Sandee’s face flushed a shade of pink that clashed with her carefully chosen lipstick. “Why should I change? You already have this whole bakery, clients, a reputation. I’m just starting to build something for myself. I should be the one to keep the name!”
“Why? I don’t think it matters who has what. It matters who used it first!” Claire retorted, her own arms crossing in a gesture that mirrored Sandee’s defensive stance.
“Right, and I was the one who used it first.”
Claire’s eyes narrowed. “Can you prove that?”
Sandee huffed and gnawed her bottom lip. Finally, she said, “Fine, have it your way. But this isn’t over.”
With that, Sandee turned sharply and walked toward the door, her high heels clicking against the wooden floor like tiny gavels declaring a hung jury. Just as she reached the doorway, she nearly collided with Andie, who was walking in.
“Watch where you’re going!” Sandee snapped, not breaking stride as she pushed through the door. She left Andie looking puzzled and Claire sighing in a mixture of relief and trepidation.
“I see you and Sandee finally talked about Beach Bones.” Andie glanced back at Sandee’s retreating form.
Claire rolled her eyes. “Yep, and she won’t budge.”
“And I hope you won’t, either.”
“Not after the way she was acting, I won’t.” Claire waved her hand dismissively. “But anyway, at least that’s over with now. Now, what can I get you? We have a new pastry that I’m going tofeature at Taste of the Town: a caramel apple croissant, perfect for autumn. Want to give it a try?”
Andie’s eyes lit up. “That sounds divine. I’ll have one of those and a coffee, please.”
“Coming right up,” Claire said, signaling to Hailey, her helper, who began preparing the coffee.
“So, what brings you here today?” Claire continued, handing Andie the flaky, warm croissant on a delicate plate.
“Actually, I came to see Bunny and Sam,” Andie said, taking the croissant and coffee. “I have a little mystery they might be able to help me with.”
Claire’s left brow shot up. “Do tell.”
Andie leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Well, you know I’ve been going through those old trunks I found at the estate sale, right? I found some Christmas stuff hastily thrown in there and one sad little present, still wrapped.”
“Aww, that is sad. So you’re trying to track down the recipient?”
“That’s right. Can’t think of anyone better than Sam and Bunny to help.” With that, Andie picked up her coffee, gave Claire a friendly wave, and headed toward the corner table, where Sam and Bunny were bent over a crossword puzzle, oblivious to the drama that had just unfolded at the counter.
Sandee hurried down the street,her high heels clicking rapidly against the pavement. She clenched her designer handbag tightly, trying to keep her composure until she was out of sight. Her eyes brimmed with tears she didn’t want Claire or Andie or anyone else in that café to see. As soon as she roundedthe corner, she took a deep breath, her hand pressed against her chest.
“Why does everything have to be so complicated?” she muttered to herself.
She had genuinely thought Beach Bones was a brilliant name for her new line of dog treats. It was a cute play on words, and she never dreamed it would overlap with anything Claire was doing. The last thing she wanted was to be perceived as the town villain, especially after the whole ordeal with Peter.
“Peter,” she muttered under her breath, her grip tightening around her bag. The name alone churned her stomach. Sandee felt misunderstood by the community, and much of it tied back to him.
Everyone thought she was a home-wrecker, the younger woman who had snatched up a married man. But they didn’t know the full story. Peter had told her he was separated when they met, and she had naively believed him. Only later did she discover the reality of the situation, leaving her feeling foolish and used.
Sandee sighed, brushing a stray tear from her cheek. She needed to make things right, but she didn’t know how. Everyone seemed to be on Claire’s side and rightly so.
As she walked away, her mind raced with thoughts of how to mend her tarnished reputation, starting with the Beach Bones debacle. She should have let Claire use the name, but for some reason, her pride had taken over. Giving up that name seemed like giving up the one thing she had. Perhaps there was a way to resolve this without lawyers and public drama. But for now, she’d retreat, pull herself together, and think of a new strategy.
Sandee spotted a medium-sized black-and-white dog tethered to a lamppost, its owner inside the Lobster Bay gift store. The dog’s tail wagged as she approached. Kneeling, she extended her hand, letting the dog sniff her before she strokedits head. The simple, unconditional affection from the animal lifted her spirits, even if just a little.
“I wish people were as easy to understand as animals are,” she said softly to the dog, scratching it behind the ears. Sandee truly loved animals more than people and volunteered to foster animals in need, often traveling great distances to pick them up—something that no one knew about her.
As she stood up, her mind wandered back to the upcoming town event—the Prelude. Sandee had volunteered to manage the charity sales tent, a role that people often avoided due to its demanding nature. Between the cold weather and the long hours, it was not the most glamorous of positions. But she saw it as her chance for redemption, an opportunity to give back to the community and, perhaps, show them a different side of herself as well as a way to help animals.
If she could run the charity tent successfully, maybe, just maybe people would start to look at her differently. It wasn’t about proving anything to Claire or anyone specific but rather to the town at large—and to herself. Sandee wanted to demonstrate that she could be more than the young woman who got entangled with a not-quite-single man, more than the source of a trivial dog biscuit controversy.
