“I do not,” Dex frowned at his friend.
I tried to hide a smile.
Braxton’s smile deepened as he ignored Dex. He grabbed a carafe, pouring a steaming cup of coffee and handing it to me. “The kitchen looked quiet when I walked past to get coffee. No cameras yet.”
I gratefully held the mug. Braxton also had sugar and cream, easily making my coffee just how I liked it. “Thank you for checking.”
“Thought you might want a head start,” he said.
Dex leaned against the doorframe with a yawn. “You two are very considerate for people living in a freezer.”
“We are also very grateful you let us steal your bathroom,” Lucy called from behind the door. “We promise not to use all your hot water.”
“Don’t listen to her,” I said. “She is absolutely going to use all the hot water.”
Lucy laughed.. It felt good to joke, even with the weight of the day ahead.
After my turn in the shower, I walked toward the kitchen with my hair still damp and my stomach already tightening with anticipation. The door swung open on the familiar smell of warm, yeasty scent of bread that had risen properly. To my relief there were no bright camera lights, no cables, no audience, and no James. Meri was standing at the counter with a bowl, whisking eggs as if she had been part of this kitchen since it was built.
“You beat them,” she said quietly.
“The eggs or the crew?,” I asked.
“The crew,” she mildly said. “The eggs never stood a chance.”
A small laugh escaped me. “That might be the nicest thing anyone has said to me all week.”
She nodded toward the stove. “Pans are ready. Coffee is hot.”
“Thank you,” I said.
Mom came in then, balancing a stack of menus. “Good morning, dears. Breakfast is going to be busy today. The bride’s mother mentioned she likes gluten-free options, so I told her we would see what we could do. No rush. But also some rush.”
“We can do that. I saw some almond flour in the pantry,” Meri said before I had to answer.
Mom beamed. “You are both lifesavers. The dining room is filling nicely. Everyone is very taken with the garlands. One of the bridesmaids asked if we will keep them up all year.”
“We are not,” I said.
“We are not,” Mom agreed quickly. “But it is nice to be asked.”
She passed back into the lobby with an energy that made me want to straighten my posture. I turned my focus to breakfast.For the next hour, I moved in a rhythm that was almost soothing. Pour batter, flip pancakes, plate eggs, and send out toast. Guests wandered into the dining room sleepy and left content, which was how mornings were supposed to work.
The illusion of normalcy lasted until James arrived.
He stepped into the kitchen like a director walking onto a set that had been built just for him. The crew followed, filming as they went.
“Breakfast is the soul of hospitality,” James announced, inhaling deeply. He turned toward the nearest camera. “We are capturing the heart of the inn today.”
I focused on not burning the toast, trying to tune out James’ pontificating as he explained breakfast to the cameramen as though they had never had the meal before.
Braxton slipped in a few seconds later. He nodded a greeting to me and moved straight toward the worst tangle of cables, lifting one gently and looping it closer to the wall. “If anyone needs to rush plates out, this path needs to stay clear.”
The camera operator looked at him like he had just explained gravity. “Right. Yes. Good point.”
As they shifted equipment, a bit more space opened near the doorway. I could move without bumping someone every step. I sent Braxton a grateful look. He gave me one back that said he had done it on purpose. As a reward, I gave him a cinnamon bun.
Breakfast went surprisingly smoothly after that. James narrated the food, describing the coffee as “earthy” and the jam as “playful,” which made Lucy nearly choke as she was emptying a bin of dirty dishes into the dishwasher. behind the counter. When I went out to the dining room in an attempt to escape James and see how the clients were, the bride and her friends complimented the pastries and asked for more of the cinnamon rolls. I made a note to double the next batch.
