“He’s being kind,” I say.
She shakes her head. “He is kind, but that’s not what this is. He’s genuinely so excited about the idea I’m surprised he hasn’t tried to become your business partner.”
I laugh. “He did offer to be a silent investor.”
Her eyes go wide. “I hope you said no. There is no way he will be silent.”
Another laugh. It feels good to connect with someone in Miles’slife. Someone important to him. It’s like seeing another side of him completely. “Please, sit.” I motion to the couch, and Zoey sits down.
“I’m going to grab some snacks,” I say.
“I never turn down snacks.”
I smile as I pull out containers of various baked goods that have helped relieve the stress of the week. I place cookies and bars and muffins onto a plate, grab a couple bottles of water, and walk back into the living room, where I find Zoey clicking around on her laptop.
I set the plate in front of her and hand over a bottle of water, watching as she eyes the treats. “Is it too late to change the terms of our agreement?” She looks at me. “I want to be paid in baked goods.”
I laugh. “Like father, like daughter.”
She nods. “That tracks. He’s always had a sweet tooth.” Zoey scans the plate, almost like she’s not sure how to decide what to try.
“Whatever you don’t eat now, you’re taking home, so no need to be choosy,” I say.
“Phew. Okay.” She picks up a lemon bar and a napkin and takes a bite. “Oh my gosh, Claire.” She chews. “This is amazing.”
“Thanks,” I say.
She swallows the bite and picks up her computer, balancing the bar in her hand. She turns the laptop around to face me. “I mocked up a few logos for you. No pressure, but I just wanted to offer them as part of the branding package.”
My eyes go wide as I look at five different logos, and I realize there is no way I’m going to be able to choose just one—and unlike my baked goods, I can’t save the others for later. “Oh my gosh, Zoey. These are amazing.”
She pushes the laptop closer and takes another bite while I study them.
“Dad said your tagline is ‘Sit, sip, and stay awhile,’ so I built on that.” She smiles. “Great tagline, by the way. I love the whole concept. I think it’s going to be a huge hit. There’s nothing like this anywhere—not that I’ve seen.”
“Thank you for saying that,” I say, looking at her screen. “Oof, I’m starting to get nervous.”
“Good. That means you care.” She smiles. “You don’t have to pick one right now, and if you need me to tweak anything, I can do that too.”
“I love them all.” I try to imagine the logo on bakery bags and coffee cups. Or on a sign out in front of the shop. “I really love this one—” I point to a hand-drawn image of a big wraparound porch and the silhouette of two people sitting on a swing. “It reminds me of my grandma.”
She smiles. “I like that one too.”
“But the one with the wooden signpost is so great too,” I say.
Zoey opens her water bottle. “They were fun to create, but this is your business, so be picky.”
I laugh. “Okay. I will.”
“I’ve been given strict instructions to handle your social media for the next six months,” she says. “So we can take our time with some of this stuff. But the sooner we start building excitement, the better. Dad said you’re opening in June?”
My eyes go wide. “Wait, six months?”
She goes still. “Is that okay? That’s usually where I start with a freelance branding package to get a good idea of how things are working. Once you pick a logo and a theme, I’ll get to work on setting you up on all major platforms. Dad mentioned you might also need help building your website. He has a guy for that too. Actually, I have a guy for that—my fiancé.” She pulls her bottom lip in like she’s trying really hard not to smile. She’s failing.
I glance down at her hand and notice the beautiful diamond solitaire on her ring finger.
“Oh my goodness, congratulations,” I say, picking up her hand.
