Page 61 of The Sugar and Spice Bookshop Bakery

‘Don’t we all?’

‘And you’re not harbouring some secret desire to write a book and are hoping to pump me for hints and tips about how to do it and how to get it published?’

‘Nope! Although I do love books. The ad said this was going to be a bookshop bakery?’

‘It is.’ Louise is suddenly conscious that they are still standing in the doorway. ‘I think you’d better come in. Coffee?’

Over steaming lattes, Anna explains that she has had to give up her own business because she’s split up with her husband, and now she’s a single mum, running it doesn’t feel feasible.

‘It’s such a shame,’ she says. ‘I was doing really well. But Mum lives in Applethwaite, so Robyn and I have moved in with her, and she’ll look after her during the day, when she’s not at school, so I can work. I’m really keen to get back on my feet again. It’s been difficult, you know, with the break-up and everything.’

‘I’m sorry to hear that.’

‘Thanks. I don’t miss him.’

‘No?’

‘I miss the idea of him, if that makes sense. I miss the person I thought he was, when we first got together. And I miss the dog. There was no way he was letting the dog go. It makes me so mad – he wasn’t interested in fighting for custody of Robyn at all.’

‘Yeah, but in a way that’s good. You don’t want to be dragged through the family courts.’

‘I know. But it just proved that he doesn’t care about his own daughter. Bloody men!’

The door bursts open. Maddie rushes in, one hand covering her face. ‘He wasn’t bothered! He didn’t give a shit!’

Louise looks at Anna and mouths, ‘Sorry,’ then says, ‘Er, Maddie, I’m just interviewing. For the bakery job?’

‘Thought that was yesterday?’ Maddie says sullenly from behind her hand.

‘I was late,’ Anna says. ‘Sixteen hours late.’

Maddie wipes her face on her hand and says, ‘Sorry to interrupt. I just…’

‘Theo?’ Louise says.

‘Theo,’ Maddie confirms. ‘I rang him to tell him that I didn’t get the job. I thought he’d be gutted, but he sounded relieved.’ She pauses. ‘Anyway, I’ll leave you to it. Tell you more later. Sorry again.’

She holds her hand up and gives a little wave, then covers her face again and retreats from the bakery, closing the door behind her with slightly more force than usual.

‘What were we saying? Bloody men,’ Louise says.

Anna laughs. ‘Poor woman. We’ve all been there. At least, I know I have. That gradual realisation that they don’t like you as much as you like them.’

Louise smiles. She likes this Anna. Could imagine she’d be easy company to have around all day. Exactly the sort of person she wants to work alongside. She pauses for a second. If Maddie hasn’t got the job, does she really need an assistant?

Well, yes. Yes, she does, if she’s going to do this properly. Louise wants to focus on the books, which means someone else needs to do the baking. Maddie doesn’t bake, has shown no interest in it whatsoever, and sooner or later, she is going to land herself a proper job.

‘When can you start?’ She smiles at Anna.

‘Really? That’d be wonderful. Whenever you like, really. When are you planning to open?’

The door opens again. This time it’s Jack. ‘Come outside and see what I’ve got.’ He looks from Louise to Anna. ‘Oh, sorry. Didn’t know you were busy. I’ll show you later.’

He backs out.

‘That’s Jack,’ Louise says. ‘He’s in charge of the design to transform the bakery into a bookshop bakery.’

She can hear excited voices outside, Maddie and Jack. Whatever he’s got seems to have lifted Maddie’s mood considerably. She looks towards the door, then back at Anna, and the two of them stand up and go over to the window, to see what all the fuss is about.