“You’re right. It’smybakery, so let me run it the way I see fit. And if for some reason I’m not up to snuff when it comes to all of these silly policies, then I’m willing to face the consequences.”
“Even if the consequence could mean getting shut down?”
She audibly gasped, her eyes flashing with red hot anger, possibly mixed with a hint of fear. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Listen.” He stepped forward, even though nothing about her countenance was drawing him in. If anything, Faith was doing her level best to keep Mitch pinned over on his side of the landing with her staunch posture and seething glare. Still, he had to get through to her. He really wasn’t trying to be the badguy. “I’m not going to turn you in or anything like that. I only wanted to make you aware of a rule that you might not otherwise have known. I mean no harm.”
That didn’t soften her demeanor like he’d hoped. “Let me worry about my business, and I’ll let you stick to yours.”
“Fair enough.” He retreated a step. “What was it that you were just listening to?”
“Why? So you can report me on that, too? Is my taste in music questionable or offensive? Too loud, maybe?”
“Faith, I’m not—”
“I’m sorry,” she revised, likely hearing the bite in her tone, too. “I’m honestly not trying to be abrasive. I’ve just got a lot on my mind and my plate right now.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
She laughed softly. “Can you use a cookie cutter?”
“I wouldn’t consider myself a pro, but I think I’m adept enough at cookie cutting.”
“I’m trying to finish up the order for the women’s ministry retreat before I get to work creating my submission dessert for the Sweetheart Soiree. I’m really hoping to be picked as one of the official bakers for this year’s event, but I haven’t been able to work on my recipe since I’ve been too busy fulfilling customer orders. It’s a good problem to have, I guess, but it hasn’t made me any less stressed.”
It was a truce, and Mitch wasn’t about to let that go unnoticed. “I’d like to shower and clean up really quick, but then I’m free to help in any way I can. Give me a half hour. Then I’m all yours.”
“Take your time,” she replied. “And just to appease you, we can go to my actual bakery where I’mpermittedto bake for the public.”
He gave her a wry smile. “Now you’re speaking my language.”
CHAPTER 8
“This really means a lot to you, doesn’t it?”
Mitch hovered at Faith’s back, peering over her shoulder.
She stopped whipping the meringue briefly and cocked her head to look back at him. She wasn’t sure why she hadn’t expected to lock eyes, or for it to be so intense due to their close proximity. But something in the depths of his dark irises sparked a pleasant, warm feeling in her stomach and she couldn’t look away.
Finally swiveling her attention back to the fluffy mixture in the bowl, she said, “It does. The soiree is a big deal around here.”
“I figured in a small town like Snowdrift, it would be some sort of potluck style thing where everyone brought their own dish to share. Communal and relaxed.”
She gave the meringue another good whip. “We have events like that, mostly hosted by the church. The rib cookoff in the summer and the harvest festival in the fall. But the Sweetheart Soiree is a big to-do. It’s far and away the fanciest event our town hosts. It’s special.”
She could still feel him at her back, his looming presence surprisingly more comfortable than it was concerning.
“Sounds like it.” Mitch spun around, moving to lean against the butcher block counter and face her while she worked. “Is it a date sort of thing?”
“It can be. But a lot of people just attend on their own or in a group of friends or neighbors.”
“What’s your plan?”
Her spatula stilled. She blinked up at him. “Are you asking if I have a date?”
“Maybe.”
“I don’t. But honestly, if I’m selected as one of the official bakers, I won’t have much time for dining and dancing and all of that date stuff, anyway. I’ll be too busy with the desserts.”
