His knee throbbed and Sam began to wonder, maybe, if the pain hadn’t come all the way from his heart.
6
Well, that was new. A ceiling leak. Chloe stood by the stainless-steel table in Haven’s kitchen, hands on her hips, and stared upward. A soggy patch, roughly the size of a watermelon, stained the ceiling. March wind and rain were not proving kind to the old bakery.
She’d planned yet one more Thursday to concoct another TCFC iteration before starting the layers for Frank Hardy’s showstopper cake. Instead, she and Ruby worked a bucket brigade. Ruby handed Chloe the bucket she’d just emptied in the utility sink in the supply closet.
“The ceiling leaks every time it rains. Did Bob tell that to Rick and Sam?”
Chloe placed the container under the drip. “My guess is no.”
“It leaks in the snow too.”
Chloe moaned. Fabulous. In the four weeks she’d been managing Haven’s, she’d spent all the money Sam gave her to update the place. Cole Danner’s team did a beautiful job on the hardwood floors. The new bench seats in the booths were a smooth warm brown, not torn and mended with red duct tape. Music played from newly installed speakers nestled in the corners of the bakery. And in the end, she’d been able to splurge on the vintage lighting fixture from Roseanne’s.
No one had bothered to tell her the ceiling might fall in.
“I’ll call Cole for an estimate.” Chloe retreated to her office to make the call.
“I told Bob that patch job he did up there wouldn’t last,” Ruby hollered after her. “Cole’s worth every penny. He does good work and he’s reliable as my daddy’s old coon hound.”
Comparing Cole Danner to a loyal dog wasn’t that far off. He’d shown up when he said he would, checking on his team, all while running other jobs. And with his dark brown hair and blue eyes, he did remind her a bit of the Great Dane puppy Vivienne and Albert adopted a couple years ago. In a good way of course.
In the last week, Vivienne had been messaging Chloe, saying they needed to talk. Something about unfinished business. What unfinished business? When Chloe left France, she’d firmly closed every door, every window, every avenue.
She settled at her desk, putting the LaRues out of her mind. The leaky roof was far more pressing. Chloe left a message for Cole, asking him to stop by and give her an estimate. Next, she needed to let Sam know.
Something in her smiled at the idea of talking to him. She liked how he popped into the bakery after his physical therapy treatments. He’d sit on the couch in her office, adjust the straps of his brace, loosening them, then tightening them.
Yes, she enjoyed seeing him in Haven’s and in her office. But calling him for money? That was a different matter. That emphasized he was her boss, and she was his employee. Not his old friend. Not a possible romantic interest, if, you know, she was interested in romance. Which she wasn’t. He certainly didn’t seem inclined toward love.
Her phone pinged with a new text.
This is coming.
The unfamiliar number was local. Who was this? She opened the message to see a screenshot of a tweet.
* * *
Excited to bring Old-Fashioned donut goodness to Hearts Bend, Tennessee! Thanks to our local partners! Get ready for Heavenly treatment, HB. See you soon! #DonutHeaveniscoming
– @DonutHeaven
Chloe leaned back in her new chair, her heart pumping. Donut Heaven was coming to Hearts Bend? Since when? Was this the real reason Bob and Donna wanted out? That bright and glossy brochure from Donut Heaven she’d tossed out… Mrs. O’Shay…was this what she meant when she said she was behind Chloe? Who in the world would bring an impersonal mega-chain to quaint, homey HB? It was so wrong. So very wrong. On every level.
Never mind the donut giant was all over the country and boasted that they had the most popular coffee in the country. What about Java Jane’s? What about Haven’s? Chloe read the tweet again. Local partners. What did that mean? Hearts Bend folks? Who would want to harm the town’s local business?
She stood, a bit of ire in her blood. This was downright criminal. Oh, she did not have time for this. Not on top of decorating Frank Hardy’s birthday cake for tomorrow, a leaking roof, and those blasted cookies. At the computer, she searched the Hearts Bend Tribune for any hint of this news. Sure enough, there was an article from last year. Last year!
Oh Bob, you did know, didn’t you?
Chloe skimmed the article.
The Reclaim Downtown committee has yet to approve Donut Heaven’s application. “But it’s in serious consideration,” said committee member Drummond Branson.
If the committee gives the green light, Donut Heaven’s bid moves to the town council.
“We’ll take a good look at it but it’s time for some more modern franchises in Hearts Bend. Tourists like to see shops and restaurants they are familiar with back home,” said councilman Art Loamier.
