Andrea knew it wouldn’t, but spending more time with David wasn’t good for her. Since he’d left, she’d missed seeing him on his early morning runs and telling him what was happening in the café.
“I’m happy to help,” he said quickly. “I had lunch hours ago and everything looks incredible.”
Paris jumped off the kitchen stool. “In that case, have a seat. I’ll see you tomorrow, Andrea.” With a friendly wave, she left the kitchen.
Andrea wasn’t sure what to do next. David had an important job in a large company in New York City. Why would he want to give her his opinion on the food she wanted to sell?
As if reading her mind, he smiled. “Call it market research. As your silent partner, it’s important I understand what you want to achieve with the food you sell to your customers.”
As strange as it sounded, that made his unexpected appearance easier to understand. “I’m not sure I’ve thought about what I want to achieve, except to bake delicious food.”
David’s gaze wandered over the plates. “From where I’m standing, it looks as though you’ve done that already.”
Even if he didn’t mean that as a compliment, she took it as one. The food on the counter wasn’t a random selection. A lot of thought had gone into choosing baked goods that complemented each other and would appeal to a wide range of customers.
Andrea picked up her pen. “We’d better get started before the boys come home. Otherwise, they’ll want to eat everything that’s left over.”
“I’m ready whenever you are.”
And with a patience that was endearing, David waited while she prepared everything for his feedback. The hard part would be working out which items would be the most popular.
David nibbled his way through a slice of cake. “I’d give this four stars. You’re a talented cook.”
“Thanks. My mom and nana taught me everything I know.”
“What was Paris’ favorite recipe?”
“The rainbow cheesecake bars. She loved the combination of graham crackers, cream cheese, and fruit puree. Katie liked them, too. She was going to gift-wrap them for her table favors, but we decided they’d be too messy.”
“Does that mean Katie and Peter are having a rainbow-themed wedding?”
Andrea nodded. “From the table decorations to the invitations, everything includes at least one rainbow. But don’t tell anyone. It’s supposed to be a secret.”
“I won’t say a word. Our marketing team would call that consistent branding.” David picked up the glass of juice she’d poured for him. “Have you thought about the branding for your café?”
“To go with the starlight theme, I’ve painted glittery stars on the café’s walls and added stars to the sign above the front door. I paid for some newspaper advertising and used the same configuration of stars in the graphics.”
He pointed to another plate. “And you have star-shaped cookies that taste incredible.”
Andrea picked up the last cookie and smiled. “The boys love them.”
“They’re lucky you’re such a wonderful cook. If all our meetings include food, I’ll go home ten pounds heavier.”
“Next time I’ll make salads.”
David smiled as she looked at her draft menu. Judging by the number of ticks beside the star-shaped cookies, she’d definitely bake them for the café. It was just a pity David wouldn’t be here to enjoy her home baking. “How long are you staying in Sapphire Bay?”
“Including today, three days. I’m talking to a construction company tomorrow, and then traveling to Polson the following day.”
“You’ll be busy.”
“But not too busy that I can’t enjoy your company.”
Andrea ignored the heat creeping over her face. “We’re business partners, so it’s probably a good idea to see each other.”
David watched her take a spoon out of the cutlery drawer. “How are Andy and Charlie?”
“They’re excited about the café. They’ve invited all their friends to the grand opening.” She handed him a slice of lemon meringue pie. “Andy’s been helping me look for appliances. I ordered a refrigerator yesterday.”
