He sauntered off to the cash registers, but Rob remained at Claire’s side.
“He’s a nice guy. Baked a great apple pie.”
“He’s not the only nice guy.” Claire tilted her head to meet Rob’s smiling eyes. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Sally at the wheat bread giving her a knowing look. She tried not to feel too uncomfortably aware of the man standing next to her. They were adults, after all. Business owners. Colleagues of sorts. And shewasin his store.
“How is the sale going?” he asked.
“Wonderfully. I think I might need to use your kitchen again if the customers keep up through the afternoon. What time do you usually close?”
“Five o’clock on weekends, but we can stay open later if there’s still a steady stream of customers.”
We?
“You should take a break and find yourself something to eat. Maxi or Hailey can cover for you while you do.”
Claire smiled. “You’re always thinking of others, aren’t you? What about taking a break yourself?”
“I had a sandwich in the kitchen, but I could be persuaded.” He trailed off as the door opened with a jingle of bells. When he smiled widely at the newcomers, Claire turned to see who had arrived. Jane stood next to her mother, cradling Addie’s arm and taking some of her weight as she moved. The old woman tried to shake off her daughter, but her foot must still hurt because the attempt was half-hearted. The pair carefully made their way over to Claire and Rob.
“Addie, it’s so good to see you,” Claire exclaimed.
The old woman blinked owlishly. “You too.”
The terse answer and her blank look told Claire that today wasn’t as good as she had hoped. She met Jane’s helpless gaze.
“I’m glad you’re here. Should I box up some cupcakes for you and Addie?”
Jane nodded. “Thank you. We’re here to pick up a couple loaves of bread too.”
Rob gestured at the shelves. “Be my guest. I’m happy to talk about a more regular delivery at a later date.”
Jane nodded but didn’t commit. “I guess we’d better move along. You’re busy, and Mom can’t stay on her feet too long.” She leaned in and whispered to Claire, “The outfit looks great.”
Claire self-consciously straightened the black apron she’d put over the pink-and-turquoise top and quickly boxed up the cupcakes for her friend, the last of the new flavors. As she turned back, she saw Addie lean closer to Rob with a wink.
“Don’t forget our date.”
Rob gave her a chagrined smile as Jane led the old woman away. The moment they were out of earshot, the babble swallowing up any sound Claire would make, she asked. “Date?”
Rob smiled. “I believe she thinks I’m taking her to a high school dance.”
“Ah.” It worried Claire that Addie’s memory was so muddled, but at least she seemed happy.
“Speaking of dates,” Rob said, leaning closer as he lowered his voice. “Maybe we should have dinner together sometime soon. We can talk about how we can work together to promote our bakeries and how to keep yours in business during the repairs.”
Did he saydates? As in like a business date or…? Claire’s heart fluttered in her throat. She swallowed before she answered in a small voice, “Why? I’ve been such a jerk to you for no reason at all. You’ve been nothing but kind this whole time, but I just couldn’t see it. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry for the way I acted. I really—” She swallowed again, and her gaze dropped to her hands, which she twisted nervously. “I really appreciate what you’ve done here for me today.”
Rob reached out to put his hand over hers, stilling her nervous movement. His hand was warm, as were his eyes when she looked up again. “It’s my pleasure. I meant it when I said I want us to work together. I’m sure we can find a way to benefit both our businesses. Besides, we can’t let Hailey go without work while Sandcastles is being repaired. She’s a great worker, and I’ve seen what she drives. She needs the money.”
“That would be nice, but I’m not sure we’d have much to talk about. You could keep Hailey on, but I don’t have a shop to work out of at the moment, and I don’t know for sure when I’ll reopen.”
“This arrangement seems to be working,” Rob said, gesturing to the table. “You didn’t have trouble working in my kitchen either.”
Claire frowned. “What are you saying?”
His eyes twinkled. “I’m saying you can set up here until your shop is up and running.”
Claire resisted the urge to pinch herself and check if she was dreaming. “You would do that for me? You don’t even know me.”
