“So, Anne Marie tells me you are baking the cake for the Stewart wedding.” Ellis scooped some mac and cheese on his plate.
Erin’s hand stilled as she reached for the coleslaw. In her peripheral vision, she saw Logan watching her. She’d been quiet about the commission, afraid she would jinx it—as if the wedding date hadn’t been set and the deposit already paid.
Even though Frostford wasn’t a huge city, the Stewart wedding was sure to be one of the big social events in Frostford. The bride was the daughter of the mayor, the groom was a prominent lawyer, and they were both known for their expensive tastes. There were rumors that the bride flew to New York City for a special, one-of-a-kind gown and that the flowers were being shipped from Holland. It was sure to be the fanciest wedding Erin would ever attend, and she was making the cake. Not only was it a huge privilege, it would give her a nice paycheck—and bring her one step closer to having enough money to put a down payment on Aunt Betty’s house.
She set her fork down. “Yes, I am.”
“I told you.” Anne Marie gave Ellis a triumphant look while scooping some more food onto her youngest daughter’s plate. “Erin knows her way around a dessert.”
Erin blushed and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Well, I’ve always loved to bake. But it really was the owners of Good Eats that made this happen. They’re the ones who recommended me for the wedding.”
“I didn’t know that,” Anne Marie said.
Erin shrugged. “Yeah, well, even though they’ve let me exclusively do all the desserts for the diner, they know I need to find a way to expand my business if I’m going to be able to take care of my family. My hope is that if I do well with this wedding, other people in Frostford might hire me to do their events. Then, maybe eventually, I’ll make cakes for nearby cities.”
“That’s amazing,” Logan said quietly from beside her. “You’re going to do great.”
Erin warmed at the compliment. Unsure of how to respond, she pushed the food on her plate around with her silverware.
“What about you?” Ellis turned his attention toward Logan. “How are things going with your job?”
He swallowed his bite. “I, uh, actually just had a video chat with HR this week. Things are moving forward.”
Erin’s hands stilled. Even though they had been speaking over dinner every night, Logan hadn’t talked at all about work. He usually sat there quietly while the kids talked about their day, or gave updates on his work on the house. Other than his new job being in Florida, Erin didn’t know anything about what he did.
“What do you do?” Anne Marie asked.
“In Chicago, I worked for a real estate investment company.”
“Oh, fancy,” Ellis teased, with only good humor in his voice.
“Yeah, well, the city can be a great place to look for old buildings to revitalize.”
“Is that what your new job is too?” Erin asked, hoping she didn’t sound too eager. She wanted to know more, but was afraid to sound like she cared too much. Shedidcare too much.
Logan nodded. “Yep. It’s about the only thing I’m good at.”
A look passed between Ellis and Anne Marie. Ellis looked excited. Anne Marie shook her head slightly. Logan missed it, his attention on the glass of water in front of him.
Ellis turned his attention back to Logan as he took a sip. “And you’re set on that company?”
Confusion filled Logan’s features. “I, uh ... yeah. I’m set. I accepted the job and plan to start when I said I would.”
“Why?” Ellis rested his elbows on the table.
Anne Marie set her hand on her husband’s forearm. “Honey.”
“People back out of jobs all the time,” Ellis said, ignoring Anne Marie’s gentle warning. “I’m sure there’s a line of people who would gladly take your spot.”
Logan choked on his drink. It took him a moment to catch his breath. While Ellis wasn’t being rude, Erinwas also surprised by how forward he was being. It was completely out of character.
“I’m sure there are,” Logan said. He paused and looked at Erin. “I guess I just want to be the kind of guy who follows through with what he says.”
Erin could tell Logan meant those words. They weren’t empty platitudes to him. She wondered if the way he looked at her as he said them was a way of telling her that he’d changed. If so, it was working. There were cracks in the walls she’d put up since Logan had come home.
“Anne Marie thinks I’m too forward. Maybe I am.” Ellis chuckled, bringing everyone’s attention back to him. “But we aren’t strangers, Logan, and I’m not one to beat around the bush. I’d love for you to come join me at the Chamber of Commerce. We could use someone with your real estate experience to help us scout buildings to establish more small businesses in Frostford. I don’t want all the big box stores to come in and take over. The only way to make sure that doesn’t happen is to strengthen our economy.”
Erin’s breath caught. The food on her plate was forgotten. She waited to see how Logan would respond. If Logan stayed, maybe he and Aunt Betty wouldn’t be in such a rush to sell it. Maybe it would give her more time to come up with the down payment.
