her mouth was dry with longing. How many could she buy? Boxing up every tart on that tray would be selfish. She decided half a dozen would do. “Six, please?”
“You've got it.” Reaching for a white box, Debbiegot to work. While she arranged the tissues in the box, Sam dashed into the back to say hi to her sister.
“Is it apple tart time?” Sam said when she reached the back room.
Every time she saw Skipper Malone he seemed to be more handsome. Of course he was much more mature now. The Quinn family had never been certain about what went wrong in that marriage except that they'd been too young. Sam often wondered if Izzy carried any regrets. Not wanting to cause a rift in their relationship, she hated to ask.
Turning, Izzy bounced over to give her a tight hug. “You are just going to love these.” She had a bit of sugar in the corner of her mouth so obviously she’d already sampled one.
“They looked wonderful in the case. Debbie's taking care of me. How are you and Holly doing? I have to tell you, we all miss having that baby around.”
“My mother will be saying the same thing soon,” Skipper said.
“She stood at the window this morning watching me back out,” Izzy said. “Mrs. Malone had Skipper tapeSesame Streetso we can play it anytime. Do you believe it?”
“That little girl could charm anyone.” The one thing that Sam remembered about Mrs. Malone was that she adored her only son. In fact at the wedding, Sam had felt a little sorry for Ainsley, Skipper'syounger sister. She’d looked so pretty in her pink bridesmaid dress. But her mother hovered over Skipper, as if he were moving far away instead to their Charlevoix rental. And since Mr. Malone's passing, that hadn't changed at all. No wonder Ainsley went to California to work. What Sam remembered about Mrs. Malone was that she rarely smiled. And now she wasn't well, from what Izzy had said.
“We're all glad that you're coming to Sunnycrest tonight for that meeting,” Sam said. “Marlowe and Aunt Cate both asked if you were bringing the baby.”
“Of course I am.” Leaning against the cutting board, Izzy said, “What’s that meeting about anyway?”
“I'm not really sure. Probably just building stuff. Maybe he has to change one of the fittings we picked out.” It had taken forever to get all the supplies in, yet they still seemed to come up short sometimes.
While they stood there chatting, people were coming into the store. Sam heard the gold bell above the door chime several times. Izzy had moved to the hallway to check on the seating area.
“I should get moving,” Sam said. “I need a shower.”
Izzy turned back. “Oh, you look fine.” Only a sister would say that. Sam rarely went out without makeup, yet here she was today.
After telling Skipper good-bye and thanking him for making the apple tarts, Sam drifted down the hallwith her sister. But along the way, she stopped to enjoy the Parisian framed prints. Sam had always loved the postcards of wonderful baked goods on the walls. Apparently Skipper had brought the cards back from Paris. Izzy was really proud of the fact that her pastry chef had been trained in France.
“I’m a hot mess. You're just being nice...” Sam was saying as she reached the dining room.
Then she saw him. Her legs almost giving out, Sam grabbed the back of a chair. Josh was talking to Debbie, his glasses in place and takeout coffee in one hand. Two couples were seated at the small tables but Sam barely saw them. Swiveling to her sister, Sam felt suspicion curling in her stomach.
Turning, Josh looked equally surprised. Sam wanted to duck under one of the tables. She hadn't seen him since her last trip to Charlevoix when she’d decided to put some distance between them. And yes, maybe her decision was the result of that disastrous dinner at his house when his children had barely spoken to her. At first he’d been calling almost every night when she was home in Naperville. Sam had told him she had to take a break.
But instead of giving her the relief of breathing room, she'd been miserable. Seeing him now made that much clearer. Josh smiled and came closer. “Hey stranger.”
Sam’s mind worked feverishly. “Hey…apple tart.”What?
“Apple tart?” Now Josh looked as confused as Sam felt.
