Would it honestly be possible?
Not once in my entire life have I thought about being friends with him. And now he wants me to fake it. The worst part is, I could never fake it. If—that's a huge if, because this is just crazy to even be considering— I were to do this for him, he would have to become my actual real friend.
Could I do that? Faking it seemed like a far-fetched idea as it was, but actually becoming friends with Dutton Richford … am I really considering it?
I can't believe I'm actually considering this.
The door to the bakery opens, and none other than Dutton's sister, also known as one of my best friends whom I would normally run an idea like this over with but can’t, Grace, walks through the door, a smile beaming on her face as she spots me behind the counter.
“Well, well, well, it's not every day that I get to see my best friend first thing in the morning. Did you decide to actually teach someone else to do the baking so that you could work in the front of the shop more?”
“You know the kitchen is my favorite place to be. Daisy is using the bathroom. As soon as she comes back, I will be right back into the kitchen baking more goods, to which I assume you are here for.”
I have three employees here besides me. Daisy, Sammie, and Walter. They rotate between the kitchen and the front of the bakery, but it’s safe to say that Daisy loves the front and Sammie and Walter prefer the kitchen.
“Oh, I also came to see your beautiful face. I haven't seen you in so long. Missing girls’ nights is the worst.”
It really is. We have busy schedules these days and it’s been too long since we all could make the same night work, but it does seem that Grace misses more than the rest of us.
“Yeah, why have you been missing so many?”
She lets out a sigh and crosses her arms.
“Work, my dad, you know how it is. He's trying to make some changes, and he wants to pick between Dutton and me to take over the lodge. And it's just, you know, boring business stuff.”
She waves the topic off as if it isn’t worth talking about.
But she loves business stuff, right?
The thought makes me curious about what Dutton said yesterday. I focus on wiping down the counters and moving things around to act busy as I ask, “Do you want to take over the lodge?”
I know she’s mentioned it before, but now that it could actually be happening, maybe she’s changed her mind.
It would make the offer Dutton gave me easier to accept if she’s changed her mind.
Wait? Does that mean I want to help him in exchange for something?
“Of course I do. It's all I've ever wanted. Dutton has always been our father’s first pick, because he's the firstborn. But as we all know, Dutton has made a name for himself in this town, and being as small as it is, it’s easy for them to hold a grudge. I'm not so sure if the people would support the lodge the way they do now if Dutton were in charge. Plus, something weird is going on between my dad and Dutton. They both pretend like it’s the normal, everyday tension of owning a family business, but it just keeps getting worse and worse.”
Interesting.
I did notice that when Dutton kept saying he was the better fit for the lodge, he didn’t say it in a cocky guy way. I can’t quiteplace the tone he used, but now my brain is spinning. Not to mention, I’ve noticed how he only refers to his father by name and never Dad or Father.
“Would it be so bad if he did own it?” I make Grace her usual latte and hand it over the counter.
Daisy appears, takes Grace’s money, and shoos me away from the register.
I nod to an empty table near the front window, and Grace and I take a seat.
“No, it wouldn't, and I’m sure he’d treat me like an equal and everything would be just fine, but I have so many ideas for that place. Ways to make it bigger in the wedding industry, even the top romantic destination in the country.”
Her face lights up.
“I mean, how insane would it be to reach that and then expand into another country?”
“That would be incredible, Grace.”
She nods.
