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Jess smiled, swinging her feet. “You let me see the recipe.”
Grampy shrugged. “Yes, well, I figured it was time to let someone see it.”
Her jaw dropped. “Are you telling me I’m the first?”
He grinned. “Sure are, kid.”
“Why?!”
Grampy crossed his arms. “For the same reason you knocked on my door and offered me a hand. You’re dedicated. I see how hard you’ve been working to make your bakery into something in town, despite all the odds.”
“It doesn’t seem to be enough, though,” she grumbled.
“Tell me more.”
She did. She explained about the different changes she’d made, like adding focaccia to bring in afternoon customers and matcha to bring in a younger crowd and their date-day bike rental deal they finally implemented. She briefly told him about the numbers Calvin meticulously laid out for her and Kevin recently, and how much they would need to stay afloat the rest of the year.
“We failed,” she concluded.
To her shock, Grampy rolled his eyes. “You did not fail. I don’t want to hear that.”
“Then what would you call it?”
“A learning curve.”
“A learning curve that ended up curving right into failure.”
He shook his head. “Not if your next move is a smart one.”
She cocked a brow. “Got any ideas?”
His mouth twitched. “Potentially.”
She frowned. “You’re scaring me, Gramps.”
“Ha! Gramps.” He shook his head then pulled out another stool and took a slow seat. “As you can see, I’m getting old.”
“No, you’re not. You’re going to live forever.”
Another laugh from him. Jess grinned.
“Here’s a thought…What if I buy Port Wheels?”
Her eyes widened. “What? Why would you do that?”
“Because it would work well with my retirement plan.”
“And that is?”
“To hand down this place to you.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Jess felt like she blacked out for a moment as she stared at the man in front of her, the commodity in town who felt more like a legend than a chef.
Grampy gestured toward his kitchen and the storefront. “I’ve had this shop for decades. I’m proud of it, but I’m not banking on my kids wanting to take on the business when I finally decide to throw in the towel.”
Jess was still speechless, so she simply nodded, leaving him space to continue.
