Mom went quiet. Her chin lifted, and her eyes went hard. Her hands folded at her waist, every inch the mob boss instead of the retired socialite.
Greg leaned in, lowering his voice. "Of course, we'd be more than happy to put the Meyer family name front and center. Special incentives for early partners. Marketing, signage, maybe event nights. It's a win-win."
I set the card down firmly. "Not interested."
That caught them off guard. The suits shifted, gears grinding, trying to figure out where I'dgone off script.
Bennett recovered first. "With all due respect, it wouldn't hurt to consider the idea. A second location would double your customer base in a season. You'd barely lift a finger, and our buildout crews make the transition seamless."
"I'm not looking to franchise," I said. "The bakery's fine where it is."
Greg tried again, voice velvet-smooth. "You say that now, but the market's changing. Once that outlet opens, you'll be boxed in by competitors. There's talk of a Starbucks, a Panera, maybe even a Duck Donuts. It's a jungle out there, and the smart ones get ahead of the curve."
I braced my hands on the counter, squaring my shoulders. "We survived the last sixty-plus years without your help. Pretty sure we can hang on for sixty more."
Behind me, I heard Mom's even breathing. She hadn't started dressing them down. She was showing more restraint than she usually did. That was a win, as far as I was concerned.
Bennett's smile lost a little wattage. "We really do hope you'll reconsider. It'd be a shame for the tradition of this business to get left behind. Once SkyArc gets rolling, things happen fast."
Caden's heat churned in my chest, like a coil winding tighter and tighter.I could just eat them.
I stared both of them down. "You done?"
Greg's eyes went cold. "We can come back another day."
My jaw locked so hard it ached. "Don't bother. Like I said, not interested. My customers come here for what's real, not for whatever's trending off the interstate. We're not joining your 'exciting opportunity.'"
He held my gaze for a beat, but his confidence cracked. "Suit yourself, Mr. Meyer. It's your bakery."
Bennett scribbled his number on a card and slid it forward. "If you change your mind. Or if anything comes up that requires our… assistance."
They turned to leave, but the air in the room was thick enough to chew. Mom didn't move a muscle, but her eyes tracked them to the door, judging them down to the soles of their shiny shoes.
I scraped a bit of dried dough off my palm. "Why do I get the sense this isn't over?"
She didn't answer, just gathered her purse and straightened her coat. At that moment, she looked every bit the dragon queen. Untouchable, dangerous.
Before I could ask anything else, her phone went off again. She checked it, then offered a noncommittal smile. "Take care, darling. Don'tlet them agitate you."
And just like that, she was gone.
It took rolling out a full tray of cinnamon rolls before I could shake the tension enough to breathe again. Even then, Caden prowled under the surface, hungry and pissed, itching for a fight.
There was one good way to deal with all this. As soon as Maeve came in to relieve me, I drove for the old overlook near the switchback, the one built by some CCC crew eighty years ago, stone wall still holding up against every freeze and thaw.
I killed the engine. The silence was so big it almost buzzed. The quiet gave room for the image of her to rise again, vivid enough that my chest tightened like I was back in the creek catching her all over again.
The sun hung low and gold behind the peaks, shadows stretching for miles. The valley was empty and bright, I could actually see the bones of the land with nothing to hide them.
I leaned forward, both hands cinched on the wheel so hard my knuckles felt ready to pop. The pulse in my neck thudded, echoing the old argument. Protect, defend, watch your back, don't screw this up. My brain knew SkyArc was probably just another bunch of suits looking to pad their pockets, but my gut wasn't buying it. Not after Mint-Gate and that handshake on the bridge. Not after the way those men hadeyed me, like I was just another box to tick off the acquisition list.
Caden prowled, all teeth and promises. The chill in the air did nothing to cool him off. I sucked in a few deep breaths, watching the plume of my own breath fog the window. I was supposed to be in control, not my dragon, not the old fears.
Finally, I grabbed my phone and scrolled to Xavier's number. My cousin, the sheriff. If anyone in Laurel Gap had a read on new threats, it was him.
I typed out a message.
SkyArc is pinging my danger sense. Who are they other than a development company?
