Haven was basically one big, long main street. It was bustling with people, though. People pushing strollers and children running around laughing. It made her smile despite the stress racing through her.
She ducked into the bakery which had a dog-friendly sign in the window. The atmosphere inside was fun and busy. She stared down at the goodies in the case. They all looked amazing . . .
Except for the cakes.
Yikes. There were three large cakes which were probably delicious, but the icing was dripping down the sides of the cakes. On one cake the icing was a strange black-purple color.
That looked revolting.
“They’re terrible, aren’t they?” a woman with a Scottish accent asked. “They taste delicious, but they look like shit.”
Arabella couldn’t help but let out a bark of laughter. “They do look, um, interesting. Do you own this place?”
“It’s all right, you don’t have to sugar coat it. I know they look like something that your dog would have left on the sidewalk. After he’d been eating blueberries. And grapes.”
“I don’t think dogs can eat grapes,” she said. She knew they couldn’t because she’d been doing some research. But she didn’t want to seem like she was a know-it-all.
“Shoot. They can’t? There goes my idea for a doggy wine.”
Doggy wine?
“Hey, there, gorgeous,” she said as she crouched down and got into Horse’s face.
Arabella tensed, wondering how Horse would react considering he wasn’t that fond of men at times. But Horse sat with his tongue lolling out as the woman patted and cooed tohim. Finally, she stood and looked up at Arabella. She was a lot shorter than Arabella with luscious hips and curves. Her smile lit up her face, she had freckles over her face and red-brown hair.
And Arabella immediately knew she wanted to be friends with this woman.
If she would have her.
“Hello, there, I’m Iona McCabe. And yeah, I own this fine bakery. I don’t think I’ve met you before, have I?”
“I’m Arabella Bridges. And no, I’ve only been here a week.”
“Oh, well, you’re totally new. Welcome to Haven. I haven’t lived here long myself. I came to visit my cousin who lives in Freestown, we visited Haven for the day and I fell in love. That was six months ago. And now I own this business, and I’ve got my eye on someone.”
“You do?” Arabella asked, startled.
“Sorry, sorry, my ma always said that I overshare.”
“Oh no, that’s okay. I don’t mind,” Arabella told her. “Can I try a slice of the blueberry cake?”
“You sure?”
“I am. I’m certain it’s delicious. I’m actually a baker as well.”
“You are? What do you like to bake?” Iona asked as she moved around the counter to get a slice of cake. There was someone else serving at the register.
“Cakes. But mostly I enjoy decorating them.”
“Oh, you must think mine are awful.”
“No, no, you’re probably just going wrong with the icing.”
“I’m going wrong with something, all right.” Someone called her from the back and Iona turned. “I best go. Let me know what you think I can improve.”
Arabella smiled and nodded. She took the slice of cake and walked to the register to pay for it. “Before I pay for this, do you have a list of ingredients?”
The girl behind the counter gave her a strange look. “Um, maybe?”
