“Yep. It’s kind of a special project I’m working on. An entire line of coffee-infused desserts for the bakery. What do you think?”
“I think it’s genius.” Grant polished off the rest of the cookie while Eliza scooped another one onto his plate.
Swiveling back to the counter, she set to work transferring the rest of the cookies to a cooling rack.
While he nibbled, Grant cast his gaze around the kitchen, noting how different everything looked from when it was Maggie’s Place. The brick walls were now painted a soft, antique white, which contrasted pleasantly with the dark, ebony-stained shelves lined with baking tools and supplies. To honor the bakery’s original color, Eliza and Cassie had added pops of retro pink with accent pieces like the KitchenAid mixer and vintage storage canisters.
“It’s really amazing what you’ve done with the place, Lizzy. I mean it. All the improvements you’ve made look fantastic. Maggie must be really proud.” Grant wanted to tell her that he was proud, but thought it might be awkward.
“Thanks. I hope so. Cassie and I have big plans for this place.”
“Do you have a website?”
“No, not yet. Neither one of us is very tech savvy. And I’m not sure what advantage a website would have. No offense,” she added sheepishly.
“None taken. Although, a website could be a great way to direct tourist traffic your way. Plus, you could add helpful features like a tab for customers to place custom or bulk orders.”
“Huh. I never thought of that.” Eliza’s eyebrows rose in interest. But she quickly shook her head. “It’s a nice idea, but I don’t think Cassie or I should be taking on a project like that right now. Not with the renovations and the wedding. Maybe sometime down the road we can—”
“I’ll do it,” Grant blurted before thinking it through.
“That’s very kind of you to offer, but—”
“I should have added that I’ll do it for free. Consider it a favor from a friend. You did say you were fine being friends, right?” He grinned, hoping she couldn’t hear the heavy thundering of his heartbeat.
“Yes…” Her brow furrowed as though considering it.
“There isn’t any reason we can’t work together, is there?” Even as he asked the question, Grant could think of a thousand reasons. His rekindled feelings being reason number one.
“None that I can think of.”
Grant noticed Eliza wouldn’t quite meet his gaze. “Great. Then it’s a deal.” He held out his hand to shake on it.
But as soon as her fingers slipped through his, sending shocks of electricity coursing up his arm, Grant realized he’d made a monumental mistake.
Chapter 8
The gentle creaking of the porch swing acted like a soothing balm on Eliza’s troubled heart. Ever since she’d agreed to let Grant build them a website, she’d been plagued with regrets. She needed to keep him far, far away. Not have an excuse to be in regular contact. And shedefinitelyneeded to make sure she never danced with him again.
Eliza tucked her feet beneath her on the swing while Cassie used her heels to gently rock them back and forth. Only a few months ago, Frank Barrie’s front porch had been a desolate wasteland of cracked, splintered boards and layers of dust and grime. A single rocking chair teetered in the wind as if to say,There’s no room for you here.Not that many people ever ventured past his uninviting entrance overgrown with wild blackberry brambles.
Now Frank’s porch not only boasted two rocking chairs, but a wicker porch swing adorned with cushions hand-stitched by Beverly Lawrence. The sweet, soft-spoken librarian had breathed new life into Frank, slowly chipping away at his gruff exterior. Seeing the two lovebirds find each other so late in life gave Eliza hope, even if only fleeting.
“What’s on your mind?” Cassie gently nudged Eliza’s shoulder.
Stirred from her thoughts, Eliza sighed. “Grant came by the bakery last night. But then, you already know that.”
“Sorry. He caught me off guard when he asked about you.” Cassie scrunched up her nose, offering an apologetic grimace. “But I thought it wouldn’t be the worst idea in the world for you two to talk.”
Eliza picked at a loose thread on her ripped jeans, worn in by years of chasing after Ben. She still hadn’t untangled her thoughts on last night’s encounter. On one hand, she no longer lived with the guilt of believing Grant hated her for breaking up with him. On the other hand, the flutter in her stomach when he’d held her in his arms didn’t bode well for protecting her heart.
“So,” Cassie pressed. “What did he want to talk about?”
“He… wanted to apologize. For showing up at the picnic unannounced.”
“That’s thoughtful of him. Especially since you were the one who dumped him, right?”
Eliza winced. She hated the expressiondumped, as if ending their four-year relationship equated to tossing a used cupcake liner in the trash. “It was very thoughtful. He also…” She hesitated to share the news, knowing once she said it out loud, there was no going back. “He also offered to build us a website. For free.”
