“No, I’ll pay for them. But, if you really want to do something for me… could I get the pen giftwrapped? I’m terrible at wrapping.”
“Of course,” Sadie said – and her fingers, though obviously no longer at their best, wrapped the present so nimbly and perfectly that it was done before Poppy even realized it.
“Here,” said Sadie, slipping some extra things into the bag before Poppy could protest. “You’re not allowed to say no.”
“Okay, okay,” Poppy laughed. “I’ll take them. Whatever they are.”
Sadie handed the bag over. “Good,” she said. “Thank you again, Poppy – please drop in any time. Though if you pull a stunt like that again, Iwillbe putting you on the payroll.”
“Noted,” Poppy said, with a mock-serious look on her face.
She said her goodbyes and headed outside, wondering what to do next. But first of all, her curiosity got the better of her, and she looked inside the bag, wondering what Sadie had added in.
There were some beeswax candles and a few little knick-knacks, as well as a notebook made of gorgeously thick, textured paper –‘Lovingly crafted in Gunter’s Gulch,’she read with a wry smile – and a whole pile of discount coupons for local businesses.
Well, shewasin dire need of lunch at this point, and there appeared to be several food places amongst the listed businesses, so that settled it – lunch it was.
Chapter 6
So. We meet again.
There in front of Max, with its warm, inviting glow, was the whole reason he’d come back to Girdwood Springs: Sylvie’s Sweets and Bakery, somehow looking even more welcoming than the last time he’d been here.
Artfully drawn curtains framed the charming interior, with its rustic wooden serving counter, mismatched vases, and tastefully understated flower motif. Soft, fluffy snow was slowly piling up around the windows, sparkling gently as fairy lights blinked on and off. There was even still the same signboard on the sidewalk as the last time he was here – albeit half buried by a snowdrift – which appeared to have flowers growing out of its wooden edges, their petals dusted with frost. They were certainly the most realistic fake flowers Max had ever seen – the leaves felt absolutely real beneath his fingertips.
The overall effect was almost magical. Sylvie’s Sweets definitely had the air of a place that people would be drawn to, even if they hadn’t left the house with any intention of buying baked goods.
And business was clearly booming, if the number of people inside was anything to go by – he’d never seen a bakery this busy on a cold winter’s day. He was glad to see that Sylvie was doing well for herself.
Not that he knew her at all beyond their brief interactions on the day he’d visited, but she’d seemed like a friendly and genuine person who was also possessed of a fiery determination. He’d been glad when her cakes had been just as appealing as she herself had been – writing positive reviews for nice people was the best part of his job.
Well, that, and all the amazing food he got to eat. That wasdefinitelya perk.
Speaking of amazing food – the door opened briefly as a customer bustled out into the frigid winter air, and the heady aroma of freshly baked cakes and cookies danced gently on the breeze in their wake.
That smell…
Operating almost on autopilot, Max caught the door before it could fully close, the tiny bell on the door jangling as he pulled it shut behind him. He was generally pretty good about maintaining a professional detachment about food when he was in work mode, but he was in vacation mode now, and the warm, spicy aroma coming from the bakery was irresistible.
Sure, he’d eaten some of the cakes that had been at the B&B, and they’d been fantastic – but there was definitely something to be said for eating good food at its absolute freshest, in the environment it was intended to be consumed in.
And, if he was being honest with himself, he needed to get away from the B&B for a bit. It had been nerve-wracking, eating breakfast and knowing that Poppy was right on the other side of that door, potentially about to burst through at any moment and charm him into a tongue-tied mess without even trying.
It had been with both relief and disappointment that he’d finished his breakfast on his own, still no closer to working out what he wanted to do about the whole Poppy conundrum. He wasn’t the type to ask out women he barely knew, and he knew that he didn’t want something quick with Poppy – it would just be giving himself a taste of what he knew he wanted for the long term. He didn’t knowhowhe knew this, and the intensity of his feelings was confusing, to say the least, but he knew that he wanted to be with her for much longer than the next few days.
Which was why he now found himself at Sylvie’s Sweets. Maybe getting out and distracting himself for a while would help him to look at things from a more rational mindset and find some clarity.
And, of course, hereallywanted to eat some cake.
Joining the line at the counter, he attempted to get a good look at the cakes and pies that were on display, but there were so many customers that he could barely manage a glimpse here and there.
Max wasn’t too concerned – he was confident that anything he chose would be worth his time. Maybe it was even better this way, being forced to make a decision at the last moment rather than spending his entire time in the line agonizing over what to get… and then changing his mind again at the last second, anyway.
In any case, there was a menu above the counter that he could look at. It was never as good as seeing the cake itself, in his opinion, but sometimes it was fun to read a description and then see if the final product matched what his imagination had produced.
He scrutinized the menu as the line inched forward, feeling a little overwhelmed. He really could just buy one of everything and gorge himself into a stupor, he was pretty sure. And then come back for seconds.
Before he knew it, he was at the front of the line, and still at a loss.
