Chapter One
The Silver FallsSummer Fair was less than a week away, but Taryn Lawson wasn’t worried. It was only Monday, and the festival didn’t start until Friday afternoon. She stepped out of her back door and onto the covered patio. Unlike the other First Avenue Business Association members, who’d spent last night’s meeting in a panic over their booths not being finished yet, she had everything under control.
Pride surged through her, adding a bounce to her step. “This is my year.”
She’d worked hard in the fall storing parts of the booth in the backyard shed before the weather changed. Now that the bakery’s new patio seating area was open, she would prepare for the upcoming festival. It shouldn’t take long. All she needed to do was remove the pieces, assemble them, transport them to the park, and add the final details.
Easy-peasy.
Warmth spread through her. Her parents wouldn’t be able to complain about this.
As Taryn crossed the backyard, her tennis shoes sank into the tall grass. She’d neglected the lawn and hadn’t mowed for far too long. The flower beds could use weeding, and the shrubs required trimming. Or was that pruning?
No matter.
Nothing would bring her down today.
She would take care of the yard soon. So what if she’d been saying those exact words ever since her parents retired and she took over running the place?
They were true. Eventually, she would have the time once she didn’t feel as if the bakery and her future could be ripped away at any moment.
Sweat beaded at her neck. “It’s going to be a scorcher today.”
Not unusual for July, but she hoped the temperature wouldn’t rise until closer to lunchtime. Still, a dose of vitamin D would do her good. The clear, blue sky meant more customers might visit the bakery’s patio for dessert tonight. She shouldn’t complain.
Taryn floated toward the shed, buoyed by an overflow of hope. If things went according to plan, business would return to normal by August. She rubbed her hands together.
She removed the padlock and opened the door.
Mildew assaulted her nose. “Ew.”
She glanced inside. A smelly mess of wood, plastic, mold, and rot greeted her.
Taryn groaned. “No. This is not happening.”
Her muscles bunched. Her eyes wanted to close, but she kept them open. Nothing would erase the disaster in front of her, including pretending.
Out of sight, out of mindwouldn’t help.
She surveyed the items, her stomach dropping lower with each passing second. All her hard work on theMidsummer Night’s Dream-themed booth was…
“It’s all ruined.”
Boulders settled in the pit of her stomach. The smell of rotted wood assaulted her nose.
So much for the framing she’d planned on using as the base for the decorations.
The pop-up tent canopy hadn’t survived, either. Mold grew on the vinyl. Same for the signs she’d drawn.
Her shoulders sagged. “Ruined.”
No wonder the used shed had been dirt cheap. The roof or seams—perhaps both—must leak. The previous owner had told her it worked fine and that it kept their lawn mower and yard tools dry and in excellent condition, so she’d never considered testing it.
Why would someone lie?
To make the sale.
But that had never crossed her mind.
