She laughs, patting me on the shoulder like she’s scolding me. “Keep telling yourself that, big guy. Whatever makes you sleep at night.”
ChapterNine
Mindy
I only catch a few hours of sleep before dawn nudges its way across my window, but somehow, it’s enough. I wake up the way I always do, like the morning has been waiting for me, and not the other way around. My bones hum with purpose, the soft thrill of another baking day warming me better than coffee ever could.
When I walk downstairs to unlock the shop, I freeze.
There’s a crowd. A real, honest-to-goodness crowd huddles on the sidewalk, bundled in coats and scarves, their breath fogging up the glass as they peer inside like it’s Black Friday and I’m giving away flat-screen TVs and not slinging sweets for a living.
Holy Crumpets!
The second I twist the lock, the door swings open with the enthusiasm of a theme park ride. They spill in, smiling so wide it’s contagious.
“Good morning!” I beam, trying not to look as startled as I feel. “Welcome to Mindy’s Sweets. What can I get for you today?”
A girl practically sprints to the display case, eyes huge with wonderment. “Oh my gosh, I’m so glad you’re open. I’ve been waiting for these all morning. Yesterday, some kid was handing out the best cinnamon rolls I haveevertasted. I swear I dreamed of them all night. My dreams were filled with frosting and cinnamon deliciousness all because of you! Please tell me you have more.”
There’s no hiding my smile. Cinnamon roll pastry slinging was definitely Gremlin’s doing.
“Yes, ma’am. I have a few dozen cinnamon rolls ready for your consumption.”
She does a literal happy dance, her blonde curls bouncing against her back. She’s probably no older than thirty, but her enthusiasm is off the charts, making me adore her immediately.
“I need six! No… make it a dozen. No wait! You better make it three before I embarrass myself and grab more than I can handle.” She scans the case. “Oh, those sugar cookies look delicious too. I’ll take three of those, and maybe… no, no. You gotta stop this, Tracy, pace yourself, control that sweet tooth before it gives you a cavity. Ah, screw it! Throw in a snickerdoodle too. I’m a sucker for cinnamon.”
I box everything up with the biggest grin. “So that’s three cinnamon rolls, three sugar cookies, and one snickerdoodle. Your total is thirty-five dollars.”
This is the part where people usually hesitate, balking at my prices like they’re heavily inflated. But not Tracy. Tracy pays with glee, leaving me a generous tip, while she practically skips out the door with her pastries like she won the lottery or something.
And it stays like that. Allllll fudging day.
I have a constant stream of customers. Lines form. There’s laughter filling the room every time another person wanders in. People are actually excited aboutmyfood. They’re loving my family’s recipes, handed down through generations of St. Johns, all with pastry loving hearts as big as mine. They never got to live out their dream, but here’s mine.
Alive!
Breathing.
Building with every passing second.
By noon, I’m exhausted but still floating on clouds that feel impossibly tall.
That’s when Amber walks in with a little boy holding her hand, with chocolate smeared across his face like war paint.
“Hey, Mindy. This is my son, Giovanni. I hope you don’t mind me bringing him by.”
“Of course not!” I hug her, more than grateful for their company. I could use an extra pair of hands to make more goodies. “Did you sleep well?” I prod, my real question for her freezing on my tongue. Especially since she whispered something to me earlier, I haven’t been able to un-hear:“He likes you, Mindy. Don’t let that prickly exterior fool you.”
Rich likes me!
Gosh, my heart hasn’t stopped doing little cartwheels since she ratted him out. There’s just something about him that I can’t quite shake.
Amber pats the counter. “Where do you want me? I can run the register while you bake. That way I can keep an eye on Gio until my mom picks him up.”
“That would be amazing. I’m completely out of cinnamon rolls again.”
“I tried one yesterday.” She presses a hand over her heart dramatically. “Girl. I practically ascended. Gremlin wasn’tkidding when he said they’re the best damn cinnamon rolls he’s ever had. You really got something there.”
