“Specialty coffees, pastries, Wi-Fi.” Quickel nodded his approval. “Sounds like a fine addition to Maple Falls. Let me know if you need anything from my office, Anita. I’m more than happy to help.” His grin widened, his teeth slightly stained from all the coffee and tea he drank. “Make sure your momma knows that I’m available too,” the mayor added. “I reallyenjoyedour conversation yesterday.”
Gross.Everyone, including Hendricks, shifted uncomfortably in their chairs.
Quickel checked his watch then picked up his hat. “Meeting adjourned.” He and Hendricks headed out of the room while everyone else went over to congratulate Anita on her new adventure.
Tanner didn’t move. He couldn’t. The pile of bricks sitting on his chest didn’t allow him to. He’d been wrong towait to tell her about buying the diner, but she was stabbing him in the back—and pocketbook—by opening up her café and not even giving him a hint about it. And he couldn’t even argue against the fact that her plans sounded good for the town. Anita’s café would be special, despite her saying it wouldn’t. Anything would be fancier than Sunshine.
He shook his head. He’d even put in an order for gourmet coffee before he came to the meeting tonight, the brew three times as much as the coffee they usually served. He’d wanted to whet the appetites of his customers, along with letting them know he was making some changes for the better at the diner.
His stomach churned. Anita would ruin him. She had to have known that when she decided to open a coffee shop—
He stopped. She hadn’t known until tonight that he’d bought Sunshine. His hypocrisy wasn’t lost on him, but he didn’t care. Apparently, she hadn’t minded ruining George either.
“What’s the name of the café?” Sophie asked.
“We don’t have a name yet.” Anita had somehow managed to physically shrink her appearance in the chair.
Tanner knew she hated all this attention, but he couldn’t feel sorry for her. If running a café was what she wanted, then she would have to deal with everything that went with it. He shot up from his chair and stormed out of the room, almost physically ill.
“Hold up,” Hayden called as Tanner headed for the exit.
He ignored him, but by the time he got outside, Hayden was right behind him. Finally he slowed down. This wasn’t Hayden’s fault. He turned to his friend.
“Did you know about the café?” Hayden asked.
His fists balled at his sides, he said, “No. She never said a word.”
“Wow, way to keep a secret. I wonder if Riley knows.”
Tanner didn’t care if Riley or any of Anita’s crew knew, although Harper obviously did. He had to regroup and figure out how to keep his business afloat. He needed to retain all his customers and keep making a profit in order not to lose his shirt.
“You okay?”
Tanner keyed in on Hayden and nodded. “Yeah. Sure. Good for Anita.”
“You don’t seem all that happy for her.”
“Why should I be? The last thing Sunshine needs—that I need—is competition.”
“How would she be competing with you? All she’s doing is serving coffee and snacks.”
Might as well fess up about his decimated plans. “I’m putting in a coffee bar at the diner. I already ordered the machines.”
Hayden grimaced. “Oh. Yeah, I see what you mean. Hey, I told Riley I’d pick up dinner tonight, but I can call her and tell her I’ll be late, if you want to talk this through.”
That was the last thing he wanted to do. “Go home,” he said. “I’ll figure something out.”
Hayden nodded. “Thanks for backing me up on the parade. We’ll get that thing going eventually. Elections are a year and a half away. It’s obvious we need more than just a parade to change Maple Falls.”
Hayden was right, but Tanner wasn’t focused on MapleFalls right now. His livelihood was at stake, and he didn’t know if he could save it.
***
Anita gasped for air as she opened her front door. She made it to the kitchen counter and leaned over, her lungs burning and sweat sliding down her back. After that fiasco of a business meeting, she’d run all the way home. Now she wanted to puke, and not totally because she had sprinted a longer distance than she had since gym class her junior year. She’d seen the anger in Tanner’s eyes before he shot out of the meeting room, and she didn’t understand why he was so upset. She was the one who should be angry. And she was. He had never said a word about buying Sunshine, or that he even wanted to. She was a long-term employee of the diner. Did he think she wouldn’t care about a change that big? Or was she just a lowly waitress who didn’t need to know the background workings of the diner?
When she finally caught her breath, she grabbed a drink of water and collapsed onto the couch, squeezing her eyes shut. When exactly had he planned to tell her he was her new boss? Did everyone else at the diner know except her?
“I Will Survive” sounded abruptly.
