“It won’t matter how good we are if we’re late. Let’s get it in the van.”
The cake weighed a ton, and we huffed our way out to the back parking lot. After we safely stored it in the refrigerated cargo area, we got in and drove the short way out to the Wilson farm.
“What are you doing the day after tomorrow?” I asked, navigating the potholes and people on the way to the barn where the engagement party would be.
Willa shot around in her seat, jumping up and down as much as her seat belt would allow. “Are we going to Denver?”
I grinned at her. “We’re going to Denver.”
“I’m so proud of you, Rayna. Good to see you take that bull by the balls.”
I parked in front of the open barn door, turning the motor off. “You mean horns.”
Willa followed me out of the van, unlatching the back door. “Nope, I meant balls. Who would be stupid enough to go for the horns when the balls would be so much more effective?”
Personally, I thought both actions would just piss the bull off. But since I didn’t intend to find out either way, I changed the topic or we’d be arguing about it for hours.
“Okay, then. Let’s get this cake inside so we can clean up the mess you left in my kitchen.”
“Hey, my genius requires space to work.”
We carefully made our way inside and to the back table where the cake was supposed to go.
“Can you put it right in the middle?” someone shouted from behind a mountain of tulle.
We did as requested, and the faceless voice emerged for long enough to sign the delivery papers.
“Do you know any more about the meeting besides the company name?” Willa asked once we were back in the van.
“I’m meeting a Mary Williams at 3:00 p.m. at a café called Cake Crumbs.”
“Are we bringing pastries? Cakes?”
“Nope. She said to meet for a chat and that she’s already familiar with my baking from the show. Funny thing is, I don’t remember a Mary.”
Willa shot me a raised eyebrow. “You are terrible with names. You probably met her and forgot.”
“Maybe.”
We cleaned up the kitchen, and I pushed myself through the rest of the day, watching the clock on the wall behind the counter as if it might disappear if I looked away.
“I’m out of here,” Willa announced an hour after closing. It had taken us a while to clean the kitchen. “You staying?”
Technically, I would stay in the building anyway, since I lived upstairs. But instead of the smartass response, I just nodded. “I’ll lock up after you, and then I have to go through the bills.”
Kinsley had stopped working for me a few days after I got back, eager to have more hours at her other job at Posy Pushers. She loved flowers, so I didn’t blame her. She had done such an amazing job of keeping the books at the bakery. And as a thank-you, I had promised her a lifetime of free coffee.
I turned bleary eyes to my screen once Willa left. Everything looked good, and I paid the few outstanding invoices before shutting down the computer.
This month, I might even make the biggest profit since opening the bakery. Willa had done such a great job that I was going to ask her to become my partner, even if I didn’t open a second location.
I’d been playing with the idea for a while, and I finally had enough capital to afford it. I had hoped she would want to put her literature degree to good use, but it turned out her time at college showed her she preferred being in the bakery.
Shelving that conversation for another day, I made my way up the back stairs and into my tiny one-bedroom apartment. Since I spent little time up here, it was functional with minimal fuss. The only pictures were of me and Willa, and one with my sister when Willa was still a baby.
I had a three-seater couch pushed against the far wall and a small, rickety dining table with two chairs. The bedroom was barely big enough to fit a bed and dresser, and the bathroom was so small I had to stand on the toilet to close the door that inexplicably opened on the inside.
If I was honest with myself, I could afford something bigger, but since it was only me, I didn’t bother. Besides, nothing beat a thirty-second commute.
