Darius laughed, but his pulse gave a quick, traitorous jump at the mention of her name. He changed the subject quickly. “Why do you think fate brought you, Emma, and Penny here with me?”
“That I can’t answer,” Isabel said, a soft smile spreading across her lips. “Not yet. But I feel we are definitely here for a reason.”
“Well, here’s to finding out what fate has in store for us this summer.” Darius raised his water glass.
Isabel clinked her glass against his. “To new beginnings on our summer vacation.”
They ate in comfortable silence for a while, the bay sparkling beyond the windows. Darius tried to focus on the food, on his sister’s improving mood, on the fact that Emma was out enjoying herself with Penny. But his mind kept drifting back to Linda. The way she had smiled at him on the beach, the easy warmth in her voice when she invited them to the festival, the quiet strength he had sensed in her.
He pushed the thoughts away. Darius reminded himself that he was here for the properties. For the deal. For his family’s future.
But as the sunlight danced across the water and his sister laughed softly at something Marlene said from the kitchen, Darius couldn’t quite shake the feeling that this summer was going to be far more complicated, and far more meaningful, than he had planned.
LILA
Lila tied her apron, slipped a tray of fresh cupcakes into the front display, and glanced at the clock above the doorway. Just past two. The afternoon lull had settled over Reilly’s Bakery, the way it always did between the lunch crowd and the after-school families.
Tom had left an hour earlier with Linda and the children. They had stopped by the bakery first for fresh sourdough rolls before heading to the hospital to visit George. Lila was so relieved that George would be okay. She could see that Tom was more relaxed now, too. He’d really been worried about the man.
The bell above the front door chimed, drawing Lila’s attention and pulling her from her thoughts of Tom. Since last night, she’d found herself thinking about a lot more than usual. That was not good. The man was her boss, and Lila had to get her wayward emotions under control. She was also far too old for crushes, fluttery feelings in her stomach, and fantasies about falling in love. Lila had had her big love, and as far as she knew, only very few ever got a second one. She plastered a smile on her face and looked at the people walking in.
A tall, beautiful woman stepped inside. She had sharp eyes, wore a tailored cream linen sundress, expensive sandals, and carried herself with a casual, elegant grace. The woman held the door open for a young girl who came in behind her, a pretty preteen with long dark hair and a wide curious smile.
“Welcome to Reilly’s,” Lila said with a smile. “I’m Lila. What can I get for you?”
“Hello,” the woman said warmly. “I’m Penny. This is Emma. We were told this is the best place in town to get sourdough.”
“You were told correctly,” Lila answered. “We make it fresh every morning. How many loaves would you like? Just one loaf?”
“Just one should do for tonight, thank you.” Penny glanced around the shop. “This place smells heavenly.”
“It’s a baker’s trick,” Lila admitted. “Let the aromas of fresh-baked bread and confectionery swirl around the bakery. It makes the customers feel warm and welcome.”
Penny gave a soft laugh. “And makes them want to buy a lot more than what they came for.”
“Exactly,” Lila agreed.
Emma had already drifted across to the cupcake display and was leaning on the glass, both palms flat against it.
“Penny, look at these,” Emma called. “Can we get some? Please?”
Penny laughed softly. “Emma, we came in for bread.”
“I know, but look at them.” Emma turned to Lila with bright, hopeful eyes. “Do they have buttercream or fondant? Buttercream is so much better.”
“Buttercream,” Lila told her. “Always buttercream at Reilly’s. Tom, my boss and the owner, is very firm about that.”
“Yes, then please can we get some?” Emma turned back to Penny. “For everyone? Gran will love them, and Uncle Darius will too. We can have them for after dinner.”
“If they last that long.” Penny smiled, and Lila knew the woman had caved. “All right. What do you think? Six?”
“Yes, I think six will do,” Emma agreed.
“Six cupcakes coming up,” Lila said. “Would you like a mix of different flavors or all the same?”
“A mix,” Emma said immediately. “Two pink. Two chocolates. Two of those vanilla ones with the little raspberry on top, please.”
“Great choice.” Lila pulled a clean, white box from the shelf below the counter and began carefully arranging the cupcakes inside. Emma watched her with the focused attention of a child who took cupcakes seriously. “Are you on holiday here? I haven’t seen you around town before,” Lila asked, glancing up between selections.
